Reading through Andrew Essex's story, I'm struck by the lack of rationale for not paying the dollar. Stephen King already has a lot of money? Hmm, that's not a great reason. Stephen King made that lot of money with the current publishing system and so shouldn't be trying to change it? Again, I'm not convinced. There's an agreement that is made between seller and buyer, a contract even, and when Essex clicked on "I agree," he entered into that contract. If he doesn't pay the dollar -- one dollar! -- he breaks that contract and furthermore confirms the suspicions planted by his piece: that he's cynical, shallow and dishonest. And proud of it, which is yuckier than the Captain Trips virus from "The Stand."
-- Kim Koster
Yes! Another mind-numbing rationalization from a fellow writer (how ironic) who is seriously ethics-challenged. You're a thief, pure and simple. You know it and now so do we. Have you received the absolution you were seeking? You may have a lot of company but that doesn't make what you've done right. You're just the smartmouth kid in the school yard bragging about how he ripped off the candy store. Pity.
-- Jeffrye Tveraas
Essex (and others) miss the obvious reason why people aren't rushing to read the new e-novel as quickly as the last one: What's the rush? You only get one chapter. The next chunk won't be out for a while.
The longer people wait to download the first part, the less time they'll have to wait for the story to continue.
-- Jonathan Hendry
King's failure (at least in Essex's eyes) to come up with something lofty apparently makes him a legitimate target for theft. It's too bad Essex writes for a publication that I can read for free, because I've just discovered that he isn't living up to my expectations. It seems to me that a man who makes his living writing ought to respect the right (legal and moral) of others to do the same. And since Essex clearly doesn't, I guess I'd be justified in shoplifting Salon if it were an old-fashioned paper magazine.
Essex can dress it up any way he wants, but he's still stealing. Just because he can write a smarmy article about it doesn't make him any different from someone who slips King's latest (printed) novel under his coat at Borders and walks out the front door.
-- Lawrence M. McKenna
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