If you wouldn't expect a dentist hygienist to clean your teeth for love of oral hygiene or a mechanic to change your oil for love of cars, you should not expect a writer to provide free books for love of the creative process.
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Right. Sometimes a writer will provide complimentary copies to journalists/reveiwers for publicity, or the publicsher may set aside a number for libraries, but it should always be their decision and people shouldn't ask for free books. (Some people can't afford to buy books these days, of course).
Kinda weird how many people believe in workers getting paid fairly but also seem to believe “any form of entertainment being out of my reach is oppression”
Many, many, of us don't. We expect everyone to be treated fair. It isn't happening, but we expect it. Canadian here, sorry, don't know how a Canadian can help on this AI bill. Just wanted to voice some support. If I assumed the wrong thing here, disregard.
Is this a newish phenom for writers? 'cause us musicians have been told for generations that exposure is better than cash. Annoying no matter who it's being sold to.
I’ve been working on free software for, hm, just under 4 decades now. It is one of the greatest things in the world. And one of the most horrible because of how many people have concluded that’s how everything is supposed to be.
Nor should a writer be told "we love your work, we don't pay writers, but it will be good exposure." Do you tell the same thing to your plumber when he fixes your broken toilet or the electrician when he rewires your broken fuse box?" The only thing good exposure does is leave you out in the cold.
It's about *control*. I *choose* to put software in the public domain or under an open source license, and if someone ignored that, I'd be *angry*. And, I can afford to do it because I make a good living programming, usually non-open-source code.
Was selling law office software for $500. Lawyer told me that since the CD it came on and the box cost only about $5, that was what he'd pay. I told him that his typical 75 page legal brief cost less than a dollar for the paper. He hung up on me. Two weeks later his office manager called to buy.
You'd have thought that a *lawyer* of all people would recognise the difference between the carrier and the content, that both need to be paid for, and that the second will most likely cost considerably more than the first because a lot more effort is expended in creating it.
When people take their time to create things that bring us joy, we have a duty to compensate them so that they can live their lives as well. Supporting each other is mutual aid and it comes in many forms. Supporting small artists of all kinds is included in that.
In a society without money, we’d deliver you your needs. Now, we just have to help you meet them with the methods we are given. And anyone who demands less should piss off and read some books on mutual aid and come back with an apology.
Because art is easy!! It's not RealWork™ you know.
Many people think they could write/draw/design "if they only had the time." Many others are willing to pay -- but not too much because see sentence one. 🙄
I absolutely agree - as an engineer I love the work, and as a pilot I love flying; but when I’m employed in either capacity I know my value. My skills, time, and effort keep food on the table and a roof overhead. I’ve paid happily for all my books.
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Anyway. I don't like piracy.
Many people think they could write/draw/design "if they only had the time." Many others are willing to pay -- but not too much because see sentence one. 🙄
Until then I'll pay for my literature or use a library.