End of an Era; With Good Reason

A few months ago, I talked about the copyright infringement issues being faced by some popular photographers. Specifically, there were authors who were using unlicensed pictures for their book covers. When the photographers reached out to the authors to inform them of the issue, the authors were combative. One even took the stance that she’d done nothing wrong because she found the picture on the internet.

Naturally, fans of these photographers, many of whom are also readers, came out of the woodwork in support of the photographers, as they should have. The result was that these authors likely lost a lot of future fans. They’re just lucky the photographers were kind enough to give them the benefit of the doubt instead of seeking legal action first.

I’m sorry to say it’s happening again. Photographer Michael Stokes is once again the victim of piracy. This time, authors on Wattpad are using his pictures as covers for their books.

For those you not familiar with it, Wattpad is an online writing community where you can publish your stories with no publishing contract and retain the rights. The idea is that you are able to grow readership. When I participated several years ago, authors published stories one chapter at a time and fans could read and vote on their stories. It’s since changed and I believe some authors can now be paid through the site.

Though I no longer publish on Wattpad, and haven’t for years, I left my stories there for readers to enjoy. For years, I contemplated closing the account but always went back to not wanting to disappoint readers. Unfortunately, Wattpad has left me no choice. 

After discovering he’d been a victim of copyright infringement once again, Stokes reached out to the Wattpad authors who felt they hadn’t done anything wrong. If it’s on the internet, it’s free right. With no luck there, it’s my understanding he asked the Wattpad administrators to intervene and his pleas were ignored. It was thanks to public backlash that one author caved and changed her cover.

Stokes should not have had to go to this extent to be heard. He had substantial proof of the violation, but no one at Wattpad seemed to care. What’s more, it’s not the first time they’ve turned an apathetic ear to these issues. According to some readers, plagiarism runs rampant on the site with no regulation, and I can tell you for a fact one of my stories published there was plagiarized on another site.

In light of this, I've closed my account. To those of you who are strictly Wattpad readers, I am sorry I’ve had to take this step, but I have to do what I feel is right. I can no longer support a company that has demonstrated it doesn’t value the work of all artists. I hope you understand, and I thank you for your years of loyal support. You helped launch my mainstream career, and I will never forget that.

What Would You Do?

The other day I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across an intriguing post in one of my reader's groups. The user said that she'd just finished reading two books by a new to her author. While she loved the books, she was disappointed with the number of typos in the book. The reader wanted to know if she should reach out to the author.

Before self-publishing became the norm, authors didn't have to worry about this. They signed a contract with a publisher and handed off their novel. The publishers had in-house proofreaders and editors who would catch any errors before the book went to print. It was rare that they missed something. When an error went to print, avid readers were filled with glee at knowing that our favorite authors were mistake making humans.

These days, most authors are independent authors. That means we're responsible for our own writing, editing, proof reading, formatting, cover design and marketing. That doesn't mean we have to do these things ourselves. We can most certainly contract the services out, but that costs money. New authors, and authors with smaller followers, can't always afford all of these services.

I'm lucky. I have a husband who's handy with Photoshop. I don't pay the cost of labor associated with cover design and promotional materials, however, I do have to pay for the photos we use. That's another expense, as is hosting my website and buying and renewing the domain name of my website.I also pay someone to format my e-books, pay someone else to proofread them and I pay someone to do online promotion.

I have nearly twenty titles out and I've only recently been able to afford a proofreader. My last two books were professionally proofread. When I was new to the game, I could not afford all of these expenses. I had to do it all. I did, and still do, my best to make sure my work was polished. Unfortunately, things get missed. No matter how good you are, your eyes sometimes see what your brain thinks should be there.

Writing is not my day job. Thanks to my most recent m/m series, I'm making more now than I have in years past, but I don't support myself with my writing. Even with my growing success, I still probably spend more on my writing than I make. As much as I'd like to, I can't afford an editor yet. I can't relieve my poor husband of his cover art duties. I have to rely on stock photos for my covers since they're more affordable.

Do writers make mistakes? Yes, we do. Do I want you to reach out to me if you find them? Yes, I do. I want to know what you found so I can fix it. My name is attached to that book, and I want it to be the best it can be. Readers' sharp eyes see things diligent writers miss. One thing though.

When you reach out to me to let me know what you found, please be kind. Keep in mind I'm not a full time writer. That I have high overhead and low profits. That I am doing my best and mistakes aren't intentional. That I want them fixed as much as you do. Most importantly, I appreciate your care and concern for my book and respect the courage it takes to tell someone a hard truth. I will appreciate your help and hope you will deliver your message gently. 

You've Been Warned

If you're a reader, you probably have a specific genre you like to read and some that you absolutely detest. I do. I love contemporary romance, but I can't stand historical romance. There are also certain things that turn me off a book that have nothing to do with the genre. For instance, I don't like when one of the main characters cheats on the other, and I'm not the only one. In fact, it's such a big deal for some readers that books often have disclaimers at the beginning to assure readers there is no cheating and the characters will get their happy ending.

That sounds like a spoiler right? I guess it is, but since cheating is a hard limit for some readers, authors have started warning them whether or not it's going to happen. And that's not the only warning authors are giving readers.

Many books these days contain reader advisories for everything from depictions of sexual assault to domestic violence. I'll admit when I first started seeing these warnings, I was put off. Most characters are keeping big secrets later revealed to the reader. Knowing what they were before I even read the first line of the book seemed like it would ruin the story for me. Then I started to give it serious thought.

We live in a time where we're more conscious of our mental health, and that's a good thing. It's something we need to foster and respect. A person who was the victim of sexual assault or domestic violence may not want to read about these subjects. What's more, she might not be in a place where it's safe for her to do so. It could trigger a setback in her recovery to be reminded of it.

Beyond that, sure a subject matter warning might be a bit of a spoiler, but I'v found it doesn't have to detract from enjoying the story. I can still have the same emotional reaction as I watch the main character navigate her trauma and learn to live in a new normal. Sure, I'm missing out on the shock of the big secret being revealed but a good enough story makes that incidental.

I applaud those authors who care enough about readers to warn them certain subjects might be upsetting. I'm also going to take a page out of their books, in the proverbial sense, and will now be letting my readers know about sensitive subjects ahead of time.

You've been warned, and I think we're all better for it.