Plagiarism is Serious Business
I want to start off by saying that I take accusations in regards to plagiarism very seriously. This is not a joke for me. Some of you may have seen a recent review for my book Cursed by Fire that essentially accuses me of plagiarizing the much loved Kate Daniels series. This review was both shocking and hurtful and I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you why.
Before we get into all of the bad, I’d like to tell you some of the good.
Melanie at Book Passion for Life said …
“I would say the book was very well written and had a Kate Daniels feel to it, which is so not a bad thing in my mind. With it being the first book, it is very much a getting to know you and the world you live in plot but it builds a very strong basis for the series to expand from and plenty of potential for where it could go. I can’t fault it in anyway and thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more.”
Musings & Ramblings Book Blog said …
“I saw quite a bit of parallels and influence from the Kate Daniel’s world. It’s not a copy cat story just set in another city/state. But with the similarities, it made me feel comfortable right away – like visiting a distant relative and finding familial traits to bond over. Ultimately, for me this was a 4 star read.”
So these reviews in my opinion are HUGE compliments. Here I am, a debut, no name, self-published author and my book is being compared to a series that I myself am a huge fan of.
Now, this is where the bad, the very bad, comes in. There have been a few accusations that I have plagiarized a very popular series.
Plagiarism is serious business. It is not to be taken lightly.
I did not plagiarize another author’s work.
I, one hundred percent, stand by that statement and because I wholeheartedly believe this. I believe that my work is unique, and is my own.
I am heartbroken that someone feels I plagiarized. I am even more heartbroken by the fact that the author of this series is offended and also hurt by the creation of my book. My admiration for the author and respect for their work has no bounds.
I stand by my work and I believe in it. I hope that my readers agree.
There has been question as to where some of my terms have come from that were utilized in my book. Should you wish to see the book in which some of my research came from, please view The Natural History of the UnNatural World by Joel Levy (Published in 1999)
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your support means the world to me and it is my hope that eventually, I can put this all behind me.