A Little Dick

Yeah, I used the title. Apparently, people have to come up with all kinds of stupid shit about this event, so now I have to take time out of my limited writing time during this move to say exactly what happened. I hate people who sit around starting rumors and posting half-truths.
First, a man who uses the pen name Dick Gear (and I will not link) on amazon was using my name and the title of my best selling book in the title of his book on Amazon. He is doing this everywhere, including Barnes and Noble, and I am not the only author. Apparently, it has been there for awhile and while other authors saw it, no one told me until I saw a post on twitter by Nadia Lee. When I contacted Amazon, they told me I had to file a copyright infringement form, which this is NOT copyright infringement. In fact, another author said she went a few rounds with Amazon last week about this and they told her it wasn’t. This is exactly what they told me to do and they knew the situation already.
Now, I know I could file a cease and desist letter or maybe sue him. But, here are a few facts. That will cost money and time. It would be over a week before I could take care of it through a lawyer because, and this is fact number two, I AM FUCKING MOVING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  No, I don’t have time to hunt up a lawyer or go to JAG. I am hitting the road on Wednesday. I didn’t have time to do that. It would be mid-June before I had the ability to even think about it. I did the one thing I could after Amazon pretty much told me I was SOL: I called on my Harmless readers.
A little underhanded? Maybe, but it was my name and reputation at risk. I know that a few boards said that I shouldn’t have said anything because it gained him sales. First, his book is at 27K on Amazon. That is not  a lot of sales. I promise, I do know.  And, he was higher before this happened. Secondly, on another of his books, a reader mentioned they bought the book because it was associated with another writer’s name. If people want to buy it to trash it, do it. But he will not gain a sale off my name.
Now, another fact. I do not have anything against self-published authors. In fact, A Little Harmless Surprise will be posted later this week and I plan on more.  But this is my name. I have spent seven years building it. There have been a lot of peaks and valleys and I am sure there will be more. But I worked hard to get where I am. Not a lot of people are continuously published for as long as I have been.
  There is a reason for it. Well, two. One, I just won’t go away because I am really obnoxious. Secondly, just as I proved this weekend, I am a tough bitch. I have no problem saying it. I work hard, I fight for my books, and I refuse to be told what I can and cannot do.
So one more time, here are the facts. A man using the name DICK, used my name and the title of my book in the title of his book on Amazon. He is doing this everywhere and Amazon doesn’t seem to mind. I could have sat around for weeks while he used the name and the title.  I could’ve waited until I could see a lawyer in Alabama, or I could go after him and get it taken care of. I chose the latter because I am a person of action and dammit, even if a few people are stupid enough to buy the book to see how bad it is, which I find to the ultimate in dumbass acts, the sales linked to my name won’t happen anymore.
I have a huge release June 7th and I did not want my name linked to him. I don’t care if the bastard, or the better name used by someone else, ASSHAT, was William Fucking Shakespeare, I don’t want anyone using my name to sell their books, not without my permission.
If you are still not sure if it was right, how about this. Say, you had a big report or case at work. This could get you a promotion, get you better benefits and more pay. Then, someone else wrote a shitty report and turned it in saying it was just like yours. And on top of it, he insinuates that you endorsed the crap that he wrote up. You lose the promotion, you lose the extra money, and those benefits are out the window. How would you feel? Would you like the emails and comments from people linking you to the asshat? I think not. This is my living. I don’t do this as a hobby or to keep myself occupied. I make more money than my husband the Major in the AF, so yeah, I am actually “employed” and not just having fun. I believe, as a lawyer who emailed me privately said, I can still sue both him and amazon for this. I could care less about that.  I am just happy that I am no longer associated with the dick.
And that is it. So, if you have a question about it, email me from my website, DM me on twitter, or message me on facebook. I am not going to allow comments because you know what? I don’t have time to monitor them right now.
So, I am back to writing after wasting time writing this freaking blog. I just had to clear the air because rumors are a flying. Oh, I am sure there will be rumors and shit after this, but at least I can say I wrote a blog, go read it.  If you don’t have the decency to ask me directly, at this point, I don’t give a shit.
Oh, and a BIG HUGE SLOPPY KISS to my readers and those other readers who are still going after the dick on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for the other books he is doing this with. You guys are the best and your support, at least from me, is greatly appreciated.
Off to Evan and May and…oh, wait, that’s a SURPRISE, lol.