What are the consequences of plagiarism for writers? Is there any way to defend against plagiarism? Should people be allowed to copy without permission?

I’ve had over 200 downloads of the novel I published, but I didn’t know if anyone had bothered to review it. So I googled ‘Reviews of the novel The White Horde’ and hit enter. No reviews…

But I got a hit for a Chinese website where someone has taken my story (I’d originally posted it as episodes on Royal Road) and stolen it as their own, including my cover art (minus my name and the artist's name).

I would’ve been mad, except the pirated story received several 5-star reviews. Can I do anything about it? Nope. It was totally against RR rules to plagiarize material, but there’s no way I can go after this person, not without wasting money better spent on creating the next book. The best thing I can do is move on and keep on writing.

I’m just happy a few people enjoyed the story enough to write a review.

If you’re in the mood for a ‘Sword-and-Sandals heroic fantasy tale, click on the link above and choose your favorite retailer (list price is $2.99). The next book in the series is coming soon and will be priced at 99 cents.