Bridget McNulty

Tainted by anger…

// August 12th, 2008 // Decisions, Life (and the living of it), Writing

I discovered this morning that someone has published some of my work without my permission – and without telling me. I’m not naming names (yet) because I’m trying to resolve it, but the whole thing has left me feeling so cross.

Basically, I sent through some samples of work to find out if said person (an editor of an online literary journal) wanted me to write for them. No response, besides the initial request to send through the work, and no response to a follow-up email sent a month later (this was all in March and April, mind you!)

Then, as I’m trawling the internet today, what do I stumble on but the two samples of my writing I sent through, PUBLISHED in his online magazine, without telling me or asking my permission! He even wrote me a bio from an email I sent him, and filched a photo off my website. Now, I ask you, is this honest? Is it decent?

It’s not the fact that he didn’t pay me that irritates me the most (although that gets my goat too, don’t you worry!) No, it’s the fact that someone would go behind my back and publish something of mine without telling me. It’s sneaky. And disrespectful. I don’t like it.

So now I’ve emailed the editor man and am waiting for a response. But in the meantime – despite dancing out my anger to loud music and going for a fast, long walk (also to loud music) – I’ve found my day tainted by anger. I’m not as in tune as I usually am.

And although I know this is a choice – to let it affect me – I also just feel like I’ve been wronged, you know
Let’s wait and see what his response is. Perhaps there’s a perfectly logical explanation (and I’m just not creative enough to see it)?