[Official] WF Book Sharing Manifesto: Authors/Publishers, please read

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Im planning to utilize the Quareia donation for Josephines book, for starters. Ive already bought Anna Rivas Candle Burning Magic. I was given Christophers book Kaballah, Magic and the Great Work of Self Transformation, as well as a copy of the Golden Dawn 7th ed by a neighbor. More to come as I get paid.

 

[Elementriloquist]

Interesting, never expected something like this to happen. If I was an occult author I wouldn't bother though, because:
1. I know that torrents exist and you will never beat the file sharing community EVER, it's an exercise in futility. Someone will always have a copy and they will always share it, and then the people who get it will make copies and share it, and on and on it goes.

2. If I genuinely had magic abilities, I'd be writing those books for the sake of sharing knowledge, and the profit I make from sales would merely be an auxiliary benefit, because I could use said magic abilities to very easily make more money in other ways.

Reactions like this from authors only makes me think that they are selling books about regurgitated knowledge they've read, rather than things they actually know from personal experience that they've actually done themselves. That's exactly why they have to be so protective of the "product" because it's basic and easily replicated, and once you see that for yourself you may not buy it.

To me personally a digital version of (any) book feels worthless, unless it's something that has been out of print for 100 years or so (like the stuff on archive.org)

The funny thing is, these modern day occult authors are likely just regurgitating info that can be found in these very books on archive.org

 

[Djnenas]

Earlier this year, I received WF's first DMCA takedown notice (I only noticed it today) on a copyrighted material shared in Book Shares . To be completely frank, I wasn't expecting attention this early in WF's new timeline. About a months into the new WF's book shares section launching, I saw (do not ask me how) that Steve Savedow browsed WF. He didn't contact me regarding any of his books shared here, and honestly, we only have 2000 members, of which probably only 50-100 are really active... so I was shocked to see that a publisher thought it fitting to send me a DMCA. I am going to share the content of the notice below, and address the points I'd like to counter, as well as some other points.

I think it is time for a manifesto.

Here's the notice from Peter Grey of Scarlett Imprint in it's entirety:

Please, Log in or Register to view codes content!

Here's what I'd like to say:

WF Admin's Statement:

1. I completely hear and understand the wishes of authors and publishers to protect their livelihood. I am a creative by trade, and I understand the amount of work that goes into researching, writing, illustrating and publishing a book. Whatever ends up happening, I will not hold it against any author/illustrator/publisher.
2. WF does not host any copyrighted files on our servers. Legally speaking, some rando out there is purchasing, converting, and sharing these files on MEGA, and sending the links to me printed on 8.5” x 11” card stock via anonymous, untracable postage. I simply share the links I receive. You may contact MEGA to have these links taken down.
3. WF is hosted in a jurisdiction that most likely will disregard your DMCA.
4. WF's admin is located in a jurisdiction that will most likely ignore any legal contact.
5. I have always wanted to find ways to support Occult and Esoteric authors and publishers in a way that does not conflict with the manifesto below. I am open to ideas from members/authors/publishers on how I can help support them in other ways than simply not sharing these weird links to PDFs that some alien is sending me.

Book Sharing Manifesto:

1. As the name of this subject betrays, occult knowledge is by nature obscured, censored, and difficult to find. While that sanctions all due respect and praise to occult authors, illustrators, publishers, and anyone else who dedicates time, money, and hard work towards creating and distributing occult knowledge, it also validates our crusade to make all of this content even more accessible and available. I am sorry, but I just feel too strongly that it is our duty to propogate this material as widely as possible.
2. If you can afford to pay for the books you have obtained, read, and enjoyed from WF, then you must purchase them (at least the digital versions). It is your absolute duty to do so.
3. Authors/publishers: please understand — 99% of the people who download free PDFs of your books would never have purchased them. For many, it is simply too difficult to match their desire to learn and absorb this knowledge with their ability to finance it. Does that really mean they do not deserve to lay their eyes upon the content of your books? Do you truly believe that? Do you want to extinguish that flame? Please have mercy.
4. If anything, many of those who would not have otherwise purchased a single book, may download 100, and fall in love with one, which then they would purchase. I truly cannot believe the premise that sharing PDFs online significantly impacts your bottom line as publishers/authors.
5. I will try to be more diligent about providing links to purchase the books that are linked here. I may even institute a rule that compels anyone sharing MEGA links to PDFs to find and share the link to the digital download of said book.
6. When/if WF ever becomes profitable, I swear on my name, I will make suitable donations to authors/publishers who are featured here, and/or who make exceptional occult publications. I recognize that this is unlikely to directly compensate for the volume of downloaded PDFs if tallied, but I hope it will mean something, especially in light of points 3 and 4 of the manifesto.
7. Going forward, I will never paywall/time-lock any downloads of book PDFs to upgraded user accounts (with the exception of large collections/archives such as the WF grand library, which I don't expect to gain any copyright attention anyway).

Please... members... authors... publishers... anyone... share your thoughts with me. Am I completely in the wrong? Is there no wiggle room in the morality of sharing this knowledge? I am open to feedback, and open to having my mind changed, but please do so respectfully and logically. I do not want to make this about legality. Frankly – and judge me all you want for this – I do not give a single fuck about the legality of any of these issues, and even if I did, as I mentioned above in the Admin Statement, there are no copyrighted content hosted on WF's servers. We are merely sharing content that has been hosted by others and shared on the internet. This is more about morality, philosophy, and understanding each other. Please help me understand your viewpoints.

Honestly, they should be paying YOU a stipend as affiliate for marketing (in a way) their book content on your website!!! Allow me to explain: I am a Witch and a mom of two with a very limited budget. Reading is a passion to me and with all the variety out there nowadays, sometimes it becomes overwhelming to seep through the garbage to find the true gems. Part of this tedious process is downloading PDF's that are freely offered online. For instance, some books by Stephen Skinner or David Rankine could run you upwards of $50 dollars... even if USED... that is a bit much for somebody in a tight budget like myself... I gotta know what i'm getting before i start saving money to dish out on just one book. Here is where those free PDF's come into play. I do not like reading on a screen. I am oldfashioned when it comes to reading, i like having my books on my hand already printed. As a magician also, it is preferable. I know i'm not the only one. There's other people out there that feel the same way. So, not everybody that download free PDF's is looking for a freebie in order to avoid having to purchase the book. On the contrary. So, i believe you should be getting some comission for generating clients.... paying clients for their books. Do not believe for a second that you are negatively interfering with anybody's livelihood. Books get purchased regardless whether they are available for free online or not. Remember that today most purchases have 30 days free return windows and whomsoever doesn't want to keep the book could purchase it, read it then return it and get their money back. Simple as that. A well written book with valuable information is a treasure everyone wants to keep. Nowadays everybody and anybody can write and publish a book no matter how much it sucks!! We as paying clients deserve to have the absolute best for what we pay. Also, there is nothing wrong with acknowledging the universality of this information, it is human beings birth right to have free access to it, but let's not forget that there's still some that believe it should remain occult and hidden from public sight... I hope my view serves it's purpose and shows you another perspective on how else to support authors even if albeit such controversial way.

 

[Bo Hanson]

Of course, the digital book should stay here. With this, it shows us, members of WZ, that if the book is good enough for the reader, then we, the members of Wizard Forum will buy the book, right? The author of the book (Peter Gray) should thank you and should make a donation to WZ for marketing (in a way) their book. I totally agree with Djnenas thoughts.

People, don't forget: OCCULT KNOWKEDGE SHOULD BE FREE IN THESE DAYS OF WORLD GLOBALIZATION!