Part of a series: Cassie Edwards 1: The First Post | Cassie Edwards 2: Savage Longings | Cassie Edwards Part 3: Running Fox | Cassie Edwards Part 4: Savage Moon | Cassie Edwards Part 5: Savage Beloved | Follow-up: Penguin (Part 1?) | Official Statement from Signet | AP Article Contains Response from Edwards | RWA Responds to Allegations | A centralized document for the Cassie Edwards situation
Thanks to the many, many readers, the first of whom was AnnaPiper, who sent me this link to late breaking news: Cassie Edwards and Signet publishing have parted ways due to “irreconcilable editorial differences:”
Romance writer Cassie Edwards and publisher Signet Books have decided to break up after allegations emerged in January that in she lifted passages in several of her books from other sources.
“Signet has conducted an extensive review of all its Cassie Edwards novels and due to irreconcilable editorial differences, Ms. Edwards and Signet have mutually agreed to part ways,” the publisher said in a statement Friday.
“Cassie Edwards novels will no longer be published with Signet Books. All rights to Ms. Edwards’ previously published Signet books have reverted to the author.”
The news article, which was written by AP writer Hillel Italie, who covered the original story, gives a summary, and there is no comment by Edwards for the article.
As one of the humorless assbrains who thought celebrating was inappropriate when these allegations arose, I find myself applauding Signet’s response now. It’s not about being happy to see an author’s career hit the skids. It’s more about being satisfied that sometimes publishing companies do the right thing.
I’m not celebrating because I have a vendetta against Edwards.
I’m celebrating because this type of abuse MUST have consequences.
I realized that when an author friend published with a small house thought perhaps Edwards had the key to getting a big contract. Heck, the woman sold millions? Right?
This is not the message to be sent.
I am glad to see resolution. Sometimes the process is slow and you think that is the way of the world now and ‘lo and behold all the “bitching” wasn’t for nothing and thanks to all the hard work and research of the Bitches and beyond you get the feeling of a little satisfaction.
I am definitely not gloating over this parting of ways, but it is what is right.
I’m also with Bron—I’m very glad Signet took the time to do a thorough investigation, and I’m glad they responded the way they did when it was concluded. Ms. Edwards and Signet had a very beneficial relationship, and it’s a shame that it ended this way…but it’s even more of a shame that such an ending was necessary.
Mrs. Edwards and Signet going their seperate ways has nothing to do with what you did so you can stop gloating!
Really? Because this site was where the plagarism allegations began. The news article that SB Sarah linked to references the plagarism and strongly implies, in the first paragraph of the article, that it’s behind the breakup, and specifically references this site.
And I don’t see anyone here gloating; I see people expressing satisfaction that justice was served.
I realize fans of Ms. Edwards are upset; they should be. If I were a fan of hers, I’d be upset too. But this is not where the blame belongs.
Huzzah for ethics!
My thoughts are that that is a class act from Signet. … [T]the part of me that hopes that all authors receive a considered, just response to any accusations of wrong-doing is impressed.
~Bron
Sam, you’re right. This decision by Signet has nothing to do with what anyone who posts here did. It has everything to do with what Edwards did.
~Nora Roberts
And SAM, you’ve given m[e] hope. Tell me that they dumped her because they realised her books were racist rubbish? I’d buy you a ferret.
~Arethusa
I’ll dust off my First Amendment, because a big part of why I became a lawyer was to protect people from threatening bullies.
~Alesia Holliday
*Stands up and applauds the AWESOME of the Bitchery*
*Stands up and applauds the SUPER-AWESOME of the Smart Bitches we exposed this in the first place*
If Edwards decides to go the vanity press route, she’ll have to identify and rewrite all of the passages that infringe on works that are still under copyright: “Laughing Boy”, the ferret stuff, and much more.
She can’t just have someone retype her work and go for it, because fron her on it’s “willful infringement” and that gets very expensive.
western48 … Off by a dozen years!
Signet/Penguin would not have done this if it weren’t important for THEM, if they didn’t see that their best interests are served by not continuing to knowingly endorse authors who a) violate the basic ethical standards of authorship, b) violate the terms of a contract demanding original work, and c) expose the publisher to copyright infringement litigation. It was the smart thing, it was the right thing, and hopefully it will send a message that intellectual honesty IS important in a professional publishing environment.
This is from the Yahoo news link—I just love that they can’t use the word Bitches!
Well said, Nora and others. Signet performed due diligence, which they owe to anyone whose made them as much money as Ms. Edwards probably has. Ultimately, no one “did” this to her—she did this to herself. But obviously she was getting away with it until SOMEONE pointed it out, and until there was enough outrage to make it a bigger issue than the money her books made.
I’m one of those cynics who thought nothing would come of this, and I’m very glad to have been wrong. As a college professor who spends a lot of time trying to teach students about plagiariam (bad!) and ethical use of source material (good!), it’s great to have examples that those same values DO apply in the real world (a.k.a. life after college). Huzzah!
Seeing as slander applies to speech, I think we’re all off the hook here.
Signet has handled this with class and professionalism.
The SBs have been tireless in bringing the facts to light and pursuing this story.
And now there will be a fewer racist, stereotypical novels
out there on the bookshelves.
Talk about a happily-ever-after! I think even the ferrets are thrilled.
Cheers to the SBs and to Signet!
Brava! Applause to the whistle-blowers for sticking to their guns, and applause to Signet for doing the right thing in the right way.
I’m glad to see the squeaky wheel actually got greased – there’s hope for the future, after all. And thanks, Alesia, for triggering the giggles with the word ‘nincompoop’! 😀
story56 – srsly, this thing is causing me some alarm.
We all should be proud (especially the people who did the actual reading and comparing) of having a part in this. But justice won’t be fully served until the royalties Edwards earned are parceled out to the people whose published writing she stole. And that may never happen. Who speaks for the now-dead American Indians whose words she pretended were her own, that are no longer under copyright protection? How vile to supposedly champion a people while stealing from it.
If Edwards wants to reconstruct her career, she can start writing books using her own words for a change, and not someone else’s.
Or she can retreat into whining and self-justification among a small coterie of largely incoherent fans who themselves are dishonest and who thus feel they should support the dishonesty of others. Because I cannot think of any other reason to support a liar and a thief than fellow feeling.
Oh, maybe out of pity. But why pity the thief, and not the victim?
Funny how SAM vanished, there …
Anyway, good for Signet! o/
SonomaLass, yahoo might not have wanted to print it, but I was especially amused to find the following in CBC’s article:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/04/19/edwards-romance-signet.html
Over at DA, Robin’s posted a link to thank the Penguin (Signet) people for being so well, appropriate. So I sent off a thank you note, because I couldn’t possibly boycott Penguin—I’d miss the new LaNora hardbound coming out in July! Now I don’t have to feel guilty for continuing to buy a bunch of books from the Penguin imprint.
I am glad the publisher reacted as it did. You are all right in that just dropping her in a reactionary way would have left a lot of ‘she didn’t deserve this’ from her fans (not that that isn’t happening) and this way, it seems that she must have truly been wrong after all.
Sam (a different one, I swear:))
What I know and who I am is none of your business. I’m just saying that you don’t know what really happened. Just because the AP printed something doesn’t mean it’s 100% true.
No, Mrs. Edwards’ books will not be pulled and she will continue writing and her books will be in the stores.
You guys are the ones who think they know everything. Find out the truth on your own.
I was waiting to see how long it would take for you people to start celebrating. I thought just maybe you had matured a little. I guess not.
I have much more important things to do than to argue with a bunch of people who have to go around hurting others just so they can feel good about themselves.
And, Nora Roberts you are the biggest bitch in the industry. You were one of my favorite authors many years ago. Thank God I found more interesting authors to read. You are no better than anyone else so get your nose out of the air and quit acting like everyone is supposed to bow down to you.
As I said before, what goes around comes around.
SAM, are you Cassie Edwards??? Or just a deluded fan?? Your comments have been bringing the lulz today.
Good for Signet to do the honorable thing and also taking the time to assess the situation fully. Wonder what her other publishers will end up doing…
“And, Nora Roberts you are the biggest bitch in the industry.”
Takes one to know one, darlin’. Classless people have no rights to name calling.
~And, Nora Roberts you are the biggest bitch in the industry~
Why, thank you, dear.
~Classless people have no rights to name calling.~
Let her have her moment. She’s feeling sad and mad, I expect, and there’s nothing to do but throw stones.
Another BRAVA to Nora for her successful back-hand. (Tennis term, I think.)
SAM, when you make a claim, the burden of proof is on you.
The Smart Bitches supplied evidence that Cassie Edwards is a plagiarist. Because they did so, they were able to convince other people of the truth of their claim.
You come here and claim we don’t know what we’re talking about—but then you don’t supply any evidence to support your claim. Of course you aren’t convincing anyone of anything. Your argument is empty.
As to all your cheap shots, you’re certainly coming across as hilariously stupid—have you noticed this website is hosted by the smart BITCHES? Calling Ms. Roberts the biggest bitch in the industry on this site is one heck of a compliment!
Thanks for the laughs, Troll.
No, Mrs. Edwards’ books will not be pulled
No, they’ll just quietly go out of print. We’re all entitled to our own opinions; I don’t mind debate, but only when discussion is possible. I don’t believe in engaging people who hold didactic stances, and I don’t believe in pointless name-calling, so I’ll leave it with this: “I know something that you don’t” carries no weight in a discussion. None.
And now I feel compelled to add that I’d never read Nora Roberts before coming to this website, but after reading the comments she’s posted (yes, I have gone through the archives; is it wrong to stalk a website?), she’s leapt to the top of my “Must Read” list. I can only hope to express myself someday with half as much class.
Hee! I was just thinking, actually, what a compliment that was. (But then, I’m fond of the “bitch” label.)
Wow, sour grapes, anyone? Sheesh!
And I like bowing down to the biggest bitch in the industry. 😉
No, they’ll just quietly go out of print.
Er…the Signet titles, I meant. I didn’t mean to imply that she’d never be published again.
“Let her have her moment. She’s feeling sad and mad, I expect, and there’s nothing to do but throw stones.”
True, but calling one a “bitch” derogatorily is unncessary in any forum.
True, but calling one a “bitch†derogatorily is unncessary in any forum.”
Scratch “unnecessary.” Make that “uncouth” of SAM the writer, and childish.
~True, but calling one a “bitch†derogatorily is unncessary in any forum. ~
Yes, but added to her empty neener-neerer style it only succeeds in making her look petty and foolish. I’d rather be a bitch than an ass.
Tell her, Nora! I like the way you think.
You guys are the ones who think they know everything. Find out the truth on your own.
Ummm. . . That sort of is what happened. I mean, I’ve only read a page and a half of Cassie Edward’s work, and half of it turned out to be an extended transcription from Land of the Spotted Eagle by Luther Standing Bear. That’s truth, I found it on my own, after about fifteen minutes work. It probably took Signet several months just to accurately source all of Edwards’ novels.
I guess I’m not reading these comments with the same mindset you are, SAM. I don’t see celebration over an author’s publishing base being reduced, I see satisfaction that a publisher, after they performed their own research, acted on the results of that research.
SAM, imagine at your work putting in hours of your own research and creativity to find a unique way to perform your job to the best of your ability. Then, one of your coworkers that happened to see your work swoops in and uses the unique way you devised, that you worked so hard to create, in their own work, exactly as you created it, and presents it as their own creativity and accomplishment, to take credit for what you actually did. Wouldn’t you be steamed? Would you just expect a friend who found out about this injustice to you to let it slide, or to stand up for you? This is no different. There are some of the passages marked as plagiarism that I think fall into a gray area, but many, many more that are obviously lifted directly from their source. Ms. Edwards took the hard work of other authors and sold them as her own. Essentially, she took the unique way they devised and took credit for it. If it happened to you, personally, you would have a very different opinion on it, I think.
And, finally, if you want to be taken seriously, don’t slam other people. Nora Roberts has been very truthful, very controlled, and very eloquent in stating her views on this matter. She has stopped many instances where personal attacks by other posters have begun, and returned the focus back on the actions, not on the individual.
Many authors have stated their viewpoint on this whole affair on this website and many others. Singling her out and attacking her for stating truth makes you look bad, and pretty much guarantees that no one will take any statement, opinion, or fact that you wish to convey seriously. You will only be labeled “troll” and ignored.
Just my humble view…
Sherb (returning back to lurkdom)
shot62 heh heh Yeah, that was my shot at making myself understood.
**snort** Right with you there, Nora!
Now I have to wipe the very nice merlot off the screen…
And SAM, you’ve given m[e] hope. Tell me that they dumped her because they realised her books were racist rubbish? I’d buy you a ferret.
~Arethusa
Oh no! Don’t do that to the poor little ferret! LOLOL
*smile*
And well played Nora. You are a class act. If you weren’t already my favorite author, you would be now.
I’ll put my hand up and say I was one of the cynical ones too. I didn’t think Signet would do anything and I’m very happy to be proved wrong.
Now, on a related note, I wonder if this means publishers are going to be a little more diligent in the future? I know that trying to ferret out (ha ha) every possible hint of plagiarism from a 100K book is a non-trivial task, but I’m looking at the other side of the coin. There are authors out there who do take the time to add footnotes and references to their books but then lament that they are left out of the final copy. An easy way for publishers to keep themselves (and their authors) in the clear would be to make sure that, from now on, such references are kept IN the books. I wonder if any of the publishers has taken that extra step and seen this as something they can, and should, do…?
Seriously, Nora, I wanna be like you when I grow up. Well done!
As for SAM, I think she should be working on salvaging her career (or the career of her idol) rather than making things worse. Trolling and name-calling is just childish and petty.
(This is a bit long…)
SAM, I’ve pondered for an hour or two about whether I’d respond to your comments or not, but I decided that I wanted to explain to you, and any other Edwards fans reading, why I described myself as ‘outraged’ and therefore why I am satisfied with Signet’s decision. This is my opinion and my perspective, and may not reflect the opinions of others here.
I don’t know Ms Edwards. I picture her in my mind as a naïve woman who works hard for her readers, who believes she’s doing the right thing for a culture she loves, but who lives and writes in a kind of fantasy world that revels in happy pictures and ignores anything that challenges that fantasy. It’s the only way I can make any sense of this; if I had to write her as a character in a novel, that’s how I’d have to do it.
So, why was I angry, and why am I satisfied now by Signet’s response? Because we all have to be held accountable for our actions. An author who sells manuscripts to publishers, who creates a ‘brand’ that relies heavily on the depiction of a culture, and on ‘meticulous’ research about that culture, who earns millions of dollars from sales of her books – any author who does that has a responsibility to their readers, the industry, the culture they are depicting, and the authors of the research they are using.
I don’t hate Edwards or wish her ill; but, based on the evidence of the extent of the plagiarism, I do hold Edwards accountable for her naïveté, and for failing to educate herself enough about appropriate research and writing methods, and therefore failing as an author to act ethically and professionally.
I also hold her publishers at least in part responsible. Signet’s initial response came across to me as ‘they’re only romance books, so who cares?’ I wondered at the time what their response might have been if Edwards wrote crime novels, instead of romance. I wondered whether the editing process might have picked up the significant inconsistencies in writing style between Edwards’ own words and the plagiarised passages, if the publishers had been more concerned with quality than with sales.
Signet have now acted ethically, after due process in which I presume the author had opportunity to present her case. I am not gleeful, or celebrating, or joyous about that, but I am satisfied with that outcome.
If Sam is the Samantha who was so distraught when the (ahem) alleged plagiarism was discovered, then I do sympathize with you. Finding out that people we admire have feet of clay (sometimes up to their knees) is hard.
But looking at it in an adult way, Ms. Edwards also publishes with 2 other companies that appear not to give a flying frit about “borrowing.” So her books will still be available. Maybe after this, she’ll even, I dunno, paraphrase her research. Everybody is human. Everybody makes mistakes. Not learning from your mistakes is unforgivable. So hopefully Cassie will learn from hers.
As for your mistakes, attacking Nora Roberts is, trust me on this, always a mistake.
Nora,
I have the perfect t-shirt for you! I picked it up one day a few years ago at the local mall and swore I would wear it to work some day. (I’m a supervisor for a grocery chain for both deli’s and bakeries.) It says:
I am not a bitch. I’m The Bitch or Ms. Bitch to you!