Stand Against Plagiarism

by Marsha Ward @Marsha Ward

Almost two years ago, a fellow author, Rachel Ann Nunes, learned that someone had gotten a hold of one of her sweet novels, altered the text to make it an erotic book, slapped her "name" on it, and published it to Amazon.

This is called plagiarism, if you're unfamiliar with this sort of intellectual property (IP) theft. Rachel decided to take a stand. With the help of several friends and a good attorney, she found the identity of the "alleged thief" and has taken her to court.

You cannot begin to imagine how costly this process is. It is not supported by any governmental entity as a criminal matter. It's all on Rachel. She had to sue the "alleged perpetrator" in Federal Court on her own. The case still has not been seen in open court. Rachel is embroiled in all the stuff that goes on before a matter comes to trial: discovery, depositions, and a host of other things.

The cost to Rachel has been much more than the monetary expenses of bringing the "alleged thief" to justice. She has endured harassment, loss of writing time and with that, loss of writing income, nightmares, anxiety, loss of time with family members, heartache, and did I mention that she is the sole breadwinner in her family? Her husband quit his job just before all this hit the fan, to work on a project he and Rachel held dear to their hearts.

Many people in the writing community have rallied to assist Rachel. One of the chief ways they have helped is to donate items or services of value that can be purchased on her Go Fund Me fundraising site.

I previously donated Naming Rights to characters in my novel, The Zion Trail. Now I've made a new offer for the right to name characters in my romantic post-Civil War work-in-progress (WIP), Mended by Moonlight.

I'm happy to report that four out of the five character's names have been snapped up by purchasers. But there's one more available!

For only $12 (or more, if you see fit), you can purchase the right to name a married 30-year-old wounded Northern soldier (who dies) in my WIP. Don't lose out on this opportunity! It's the final name I'll put up for this work.

This is the last chance for you to see your name, or immortalize an ancestor, in this book. Don't worry. I don't use your characteristics or physical attributes in any way (if I even know you), except by some bizarre coincidence.

To help my friend Rachel in her fight against intellectual property theft, go here, scroll down almost to the bottom to where the "Select a Reward Level" offerings appear, and in the next-to-last row, click on the "Name Character" icon with the $12 price.

Thank you!

UPDATE: All the character names have been purchased. Thank you for helping!

Bay Area Book Festival Defends Author Solutions Sponsorship

I follow David Gaughran's excellent blog. I think all writers should do so, especially if you are an independently publishing author - or have such aspirations.

David gave us an enlightening message today:

Originally posted on David Gaughran:

I discovered yesterday that Author Solutions was sponsoring the inaugural Bay Area Book Festival – something at odds with the breathless verbiage on the event’s site:

A new kind of book fair… the largest, most innovative, and most inclusive… [we will] create the nation’s leading book festival.

The event doesn’t take place until June, so I thought it was a good time to try and stage an intervention.

Shame on @BayBookFest for accepting sponsorship from known scammers like Author Solutions. What the hell were you thinking? #Baybookfest
— David Gaughran (@DavidGaughran) March 19, 2015

After I sent that tweet I felt a little bad.

Maybe the organizers didn’t know the full history of Author Solutions. Maybe they weren’t aware of the specific scam that Author Solutions runs at events like this. Deciding to give them the benefit of the doubt, I emailed the Executive Director of the festival, Cherilyn Parsons.

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Writer, Beware! Nook Press = Author Solutions

In the Indie Author world, until recently, there have been two accessible print-on-demand-technology print edition options: CreateSpace and Lightning Source. Last October, Barnes & Noble launched Nook Press, giving authors another printing option . . . or so it seemed. Nook Press also offered a selection of author services that included editing and cover design. "Yahoo," everyone thought. "Now I can get a good editing job AND a cover, without going on the hunt!"

Questions quickly arose about why the prices seemed, well, a bit high for the services. Luckily for Indie Authors everywhere, several people have been digging into the answers, and David Gaughran is one of the best watchdogs around. Here's his post today, which I highly recommend you read and digest.
 

Author Solutions, Bloomington, IN. Image from Wikimedia, by Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0

Vigilance is always required in order to avoid getting ripped off. Thank you, David Gaughran!

Stand Against Plagiarism - Beloved: United! Box Set #3 now available

In July, my friend and fellow author Rachel Nunes learned that someone had stolen her Christian novel, added graphic sex to it, had it for sale as an ebook in the United Kingdom, and was planning to sell it in the United States.

You can read about the personal, professional and emotional turmoil this brought to Rachel and her family, and the resultant legal suit here and in subsequent posts.

People around the globe are aghast at the temerity of the plagiarist, who, it was learned recently, stole the personal and very traumatic recollections of a wounded veteran of a foreign war to use in another of her novels. Many people have banded together to help Rachel fund a lawsuit that, hopefully, will prevent this person from plagiarizing even more writers and authors.

This is going to be an expensive fight. Estimates of the costs begin at $30,000. While Rachel Ann Nunes, the author, has written many novels and is quite popular, the proceeds of her books have gone to help raise a family of seven children. She doesn't have deep pockets, so another writing friend helped her set up a Go Fund Me account here to help raise the necessary money for the suit in federal court. To date, about 20% has been raised. I urge you to click on the link and be as generous as you can to stand against plagiarism. Even five dollars helps, if enough people contribute! (Please spread the word.)

But Rachel wants to give readers another way to stand against plagiarism and get real value for their donations. With the help of willing friends in the writing community who have donated the use of their works, she has created a line of electronic book box sets containing (so far) novellas and full novels. These box sets will only be available for a limited time, so you need to hurry and purchase them soon.

The first, Unseen, contains six spectacular Speculative Novellas.  From futuristic science fiction to romantic fantasy, this set has something for everyone who loves an interesting tale. Authors include Teyla Branton, Andrea Pearson, Stephanie Fowers, Frank Morin, Debra Erfert, and Kathleen Marks.

A second and third box set were released this week. Number Two, Concealed, contains two full-length Mystery novels, one full-length Suspense, and a Bonus Mystery novella, by authors Rachel Branton, Liz Adair, Heather Justesen, and R. L. Tyler. Whether you love romance, mystery, or suspense, this set has something for you.

Number Three, Beloved, contains three Romance novels. Fall in Love with wonderful romances from three popular eras! This collection contains my full-length novel, Spinster's Folly, and novels from Joyce DiPastena and G. G. Vandagriff, as well:

Loyalty’s Web by Joyce DiPastena
Medieval Romance
Heléne de Laurant has not forgotten how the Earl of Gunthar destroyed her father’s castle during Henry II’s war with his sons. Apparently neither have her family and friends, for when someone tries to murder Gunthar, every sign points in their direction. Heléne realizes the only way to prove her loved ones’ innocence is by exposing the true assassin.

As Heléne and Gunthar spar over the identity of the traitor, fierce determination gives way to mutual attraction. Heléne must race against time, and dark secrets of the past, to unmask the would-be killer before the kingdom plunges back into war and takes the life of the man she has unexpectedly learned to love.

Miss Braithwaite’s Secret by G. G. Vandagriff
Regency Romance
When Miss Caroline Braithwaite, the “Incomparable,” leaves London in the middle of the Season, she confides her reason in no one, not even her closest friend. Her sizable court of gentlemen mourn, but no one can tempt her into Society again. Living reclusively in the country, she finally deigns to accept an invitation to her friend’s county house party. Then the Duke of Northcott arrives, fresh from a broken engagement, and none too happy to see her. Caro tries desperately to make her excuses and leave, but then her pride intervenes. Such behavior may reveal her fierce attraction toward him and the fact that it is he who has broken her heart. Deception is at hand in the form of another gentleman who is more than a little interested in her, and looks like he may not take no for an answer. This delicious romance that will carry you back to the Regency period in English history, where manners were dictated by strict rules of fashion. It is the Jane Austen era, populated by gentlemen and ladies of leisure. These books are best enjoyed with a box of chocolates, and are guaranteed to enliven any boredom (ennui) that you may be experiencing!

Spinster’s Folly (The Owen Family Saga) by Marsha Ward
Western Romance
Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but Colorado Territory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely than wedded bliss. Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate, but Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing. When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor’s son. Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family. Marie’s mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers. This fourth book in the Owen Family saga is infused with potent heart and intense grit.

Don't forget that your purchase of Unseen, Concealed, and Beloved will help Rachel Nunes stand against plagiarism! At the same time, you will be able to stock up on excellent reading pleasure for the Fall. Look for future box sets to come.

Plagiarism is a Crime!

A fellow author's life has been turned topsy-turvy this week. She was contacted by a total stranger, a book review blogger, who told her that her Christian novel, A Bid for Love (formerly entitled Love to the Highest Bidder), had possibly been plagiarized.

The author is Rachel Ann Nunes. Get her account of the bizarre events here.

When is it okay to copy/paste an author's work, change the point of view to First Person, add a lot of smut, send out tons of ARCs to get glowing reviews, and schedule the book to be published? Actually, I must qualify that to say "published in the US," because the fraudulent work was already for sale in the UK (See Rachel's blog post for evidence).

I answer: NEVER!

This is never okay.

Adapting an idea or a story from Shakespeare or Jane Austen to give it a contemporary update or to add a twist aka the mashup Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith, is totally different.

Stealing an author's work is criminal behavior. We must take a stand against such corruption. Author Danyelle Ferguson has posted avatars/buttons in her photo album "Awareness" that you may use on your Facebook profile and elsewhere. Many Facebook inhabitants and bloggers are spreading the word about this theft of intellectual property. I urge you to help in quashing malevolent tendencies and/or outright ignorance by sharing your opinions about plagiarism on your blogs, Facebook, or whatever social media you employ.

Thank you!

Simon & Schuster Joins Forces With Author Solutions To Rip Off Writers

This situation is despicable. Can Big Publishers go any lower? WRITER, BEWARE! (and note there a couple of instances of rough language quoted below)

Reblogged from the estimable David Gaughran:

Simon & Schuster has launched a self-publishing operation, Archway Publishing, contracting one of the most disreputable players in the business to run the show: Author Solutions.

We’ll get to that distasteful link-up in a second, but first let’s have a look at what Simon & Schuster are offering prospective customers (i.e. writers).

Fiction packages start at $1,999 and go up to $14,999. If you have written a business book, prices are saucier again: $2,999 to $24,999.

While the upper end of the pricing spectrum is obviously shocking, some of you might think that $1,999 isn’t too bad if you are getting a proper edit and a decent cover.

Not so fast.

That price tag doesn’t include any real editing, just an assessment which – according to their own website – is “not a replacement” for editorial services but “a preliminary diagnostic tool.”

But what if you need proper editing? Fear not! Simon & Schuster is here to help. For just $0.035 a word, you can have a thorough edit of your book. Which sounds cheap until you realize that a standard 80,000 word novel would cost you $2,800. So, in actual fact, the cheapest package, plus their edit, will set you back $4,799 for a standard length book.

As if that wasn’t enough, Simon & Schuster will also take half of your e-book royalties – after Amazon and the other retailers take their cut – and pay pennies for print sales.

Not looking so reasonable anymore, is it.

“But wait!” I hear you cry. “Those Simon & Schuster editors might be pretty damn good.” Alas, Simon & Schuster won’t be lending any editorial expertise to this new operation; it will be run and staffed by… Author Solutions – the world famous repository of editorial talent.

In fact, the whole operation has been outsourced by Simon & Schuster to Author Solutions. In case you aren’t familiar with them, let’s go over a little history.

AUTHOR SOLUTIONS

Author Solutions is the umbrella for (and owner of) several seriously shady self-publishing service companies (or vanity presses, if you prefer) – such as Author House, Xlibris, iUniverse, and Trafford.

Each of these companies has managed to achieve disreputable status on their own, but together they have screwed over more than 150,000 writers. Going through the full history of their rip-off schemes would require a book, rather than a blog post, so I’ll stick to the highlights.

The formidable Emily Suess has been covering Author Solutions for some time:

The short list of recurring issues includes: making formerly out-of-print works available for sale without the author’s consent, improperly reporting royalty information, non-payment of royalties, breach of contract, predatory and harassing sales calls, excessive markups on review and advertising services, failure to deliver marketing services as promised, telling customers their add-ons will only cost hundreds of dollars and then charging their credit cards thousands of dollars, ignoring customer complaints, shaming and banning customers who go public with their stories, and calling at least one customer a ‘fucking asshole.’

Read the above list carefully. Take a moment to consider it. This is the company that Simon & Schuster has hired to run their self-publishing operation – a company which was purchased by Penguin in July for $116m.

If you are unfamiliar with the charges above, this post will give you a little more detail.

PENGUIN

At the time of the purchase, some commentators expressed hope that Penguin would clean up this cesspool. Instead, Penguin gave Kevin Weiss – the head of Author Solutions – a seat on the board.

A seat on the board!

And the scammy behavior hasn’t stopped; in fact, some of it is getting worse. I’ve received reports of Author Solutions staff calling prospective customers and asking if they want to be “published by Penguin.” Yes, they went there.

Then, a month after Penguin’s purchase, Author Solutions were heavily criticized for their misleading marketing strategies by Victoria Strauss of industry watchdog Writer Beware.

Aside from the usual litany of dodgy affiliate programs and misleading “independent” websites, Author Solutions had now gone a step further: using fake people to tout their services. A social media profile for “Jared Silverstone” was decked out with a stock photograph, and sent out to hustle for Author Solutions – under the pretense of recommending them independently.

Since Fake Jared’s fifteen minutes of fame, I’ve seen similar “writers” and “publishing consultants” disingenuously promoting Author Solutions companies in various writing groups on Facebook. And they’re just the ones that slip through the net – the administrator of one popular Facebook group told me that she “turns away people like this all the time.”

The latest wheeze is even better: an army of spam bots, posting comments to writing and publishing blogs, attempting to both lead people back to Author House and boost SEO. I snapped a comment from one such bot on the blog of Porter Anderson last week (which hasn’t been deleted at the time of writing).

Thank you, Author Solutions. The world really needed more spam bots.

PREDICATED ON IGNORANCE

Before you say that any writer who gets suckered only has themselves to blame, you must consider that Author Solutions is extremely disingenuous about how they target customers.

They prey on people who don’t understand the industry. Their whole business model is predicated on customer ignorance – and they are relentless at exploiting that, hounding people with incessant calls, pushing every emotional button they can think of, until they crack.

And it works. The average customer spends $5,000 getting their book published – which is crazy money – and Emily Suess has received reports of writers being tricked out of tens of thousands of dollars. After all that, the writers don’t sell anything anyway, and what little they do make is often delayed or unpaid altogether.

I can’t say it any plainer: Author Solutions are in the business of ripping people off.

That’s who Penguin purchased. That’s who Simon & Schuster hired to run their self-publishing operation. That’s who the Author’s Guild partnered with to help their members get books back in print.

150,000 writers have already been duped by Author Solutions. That number is likely to increase significantly now that Penguin has legitimized the company by purchasing them and Simon & Schuster has validated their business practices by hiring them.

Let’s make sure no more writers get ripped off.