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In a recent NY Times blog, technology and textbook writer Peter Wayner says, “I’m not going to write more books if the revenues will be wiped out by pirates.” In his introspective rant, he explains how easy it’s gotten the last couple of years to make entire books available online for free. I’ve got several things to say in response.

First, I feel Wayner’s pain – but not as much as he feels it, not yet at least. If you go by many literary novelists and publishers, them Internets is hurting us writers, whether we be academics or struggling pros. Nine out of ten stories I read about the impact of technology on publishing say that e-sellers, the Kindle, and piracy are bleeding the market and have been responsible for the shut down of hundreds of independent bookstores. That’s sad. But the picture is obviously more complex than anyone to date has illustrated.

Second, is it up to authors, bookstores, and publishers to learn how to stop piracy? Yes, and there are more ways than I’d realized. Reading the comments and responses to Wayner’s blog post has made me realize just how possible it is to combat piracy in all forms. Clever, clever stuff. But nobody’s going to do it for us. We must learn. The Authors Guild, from whom I get pretty frequent emails updating me on what I’ll briefly call “The Kindle Situation,” has been working on this front.

Third, I agree that it’s “hard to sue the students who read my books, even though I think the prices are a huge bargain.” But shame on him for even suggesting that option. I also don’t fully agree with his implication that “While $50 seems like a lot to pay for a book, the universities can charge up to $5,000 for a course that often touches upon half of the material in a book.” I’ve been a student. I am a student. And I’m a teacher. This fall I’ll take a course with 13 books that I can’t find much cheaper than $20. Odds are I’ll pay at least $200 for books this semester – and that’s nothing compared to what undergraduates enrolled in five courses shell out. It’s a tired argument, yes, but what do we expect from a growing student population that works 20 hours a week or more while slogging through their BA or BS? Speaking as a teacher, I’d frankly be happy if my students bothered to illegally download as many books to read as they’re tempted to download movies and music. Last semester I also worked as a writing center consultant, and I was pretty disappointed to find out how many students try to skid through big lecture courses without ever considering that they should buy-or read-the required texts.

Fourth, sadly, is that I can’t echo Wayner’s threat to stop writing books if piracy wipes out the revenue. Probably I don’t have full-blown hypergraphia – but many novelists have a bad habit of writing for free or for very little money. Why? Reasons vary from noble to selfish. But I’d assume that most writers share the notion that writing is “fun,” if not also pretty “abrasive.” Writers churn out dozens of books, stories, essays, and poems that’ll never see the light of day. I have a feeling that even Wayner doesn’t mean what he says. Can the act of writing a textbook or instruction manual or dictionary be as pleasant, adventurous, and wild as writing a play? Go ask Samuel Johnson. I don’t know. But, personally, I’ve always wanted to write or edit a textbook. Think I’ll start now.