This morning, I read this article about the Internet Archive. I have thoughts. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/83971-internet-archive-answers-publishers-copyright-lawsuit.html (1/?)

I'm not a huge bestselling author. When I heard about the Internet Archive, I wasn't even sure if my books would be there. They were. Maybe 5 of them. (2/?)

The books appeared to be library copies that were removed from circulation. They had library stickers on them with marker slashes through them. Libraries have very little physical space, and in the case of older titles, they have to turn them over. I totally get that. (3/?)

And I have no problem with a reader picking them up at the library sale at a discount. Everyone deserves to read. I'm happy when my books are read. (4/?)

I wouldn't have a problem with the Internet Archive as a creator if they'd bought library copies from my publisher. Libraries do that. You can go to any number of libraries online collections and get one of my books right now. I will cheer. (5/?)

The fact that there's a missing apostrophe in the previous tweet really bothers me, BTW. (6/?)

By not buying library copies and getting cheap free ones, the Internet Archive makes it tougher for me to continue writing. I don't see a dime for any of their readers. I don't know if the Internet Archive makes money off their site through ads or whatever. But I don't. (7/?)

I should also mention that at this point, my books have been removed from the site per my request. So no one is making money off them now. (8/?)

But when I went to double check that, I saw a bunch of other books with library stickers. One of them had a big sticker on it that said that the book had been discarded. So someone picked it up for free, I think? (9/?)

Regardless, it's pretty clear that the Internet Archive isn't paying for library copies. Libraries pay for their books so that writers can afford to keep writing. They track the circulation, and they buy additional copies of the books that are more popular. (10/?)

To a reader, the experience is probably the same. You find the book you want, and you check it out. Just like a library. But from where I'm sitting, it's not the same. (11/?)

I'm not getting paid. My publisher is not getting paid. No one is getting paid except possibly the people behind the Archive? Simply by checking your book out from an actual library versus the Internet Archive, you help me get paid. You help me keep writing. (12/?)

Writers want to be read. We want to be able to produce books that take you away, make you think, make you laugh and snort your drink out your nose. I want you to get my books from the library, or from a bookstore, or loaned to you by a friend who loved them. (13/?)

Projects like the Internet Archive appear to be positive ones, making books available to read by people who need them. But if all of my readers went there to get my books, I would never be able to afford to write another one. (14/?)

Whereas if those same people went to their library's website and got the book for free, I'd be able to write tons more. I want to write tons more. I would muppet flail at the opportunity. (15/?)

And that's why you'll see authors speaking out about the Archive. It's not because we don't want you to have affordable reading material. It's because we have a free option that also supports us. It ensures that we can finish that series you like. (16/?)

Given the choice, please pick the option that allows us to keep writing. It's free for you either way. But it could make all the difference in the world to your favorite creators. (17/fin)