The Pirate's Life

The bastards. As a children's writer, I don't put down those words without serious consideration. When it comes to pirates though- the kind that give away illegal copies of an author's book, a photographer's photos, a musician's CD, I don't need more than a millionth of a nanosecond to call them the scum they are.

Picture courtesy of Pexels, Inc.

Artists of all genres work hard, and long, and most of the time, without making any money. We're lucky (some of us) to break even. Yet, these pirates, and their equally scummy friends who believe 'art should be free' ignore that we have bills to pay, we like to eat, and we hope to keep the heat on in the house over the winter. They automatically 'ass-ume' that once you write a book, you make as much money as Madonna did on hers. Or that you rake in the concert dough like Springsteen. You're a total idiot and a waste of cytoplasm if you believe that.

I'm tired of having to report these lower-than-ebola-virus lifeforms, but it's my duty. Here are several ways for authors, both traditionally and Indie published, to fight those who shouldn't be allowed to breathe.... (do I sound a bit vicious? Oh wait, I'm just warming up....)

1- Sign up for Talkwalker Alerts. They are a free service in which you put key words, like the title, genre of your book, your name, etc. and whenever a mention is made somewhere out 'there' (points to www), you'll get a notice. You can get daily alerts (best if you're fighting pirates), weekly, or less often. Google alerts does the same, but it's not as effective. Use both! It may give you more email than you want, but isn't beating these guys worth it? Here is the link: Talkwalker Alerts. Since they are a free service, it would help if you throw a few dollars $5, $10, to keep this lifesaver afloat.

2. If you find a thieving pirate, go to the site (but be careful!). Just see if what they are offering- your book, unlawfully- is there. DON'T CLICK ON ANYTHING. Many times these sites have malware to boot, and then the curses will abound in great color and depth. All you have to do is make sure it's your book/music/art.

3. The first place to go is your publisher if you're traditionally pubbed. I went to St. Martin's Press and clicked Contact Us, and chose the option Company Piracy Report. They have an easy-to-use form and boom, takes 2 minutes. Now the publisher is aware of the situation and they have a company which handles piracy with Takedown Notices (a legal "Stop giving my book away for free, you flea-bearing, smelly-pit degenerate pirate!"). Plus, they will work with Google and such to get the sites themselves taken down.

4. If you are self-pubbed, go to Indies Unlimited. They have a link to a form for Google. You can use this for both traditional and Indie books. If traditional, make sure you list the publisher (Add publisher's name and email). As the author, even though the publisher may hold the copyright, you are a viable representative to report piracy. For Indie authors, you would click the button that says 'self' under representative. Indies Unlimited walks you through the process, so don't worry if it sounds a bit confusing here. The link: Indies Unlimited

5. Other places to go: Bing Notices of Infringement Page. You'll have to wade through basic stuff and search for what you need, but you'll learn more in the process. Also try Google Legal Help. I haven't been through the process on this page (yet). In order to stop free copies of your works, you have to be diligent. For further resources and information, search How To Remove Pirate Sites From Google. Again, there is a lot of information out there and you have to take the time to slog through it. Some sites will advertise they can do it-for a monthly fee. There are enough free resources to check first.

Go get the bastards...

Char