Paranormal & Urban Fantasy, Monthly Group Reads discussion

I wrote The Undead Heart (the first book in The Blood Thirst Series) and a few days ago I found out I was ROBBED! I worked for months writing the book and have gotten some really great reviews but noticed that more people were reading it than copies sold. A friend called and told me to look up The Undead Heart torrent and that I wouldn't believe what I found. She was right, I was shocked! Someone had taken my book and uploaded it on a torrent site to be given away for free! It spread from there to many other torrent sites as well. After some investigation we found that The Undead Heart has been illegally downloaded over 50,000 times. I'm not a rich or famous author. All the money that went into publishing The Undead Heart came out of my pocket and now I have nothing but lose to show for it. It's unfair and unstoppable! As far as profits are concerned it breaks down like this: The Undead Heart e-book is for sale on Kindle and Nook for $6.99 per copy. My royalty is $4.83 per copy sold. If the 50,000 illegal downloads had been legally purchased it would have netted me a profit of $241,500.00. Instead, I got nothing. I can't begin to describe how hurt, angry and disappointed I felt when I discovered this theft. To have someone take a piece of you and just give it away to everyone is incomprehensible! Blood Thirst (the second book in the series)is completed and nearly ready to be released. Because of the theft I actually consider not publishing the last 2 books in the series. My friends said they understand my anger but to not publish the next book would be unfair to the people who did legal purchase The Undead Heart and who were so kind with their comments and reviews. I don't know what to do! I'm sure I will publish Blood Thirst but would love to hear the thoughts and advise from the group! What would you do? Please feel free to repost this! Advice and comments can also be sent to bloodthirstseries@yahoo.com

Love Always,
Tate Jackson

It's not enough to post this exact same post to 5 different groups, but you had to post it to this group twice! Enough already.

Tate, I'm so sorry to hear about that, it's horrible! Unfortunately I think this happens all the time and as you said, it's unstoppable. I wish I new more about electronic copies and could help you out, but I don't. I would encourage you to finish the series for your true fans. I feel like when authors give up after something like this it just disappoints the people who really want it. I understand that it is theft and would be just as angry about it as you, but I don't see where not publishing the rest of the books would get you. That's just my opinion. Sorry again.

Lisa, this is the same author who a few months ago, gave copies of this ebook away, and then in Feb posted that she was sick and was begging folks to buy her ebook so she could afford a $2,600 surgery. Now she's whining she's lost out on nearly a quarter of a million in royalties. I wouldn't trust anything this author has to say at this point.

I was sick but posting it was my best friends idea not mine. I did get my surgery though. feeling so much better now but its hard for any woman to get gutted like that. I'd already had my kids and most are grown but still...you just kind of feel like less than you were. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I did give away 20 copies of the book on goodreads but I really don't think that was the problem. I didn't seem to have any problem with the good folks on goodreads reposting or sharing the books. This problem didn't start until after I put the book up for sale on Nook. I can't swear that's where the problem came from but just to be safe I don't think I'll use Nook for Blood Thirst. I hiope that solves the problem for the future because having your hard work stolen just sucks!

If Goodreads wasn't the problem, then why are you bitching about it all over Goodreads in every group that has anything to do with paranormal books? You come off as if you're blaming us!

I posted in several groups because I'm in several groups and have friends in each. You'res obviously in several groups as well or you wouldn't have seen the post.I was only asking the friends, fans and other author's that have supported me what they would do in this situations and how they would deal with it. I already answered your first post and explained that i wasn't blaming anyone here. I even said that I think the problem may have come from Nook? So I really don't understand your last angry post saying the same thing you said the first time. So what the problem? I wasn't talking to you personally nor have I blamed you for anything. I welcome construtive advice from all members of my groups but a this point it just seems like your trying to be snippy and start an argument for no reason at all. I answered your question and apologived if i came off sounding like I was blaming anyone here so I really don't understand what it is you want.

At this point Tate, I can't believe anything you say based on the fact that the only thing I've seen you do in 6 months on GRs is spam various PR groups about your book. That's it. All your posts look like scams. What I want is for you to stop trying to emotionally blackmail folks into buying your books. Sell them on their own merits but don't try to get folks to feel guilty for you by saying you need $2600 for surgery, or whining about not getting nearly a quarter million dollars in royalties.

I'm not trying to be rude, or pick a fight. What I'm trying to do is be direct and honest. You are stirring up alot of controversy. Not about piracy, but about the methods in which you've chosen to push your book on GRs. Please join a GRs author group and learn better ways to market your books.

I just want to add that the number of people who download free from torrent and other such sites is not a fair representation of how many would do so if they had to pay $6.99 for the book. Also,please believe BunWat; many plan to download but then quit when the "free" material requires a commitment or other purchase. Frankly, those and other sites that allow unlimited downloads of music (I didn't know books could be "purchased"!) for a set fee monthly should be banned but that's life in the Internet Age. Keep writing, Tate, and skip Nook!