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In the continuing battle on piracy (no, not the Johnny Depp-kind) I keep hearing and reading why would anybody buy things which they can get for free? Now that I've dove into the magnificent world of free, serialized audiobooks, or podiobooks I stumble upon the same arguments. In interviews with authors who both sell their books in print as well as record and publish the books online for free – they are often asked if the podiobook-version will hurt the sales of the printed copy. They are also asked if this is the “way of the future” in publishing, this giving away stuff…

To this I respond – do you have any books in your bookshelf? Any at all? If so, did you purchase these? If so, why in god's name did you do this? Because I bet good money that you could have read that book for free! It's a well kept secret that's been around for centuries. Here it comes – libraries! Way of the future? Nope – way it's always been…

So I've read a few of the books from Podiobooks.com and Librivox.org, and I've enjoyed all of them. Some more than others, but I've enjoyed all. Since I started “reading” this way I've have even found a new favorite author. I wanted to thank these writers who trusted me enough to give me their work. So if there was a printed copy of the book I had just listened to, I bought it. Otherwise I sent a donation. And I'm not the only one – in an interview on Rev3 Internet Superstar Scott Sigler, who gives away all his writing, stated he was making about a thousand dollars monthly on donations alone.

So this is my bookshelf of Podiobooks. So far it features, from the left:
- A limited and signed copy of Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
- Infected and the sequel Contagious (which I haven't listened to yet) by Scott Sigler
- Brave Men Run by Matthew Wayne Selznick
- Playing for Keeps (next up on my to-listen-to list) by Mur Lafferty
- Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singin Sword as well as The Case of the Pitcher's Pendant (the latter not available as podcast) by Tee Morris

More of these will come. My podiobook-shelf will continue to grow.