Posts Tagged ‘plagiarism’

well– this is a somber post.

As you know, I am a writer (well, an inspiring aspiring one, but actually calling myself a writer in a public forum is the right thing to do from a motivational standpoint) and as a writer, I pitch several ideas for articles to many different publications.

Recently I pitched an idea to a famous Newspaper that is read all around the world and makes its home in Manhattan. This publication shall remain unnamed in this post as the journalist society is a small one…

Anyway– my pitch, to this world famous newspaper (that makes its home in Manhattan and who everyone I am sure can guess its name) a few months ago, to the very specific regional section in the Weekend edition, centered on a specific artsy town near Princeton, NJ. My pitch, very concise yet detailed (which is possible), was sent to them in time for the Spring/pre-Summer rush for their readers to benefit from the small town community, historical sites, antique shops and art gallerys (as well as the best pet shop you’ll ever visit in the NE) before the Summer crowds take residence. I did not hear back from the editor (of whom I had his direct email address AND name) even after I pinged him a couple of times–which is how it sometimes goes in this “business”. I was not discouraged– I just assumed that this was not the time for this type of article.

Since then, I had gotten married, vacationed in paradise and worked very hard at my “real” job.
Upon returning back from a vacation, I was reading the above unnamed Sunday paper, as I always do on the weekend, and when my eye caught the front page of the local, regional specific section it felt as though my body forgot how to breathe. On the front page was an entire article featuring THE SAME TOWN I had pitched with the SAME EMPHASIS on the art galleries and town charm.

Now, I beg of you, please make your own call on this predicament that I find myself in:
Is she just being arrogant to think that it may be possible that her story idea was so perfect and so wonderful that it was bound to be “professonally borrowed” and given to a staff writer at this famous publication in order to save money in this dying newspaper print world?
or
Is she being naive to think that surely she can’t be the only person to have thought about this town and its artsy ways and that this is just bound to happen and that surely another person would have known the newspaper lead time and the editor’s info (which honestly–is very possible) and the draw this town has to all people in the NE region?

To be fair to myself, I have not yet made a decision on where I feel I stand on this issue. My friends and colleagues have been kind enough to throw their hands in the air and cry “thief” (thanks guys) and tell me that my idea was “stolen”… but I am not as quick to jump to that conclusion.

As it is, the only conclusion that matters is that the story has been written and I need to keep plugging away with other inspiring travel articles about areas both near and far to pitch to the many publications out there. Oh yeah, and maybe get an agent (I can dream).

Thanks for your sympathy in advance.

** the image appearing in this post is both fitting and also found on the blog Bits n Bytes of Life of from which I borrowed it…