You raised another good point in your first comment. Many people assume all your friends and family will clamour for a copy of your work and fall over themselves to hand over the cash for it but that’s not the case. Many family and friends ARE only too willing but others assume you should give them a copy. It amazes me why they can’t see how this just isn’t possible even if I wanted to. The author only receives so many author copies, perhaps a few more at discount, and then in some cases has to pay full price. My choosing to give away a copy is one thing but people expecting it or feeling insulted when you refuse is another matter. I’ve a ‘very’ wealthy friend who said for my first book, “I’d love to read it. Send it along then.”

Pardon? Excuse me? I do have a couple of friends I give books to. For one, my new releases are now her yearly Christmas presents and she’s very happy with that, thank you very much. But no, this person who has more money than they know what to do with, did not receive one of my books for free. They eventually bought one although it was a completely different title. I think you were very good to hand one over. I’ve started taking a harder line. People who are rude or demanding just don’t receive.

Some people (Even family and friends, I’m sorry to say) just don’t get the amount of hours, the degree of stress, and the heart and soul we authors put into our books. Not to mention the limited income most of us make on them.

Sadly, just yesterday I had members of my husband’s family over for dinner. They wanted copies of my printed book, but one had the audacity to say to me, “I won’t pay $12.99 for it.” And at $12.99, I was willing to sell it to her without tax or shipping added. I smiled a grimace, and handed her an autographed copy. She did not hand me a check!

We will always have to fight the pirates but those readers who don’t realise they’re doing anything wrong, I guess the best we can do is try to educate them.

And HI A.J. Not said hello for awhile. Nice to see you around.