---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are people already sharing eBooks…"
description: "\"There are people already sharing eBooks out there, .. and they do it simply because they love books. You don't buy a second copy of a book, cut the spi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/cory-doctorow-1928_book_there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks_2654179.jpg"
---

#  There are people already sharing eBooks out there, .. and…

![“There are people already sharing eBooks out there, .. and they do it simply because they love books. You don't buy a second copy of a book, cut the spine off, lay each page on a scanner, run that .tif through an OCR (Optical Character Reader), hand edit the resulting output for errors and then…” quote by Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/cory-doctorow-1928_book_there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks_2654179.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/cory-doctorow-1928_book_there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks_2654179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/cory-doctorow-1928_book_there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks_2654179.jpg)

> “There are people already sharing eBooks out there, .. and they do it simply because they love books. You don't buy a second copy of a book, cut the spine off, lay each page on a scanner, run that .tif through an OCR (Optical Character Reader), hand edit the resulting output for errors and then post it online if you don't love the book. it can up to 80 hours to turn a printed novel into an eBook. I figure if someone out there is willing to put in 80 hours of work promoting my book, then I'd prefer they do it in a way that gives a better return to me.”

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sharing eBooks is driven by love of books, not profit; labor‑intensive conversion discourages sharing, so authors prefer promoters who add value.

**In simple terms:** Sharing books shows love, not profit.

Key Takeaway

Seek value‑adding promotion.

Themes

sharing literature labor

Mood

analytical concerned

Type

ethical practical

When to use this quote

- author promotion
- self‑publishing
- community libraries

Key Concepts

Open access digital rights management

Questions to Reflect On

- How can sharing be made easier?
- What incentives motivate promoters?

A Different Perspective

Time cost may deter sharing.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Return to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return-to-me/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/)

## Related quotes

> [My laptop broke and because of the storm I could not get a new one. And so I've been promoting my book via iPhone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/my-laptop-broke-and-because-of-the-storm-i-could-not-get-a-new-one/)

[Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/)

> [Just because you have kids doesn't mean to say you need time off. I have a lot of time off anyway. If I'm promoting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/just-because-you-have-kids-doesn-t-mean-to-say-you-need-time-off-i/)

[Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/)

> [Unless you're Stephen King or Joyce Carol Oates, no one's going to recognize you on the street, and you're promoting your book, not yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/unless-you-re-stephen-king-or-joyce-carol-oates-no-one-s-going-to/)

[Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/)

> [The best time to start promoting your book is three years before it comes out. Three years to build a reputation, build a permission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-best-time-to-start-promoting-your-book-is-three-years-before-it/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [A presentation copy...is a copy of a book whoch does not sell, sent you by the author, with his foolish autograph at the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/a-presentation-copy-is-a-copy-of-a-book-whoch-does-not-sell-sent-you/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [When Any Women Ask Me For A Free Copy Of My Book, I Say Lets Do A SOD Sex On Delivery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cv-pillay/when-any-women-ask-me-for-a-free-copy-of-my-book-i-say-lets-do-a-sod/)

[Cv Pillay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cv-pillay/)

> [People who need to possess the physical copy of a book, and not merely an electronic version, are in some sense mysteics. We believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-queenan/people-who-need-to-possess-the-physical-copy-of-a-book-and-not-merely/)

[Joe Queenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-queenan/)

> [I actually own a copy of my own book; that's how dedicated I am as an author.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-actually-own-a-copy-of-my-own-book-that-s-how-dedicated-i-am-as-an/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [“I'm the type of girl who will buy a third copy of the same book just because it is an older edition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-mihaila/i-m-the-type-of-girl-who-will-buy-a-third-copy-of-the-same-book-just/)

[T.J. Mihaila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-mihaila/)

> [A presentation copy, reader,-if haply you are yet innocent of such favours-is a copy of a book which does not sell, sent you by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/a-presentation-copy-reader-if-haply-you-are-yet-innocent-of-such/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [Thank you for sending me a copy of your book - I'll waste no time reading it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses-hadas/thank-you-for-sending-me-a-copy-of-your-book-i-ll-waste-no-time/)

[Moses Hadas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses-hadas/)

> [I have a very big apartment in Paris but you can't really move around there anymore; piles of books everywhere. I don't want any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/i-have-a-very-big-apartment-in-paris-but-you-can-t-really-move-around/)

[Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/)

> [My strength returns to me with my cup of coffee and the reading of the psalms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-strength-returns-to-me-with-my-cup-of-coffee-and-the-reading-of/)

[Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/)

> [Don't drop him," said Peter's mother to his father. "Don't you dare drop him." She was laughing. "I will not," said his father. "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/don-t-drop-him-said-peter-s-mother-to-his-father-don-t-you-dare-drop/)

[Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/)

> [It's the character that is the strongest that God gives the most challenges to. Take your struggles as a compliment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-o-connor/it-s-the-character-that-is-the-strongest-that-god-gives-the-most/)

[Carroll O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-o-connor/)

## More by Cory Doctorow

> [“For me -- for pretty much every writer -- the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/for-me-for-pretty-much-every-writer-the-big-problem-isn-t-piracy-it-s/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [“Kurt smiled a shy smile. "You're just trying to cheer me up," he said. "Course I am," Andy said. "You deserve to be full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/kurt-smiled-a-shy-smile-you-re-just-trying-to-cheer-me-up-he-said/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [The other one I did was 'I, Robot.' I take apart Isaac Asimov's Robots world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-other-one-i-did-was-i-robot-i-take-apart-isaac-asimov-s-robots/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [“When in problem, or in doubt, run in cirles, scream and shout”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/when-in-problem-or-in-doubt-run-in-cirles-scream-and-shout/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [“the problem with reading off a screen isn’t resolution, eyestrain, or compatibility with reading in the bathtub: it’s that computers are seductive, they tempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-problem-with-reading-off-a-screen-isn-t-resolution-eyestrain-or/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-m-17-years-old-i-m-not-a-straight-a-student-or-anything-even-so-i/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [“Anything invented before you were eighteen was there all along. Anything invented before you’re thirty is exciting and will change the world forever. Anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/anything-invented-before-you-were-eighteen-was-there-all-along/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [Novels for me are how I find out what's going on in my own head. And so that's a really useful and indeed critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/novels-for-me-are-how-i-find-out-what-s-going-on-in-my-own-head-and/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [“It’s our version of Christian guilt—it’s impious to feel good about your piety. You have to want to be good, but not feel good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-our-version-of-christian-guilt-it-s-impious-to-feel-good-about/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [The important thing about security systems isn’t how they work, it’s how they fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-important-thing-about-security-systems-isn-t-how-they-work-it-s/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/this-is-why-i-loved-technology-if-you-used-it-right-it-could-give-you/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [Funny, for all surveillance, Osama bin Laden is still free—and we're not. Guess who's winning the "war on terror?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/funny-for-all-surveillance-osama-bin-laden-is-still-free-and-we-re/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [I had this really great amazing thing happen where I almost finished the book and I really needed to come up with an ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-had-this-really-great-amazing-thing-happen-where-i-almost-finished/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [It's the stupid questions that have some of the most surprising and interesting answers. Most people never think to ask the stupid questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-the-stupid-questions-that-have-some-of-the-most-surprising-and/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

[Explore all 195 Cory Doctorow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There are people already sharing eBooks out there, .. and they do it simply because they love books. You don't buy a second copy of a book, cut the spine off, lay each page on a scanner, run that .tif through an OCR (Optical Character Reader), hand edit the resulting output for errors and then post it online if you don't love the book. it can up to 80 hours to turn a printed novel into an eBook. I figure if someone out there is willing to put in 80 hours of work promoting my book, then I'd prefer they do it in a way that gives a better return to me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cory Doctorow"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks-out-there-and-they-do-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks-out-there-and-they-do-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/cory-doctorow-1928_book_there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks_2654179.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/cory-doctorow-1928_book_there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks_2654179.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/cory-doctorow-1928_book_there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks_2654179.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are people already sharing eBooks out there, .. and they do it simply because they love books. You…” — Cory Doctorow",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Cory Doctorow",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There are people already sharing eBooks...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks-out-there-and-they-do-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/there-are-people-already-sharing-ebooks-out-there-and-they-do-it/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
