With all the Austen “homages” on the market (some of which even use the exact dialogue from the book, only recast in POV) it’s not hard to understand why someone might not understand the bright line between an homage or a revisioning and plagiarism. I’m not making excuses, I’m just saying . . .

This is, of course, where copyright infringement and plagiarism split off. I think where the ethical questions come in is under those circumstances where an author is trying to claim that a work is wholly original when, in fact, it contains substantial language from another text, whether or not that other work is in the public domain.

I can imagine a number of circumstances where a work is indeed transformative that makes use of parts of a famous literary work. But in those cases I think the author needs to be very clear that he/she is copying from another source and that the work is not *wholly* original, even if it ultimately becomes an original *interpretation* or even parody.

Some language, of course, has become so much a part of the public realm that we don’t blink when it’s replicated, but transcribing numerous, substantial sections of text from another literary work is, I think, another matter, even if the author intended no harm or did not know what he/she did might be perceived as less than honest or acceptable.

However unbelievable that seems, I truly don’t think that at the time, she thought she was doing anything wrong.

I hope this is true, but why would she submit it to the EPPIES after having it pulled by the publisher (supposedly with her support)?

If there really is a substantial level of ignorance about plagiarism and copyright infringement, etc. is there no organizational support or intervention for authors to apprise them of these issues? And why didn’t the publisher notice what they had or even check it? I always wonder this, especially in cases where the original source is well-known. I didn’t understand it with the Viswanathan book, either, but in this case it’s even more obvious, so . . . well, I don’t know. Perhaps there are no satisfying answers in cases like this.

Robin, I don’t know why she did it. The only thing that I can think of is that she truly didn’t know the difference between an homage and plagiarism. I don’t think she meant “to get away with it” because the text was so well known AND she deliberately gave mention of the book she was sourcing in her introduction. However unbelievable that seems, I truly don’t think that at the time, she thought she was doing anything wrong. I hope she can put this behind her, write something else with a nice new name and move on.

Robin, even if you haven’t read Jane Eyre, the first line is famous, “There was no possibility of taking a walk that day” which was also the first line in Logan’s book – that’s what set the alarm bells ringing, and I only had to then check both books to see that large chunks of text were copied. Granted that – yes, I’ll admit that not everyone has read the book – but I’ve run story competitions before and I would at the very least have Googled the prospective finalists before I announced them.

Having dealt numerous times with student plagiarism, I would, too. Especially because, as you say, the first line is so well-known. But I wonder if contest judges get the same sixth sense for plagiarized prose that teachers do — that sense that something isn’t quite right, which is sometimes the only thing you have to guide you when reading a paper that just strikes you funny. I’ve caught some really obscure plagiarizing that way, and I wonder if it’s shared by those who read fiction manuscripts in any volume.

It’s a shame because in the original passages (which were really only the sex scenes for obvious reasons) the writing was very good.

Which, for me, begs the question ‘why’? If you can write original prose well, why not do it? Why take the risk — unless you don’t view it as a risk, which is kind of scary. Is it not a risk because you think no one will catch you, or because you have so little respect for the original, for what you’re doing or for the publisher or the genre or the contest or EPIC or the industry in general? And if you don’t know what plagiarism is, well, is it reasonable to expect that supposedly professionally published authors DO know (is it enough to say you’re writing a “homage,” even after your publisher pulls the book)? Unfortunately, I do think this is a black mark on the contest and to some degree on EPIC, although not against the other authors.

Either you make time to do things professionally, or you don’t start something, that’s my take on it all, volunteers or not.

Especially Erastes when you did all that work, in a well documented review I might add, in September and even the publisher responded in a timely manner. Now, I am not really getting on the judges in particular but EPIC who runs the contest and whom is ultimately responsible and who would have found this out easily if they had asked the publisher.

How much time does EPIC need to get their act together?

Whiskey Creek Press has how many entries in the finals this year?
Oh mymymy

It’s a shame because in the original passages (which were really only the sex scenes for obvious reasons) the writing was very good.

I can’t agree with the comment about “they might have time” either, and I’ll probably post a blog post on this as it’s something I’ve been mulling over for long while now. Either you make time to do things professionally, or you don’t start something, that’s my take on it all, volunteers or not.

Here’s my question, though. Bronte had a very distinct style, one, IMO, difficult to reproduce. Since the copied text seems to be intermingled in the EPPIE-submitted book, would there be stylistic changes in the text that a judge might note?

Well, that’s a good question. I honestly don’t know. I read JE years ago, and although I loved the story, I don’t know that I’d recognize particular passages now.

I’d think a judge would notice two different styles within a MS, a chapter, a scene, but that’s just me.