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plagiarism

The New Face of Book Pirates: Plagiarists

Pirate skulls with text: Pirates and Plagiarism

Surprisingly, many authors haven’t bothered worrying about book pirates. They figured a few copies going to readers who never would have paid for them anyway didn’t matter. Heck, some authors even thought book pirates could be good for their career. Spread the word, appeal to more readers who might buy their […]

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July 30, 2013

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Behave…The Internet Never Forgets

Couple whispering secrets with text: Behave...The Internet Never Forgets

When we interact with people in real life, we’re often advised not to talk about politics or religion. Bringing up those emotionally charged topics is a good way to start arguments with strangers and friends alike. Yet I’ve seen countless authors, aspiring and published, break this rule online. If they’re […]

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January 24, 2013

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‘Tis the Season to Be Chaotic, Is Reblogging the Answer?

Chaotic colors with text: Is Reblogging an Easy Way to Handle Chaos?

I don’t know about anyone else, but this is a rough time to get any writing done. I did great throughout November for NaNoWriMo, but since then I think I’ve gotten in only 7,000 words. And most of those words were written the first weekend of December, right after NaNo […]

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December 20, 2012

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Fan Fiction to Published Book: A Case Study

Into the Dark cover image with text: ...And the Journey from Fan Fiction to Published Book

Last time, we discussed the different options for publishing a story that had its genesis in fan fiction: name-change-only, reworking, and rewriting. Whether we believe there’s ever a “right” way to publish a story that began as fan fiction (fanfic), authors who completely rewrite their story should be recognized for at least […]

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December 13, 2012

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Can Writers Reuse Their Own Work?

Printer control screen with text: Can We Copy Our Own Work?

On the surface, this might seem like a clear-cut question. Unless we’ve turned the copyright over to another entity, it seems like we should be able to reuse our own work. However the issues surrounding what is sometimes termed “self-plagiarism” are more complicated than they might first appear. Many of us […]

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December 11, 2012

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How Bad Is Plagiarism?

Broken doorknob from a forced entry crime

(Read below for updates.) Recently, a thief broke into my brother’s house.  They weren’t home, so no one was physically hurt.  However, the shock of the crime still caused emotional pain. The thief didn’t take too much, mostly just small things he could carry, but now they wonder if the […]

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October 18, 2011

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