A few years ago there was an issue with Authors on this page having their stories stolen. And, sure enough, when I went searching, I found "MS Frankenstein" on a pay site. When I confronted them, the story disappeared, probably just to another pay site.
So, the issue is in the news again. It just makes me shake my head.
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2014/03/pamela-wray-and-wordwo...
Comments
Sign of the times I'm afraid
I make a little money on the side with my Photography. Once upon a time I had a website showing off my work. Despite a clear watermark on the images I found my work being passed off as the work of another so called professional photographer. Not just one picture but a whole set that related to a trip to New Mexico in 2004.
After trying everything I could short of spending lots of $$$ that I didn't have I put up the white flag and gave up my website. So no more photos.
All the stories I post here and on my blog are archived with timestamps. I have done all I can to protect my work but if some [redacted] takes my work and passes it off as their own, then hey, go on. I won't go after you because I have better things to do with my life. Going after these low-lifes is just not worth it.
Well done for getting the work removed but I am afraid it would be a never ending task to keep it off the internet.
I'm afraid
I'm afraid she is just a drop in the bucket in this sort of trade. Many others are also doing it to unsuspecting people looking to get a break in what can be a lucrative deal.
One of the sure signs that it may be amiss is of course where they ask for money up front. If they were legit I'm sure they could afford to start of small. But I digress.
Its when she or others like her, who have the manuscripts from those who had worked hard on their stories do they go and try and sell them as themselves after much editing.
Thanks once again Gwen for bring up this abuse.
It happened to me Gwen.
The first ten or so chapters of 'Mares Tales' ended up as a dead tree book published by Echo publications. Never saw a penny and it was commented on by several people on Fictionmania. Apparently, somebody lifted it from the Fictionmania site and it appeared as a book on Echo publications as a different title but the story was exactly as I wrote it and dated it on Fictionmania. The only additions were the illustrations.
I tried to contact Echo publications but they never responded and I didn't have the money to pursue it.
Ces't la vie.
Bev.
Plagiarism
Wow, what amazing plagiarism. I wonder if it's worth the guilt. Or maybe she's one of those sociopaths who don't feel guilt? I also remember someone taking TG stories from fictionmania and selling it on amazon as an anthology or something. I don't quite remember the details or what happened to that person.