Hi all, just a warning about sharing work. I am in a writers group at my local library, and as my novel is in the final stages of "our" editing, before letting an editor near it, I let anyone in the group who wanted to, take a look through dropbox. The week before last the young woman who runs our group, pushed a self published book over the desk for me to look at. later she said I think you need to take a look at the story. Then said I don't think she has done it deliberately. She was being kind. My story had been woven into a quite sexualy explicit story which she had told us someone had told her to make it less explicit. Not only making it less explicit she has woven into it a large part of my plot which is so clear that when I spoke with the young woman who passed me the book to read said, I know I'm sorry she has stolen your work. So people, don't trust anyone with your work, I have no idea what to do. Regards Paul.
If the self publisher is a member of your writing group, can't you confront her and ask her to withdraw her book from sale/kindle?
Thanks for the heads up on "metadata" Ewan. I doubt it will ever come to that, you just don't do you... well not unless she has a runaway hit, then I would be very cross!
Regards to all, Paul
This is one reason I haven't joined a writers group. We hear a lot of positives about joining them (and I'm sure there are) but it was always at the back of my mind that someone could take an idea and use it. I don't know what I'd do in this case either.