Right of a budding writer.
Hello all,
This is my story. I sent the first few chapters of my manuscript to Grapevine 2 years ago (Early 2013). I received a reply from Nikita Singh, who was an editor of the publishing house. The mail said that the editors enjoyed reading my manuscript and would like to take a look at the entire manuscript before making the final decision. I sent the entire manuscript. A few months later another editor replied saying they are not taking it up.
Then I met with Tales4 publications and they published my book in December 2013.
6 months later Nikita published a book titled 'Right here, Right now' with penguin india. I saw some of the posters released before the publishing date. The plot sounded so similar. I mailed penguin and grapevine asking for a copy to be sent to me as I doubted it to be my story. They did not respond, I am not famous enough to be taken seriously, right.
Then, the book got published. I bought it, helping her raise her royalty, read it and found the plot, narration and the first chapter to be very similar.
Isn't it too much to be coincidental? She read my book in march 2013, published a book with same plot, same first person narration, concept and same first chapter but a changed story in mid 2014. How can I not call it plagiarism?
To clarify- I had posted just the first chapter because photographing the other pages of her book and posting it online is not the right thing to do. First chapter was taken from samples Amazon site has. Secondly, the similarities don't stop with first chapter. It's just an example I had given. There are a lot more similarities. I have a list which I won't post here for obvious reasons.
I have all proofs. I have shared it on twitter ganga_bharani s my handle. I have also shared it in Facebook.
All I want is to prove to them that they are not free to copy from struggling writers who are not as famous as they are. I don't want them to take us for granted assuming we wont become a pain by voicing it out.
If X makes a short film, uploads in youtube. say some famous director makes a movie with same plot we can't question. But say X was the famous director's assistant. He showed the movie to famous director to get a producer. Then if the famous director makes a film quickly in the same plot with the same opening scene is it acceptable? When this X makes a feature film, people will say it's just like the famous person's film. Also, the impact will be lost. People will say they have already watched a film with similar opening, wont they?
Reason: Clarification
It is too much for a coincidence, Ganga. Your work is plagirised and you should stand against them. We are with you.
If your work is plagiarised, I stand by you! Please don't stop following this up till you get the answers you deserve.
Thanks guys! One editor from USA says using someones idea is not plagiarism.. using someones word is. :( Seems i cant even take legal actions..
Copying an idea is also plagiarism..Fareed Zakaria was nabbed because of copying an idea and writing similar thing based on it. (His words were not exactly the same but similar) ... Spinning an article/story passes plagiarism detection, but it is still plagiarism....Many people fail to understand the actual meaning of plagiarism, they believe lifting the same words is plagiarism, but spinning is also plagiarism....However, you need to have proper evidence, which you do have...So, I think you are fine to quote her as plagiarist.....Getting inspired from a story is totally different....This is the case of plagiarism, and with evidence of lift up you can sue her...
This is unfair to see an author from leading a publication house do such a thing..... Im with you GB....
Something is really fissy.. see her book releases.. in a year, 2 books are getting published. Same with Ravinder Singh too.
- Love @ Facebook (2011)
- Accidentally in Love… With Him? Again? (2011)
- If It's Not Forever… It's Not Love (2012)
- The Promise (2012)
- Someone Like You (2013)
- The Unreasonable Fellows (2013)
- Right Here Right Now (2014)
This thought came to my mind once. do they really write stories or publish the book which comes to thier publishing house with thier name 
No idea how they can churn so many romantic novels one after another , I go fed up writing about V-day proposals that too only about 400 words long .
Read the synopsis of both books and as you say it is too much to be a coincidence. You should stand up against it!
Oh God! This makes me so angry! Don't worry, Ganga! We support you completely! Let's make some noise!
And on the positive side, it is a good opportunity to populrise your book. It might not be the right way to do it but definitely the wisest way in your situation. Anyway the law od dharma is on your side.
If it is plagiarised, you have all the rights to, no matter if you are big or small, famous or un-famous. but I have a question, why suddenly now? The book was published last year April right? What made you wait so much?
Anyways, better late than never. Do have a sound advice from people already been through it before going on in with this! :) We support you, no worries :)
This is my only question. If i am an editor, I read submitted manuscripts then I write a book with the concept I like the most from those, will it be accepted?
Penguin India and the author will only respond only when it hits their public image. Contact newspaper journalists, but present every detailed information you have in that single image, with photographs and proofs.
I am not sure if this exists in India, but there are a lot of experts who can vouch accurately that it is a re-written content/ plagiarism. If not, getting authors to analyze both the books and say it is plagiarism helps. You can always mention in the email that you'd be sending it to journalists. It will be easier for them since there are other authors who also say that it's plagiarism.
Third, contact known book store brands- Flipkart, Crossword, etc. Send them the similar email, except in the end request them not to sell the books until Penguin has given an appropriate answer.
Fourth- give a legal notice to Penguin India. Its not a big deal. Its just a notice. But take that notice and post it in Facebook, Twitter, etc. Ask Indiblogger if they can post this in their blog that they do. I think you would need to send it via registered post where you get some paperwork saying that it was accepted by some penguin india employee, whoever it is. Similarly, send the copy of the notice to the journalists, so that they would be open to post a follow-up article. Fifth. Have a public letter where you can post it in your blog, or have fellow bloggers quote you. Send the link of that to other book publishers- IBH, Rupa, etc.
I am assuming Tales4 publications knows about this. They probably could do something as well, considering that it would affect their business. But getting a vote of confidence from fellow authors who don't mind getting quoted by the media is what will make a difference.
Its a good thing that you kept a copy of the email. But in certain situations they will want to speak via phone. Put an automatic call recording app in this scenario. I do the same in my line of work.
Also, I think there is some media group out there (the international one- or atleast US/UK) that reports on plagiarism. Be in contact with them as well...
This is so bad. Writing a book is no joke, especially one based on an original idea. There is a group called "Free Legal Advice" on Facebook. Put up this exact same query there. Only lawyers are allowed to answer posts there.
If this is true... then it is a rather shameful incident.
Editors play the role of a protector for authors and ideas and everything creative... and if they stoop to such a blatant swindling of ideas and plots, can ordinary mortals like me ever trust conventional publishing?
Go ahead and seek explanations from the publisher themselves.
Arvind Passey, this is exactly the reason why I raised my voice and came up with questions. It's not about amnesiac story being common. The only reason why I argue here is the intention which is very clear from the first chapter. Are we protected?
My question here is, if I am an editor of a reputed publishing house I get to read manuscripts of budding writers and strugglers every day. Am I allowed to pick the concept I like the most, reject it and then make a book with the same plot in my name? Will this not question the way we need to feel protected in sending manuscripts to publishers?
Another question I have is, if a infamous writer has a concern of plagiarism which involves a famous writer, will it not be taken seriously by the publishers? My mail was not replied to.
If this is the case, editors are free to reject good concepts and make use of it quickly in their book. They will obviously get it published before the struggling writer approaches another publisher, in my case it was luckily quick. So, this will make the editor have an edge over the writer to get appreciated for the concept. The pain for the other writer doesn't stop there, when she/he publishes the original work, people will say it's similar to the famous author's book. How are we, writers, protected today?
I will suggest you publish the chapter that you have mentioned, on your blog... with scans of documentation proving that it was written much before the said book with plagiarised content... and with scans to show that the chapter was submitted to the publisher. Only after this must you try and approach anyone for a redressal of your complaints.
Hey, Ganga. I have come across your post in FB as well. I am just presenting my opinion as a reader of the book.
I haven't read the Nikita's book or your book, but honestly I think the plot that you used is fairly common. There are movies based on that plot and many other first person POV written on the same. You yourself said that while your book was thriller, hers is a romance story. The only thing, which might support you in the whole case, is that first chapters are same. Again I haven't read the chapters, but if she picked it up exactly, then you can complaint. Otherwise, memory loss or amnesia is not really that much of novel thing to be constituted as your copyright.
My question is not about amnesia as a background of the story Parichita. If you read the first chapter of both the stories even the details are the same like beeping, ECG to the right, oxygen mask related scene. Considering she has already read my story and the first chapter being same the only conclusion I can come up with is that similarities are not coincidental.
The point I am trying to make is that she has read my manuscript, which is clear from the mail she has sent. After a few days she publishes a book with a very similar plot. How often do two people, who write a story with an amnesiac protagonist, start with the same hospital scene. Okay, let's say this is common. But how often do they write about just the same details in almost the same style? Considering that she has read my manuscript already, this can't be coincidental but intentional.
I am not questoning your claim because you as an author know better. I did say I haven't read the book.But I'm trying to tell you that maybe (a slight chance) that you are wrong. We all love our work as our baby, and it's possible that you're being too attached to your storyline.
It's equally possible that author did get inspired from your story, but again it won't be a copyright violation as she used a different language. Or maybe she she wrote it before you, but published afterwards because of not getting the right contract.
But both the things are possible. Most of the amnesia books do start with hospital scene. I recall one romance (I don't remember the name!) I read few years back. Even Dan Brown has that similar hospital in Inferno. Foreign authors and all same things, except probably the oxygen mask. Even movies start their scene from the same thing.
You might feel that I'm taking sides, but I'm not. Both of you are unread by me. Besides, you might get to hear this (or similar) reply from the publishers as well.
I know. Hospital amnesiac is common.. But I waited till a lot of people read the two first chapters and confirmed the intention behind it. I waited for more than 8 months before I even raised a question on social media only because I didn't want to simply blame someone just because I feel it was not coincidental.
But as you say I will share the chapters with you guys. You all please let me know if what I am doing is wrong :)
I would have been happier if the two publishers did the analysis and declared it not being plagiarized. They did not bother.
They were not even aware of this till so many voices came up.
1. Editor reads the manuscript. Publishes a book with similar plot. "Coincidentally" has the same start and plot.
2. Publishers did not respond to mail with the doubt of plagiarism.
My fight is not against Nikita. My fight is for the right of budding writers who send manuscripts and wait for years to see someone, who evaluvates it, publish a similar story.
Thanks guys! Penguin India has responded. They have asked me to mail my concern to them.
Atleast they replied i hope you get justice
This is a shameful act and, we're with you. But I think, as there is no hard and fast rule in India (as far as my knowledge goes) regarding stealing of an 'idea', little could be done legally.
If someone copies ad verbum, only then it's regarded as plagiarism in our country. But I would advice you to spread the word more and more in social media so that they actually become compelled to respond.
True :( I will
I have posted all I have here..the first chapters.. mail..
http://scribbledbygb.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/for-your-reference.html
Ganga, I read both the excerpts, but I'm sorry to say that I don't find it plagiarized. It can be called inspired, but that's also a long shot as it is only the setting and the amnesia thing. Your chapter is better written though.
As I said earlier also, there are many books with similar first chapter.
I would have been happier if the two publishers did the analysis and declared it not being plagiarized. They did not bother.
They were not even aware of this till so many voices came up.
1. Editor reads the manuscript. Publishes a book with similar plot. "Coincidentally" has the same start and plot.
2. Publishers did not respond to mail sent with subject 'doubt of plagiarism' even before the book got released.
My fight is not against Nikita. My fight is for the right of budding writers who send manuscripts and wait for years to see someone, who evaluvates it, publish a similar story. Even when we are doubtful the publishers don't bother unless we are famous or so many people ask them together.
The takeaway should be never to send your manuscript to Grapevine. As such, no one buys or reads their stuff except their friends and followers on facebook 
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