Amazon has agreed to remove the last remnants of a sapphic book uploaded to their platform that clearly and heavily plagiarized one of mine. Since they have agreed with me that the work was plagiarized, I am willing to name the account: Kendra Rhodes. The work was called Miles to Go. 1/2 - ThreadSky

karin.kallmaker.com • 40 days ago

Amazon has agreed to remove the last remnants of a sapphic book uploaded to their platform that clearly and heavily plagiarized one of mine. Since they have agreed with me that the work was plagiarized, I am willing to name the account: Kendra Rhodes. The work was called Miles to Go. 1/2

Comments

zigzaggreen.bsky.social•40 days ago

Good to hear, I like your stuff.

karin.kallmaker.com•39 days ago

Thank you!

raccoon-overlord.bsky.social•40 days ago

I don't see Miles to Go anymore, but I'll sure as hell give her a bad review. Wonder who her other books plagiarized?

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

The earlier works are noticeably poorer quality overall and don't read like the AI polished and altered version of my book. They could be plagiarized but not in the same way.

raccoon-overlord.bsky.social•40 days ago

Ok. I'm really sorry this happened to you.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

Thank you - I wish it didn't happen to anyone. As Picard says, we're all too busy for this kind of nonsense.

raccoon-overlord.bsky.social•40 days ago

jeanallenx.bsky.social•38 days ago

Can I share this on FB?

karin.kallmaker.com•38 days ago

I already did in the group where it had come up. I'm intending to share on my profile along with a more detailed blog post. That's just FYI. Feel free, though.

ptmsky.bsky.social•40 days ago

Plagiarism is a major problem for publishing and academia. Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) and the LLM will only exacerbate the problem without statutory control.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

I am doing this so a search for Kendra Rhodes MIGHT turn up this fact: the account was selling plagiarized work. This may have a bearing on whether anyone reads their other uploads.

I have tried to reach the account holder with no success.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

One thing I'll add: I learned that while an account holder can blink a Kindle version out of existence almost overnight, a paperback listing isn't deleted. It's marked out of stock. The sample remains. If they'd been Kindle only and acted fast, I wouldn't have had a copy to cite.

samuelblondahl.bsky.social•40 days ago

I hate that they won't delete old editions. It just feels untidy in my case, still annoying.

grisgris4me.bsky.social•40 days ago

I think you should consult an attorney. I mean it!
Good luck!

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

They were never paid so there's no $$ to go after, and I'd have to go through a whole timely process of proving damage and pay an attorney.

grisgris4me.bsky.social•40 days ago

Maybe just a cease and desist letter?

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

One has been sent to the address listed. I'm expecting it to come back as undeliverable though. *sigh*

jonathanrenfield.bsky.social•40 days ago

Plagiarism is the worst form of theft imo🤬

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

And AI makes it easier. It read as if the AI was told to change the names and change the grammar to another writer's style.

They thought they'd make an easy buck maybe? But readers noticed right away.

jonathanrenfield.bsky.social•40 days ago

I detest AI in arts. I don’t respect people who use it for what they consider a serious project (concerning arts). Good for you for taking it back! I’m blogging a story. I know this leaves me vulnerable, but I’m a pretty bad writer/storyteller, so I’m not too concerned😂

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

Things like this are very rare. Also, tell your stories - the doing is the learning. A long ago editor told me that a story can only be as good as you can actually make it *at that time*. As long as that is true, the work has integrity. Good luck with it!

jonathanrenfield.bsky.social•40 days ago

Thank you! And to you

chaceverity.com•40 days ago

damn, sorry this happened to you

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

Thank you.

I wasn't even angry - it was so lazy. If Amazon refused to act on the example I gave them, then I'd be super pissed. I do want back the time I spent cramming an example into Amazon's 1000 character limit.

jonaius.bsky.social•40 days ago

Sorry that happened to you. Kendra should be held accountable

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

Thank you, and I think so too.

Whoever is behind the account put in effort for nothing and I am doubtful that account will publish anything else. Not exactly justice, but I accept that's the extent of it.

garfybabybri.bsky.social•40 days ago

are your books on kindle unlimited? i just found you from this post and would love to support.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

Some of them are. And my publisher will cycle them in and out, as do I when I have an indie project.

garfybabybri.bsky.social•40 days ago

adding to my TBR now! thank you for replying 🩷

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

Enjoy - I hope they're to your taste. If not, that's okay too. Sapphic books are wildly diverse. There's something for everyone to love.

rebeccafreeman.bsky.social•40 days ago

I'm so sorry to hear that someone tried to plagiarize your work, but I'm glad that you've gotten justice. Hopefully this will be a deterrent to the person who did this to you in future. And I have a new author that I need to look up. You!

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

A reader put a review on it saying they'd been found out. The Kindle version disappeared a few days later. I hope it was lesson learned. I am fortunate in eagle-eyed readers. I was notified 4 days after upload by a reader. A week later a sapphic book group reader posted about it. I am so grateful!

rebeccafreeman.bsky.social•40 days ago

That is one thing that I have found out about the sapphic book groups, and readers especially, we tend to look out for our favorites. I have a few that have befriended me, very kindly, and I feel very fortunate for that. It's an honor to take care of them the way they take care of us.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

Our community is amazing, isn't it?

rebeccafreeman.bsky.social•40 days ago

It really is. Women who love other women and other non-cis male people, tend to be some of the more open-hearted ones that I've ever met. Sometimes that's the only way I know that someone is queer, because they are just such a ray of sunshine and hope.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

And we all need a LOT of that in our lives!

grisgris4me.bsky.social•40 days ago

I think plagiarism should be an crime punishable by death.
Yes, I write.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

I wouldn't go that far - too much of a pacifist. But it should be a career killer unless the source can prove it was accidental. (I do actually know someone where that was the case. Amends were made and it did still endanger their career.)

grisgris4me.bsky.social•40 days ago

Oh, I'd HURT somebody..!

I am not afraid to go BACK to prison.

varia2u.bsky.social•40 days ago

Sorry this happened to you. You may have to reach back out to AMZ. The plagiarized book is still for sale on their UK site.

karin.kallmaker.com•40 days ago

The dispatch time is 1-3 months so I think that means it's in process of being removed. I will check back though! Thank you for giving me the info.

varia2u.bsky.social•40 days ago

Oh, and the dispatch here is the UK lingo for delivery. The time frame is showing delivery to the US for the purchaser.
Anyhow, good luck.

varia2u.bsky.social•40 days ago

You're welcome, and best of luck with it all.

jksinto.bsky.social•40 days ago

One can review the book and say it was plagiarized.

jksinto.bsky.social•40 days ago

It says temporarily out of stock...

sassylass25.bsky.social•40 days ago

Well I think you're in the right if you can prove and substantiate that they in fact knowingly plagiarized your work... then you have every right to bring that to everybody's attention

jancheta25.bsky.social•40 days ago

I'm really sorry this happened to you, and I can only imagine how frustrated this whole experience must've been for you. I'm just glad that Amazon is doing the right thing and taking the offending book down.

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