Polka Dots Rock--Illegal downloads don't.

I promised you a photo of my latest knitting--and here it is! My polka dot socks needed a little updating. The "new colors" for the green sock are Knit Picks Palette in Edamame, Green Tea Heather, and black. The pink and purple sock uses Blossom Heather, Hyacinth, and Black. The pattern is available now on my website and will soon also be available via Knit Picks website as well. I'm excited to market another pattern this way!

In other news, weaving is going along well and I've completed my first 2 foot by 3 foot rug. I'm definitely still learning but am glad the professor helped me set up the warp before leaving town. I'll likely always need another person for that step. While I've made some friends here, it's still a little weird to ask a relatively new friend to come over while I bumble my way through learning to warp. It's getting easier though..and it's much less embarrassing to impose on one's partner for such things!

In the last post's comments, Alison asked me how I knew that people were illegally downloading copies of Knit Green. Every so often, I do searches of my name and the names of my books on Google. It allows me to read new reviews, see who is selling the book, and even see new knitting projects posted on blogs. (I love seeing those new creations!) Sadly, now it allows me to see that people are illegally posting my book to the web so that others can download it for free.

The thing is, this "sharing" denies me of my fair earnings as a result of writing my book. While I don't earn much (see what I said in that last post regarding what I probably earn per book), this movement online that makes books illegally available for free means I earn even less.

Now, there are entirely legal ways of paying for and downloading an ebook if one wants to avoid the environmental impact of printing a book or shipping it. I'm very glad that's an option available for readers, don't get me wrong! Also, if someone can't afford a book, I am also very glad that both my books are available in many libraries. There have been times I've depended on the library, and I'm thrilled libraries are choosing to buy my books.

However, as things stand, many people who write books these days (and publish them via traditional routes) don't do it because they will earn much or any income from it. It would be nice if I did, but so far, it doesn't look like my books will be bestsellers. In fact, I'll be lucky if I earn anything other than what I was offered at the beginning, as an advance on royalties. I did these books for a variety of reasons, but chief among them? I cared about these issues and wanted to write something for the knitting and fiber arts community.

I'm posting about this here because I believe we, as knitters (and upright people) can avoid illegal downloads of books, just the way we avoid illegal downloads of music. We can choose to do the right thing. In the meanwhile, I'm relieved that traditional publishers have legal support.

Care to weigh in on polka dot socks or "free" books online? Please comment...and if you discover any links to "free" ebooks, consider letting the author or the publisher know so they can follow up. It's like finding someone's wallet on the street. (Some people think that's "free" money. Others try to return it to its owner.)