As a reader/ As a writer

If you are a writer and have an attitude like that, you should never let your books be sold to libraries. That would put you out of a huge market for your books. I think your writer friend is silly and taking the short view. Oftentimes when a friend loans me a book, I get one from the library, or buy one secondhand, I end up buying another book by that author or buying a copy for a friend's birthday or Christmas down the line. I see the point that your friend has, but that person is going to very frustrated in the long term if that is their approach. There is nothing unethical about lending a book or giving it away.

Isn't this what the music industry wants to do, charge people every time they listen to music, even if it is in mp3 or a condensed version? I do think that once you buy a book, the book is yours to give or to sell, stomp on it, or tear it into little pieces. Mind you, that would be a waste of time.

Now if you finished reading it, you could give it away and you could donate it to Goodwill so some poor person gets the benefit. You could give it to a library, but if you wanted to get paid, ala music industry, every time someone reads it, then we might as well do away with the libraries.

Now, I used to go to the library, but most of the time, I buy the book new or someone else, i.e. husband, buys it for me. The reason is I do not like other people's yellow underlines, initials, etc. in the book. In fact, if a book is wrinkle, I get very angry. I seldom give a book away and the only time I do is when I am forced to. Even if I read the book once, there comes a time when I want to read it again and I would rather do that.

Now about your writer friend, you bought the book and it is okay for you to let your neighbor read it. Just think of it as letting her have a test drive. Maybe your neighbor wants to see what the book is like so she can later buy it herself. That is the reason some people download mp3s. They want to see what the music sounds like before they go out and buy the Cd.

Interesting question! I'd never thought about it in those terms, but I can give you a point of view from both viewpoints.

As a reader, I've lent books and I've borrowed them. I've bought books at second hand shops and I've sold books at yard sales. And I'll continue to do all of the above. There's a growing trend with younger generations. Why read the book when you can watch the movie? Any chance I have to encourage someone to read a book, I'll take it. And any chance I have to gain more knowledge through reading, I'll take. Chances are, if not for some of the lent books I've read, I wouldn't have read them at all. So either way, the writer wasn't going to make a profit off of me.

For that matter, I've been opened up to new authors through this route, as I'm sure many people have been. I would never have bought a Dean Koontz book, and I've bought many, had my sister not originally lent me one to get me interested.

Now, as a writer, I write because I enjoy writing and I have things to say. My goal isn't the profit, but rather the knowledge that there are countless anonymous people reading my words and my thoughts. That*should* be the incentive for any writer, but sadly .. for many money is the fine point. Well, if money is their main priority, they're in the wrong line of work. Perhaps they should boycott and protest libraries. Imagine the profits they're losing with a book lending service!

Lend a book or borrow one. The point is that you read.;)

This subject tears me up too. I am a writer and hope to be published one day. I hope to sell more than one book that gets passed around from person to person. I know my writing friends will buy my book whether they read it or not. One of the members of our writing group self-published a book. We all bought one but I am the only person who actually read it (it was not edited very well - if at all). But are there to support one another.

On the other hand, as a reader, I don't have any money (because I am a starving artist LOL!). I buy books at second hand stores. I loan out my books putting my address label on the inside to be sure I get it back, and I am also a member of bookcrossing.com. This website is for people to share books and post them on the website. If you pass a book along to a friend, register it with the website then that person goes to the website and registers that they have received it. Then they log on again when they pass the book along to someone else. The big idea of this is to see where your books go. If you release them into the wild (ie leave them in a coffee shop or at a bank machine) you may be able to see it travel around the world. I haven't had much success with this but I have "caught" some books and am actually reading one right now that I will have to release when I am finished it. It is a way for people to share books without paying for them. As an author I should be hanging my head in shame. Part of the reason I don't participate much I guess, but I have released books that I have duplicate copies of.

People share books all the time. There is no getting away from that. Heck, that's what libraries do! You may want to liken it to recording artists whose songs are downloaded off the internet for free, or CD's are burned from someone else's CD. That is the problem the music and movie industries are having right now. But they still rent movies and Cd's out at rental stores and libraries.

So I cannot say it is unethical to share a book with someone. I CAN say, perhaps, that I am a hypocrite. But authors want their books to be read no matter how people do that, because once one of their stories is read it can prompt the reader to go out and buy another of their books. So in a way it can be a bit of free advertising when one shares a book with someone else. I have done that myself... enjoyed a book by an author and then gone in search of other books they have written.

I think I covered all the angles here. It is because of libraries, secondhand book stores and bookcrossing.com that the price of a hardcover book (in Canada) is around $40. (which isn't right since our dollars are equal now, but that's another story). To ease your guilt, if you enjoy an author and you think someone else may enjoy them, promote the book through word-of-mouth. If someone asks to borrow your copy, let them borrow it and hope that they promote the author afterwards through word-of-mouth. That's the best any of us authors can really hope for, I guess.

If you want to make money, writing's not the best field.

You should write to be heard, in which case even putting your book up for free should be good.

Think of a book as a CD.
Think of lending someone the book, like copying the CD, which is against the law and a violation of copyright law.
The only way an author can stop that is to print the book in vanishing ink. The minute you turn the page, the ink fades to white.
That said...
I think calling it unethical would make every library in America illegal. Don't they do the same thing?
Lend books to "friends" to read?
I'm a writer. I figure if someone reads my book and likes it, whether they bought it or not, means they will buy something else of mine to read. Call book lending advertising.

I am a reader. If I buy a book, I loan it out. I cannot see a book sitting on a shelf wasting away. Books wear meant to be read. I have friends who loan me books and I do the same for them. I buy books at second hand store, garage sales and off of friends. Sometimes the friend loans my books out also. If I don't want to loan it out means that I want to keep the book forever. But I may never read it again So, what good is it doing anyone?

If I was a writer.. I would feel the smae way. Sure, it matters how many books are sold. But to me it is about people appreciating what you have written. Too me, that would make me happy.

This is a subject that I have strong feelings about. Thank you for bring it up.

well as a reader
well i mostly buy the books that i read,,but i have many a times given it to ppl for readina nd all
and i think it is not fare for the writer,,cuz yes he/she has put in a lot of effort and everyone should buy their copy
thnx

Hi my friend. As both a reader and a writer I know the ethical dilema well. However, because i never did start to write because I might make money, I have no problem with anyone wanting to share my writing. In fact I am still happy that anyone wants to read it at all. I honestly dont feel writers generally have an issue with such things but i can well believe all the tertiary workers do have. The non-productive, retale and whole sale workers will have a problem as will management and suited financial workers. However, as they are true parasites living off a writer's talent, i dont think the world would mourn their passing
blessed be

You got me thinking now.
I buy books first hand. Sometimes I buy them second hand (that money doesn't go to the writer either), sometimes I borrow from the library by paying some amount (which the writer doesn't get), sometimes I borrow from a friend or someone I know (free)and I lend out the books I buy too.
I agree that once you've bought a book, it's yours to do as you choose. If you don't like to lend it (for whatever reason) that should be fine.
But on the question of it being ethical...hmmm.Don't the writer's get some sort of royalty from the publishers? Do they make money based on each sale of their book? What if you choose to read the book and resell it for the same price or less?