I Bill E-book Pirates: Part 4 - The Outcome

If you've been keeping up with this story, then you've probably been waiting for this blog post. If you haven't yet, you might want to read Part 1 and follow the links at the bottom of each post for the following post in the series, so that you'll have a better understanding of this story.

In my last update, I gave the Anonymous E-book Pirate an ultimatum. Some of you want him/her exposed. Some of you respect the way I've been handling this. Whatever your opinion, thank you for giving me the support I needed to continue.

I'm going to be honest with all of you; I'm not the type of person to publicly humiliate and shame anyone. I wouldn't like it done to me, and I'm sure none of you would like it either. When no email came on Friday or Saturday from the Anonymous E-book pirate, I felt horribly guilty and thought very hard of what today's post would do to this individual on a personal and social level. Nonetheless, I decided I was going to stand firmly on my decision. Sunday, I woke up to find an apology from a very scared person in my email. It was from the Anonymous E-book pirate. So, without further ado, and as promised, here is the email:



Hello Nely,

I'm truly sorry for what i did.I know i don't deserve this chance, but i hope you will read this.
Never will I do anything like this again,because i know that what i did wasn't right.
I'm ashamed of my actions and i learned my lesson.I swear i won't do something like that again.
I know this isn't enough,but i apologize ,and i'll never stop apologizing for doing something awful like that.
Maybe you won't believe me,and it's hard to believe after what i did,but i am sorry.
It wasn't fair.I know it and i won't do it again.It was wrong.

I know i'm repeating myself,but i just...don't know what to write.These past days were tough,and i admit that i was scared.And i'm still scared.I know this won't be enough,but i hope that you will read it.

Once again i repeat :I apologize for what i did and i swear i won't do it again.

Thank you,



And to the e-pirate, I then replied: 



Hi ______, 

Thank you for replying to my email. I accept your apology, and I'm sorry I frightened you. I hope you realize that you cost many authors a lot of money and if summed, the full cost of the 24 books that were on your site would be approximately $____. I want you to be aware that had it been any other author that found your email they would have surely pressed legal charges against you. I ask that you never, never do this again. Everyone makes mistakes, and I realize that this was one of many that you will make as you grow older. Thank you for saving us both the agony and embarrassment of having your picture and name released to the public. Be well and be good, my little Onyx Ex-pirate. 

Regards,

Nely Cab

People tell me I've been too soft on this person, including my family. But decisions like these is what makes me "me".

I thank you for following me through this not-so-great experience. And to the former e-pirate, I say: I do hope you have learned your lesson well, Mr./Ms. Ex-Pirate, because next time, my dear, I'm not settling for an apology.

I Bill E-book Pirates: Part 3 - ULTIMATUM

Yesterday, I posted Part 2 in this series of blog posts, "I Bill E-book Pirates". Please read Part 1 and Part 2 so that you'll be able to follow the nature of this post.

This morning, I logged on to the Internet to find that, as I said in my previous post, the e-pirate is in fact checking up on my blog and my posts regarding his/her disorderly conduct. The pirate picked up on the clues I left for him/her, and today, I found that their blogger profile has been set to private and their personal blog has been renamed and allows only invited users. By changing aliases and privacy settings, doesn't mean a person cannot be found. You may try to run and hide, but the internet reserves no secrets...for anyone.

Quite, honestly, I'm a little tired of the game of cat and mouse that this pirate and I have going on. So I've decided to end this ongoing chase...

THE FOLLOWING IS A MESSAGE FOR 

THE E-BOOK PIRATE THAT I HAVE EMAILED THEM

Dear Mr./Ms. Anonymous (for now) E-book Pirate:

I know that times are tough and you may not have the financial means to pay the balance of the invoice I have emailed you on two occasions. Therefore, I am willing to clear the balance on one condition: 

You must email me an apology that I will post on my blog. I will not include your name or let your blog be known, but if you do not respond, I will contact the owner of the popular book blog you write/review for with a follow up blog post including your name, your blogs, and your picture and possibly the invoice for the 600 digital copies of my book. I will also contact the publishers that offer your blogs sponsorship and report you. Your book blogger days will surely be over, as no author or publisher will trust you to review their books. And that very important blog you review for will lose all sponsorships. I'm sure the owner will be less than happy to have that happen to her blog.

For me, a simple apology is enough to clear your debt--this time. You can decide how much you value your integrity with not only the book blogging community, but with the entire Internet world. Think well and hard about your decision, as you only have 3 days to email me your apology.

Sincerely, 

Nely Cab

info@nelycab.com 

P.S. Your invoice is still past due. 

*To all other pirates, this was my decision on a good day, but I may not be as lenient on you on a bad one. 

READ PART 4 OF I BILL EBOOK PIRATES HERE

I Bill E-book Pirates

Today started off quite normal. I drank my delicious coffee, checked my email, checked my social networks, and then decided to go in search of free/pirated download Google links to my book to send take down notices to, before I started writing. Usually, I don't find any links, but today, oh I hit the jackpot.

I found a mobile sharing website that allows people to upload files and 'share' them. Some of these files are freeware and others are uploaded illegally. Well, I came across one of these links and it said that my ebook had been downloaded more than 600 times! My first reaction was, "I'VE BEEN ROBBED!"

But what can I do? I thought to myself. Nothing, but send a takedown notice. Really? That's it? So, I sat and I thought and I thought...all day. Then I saw that this blogger--who shall remain nameless--had posted their email on the mobile file sharing website. The light bulb in my head turned into a flood light and I was momentarily blinded. Turns out the blogger was on my friends list on Goodreads and Facebook. I had sent this person swag. I had trusted this person, and they stabbed me in the eyes and in the spine of my book!

I guess the blogger liked my book so much that they wanted to share it with the entire community on that website. How thoughtful and splendid! I mean, it was only over 600 people that were really interested in my book, right? Technically, this blogger is acting as a distributor, like a bookstore. Then I remembered, hey my book is copyrighted! So what did I do? The only thing I could think of doing when a bookseller wants to buy my book, I sent the blogger a very neat and nice looking invoice for 600 digital copies. And that's a discount because technically it was over 600 copies, and I did not bill the blogger for those extra copies.

In the email subject line, I wrote, "Thanks for your purchase!"

And now, I await the reply.

READ I Bill E-Book Pirates: Part 2 HERE.