What Can Be Done to Avoid Piracy of EBooks?

Along with marketing and selling eBooks online comes the issue of piracy-or passing them on to people who have not purchased them. If you would like to market e-books, how can you be sure that the e-books aren't pirated?

If you want to sell eBooks that others have written, be sure to deal with people you know. That is why it is important to establish a network of people in your industry. You can work together to help one another succeed. I even make my competitors part of my online network. Every book is different in its own way even if it is on the same or similar topic. Host a book tour for someone in your network and ask them to host yours. Write a review for their book and ask them to return the favor for yours. Strategic alliances and ways to work together online are endless.

Your network will have or know of products and eBook you can sell; and because you have earned one another's trust, you have peace of mind that you are offering quality content that is produced legally. If you don't have a network, you could choose products from an affiliate program that has a good reputation. Many eBooks are now listed on Amazon.com and they have an affiliate program. If an eBook is listed there, it has been through a selection process that requires a registered ISBN. No ISBN; no listing on Amazon.

If you write and sell your own eBooks online, you may be concerned about other people stealing your material. It's certainly true that many copyrighted PDFs and eBooks are passed around illegally. So, what can an author do? While you have a right to pursue legal representation to recover your losses, you may have a difficult time trying to locate all the places and people who are violating your copyright. In your eBook, you can request that the purchaser not forward your eBook to others who have not paid for a copy, but unfortunately this request can easily be ignored.

I recommend that you put your name, URL, or some type of identifying or marketing text throughout your book. That way, if someone does get your eBook by pirated means, they at least have a way to: 1.) report it to you, 2.) check out your site to see if you have other eBooks or services they need. You never know, they may actually purchase your eBook.

One last word about promoting eBooks, do not offer the same eBook you sell as a give-away or prize in a contest or promotion. People may think that if your eBook is free, then other people should not have to pay for it. Create other products to offer as freebies or as incentives, but let the eBooks you sell be reserved only for that purpose.

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