So writer David Hewson went all nuclear because someone somewhere was going to make, what, three lousy dollars he wasn’t going to pocket by selling a review copy of one of his books.
If he ever read his damned publishing contract, he’d see that review copies are expected to be given out and do not count towards royalties. They are off-book. These copies are gambles that the publisher takes for his benefit, in the hope his work will be read and pimped by some outlet.
He, apparently, can’t expand his brain pan to embrace this simple concept that is Writer Contract 101.
He thinks he did good by slapping down this one sale.
I’ve got news for him. The Strand Bookstore in NYC, its entire business is built on discarded review copies. And most of those are unread review copies. With the press release still tucked inside them.
I’ve bought books like that. Was I ripping off some writer? Did I feel guilty in any way buying one?
Hell no.
Nor should you if you buy a review copy or ARC on eBay or elsewhere.
They don’t count.
Hewson seems, at heart, to have the spirit of Scrooge. All mine! mine! mine!
Now I wait for him to wake up to the fact that more than one person can share an eBook account and have a heart attack over it.
That’s right, David Hewson. One person can pay for one eBook and more than one person can read it. Dear god, we’re all ruined!
All you did was deprive someone who wanted to read your book of the chance to do so. That’s in your best interest? For three rotten bucks?
Grow up, Hewson.
Previously here:
Mike Cane’s xBlog 
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