Publishers failed to spot plagiarised Austen

[Allegra]

What irony! When you think Jane Austen is so popular...

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Somerset | Publishers reject classic titles

"Only one out of 18 publishers managed to spot plagiarised versions of Jane Austen novels, a writer says.

David Lassman, 43, from Bath, had his own attempt at a novel rejected by a string of publishers.
So he retyped parts of Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, before sending them to publishers and agents. Not only did most of the literary experts fail to spot the trick - none offered him a book contract.
Mr Lassman submitted the works under the name Alison Laydee - Austen's early pseudonym was "A Lady". To offer further hints to the con, he even re-named Pride and Prejudice "First Impressions" - the original title for the story.

Penguin, which republished Pride and Prejudice last year, described the work as a "really original and interesting read" but not right for them.
The literary agent Christopher Little, who represents JK Rowling, said it was "not confident placing this material with a publisher".
Bloomsbury also did not rate Austen's Northanger Abbey, which had been renamed Susan, saying: "I didn't feel the book was suited to our list."
Mr Lassman, who also runs Bath's Jane Austen Festival, said: "I wanted to see how well Jane would've got on in today's publishing world, and it seems poor old Jane wasn't too popular.

'Slightly worrying'
"Only one person actually recognised her work, Pride and Prejudice, which really was very surprising.
"It's slightly worrying. You wonder how many future classics are being missed."
The only publisher to make the connection was Alex Bowler, assistant editor at Jonathan Cape. His reply said: "Thank you for sending us the first two chapters of First Impressions. I suggest you reach for your copy of Pride and Prejudice, which I'd guess lives in close proximity to your typewriter, and make sure your opening pages don't too closely mimic the book's opening."


(Imagine if someone did offer him a contract...)

[Teresa Edgerton]

I am a bit surprised that they didn't recognize the books, but less surprised that they rejected them. Most editors these days are looking to discover something big and splashy, not something as subtle and sedate as Persuasion.

I happen to love the book -- but I don't see it landing on any bestseller lists.

[j. d. worthington]

I don't recall the particulars, but about 20-25 years ago, something very similar happened. A fellow who had received rejection after rejection finally copied almost verbatim a popular novel that had been a high-seller, and it went the rounds and collected rejection slips for quite a while, usually with some note saying it was a good book, but simply not the sort of thing that would sell, etc. Finally, someone spotted what it was, and got in touch with the man. He explained why he'd done it; intrigued, they took at look at his manuscript, and thought it stood a chance. While I don't believe it became an all-time bestseller, if I remember correctly, it did do rather well, and he never had trouble selling another book, last I'd heard.

This sort of thing happens periodically... what is surprising is that, whether it be a literary classic or a more recent best-seller, only one or two of the people it's submitted to even have a notion that it's a previously published and well-known book. I've got to admit that I'm curious as to why that is; is it because they read such a plethora of material that it simply doesn't stick? Or are they simply not that well-read except for the things submitted to them? Or...?

[pyan]

At least it explains Eragon.......

[Allegra]

I found the whole thing is rather comic, especially the reply from the publisher who spotted the trick. Same as Teresa, I'm not surprised they rejected them. Time has changed.

[mosaix]

On the BBC today they interviewed a guy who was so fed up getting rejection slips that he decided on an experiment.

He took three chapters from Jane Austen novels, changed only the chapter titles and character names and submitted them to publishers and agents as examples of his work.

Only one publisher recognised the work. All the other publishers and agents rejected the work for a variety of different reasons.

[pyan]

Ummm.....

http://www.chronicles-network.com/fo...ed-austen.html

[Culhwch]

Merged....

[Leisha]

However, publishers and agents are swamped under with hundreds of submissions a week. It's understandable that they are only looking for "the best". If an author's work is merely "good", it's not enough to win them a contract.

But, as you say, to not identify and Austin work...

*shakes head*

[scalem X]

JD I personally have heard of similar cases (maybe even read on chronicles) and I'm only 20 years old lol. I guess that every two years someone comes up with the idea...


I don't think it matters all that much or tells much about the business:
Should you have read classics like pride and prejudice to determine whether a book is fit for today's market?
Would you recognize it?
Classics still sell today, mostly because they are classics, not because they are something new and never done before, like they were in their time.

Suppose you are a publisher and read a manuscript and it appears to be a lot like Persuasion. You conclude that it is not something of this time. Would you bother too look if its plagiarism? You're rejecting it anyway.

[brsrkrkomdy]

Well, just remember a recent scandal where a woman writer by the name of Viswanathan had plagiarised somebody else's work and nearly succeeded. Even her publishers failed to spot a plagiarism.

[j. d. worthington]

The thing is, Scalem... publishers do have to watch for plagiarism, or they can be sued (especially in this overly litigious age...). No, they don't necessarily have to know all of Austen's work (or any other "classics", for that matter...) but it doesn't speak well for the education when no one in such a position catches on... not even the legal department....

[iansales]

Bear in mind that most of the publishers sent form rejections - they may well have spotted the plagiarism, but didn't bother to mention it.

Also, just because Austen's books are classics, it doesn't mean they would have been published if they were submitted to today. Commericial realities are different.

And finally, this sort of thing happens regularly - see here.

[j. d. worthington]

Ian: Very good points, and thanks for posting the article. I suppose I'm still a bit puzzled that only one person chose to call their bluff... though these days, as the article says... not doing so might be the safest route if you want to live a long time....