Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
My story has been published with another author's name on it
I was very disappointed (and pretty bloomin' cross too) to open 'My Weekly' (July 10-16 2012) to find my story 'Where's Jack' has been published UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S NAME. Someone called Helen M Hunt has been credited with my work.
I e-mailed my editor expressing my displeasure but there's nothing to be done - it's there now. ALCS are not going to accept that this is my work but I'm going to e-mail them too in the hope that they will investigate and attribute my work to my account.
BAH!
Comments
(Sorry, my mind went blank and I used 'compensation' to begin with. I couldn't live with it, so I've edited it.)
but I wannit to carry MINE, that's why I bother putting it there at the end of a story!
She will have heard of you too. Bet this turns up in one of her articles.
I await with bated breath
Yes, bated. Not baited!
Never mind, another experience notched up in this great world of writing!
So what ARE they going to do? Print an apology in the next issue or what?
One writer I told about it has crossed out Helen's name in her copy of the mag and replaced it with yours in biro, ceka, so at least one copy of MW now has the right name against the story!
I do think a special apology should be made because it is Ceka, a writer who is a regular and trusted contributor.
John - how appalling! Vicar or not, that's plagiarism; surely the church is not above the law?
You're right, it isn't. I'm just glad it didn't happen to me, because there is no way I would have let it go as my friend did. In my situation at that time, my vicar similarly asked me to write the monthly article for the parish magazine on alternate months with him. When I told him what happened to my friend, he was appalled. He knew the vicar concerned, and said to me that it didn't surprise him, as the man was "an arrogant prig! and wondered how he had ever become a clergyman."
I hope they at least print a correction notice, Ceka.
The ALCS problem should be easily sorted - I've told them about the mistake and my editor is happy to be contacted to confirm authorship.
It's an interesting experience, one I hope will never be repeated - MW have added an extra layer of checks to make sure of that - but I don't think a printed correction is going to happen and I admit I'm sorry about that. It's just one of those things one has to put up with and let's face it, nobody died or was injured so does it really matter in the great scheme of things?
Thanks again, everyone, good old support-network on TB
JohnWho's experience is far more indignantatious (glorious new word!) and to think that was in the clergyworld. Shocking! Defrock the rotter!
As far as know, he will have retired around two years ago, so should not be in a position to do anything like that again.
Can you make an article out of it?
Helen is a very good writer and a very nice person, too, but that's not really relevant.
I have also recently heard of this happening to another writer for MW and they were also told that additional checks had been put in place. Seems like the new checks haven't had much effect yet!