Monday Musings: “Your Books Are So Good, I Shouldn’t Have to Pay for Them.”

~ M.A. Kropp

This happened to an author of my acquaintance. She got an email from a “fan” and the gist of it was this:

Dear Ms. Author.

I really like your books. I think they are well-written and I enjoyed reading them. (So far, so good, right? Hang on.) However, I have returned them all because you priced them at $0.99 to $2.99, and that is too much to pay for them. I can’t afford to pay that much for a book, even though I liked it. In the future, can you make sure you make all your books free so I don’t have to return them?

And, when the author in question blocked this “fan” (and it seems, reported her as an abuser of the return system on ebooks), she sent another email chastising the author for blocking her and forcing her to open a second account (presumably to harass the author further). She went on to say that other authors haven’t been this terrible to her, and in fact, have asked her to be a beta reader because she bought and returned their books, so why does this author think she has the right to do these terrible, terrible things?

Uh, WTF? Lemme tell you something, sweetie. This writing stuff? This is work. This is our JOB. It takes time and effort to write a book, edit and revise several times, get it edited and proofread by outside sources, a cover designed, and the e-book formatted properly. Not everyone has the skill set to do all that themselves. In fact, the outside edit/proofread is essential to producing a professional result. Many times, those things we can’t do ourselves cost actual money. Oh, yes, sometimes you are lucky and have a relative or friend who will work gratis or for barter or a small payment. But it still requires the effort from all involved. That 99 cents you paid? That gets the author a pittance of a royalty, but at least it is something. Again, to a lot of us, this is a job.

Now, I have no idea what this lunatic does for work, but for those of you who do have a job, how would you react if your boss came to you this morning and said: “Look, we love the work you do, we think you are a valuable employee, and you really do help us out a lot. However, we have decided that we shouldn’t have to pay you to do that work. We think it is so good, you should just give it to us.” You think that would fly? Yeah, no. And, yet, this is exactly what this person wants authors to do- give her our work without getting paid. Um, sorry. Ain’t gonna happen. Further, it shouldn’t happen. We put a lot of effort into what we write and we deserve to get paid for it.

She also most certainly should be reported for abusing the system. I worked retail for many years, and you can bet the chronic returners got shut down after a while. You can’t go into a store, buy something, use it for your party or whatever, and then return it, over and over, without being tagged as a problem customer. Oh, and by the way? Threatening to “never buy anything here again (or buy another of her books)” isn’t much of a threat. When you return it, we don’t make any money on it, anyway, so no big deal.

So, listen, honey, get a clue. Those “stories in our heads” are not a gift to you unless we choose them to be. We don’t owe you the chance to read them. We’re not offering them to you for your undying love and admiration. We’re working here, just like everybody else. And, just like everybody else, we deserve to be paid for that work.

=================================================

Available now: (and you’re gonna have to pay for ’em. 😉 )

tn_Circle Unbroken Cover (eBook)

After five years away, Kaili is coming home for the ceremony to install her sister as head of the family business. When an old rivalry threatens the family, Kaili and her partner need to use all their skills to save the sisters’ lives. Learn more here.

tn_Six of One

A collection of six short fantasy stories set in varied worlds of magic and mayhem. Learn more here.

tn_Survival of the Fittest (Front Cover)

A short novelette set in a dystopian Earth after the final envinronmental collapse. Sam is a genetically engineered chameleon who may hold the key to mankind’s survival. Learn more here.

171 thoughts on “Monday Musings: “Your Books Are So Good, I Shouldn’t Have to Pay for Them.””

  1. My mother was a librarian, and I’ve been plagues by an overabundance of books my whole life. I have never bought a book and returned it, regardless of how much it stank. I’ve given books to hospitals, Goodwill, friends, etc. but to return it for my money back has never crossed my mind. After thinking about this all day, I’ve come to the conclusion some people have no clue what creative people suffer for their art, regardless of the medium. Ebooks should be allowed to move from reader to reader for a nominal fee, or free within 30 days. But to ask an artist of any media for a return because I wasn’t happy? Never.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I don’t understand what has happened to people that they think everything should be free!!! It’s not like the e-books are expensive either. .99-2.99 is less than you pay for that coffee at starbucks! It’s hard work to be able to write a story on a deadline, they work day and night. They don’t have schedules like normal people!! Show some respect!!! And stop wanting EVERYTHING FREE!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: Monday Musings: “Your Books Are So Good, I Shouldn’t Have to Pay for Them.” | M.A. Kropp | Nathalie M.L. Römer - Author of The Wolf Riders of Keldarra
  7. Pingback: Monday Musings: “Your Books Are So Good, I Shouldn’t Have to Pay for Them.” – Alison Todd-Mann

  8. Yes! I’ve been thinking about this too. It has been hard enough getting rid of my own misconceptions about the worth of my creative work… and then to have to battle the view out there in society that what we create is not worth paying for…it’s really quite depressing.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Bravo!!! I find it disgusting that someone would even think to do this let alone admit it. Ugh. It’s a job that requires thought, proper spelling, grammar, editing, paying for a cover, the list goes on and on. People like that make my stomach turn.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. What the reader really should have indicated/really was stating with her musings: “Hi, I’m a narcissistic sociopath. I think I’m so fabulous I don’t need to pay for a book. Also, I’m so fabulous that many other authors want me for a beta reader after I’ve returned their books and buried their dreams in the dirt. See how important I am.”

    It’s obvious this woman is “tetched” in the head (we say that down south here…) and Amazon really needs to suspend her account and any other accounts she creates. Amazon should block her from buying any books and making any comments. What she’s doing amounts to thievery and shop-lifting, and she’s an online sociopath.

    Liked by 3 people

  12. Pingback: I Do Not Write For Free | I Read Encyclopedias for Fun

  13. What really needs to happen is Amazon needs to revamp their return book policy to 24 hrs. Then they have to contact Amazon in other cases if there are issues with the book. They also need to look into potential customers who often return books. Its not fair to other readers and more importantly to the authors who work their ass off to write the books and all the work that goes along with it. Not everyone is an abuser and there is the rub. I’ve returned books before. Not very many. Mostly my reasons are someone ripping off anothers work, a wrong book purchase, or technical difficulties. I’ve not done many at all. Like 2-3 like ever! So, hopefully Amazon will change their policy and look into fixing it. This woman is totally delusional if she thinks she deserves to read for free. Harassing the author because she blocked you isn’t cool either. She’s obviously mental.

    Liked by 2 people

  15. Pingback: Monday Musings: “Your Books Are So Good, I Shouldn’t Have to Pay for Them.” — M.A. Kropp | Ra Winter Writer

  16. I have to admit that I have returned books. Not because I expect good work to be given away for free, but because the books were horrible. The author/publisher can’t write her way out of a wet paper sack and has a history of ripping off other authors.

    I’m also happy to say that I’ve paid for books that I’ve treasured and kept.

    Like

      2. Perhaps the answer is (sadly) more big brother influence. A reader can usually decide within the first half of a book whether or not they want to finish it. If the Kindle or app detects that the novel has been more than half read, disable the returns for the book. Even if you dislike an ending, you still consumed the fI’ll product. Movie theaters, to my knowledge, don’t refund tickets just because the movie had an unsatisfactory ending!

        It’s an uneasy balance to strike. I’m posting shorts for free on my Deviant Art account, but I plan to collect the shorts into an anthology to sell them. I’m undecided as to whether I’ll keep the shorts up after I publish the anthology. Whether I decide to or not, it doesn’t mean the anthology can be downloaded for free!

        Liked by 4 people

      3. Amazon already knows how much of a book has been read. That’s known, and used for the KU program, so doing something like you outline might be at least a compromise solution. It is a tough balance. I am putting out the serialized story from my blog as an e-book this year. It will be free, because, well, you can go read all the parts online here for free. I don’t really want to pull them, either. I still get the occasional person who discovers it now. But- I am planning other stories in that world. Those will not be free. So, I plan to use the first one as a hook, and then hope to sell the others. We’ll see how that goes.

        Liked by 1 person

  17. Pingback: Monday Musings: “Your Books Are So Good, I Shouldn’t Have to Pay for Them.” | Lepplady

  18. From a standpoint of loss prevention, abuse of a company’s return policy is a form of shrinkage that every retail outlet deals with. People will buy tools to use on a particular project and then return them for a full refund, for example. I knew someone who would buy a radar detector for road trips and return it to the store as soon as he got back to town. Returns of extra-large TVs are always heavy just after major sporting events.

    However, as a form of theft, return policy abuse is both fairly rare and fairly easy to spot. Amazon’s digital media return policy has been carefully calculated to maximize sales while minimizing shrinkage.

    As authors we see the returns (personally, I don’t believe that I have had as many as a half dozen in four years) but we don’t see the sales that we would have lost if customers weren’t able to return books.

    Customers are much more likely to take a chance on an unfamiliar writer (or musician or game designer or filmmaker) if they know that they can return an item if they don’t like it. If Amazon were to change their return policy to “all sales final” (the only thing that would end return abuse) then we would all see a significant drop in sales.

    It’s too easy to copy even DRM-enabled digital media. Someone who wants to scam the system is going to figure out how to do it. On the sales end I am sure that Amazon has algorithms that will flag serial returners, but as the reader said above it’s not difficult to open a new account with new information.

    Every store has shoplifting. Every restaurant has walk-outs. It’s part of your overhead. All you can do is try to find the balance point where you put enough security in place to minimize theft while not discouraging legitimate sales. It’s a tricky business. The corner cafe could eliminate walk-outs by posting an armed guard at the door who would check customers for a paid receipt before allowing them out of the building, but they would lose far more customers by that policy than they would save.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes, exactly. I worked in retail for many years, and chronic returns are a problem. A few places would crack down on the worst of the customers, feeling that if they never shopped there again, it was a small loss. But then, you also get the word of mouth from that person that might cost you other customers who would not abuse policy. It’s tricky. And difficult. And frustrating. But it’s our life.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. If CDs and DVDs cannot be returned once they are opened (except exchange for defectives), it seems that digital books should get at least some measure of that kind of protection. Amazon KNOWS how many pages were read. This is how they compute KENP to pay authors for people who use the Kindle Unlimited service. Amazon can TELL if someone read an entire book before they asked for a refund. What possible excuse could someone have for buying not one, but multiple books by the same author, reading them all the way through, and then returning them all? That’s so blatantly NOT an issue with the formatting or “not liking” the books. And Amazon is at least somewhat complicit because it started the KDP free promotions deals that set up some of the public’s expectations. Amazon has cracked down on reviews because of abuse, to the point of wiping out many reviews that are legitimate. Surely Amazon could address this issue more aggressively if they wanted to.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I don’t think any author has an issue with someone not liking a book, and perhaps asking to return it. Maybe not liking the idea much, but customer satisfaction and all that. But, yeah, buying, reading, and returning more than one? That’s deliberate. And then to almost brag that you have done the same thing to other authors? That is unforgivable.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Exactly. They could change their policies and techniques if they wanted to. They don’t want to because they maximize their profits with the current set up. Since I make money from the fact that they make money, I want them to maximize their profits.

        Like

  19. I find this attitude deplorable! I’m as happy as the next person to get a “free” book or a discounted one from a favourite author, but I also always buy either an actual copy or an eCopy of their books to support them. I have discovered many new favourite authors through a “free” book and then gone on to buy more of their works. I’m grateful for the “free” books, but I certainly don’t expect them as my (the reader’s) due for being a fan!

    Liked by 2 people

  21. She wants her books for free?

    Sure thing—go to a library, get a card, problem solved.

    Oh, that’s inconvenient for you? Then guess what? You’re an idiot.

    Please. Stop buying my books. (It’s not like I’m making money off you now.)

    People, man. People.

    Liked by 3 people

  23. Pingback: Trollish Reader Returning Books | Memoirs of a Time Here-After

  24. Thanks for sharing this cause it happens to us all the time!
    Ok, this is my best one so far…I get a fan letter telling me that this fan really loved my book and she read it online for free and she loved it so much that I must send her an autographed copy to the Philippines. I tell her how much it will be, the cost of the book, plus the $25 shipping plus the $3.99 for the original book and spell this all out in my reply email, and she has the nerve to respond and ask why I won’t just send the book for free since she’s a loyal fan? The kicker is she sent me all this through Goodreads and I reported her, then she sent me the same email to my email address. Hear that clunking sound? That’s me banging my head on me desk!
    E

    Liked by 4 people

    1. It is amazing what some people expect. They are a minority ( or at least I hope they are!), but I just don’t get how they can possibly think we are all rolling in cash and can just give everything away. No, no, it’s fine. I don’t have to eat. Yikes!

      Liked by 2 people

  26. Pingback: Memoirs of a Time Here-After

  27. There are some folks who love what they do and don’t care to be paid. They choose (keyword there) to release their work for free through various sources like Wattpad, Deviant Art, etc. A good example of this is fanfiction authors. In 99.9% of cases they can’t sell their work anyway, but they love what they’re doing and thrive on the feedback of their readers.

    However, in those cases, the author has income on the side. They have a job and just do writing as a hobby.

    If an author chooses to release a work for free, accept it as the gift it is. If they ask for a pittance, it’s because they need those few cents of a royalty to continue to write. If you want free content, you can find plenty of it on the internet. Don’t complain about an author not giving their work away for free when you have plenty of alternatives in the wide web.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Or as happened to me, they resell the physical copy on Amazon or ebay, and suddenly I am competing against a book I not only paid for, but which I paid to ship to them!
      Which is of course why I no longer do giveaways on Goodreads.

      Liked by 2 people

  29. Reblogged this on John Edward Lawson and commented:
    My publishing company has been plagued with serial returners (scammers) on Kindle, although I could not prove this is what was happening. Someone would just happen to purchase all the books we publish by a particular author, then return them. Now one such person has gone public to berate an author for not making their books free, thereby forcing the reader in question to go through *all the effort* of actually having to return them, since they cannot afford all the books they purchase. Read on for the result…

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Yeah, I’ve gotten those.
    The worst was a person who gave me a three star review in order to BEG for a free copy! They weren’t even polite enough to give me a 5 star while they were begging me to give them something for free.

    And last I checked, Amazon still won’t remove the review.

    *sigh*

    Liked by 1 person

  31. I’m a writer and of course, a reader, and that reader is delusional. I spend a lot of money on books: to entertain and educate myself, to stay informed, to develop my skills further, to escape into other realms…I love books, and I sometimes hate the fact that I have to pay a lot because of currency issues and budgetary problems, but it’s not the writer’s fault. I bought four books this month, and those are just the ones I bought from a physical bookstore. If an author I love gives something for free to get my email address, awesome. They deserve my information for their helpful blog posts anyway. But they don’t have to do that. Harassing authors is ridiculous, even more so if you claim to be a devoted fan. :d

    PS I loved your post and your reaction!

    Liked by 1 person

  34. That’s just crazy. I will admit I’m careful about what books I buy right now because money is tight and I have returned books because I accidentally bought them, but not after I read them!

    That is just completely ridiculous.

    I do like that I can return books, but I am careful to do it before I even start reading them. Once I start them, I just figure that’s my problem and I’ve made my choice. That’s why I tend to get samples.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I have purchased books by accident, too…usually one I already have or have already read. I have never returned one. I donate them to either the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center for the parents to read while their children have therapy, or to the local library…..What this person is doing is stealing. Period.

        Reminds me of the people who bug me to donate my art…because it’s good exposure….Yeah, I can pay my bills with exposure.

        BTW, I purchased the short story about Sam and the paperback copy of “Circle Unbroken” because one of the moms at the Cheff loves scifi as much as I do so I try to buy as many books in hard copy as possible.

        And the icing on the cake is that you are an Irish Ginger who speaks fluent sarcasm…..I’m not a Ginger (auburn here) but the rest fits….

        Like

      2. Oh, thank you so very much! And you are an extra good person for donating books to such a good cause. We sarcastic Irish gingers (and those close) must stick together!

        Like

  35. I’m still in shock that this actually happened. There’s a certain level of troll to this “fan” that I just can’t wrap my head around. (I’ve seen the subsequent letter to the author, and the baseless rage is insane.)

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Reblogged this on The BiaLog and commented:
    I saw the original post and replies before they were taken down, and this is truly sickening. I’ve long said since sites offer the first 15% or more to sample and reviews, returns shouldn’t be allowed unless the file is corrupted (And only in exchange for the same book) or purchased by mistake (And returned within a couple of hours at most).

    Liked by 4 people

      1. I could see that happening, though maybe combine that with a return questionaire? If someone has to repeatdly return books because of “making a mistake” (Not paying attention, misread titles, etc), they didn’t like it, etc it could curtail some of these issues.

        Interesting enough, a friend pointed out Amazon doesn’t allow returns of downloaded games, so why allow ebook returns? Plus, if they can tell how many pages are read, why let anyone return a fully read book?

        It’d probably be simpler to just stop allowing these returns. I think Smashwords already does that, but I may be mistaken.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. You’re correct. Smashwords does not allow returns on e-books. They say right upfront that is what the sample is for. If you buy it, it’s yours.
        As for not allowing returns at all, that’s a tricky one. Yes, it would stop this sort of nonsense from happening, but there are legitimate reasons to return even an e-book. I don’t have the answer. It just raises my hackles that some people think like that.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Agreed. It’s such a slippery slope. I can understand returning it if it’s a bad file or some other technical issue with it, but besides that we’re given so many tools to decide if we want it or not. I’m curious what’ll come of all this.

        Like

  38. Reblogged this on White's Wyrd World and commented:
    This is SO right. I had the displeasure of actually reading the original post and messages this person sent to the author in question. I was seriously stunned. I couldn’t believe that someone would be so rude, and so entitled.

    The original post is no longer visible,but sharing this can keep the conversation going and spread the word so that others are aware of what’s happening. Please, never let your work (whatever it may be) be devalued in this way.

    If you would like to help your favorite authors, please consider signing the change.org petition asking Amazon to change its policy.

    Like

  39. Very well said and hits the nail on the head. My comment is always this when people ask me for free books: “Would a musician give their music away for free just because they ‘thought’ of it and it came out of their grey mass?” If this were the case, what would drive them or inspire them to create new music?

    Like

  44. Reblogged this on Mamaboo's Mayhem and commented:
    I’ve read both posts in question. The second set of messages from this “reader” referring to the author who reported her as pond scum. I have paid more than $2.99 for an ebook. TI expect to be rewarded for being a twat waffle to authors is horrendous. This person gives all readers, beta readers, etc. a bad name. This leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve watched many of my author friends hit ugly walls over sales and uncooperative muses. If you want to read for free, there are a crap ton of freebies on Amazon, Barnes, All Romance, Siren, or even the library. While I don’t like this program, Amazon has a Kindle Unlimited program. You pay a monthly fee (like Netflix) and read all the books you want. But, in the emails and messages available, this person seems too cheap to bother and feels entitled to do this, shaking authors down. Actions like this make the reading community look bad. I wonder how many authors have had this happen and felt embarrassed to say anything about it.

    Take the power from the bully and speak up. Report it to Amazon.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I have never returned a book in my life. I purchased an audio book with the WORST production quality I have ever encountered and STILL didn’t request a refund because I loved the book itself. instead I left a fair and honest review. I don’t know if you are an author or not but thanks for lumping us all into the same bunch as that person.

      Like

      2. I am sure that lumping all readers in the same pile was not intended. This subject does hit a nerve with we writers. We do know that he majority of you out there are honorable and good people.

        Liked by 1 person

  50. Reblogged this on Paws4Thought and commented:
    If you want to read a book for free – there’s a way to do it and still have the author be paid – petition your local public library to buy the book! Do not read and return ebooks from Amazon or download them off a pirate site (please). We work hard to write the stories. We deserve to be paid for them.

    Liked by 4 people

Comments are closed.