The Vampires of Intellectual Theft

Image copyright Sandra Ormandy

My two worlds collided tonight, and it wasn't in a blaze of glory. It was in a sadly prosaic way. I discovered while doing a self-google (is this some odd form of a selfie?) that some very nasty folks (intellectual, moral, and economic VAMPIRES) have stolen my work from Amazon, where it is for sale for quite a paltry amount, and are "giving" it away.  After all, they think, they aren't hurting anyone. Or perhaps they imagine they are only hurting the huge corporate entity of Amazon?

I take this personally. Like many folks who discover I am a college instructor, they might believe that I am well cared for economically, and thus don't really need the small sums I make from each sale. To most American's, a college teacher = gravy train. Show up nine months of the year and earn, earn, earn.Not true for part-time instructors. We are technically fired at the end of each term, and then rehired at the will of the institution. No health benefits. No PERS.

I need every penny I earn from the Kindles I write and place in the Kindle store. I am a migrant. Like most part-time college instructors (and yes, I would love a full-time position), I am legally classified as a migrant by the unemployment people; and thus I am not eligible for benefits if I am not scheduled for classes any term. I NEED every dime I can scrape together. Yet I keep the prices for my Kindles low enough that pretty much anyone can buy a full set for less than the price of the Starbucks they are undoubtedly swigging.

I am not flattered that thieves chose me and my work. I am not flattered that vampires such as these folks find such usefulness in my work that they would steal it and then make others party to their thievery.This was not a victimless crime. I have been victimized. So thief's, I have been victimized. And you have victimized me.