List of books and upcoming books

Facebook ads for reading apps

It has come to my attention that there are many reading apps promoting stories on Facebook. Let me make myself perfectly clear. These apps steal stories from here and other legit sites and post them without the author's name attached, including mine. Some have even changed the book title, hoping not to get caught. Yeah, okay. I still caught them.

The only thing these apps have done has led me to find books on Wattpad to read. I would rather support the actual author instead of giving my money to thieves, which I will never do.

As an author, I will explain how frustrating it is to get a book removed from these sites. We have to contact the company and tell them to remove the book. They have to comply.

I've even tried to help others with this issue by contacting them and letting them know. A few blew me off about it or didn't respond. Okay. Cool. Don't say I didn't try to help you retrieve your stolen work. So, I stopped.

Writing is a competitive world. We're all trying to get our work noticed by people. But it does not mean that we can't support each other.

I'm willing to help people if they want it since I've been through the process and contacted an attorney about it. Yeah, that was a fun phone call to make. I found out a few interesting facts.

1. Prose is copyrighted protected. That means word by word. Ideas aren't copyrighted and neither are titles.
2. Characters are trademark protected. Guess what? You can't use someone's character without their written permission. They can sue you if you use their characters and claim it as your own or use them in an unfavorable light. (Fanfictions are included in this.)

As for copyright, any work you create is already copyrighted once it's published unless it's public domain. The author holds copyrights to all their work even 70 years after their death. If they have legal heirs, the heirs hold their copyrights. That means their work cannot be reproduced by anyone.

When I say I read, I read and check information to ensure it's factual and legitimate. Yes, I read a lot.

As for Facebook ads popping up with reading sites, be careful. If the book does not have the author's name attached, it's stolen. Do not spend your money on these apps. A lot of authors are trying to combat these sites to get their work removed. It doesn't help when you pay them because the author doesn't receive a dime.

Legit sites like Wattpad and others do pay their authors once we sign a contract. Some are a little shady, hence why I won't sign with them. Yeah, I checked their terms in their contracts and laughed.

Trust me. I've battled it out over contracts, ensuring my work is not touched. Unfortunately, I find out later someone took liberties and removed my trigger warnings, thinking they knew better than me. No, you don't and don't touch my work. It won't make me happy.

So with that said, be careful. If you notice anything stories popping up on a Facebook ad, say something. Contact the author and report the app. Intellectual property theft is a huge concern.