4 ms·

If you "Look Inside" the offending books on Amazon you can see they have extensive "About the Author" page describing Jane Friedman - so it would be difficult t

If you "Look Inside" the offending books on Amazon you can see they have extensive "About the Author" page describing Jane Friedman - so it would be difficult to argue that the books are not trying to trick people into believing it's Jane.

jprete 3y ago
I think at that point it’s fraud.
- ghaff 3y ago
  At which point, I'd expect it to be a matter for the author to take it to court as opposed to expecting a bookstore to adjudicate it for them. Which is (sadly) going to be expensive for an individual unless a publisher is going to undertake the effort for them.
  - TheCleric 3y ago
    I don't think she's asking Amazon to remove the books (though they should), but rather they're on her author page. There should be a way for an author that you've created a page for to be able to say "those books aren't mine, please remove them."
thaumasiotes 3y ago
Jane Friedman is a renowned author, publishing expert, and advocate for writers in the digital age. With over two decades of experience in the publishing industry, Jane has become a trusted authority on writing, publishing, and the ever-evolving landscape of eBooks. Jane's passion for writing and her deep understanding of the publishing industry have led her to empower countless aspiring authors to fulfill their writing dreams. Through her books, articles, and speaking engagements, she has provided invaluable guidance on crafting compelling content, navigating the publishing process, and maximizing the potential of eBooks. [...] Jane's dedication to helping authors succeed extends beyond her writing and consulting work. As a respected thought leader in the industry, she has contributed to numerous industry publications and served as a mentor to emerging writers. Her insights and advice have been sought after by authors at all stages of their careers. [...] It is apparent that the books are trying to trick people into believing this is the Jane Friedman who is now complaining about misattribution. But it's not apparent that they're doing anything they're not supposed to be doing. It's obviously fine for the fake books to be written under the name Jane Friedman. I am not sure how common it is for fictional authors to have fictional biographical information printed on their books, but it seems hard to avoid for something like Naked Came the Stranger that was attributed to a single author without actually having one. And even if we think a fictional biography is beyond the pale, most of the bio here isn't fraudulent. Everyone is free to say they are a renowned author and publishing expert regardless of the facts. ("Puffery.") There is a factual claim about having two decades of experience in the publishing industry, and a factual claim about having contributed to numerous industry publications. And after all of that, if you thought you could make a case that the bio in the back made the book fraudulent, the injured party would be someone who had purchased the book, not the author being imitated. ----- Jane Friedman (the real one) asked Amazon for the wrong remedy. There isn't a reason to remove the books from sale, and Amazon was right not to do that. She should have asked for Amazon to stop claiming that she had written the fake books, which is something Amazon is doing that they shouldn't be doing. (And Amazon's problem there is not limited to books that are intentionally pretending to be written by the more well-known Jane Friedman. If you go to their page for "books by Jane Friedman", it is headed by The Business of Being a Writer, identifying the Jane Friedman in question, but it is mostly full of books that do not have a Jane Friedman listed as author or contributor of any kind, such as Atopic Dermatitis and Eczematous Disorders.)
christkv 3y ago
Is it not a form of defamation?
- throwaway2037 3y ago
  Assuming the author is US-based, you would need to find US-based defamers, then drag them into court. And winning defamation suit in the US is insanely hard. It is much easier in the UK. Oh, and she needs to pay the lawyers for their work.

jprete 3y ago

I think at that point it’s fraud.

ghaff 3y ago
At which point, I'd expect it to be a matter for the author to take it to court as opposed to expecting a bookstore to adjudicate it for them. Which is (sadly) going to be expensive for an individual unless a publisher is going to undertake the effort for them.
- TheCleric 3y ago
  I don't think she's asking Amazon to remove the books (though they should), but rather they're on her author page. There should be a way for an author that you've created a page for to be able to say "those books aren't mine, please remove them."

thaumasiotes 3y ago

Jane Friedman is a renowned author, publishing expert, and advocate for writers in the digital age. With over two decades of experience in the publishing industry, Jane has become a trusted authority on writing, publishing, and the ever-evolving landscape of eBooks. Jane's passion for writing and her deep understanding of the publishing industry have led her to empower countless aspiring authors to fulfill their writing dreams. Through her books, articles, and speaking engagements, she has provided invaluable guidance on crafting compelling content, navigating the publishing process, and maximizing the potential of eBooks. [...] Jane's dedication to helping authors succeed extends beyond her writing and consulting work. As a respected thought leader in the industry, she has contributed to numerous industry publications and served as a mentor to emerging writers. Her insights and advice have been sought after by authors at all stages of their careers. [...] It is apparent that the books are trying to trick people into believing this is the Jane Friedman who is now complaining about misattribution. But it's not apparent that they're doing anything they're not supposed to be doing. It's obviously fine for the fake books to be written under the name Jane Friedman. I am not sure how common it is for fictional authors to have fictional biographical information printed on their books, but it seems hard to avoid for something like Naked Came the Stranger that was attributed to a single author without actually having one. And even if we think a fictional biography is beyond the pale, most of the bio here isn't fraudulent. Everyone is free to say they are a renowned author and publishing expert regardless of the facts. ("Puffery.") There is a factual claim about having two decades of experience in the publishing industry, and a factual claim about having contributed to numerous industry publications. And after all of that, if you thought you could make a case that the bio in the back made the book fraudulent, the injured party would be someone who had purchased the book, not the author being imitated. ----- Jane Friedman (the real one) asked Amazon for the wrong remedy. There isn't a reason to remove the books from sale, and Amazon was right not to do that. She should have asked for Amazon to stop claiming that she had written the fake books, which is something Amazon is doing that they shouldn't be doing. (And Amazon's problem there is not limited to books that are intentionally pretending to be written by the more well-known Jane Friedman. If you go to their page for "books by Jane Friedman", it is headed by The Business of Being a Writer, identifying the Jane Friedman in question, but it is mostly full of books that do not have a Jane Friedman listed as author or contributor of any kind, such as Atopic Dermatitis and Eczematous Disorders.)

christkv 3y ago

Is it not a form of defamation?

throwaway2037 3y ago
Assuming the author is US-based, you would need to find US-based defamers, then drag them into court. And winning defamation suit in the US is insanely hard. It is much easier in the UK. Oh, and she needs to pay the lawyers for their work.