Authors: What to do about ebook ripped and shared?

[mckitterick]

So I happened to do a search on my book and discovered that the top results no longer link to my website (or Amazon or Powell's or Alibris or whatever) but instead to a wide variety of file-sharing networks.

Is this normal these days? Do I combat it by doing the same, offering my own free download on my website as an "official" way to get it free? Do I contact all the forum managers to remove such posts - or is that a Sisyphean effort? Or do I not try to combat it at all and learn to like it?

Huh!

EDIT: Or should I just take it as a compliment that someone liked it enough to share it? *sigh*

EDIT2: I've decided to fight fire with fire and just give it away electronically!

Thanks for any advice,
Chris

Comments

[lanerobins.livejournal.com]

When it happened to the Sylvie books, the publisher worked to knock down the top ones, just so that my site, etc., would be the first page of search results. After that, it becomes less important, I guess?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Excellent point! Thanks for the tip.

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

That makes a certain amount of sense, too.