13 June 2023 - One of the things an author should be aware of is copyright infringement. In today’s world of technology it is very easy for unscrupulous people especially those from other countries, to take advantage of writers by copying their work and making money of it. This became quite apparent this month when I discovered a young lady on Twitter who was offering PDF copies of my manuscript for sale. And not only mine but a great many other well, known authors such as Patricia Cornwell, Don Winslow, James Patterson, David Mitchell, and my favourite author Lady Dorothy Dunnett.

I was annoyed so contacted Twitter and to be honest I was not expecting much as I must admit Elon Musk is not someone I have heard favourable things about. However, this time Twitter was on the ball and within two hours of the complaint they hade the content removed and when I checked today the only details showing on the young lady’s account are the cover images. All offers of the PDF’s have been removed. Now that is what I call swift action and justice.

What I want you to remember is that you must be vigilant when it comes to your work. Regularly search for your books in Google and see what websites pop up. If you do not recognise them then follow the link through. And if you find yourself listed unlawfully complain under the sites DMC section.