A new type of theft

[Rustyoznail]

Asking for a friend - really.

There's a level of trust needed between a writer and an editor. I won't go over the bleeding obvious about inappropriate responses etc, but this is a new one to me.

What can you do if an editor steals your story and publishes it before you can? Assume it's been published here.

 

[Etaski]

Hmm. Does said friend have an email trail? Documentation of an editing agreement presented to Laurel may be able to push a claim of plagiarism to have the story taken down.

If it was published here, in that situation, I'd still reach out to Laurel to ask her what she would need.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Asking for a friend - really.

There's a level of trust needed between a writer and an editor. I won't go over the bleeding obvious about inappropriate responses etc, but this is a new one to me.

What can you do if an editor steals your story and publishes it before you can? Assume it's been published here.

Now that's filthy, but easy to establish time-stamping in email transactions between the writer and the editor.

If it's proven true, I'd just out the thief.

 

[SimonDoom]

Contact Laurel immediately. Send proof of authorship and of the exchange with the editor. Do everything possible to nail their sorry ass to the wall and try to convince Laurel to ban them from the Site. Out them on the forums.

 

[KeithD]

What can you do if an editor steals your story and publishes it before you can? Assume it's been published here.

Not much, unless you copyrighted it formally before sending it to the editor, which I've never heard of anyone doing. I've never heard of the author's own editor doing this before either, but I've always thought it might be a possibility. I guess the best way to prevent it if you engage a private edit is to ask the editor to sign and return a statement that a story you provide a synopsis and title for is your work. You still couldn't do anything legally in the United States unless you held a formal copyright. It might work in the UK, though.

 

[SimonDoom]

Not much, unless you copyrighted it formally before sending it to the editor, which I've never heard of anyone doing. I've never heard of the author's own editor doing this before either, but I've always thought it might be a possibility. I guess the best way to prevent it if you engage a private edit is to ask the editor to sign and return a statement that a story you provide a synopsis and title for is your work. You still couldn't do anything legally in the United States unless you held a formal copyright. It might work in the UK, though.

I assume Laurel wouldn't require proof of copyright ownership, would she? I can't imagine she would. That's all that would matter, in my opinion. I'd want to get the story taken down and possibly have the author banned, but pursuing anything in a court of law would be pointless, UNLESS the infringing author's rip-off was making so much money that it would be worthwhile to me to "out" myself, register the copyright in my name, and go after the infringer in court.

That seems far-fetched.

 

[KeithD]

I assume Laurel wouldn't require proof of copyright ownership, would she? I can't imagine she would. That's all that would matter, in my opinion. I'd want to get the story taken down and possibly have the author banned, but pursuing anything in a court of law would be pointless, UNLESS the infringing author's rip-off was making so much money that it would be worthwhile to me to "out" myself, register the copyright in my name, and go after the infringer in court.

That seems far-fetched.

At that point, it wouldn't be a story Laurel had any part of. It's just gone to an "editor." It's not been posted anywhere by the original author, unless it's a story the author has posted but pulled back for belated editing. That isn't part of the "given" here. Other than being concerned about an editor hanging out an editor's shingle here to swipe stories, Laurel wouldn't have anything to base a judgment on--and even that is based on an unsupportable claim. The original author knows it's true, but no one else has anything definitive they can point to to make that judgment. It's a sticky one for anyone who has to play judge and executioner.

 

[sweetdreamssss]

Hey guys,I'm the one who asked this question because before I met Rusty, I had my share of bad editors.

One of them edited one paragraph and then told he needs naked pics to edit the others.

Few of them ask for the script and then ghost.

One of them even replied telling that it's good and it needs some minor corrections. I asked you said you will edit it .

With no oversight on volunteer Editor, my thought isn't far fetched..

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

Hey guys,I'm the one who asked this question because before I met Rusty, I had my share of bad editors.

One of them edited one paragraph and then told he needs naked pics to edit the others.

Few of them ask for the script and then ghost.

One of them even replied telling that it's good and it needs some minor corrections. I asked you said you will edit it .

With no oversight on volunteer Editor, my thought isn't far fetched..

Are you saying this hasn't happened yet, but you are afraid it might happen?
Copyright protection exists in the United States from the moment you write your story, whether or not you register it and whether or not you publish it. However, registering a copyright grants you rights you need to legally enforce your copyright. You can still register the copyright after your work is published. So, if someone steals your work, the first thing you should do is register the copyright. Here's a FAQ from the U.S. Copyright Office: https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html All of the information in this post applies only to the United States. If you are in a different country, it would be helpful if you let post a follow-up identifying your country.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Hey guys,I'm the one who asked this question because before I met Rusty, I had my share of bad editors.

One of them edited one paragraph and then told he needs naked pics to edit the others.

Few of them ask for the script and then ghost.

One of them even replied telling that it's good and it needs some minor corrections. I asked you said you will edit it .

With no oversight on volunteer Editor, my thought isn't far fetched..

Report the scumbag "editors" for sure - and let's use the term loosely - to Laurel. She should ban those accounts outright.

Rusty, on the other hand, is a gentleman. He'll ask for boob pics with Aussie class: "Show us ya tits, love, and I'll take a butcher's at your words."

 

[sweetdreamssss]

Report the scumbag "editors" for sure - and let's use the term loosely - to Laurel. She should ban those accounts outright.

Rusty, on the other hand, is a gentleman. He'll ask for boob pics with Aussie class: "Show us ya tits, love, and I'll take a butcher's at your words."

I'm an indian and you can have me at "send bobs and vagene"

 

[Rustyoznail]

I'm an indian and you can have me at "send bobs and vagene"

I apologise for creating a bit of a panic. I had meant to go back and edit the original post to say it was a concern considering other dramas that had occurred.

And EB? Bloody hell, mate! You’ve rooted that for me. I’ve been lulling this lot into a false sense of security for a bit over a year now and you blew my cover.

I’m sending Senor Grumpy pants, my resident drop bear after you! He’s deaf from the terrified screams of the Yanks he’s dispatched, so you pleading for mercy won’t cut it.

Have fun, you wanker!

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Yet another reason to forgo a volunteer editor. Every time I went looking for one, they all wanted to get paid. I reported them. Some were booted, others I supposed talked their way out of being shot.

So I try to do the best I can by myself. After all, this is a free site and most of the readers understand that, yet there are always those who want what they want, so I direct them to my pay stories. That seems to shut them up.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I apologise for creating a bit of a panic. I had meant to go back and edit the original post to say it was a concern considering other dramas that had occurred.

And EB? Bloody hell, mate! You’ve rooted that for me. I’ve been lulling this lot into a false sense of security for a bit over a year now and you blew my cover.

I’m sending Senor Grumpy pants, my resident drop bear after you! He’s deaf from the terrified screams of the Yanks he’s dispatched, so you pleading for mercy won’t cut it.

Have fun, you wanker!

Mate, you blew your cover several months back with that charming anecdote about your wife... you know, the "wanna see boobies?" one. Don't worry, you'll be fine .

 

[Rustyoznail]

Mate, you blew your cover several months back with that charming anecdote about your wife... you know, the "wanna see boobies?" one. Don't worry, you'll be fine .

Bloody hell, I forgot about that. No worries, I’ll wave off the bear. He’s busy chewing on the leg of a German backpacker he found at the moment, so he’s reasonably happy.

 

[gordo12]

Rusty, on the other hand, is a gentleman. He'll ask for boob pics with Aussie class: "Show us ya tits, love, and I'll take a butcher's at your words."

Ok, "show us your tits love" was simple enough that even an American can understand it. But "I'll take a butcher's" lost me!

Edit: Doesn't show up in the Australian slang dictionary either.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

"I'll take a butcher's" lost me!

Edit: Doesn't show up in the Australian slang dictionary either.

Rhyming slang, originally Cockney rhyming slang.

To have a butch or butcher's at something is to have a look. (Butcher's hook = look)

On that note, if one of my characters said "Let's scarper!" would an American understand?

 

[Haulover]

Hmm. Does said friend have an email trail?
...

Back in the (more-or-less) pre-email days, when I had 2 novels published in the mainstream, I took my agent's advice:

Before you send your first full manuscript to an editor or any publisher : Print a copy, mail it to yourself via registered mail, and do not open the package. If there's ever any dispute, you can take the sealed (and dated) package into a courtroom and have it opened there for irrefutable proof of ownership.

I still have 4 unopened packages...

...
On that note, if one of my characters said "Let's scarper!" would an American understand?

No.

 

[KeithD]

Back in the (more-or-less) pre-email days, when I had 2 novels published in the mainstream, I took my agent's advice:

Before you send your first full manuscript to an editor or any publisher : Print a copy, mail it to yourself via registered mail, and do not open the package. If there's ever any dispute, you can take the sealed (and dated) package into a courtroom and have it opened there for irrefutable proof of ownership.

I still have 4 unopened packages...



No.

This is known as the Poor Man's Copyright. In a world where copyright issues are very squishy, the Poor Man's Copyright is one of the few in the United States that has been zapped flat. It has absolutely no legal standing in the United States, with the standard answer to it being that it tells you where the envelope has been, not anything that ever was put inside it. If anyone can find a single instance where it won a court case in the United States, please provide a citation. It might work in the UK. Again, a citation of where it was would be helpful.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/poor-mans-copyright/

 

[SimonDoom]

On that note, if one of my characters said "Let's scarper!" would an American understand?

Nope. Maybe in context, but not standing alone.

Aussies and Cockneys have a very playful way of dealing with language that is foreign to most Americans. We take a more direct approach, most of the time.

 

[Handley_Page]

This is known as the Poor Man's Copyright. In a world where copyright issues are very squishy, the Poor Man's Copyright is one of the few in the United States that has been zapped flat. It has absolutely no legal standing in the United States, with the standard answer to it being that it tells you where the envelope has been, not anything that ever was put inside it. If anyone can find a single instance where it won a court case in the United States, please provide a citation. It might work in the UK. Again, a citation of where it was would be helpful.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/poor-mans-copyright/

The point is that the envelope is unopened until viewed by the Court.

 

[KeithD]

"Let's scarper" is clear to me. But I've lived in British expatriate areas.

 

[gordo12]

Rhyming slang, originally Cockney rhyming slang.

To have a butch or butcher's at something is to have a look. (Butcher's hook = look)

On that note, if one of my characters said "Let's scarper!" would an American understand?

Thanks for that.

Not sure about an American but this Canadian does.

 

[Damoiselle]

Rhyming slang, originally Cockney rhyming slang.

To have a butch or butcher's at something is to have a look. (Butcher's hook = look)

On that note, if one of my characters said "Let's scarper!" would an American understand?

At the risk of being snobbish about my countrymen, most can be a little obstinate about using context clues. I don't know know the word "scarper" but it seems to me that it must having to do with leaving by the way you wrote it. Unfortunately many Yanks are more likely to get stuck on words they're unfamiliar with, which only actually when frustrates me when they're derisive about it.


She twirled her hair around her finger and wrinkled her nose in distaste before asking "What's 'scarper'?"



Ugh, high school flashbacks.

 

[KeithD]

"Scarper," meaning "to flee," "escape," is a perfectly good word even in American usage (as denoted by being in Webster's--dated to 1846).