The big steal: rise of the plagiarist

Thanks to the internet, it has never been easier to steal other people's work. There's also a high risk you'll be found out. So why do it? Rhodri Marsden goes in search of a little originalityIt's not that hard to think of something totally original. If you don't worry about it being any good, it's easy. "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously," was Noam Chomsky's spirited attempt in his ground-breaking 1957 book on linguistics, Syntactic Structures. "Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers," was Stephen Fry's during an episode of A Bit Of Fry And Laurie. But when novelist John Gardner used the phrase "opening the throttle at the last moment" in his 1983 book Icebreaker, it's unlikely that he sat back and congratulated himself on being the first to have written it. Innovation wasn't what he was aiming for, after all; he was just trying to describe someone driving a scooter. But Google Books, that vast indexing project, informs us that Gardner's was the only book to contain this phrase until another, Vestige Of Evil by Len Vorster, appeared on Amazon in 2011. A section of the novel, one of two books self-published online under that name, featured other phrases that were no longer unique to Icebreaker, such as "the ice and snow were not as raw and killing as this" and "the slope angling gently downwards to flatten". The many coincidences were startling, though if it wasn't for the internet, nobody need ever have known.In... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The big steal: rise of the plagiarist'

Freedom to Read Advocates Warn of Proposed ‘Book Rating’ Bill in Texas, Rising Book Bans in Missouri

While still in the early stages of the legislative process, the proposed bill in Texas would require publishers to develop a new rating system for books, and would give Texas state officials the power to bar schools from doing business with publishers who do not comply with the state’s directives. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #early stages

The Quiet Invasion of 'Big Information'

Google and Facebook's privacy violations are common knowledge. But the decisions of a less-known company, Relx, are also impacting people's everyday lives. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2022-11-09 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #relx

How Publishers Can Capitalize on the Rise of Intent Media

The intent media model has come to dominate the digital media world, and Future plc is one of its most well-known practitioners. Future's chief revenue officer, Zack Sullivan, joined Adweek media editor Lucinda Southern at Publishing Week to discuss the rise of intent media, how the pandemic... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2022-10-21 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #future plc #publishing week #pandemic changed #digital media

Forbes’ Event Revenue Rises 60% as It Embraces Hybrid Formats

The business news publisher Forbes has seen revenue from its events division rise significantly this year after it transitioned most of its portfolio from a virtual to a hybrid model, according to the publisher. The privately held property, which in July scuttled its plan to go public via a... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2022-10-17 11:14:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hybrid model #news publisher

Amazon's updated e-book return policy looks like a big win for authors

Anyone who has been taking advantage of Amazon's liberal return policy regarding e-books could soon be in for a shock. That's because following discussions with the Authors Guild, Amazon has agreed to block automatic returns on digital books that are more than 10 percent read. Currently, the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-09-23 19:10:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #prevent people #big win #taking advantage #authors guild #digital books #e-book

Rising Costs Deepen First Quarter Loss at Scholastic

Higher costs increased Scholastic's first quarter loss to $58.1 million, from $32 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, despite a 1.2% increase in sales. The results were "on plan," the publisher said, adding that it still expects sales and earnings in fiscal 2023 to rise over fiscal 2022. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #expects sales #quarter loss #2% increase #scholastic

A Trump portrait that raises questions about the media’s role in his rise

With their comprehensive and alarming picture of Trump's presidency, Peter Baker and Susan Glasser show what journalism can do, and where it can fall short. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-09-14 21:41:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #raises questions #fall short

China Bestsellers in July: Classroom Classics Go Big

That reading list your teacher sent you home with can do great things for sales of several 'great classics' in a hot July in China. The post China Bestsellers in July: Classroom Classics Go Big appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-09-14 01:07:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #china bestsellers #great things

A Community Rises to Support Alice Wong’s Memoir

Examining disability activist and writer Alice Wong’s work, it becomes clear that almost all of her life and career is oriented toward community—a community that has thrown itself wholeheartedly behind her new memoir, 'Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir

Quarto Posts Big Jump in Profits

Quarto Group reported that revenue rose 9% in the first six months of 2022 over the comparable period in 2021, to $61.9 million, and net income jumped 124%, to $4.7 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quarto

Big Indie Books of Fall

The upcoming season is rich with strong titles from independent and university presses. Here are 20, for adults and kids, to put on your radar. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #upcoming season #university presses

Indies Expect a Happy Holiday Season—Big books of the Fall

Indie bookstores are looking forward to a strong season, with new releases from Michelle Obama and other heavy hitters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indie bookstores #michelle obama

Big Children's Books for Fall 2022

According to a survey of booksellers PW conducted across the country, a broad selection of new releases for all ages and in all genres is certain to appeal to readers—particularly in the children’s category. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big children

A Former Nickelodeon Star’s Memoir Has Become the Summer’s Big Hit Book. It’s Very Clear Why.

I’m Glad My Mom Died details the abuse the iCarly actor suffered as a child star. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2022-08-18 20:31:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #child star #memoir

Indigo Reports 18.9% Rise in Revenue for the Quarter

A huge increase in sales through its physical stores offset a decline in online sales, leading to a 18.9% increase in total sales at Indigo Books & Music in the quarter ended July 2, 2022 compared with the same period of 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online sales #total sales #9% rise #huge increase #9% increase

Micron, Novavax fall; Qualys, Nielsen Holdings rise

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Micron, Novavax fall; Qualys, Nielsen Holdings rise Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2022-08-09 20:13:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #traded heavily #substantial price #nielsen

Tarek Abi Samra on Stealing Kant From a Bookstore

Kant’s Thief I entered the bookshop already terrified and sweaty-palmed, determined to steal Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. I would have liked for the whole thing to be over in the blink of an eye. To be able to run as fast as I could to the section where I’d seen the book before, snatch […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-08 08:50:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookshop

What’s the point of Saudi Arabia’s giant sideways desert skyscraper? ‘A big, long symbol of power’

A linear city in the desert is a provocative vision of the city of the future—but it’s been tried before. Saudi Arabia’s proposal for a 105-mile-long building called the Line has all the stuff of a science fiction paperback. The stark desert setting. The kingdom in control of vast amounts of one... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2022-08-04 04:30:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #saudi arabia #long history #science fiction

Undisputed “World’s Greatest Author” finally lands Big 5 publishing deal.

Yes, it’s Tingle Time. One of my all-time favorite literary personalities, the greatest self-published author to ever live, Chuck Tingle, has signed a two-novel deal with Tor’s Nightfire imprint. Per the Publishers Marketplace announcement, the first book, Camp Damascus, is about “a group of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-29 15:04:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published author