Recently, something happened in my author journey that I never expected to deal with so early in my career. A beta reader—someone I trusted with an early version of one of my books. ..leaked part of a scene online. That post eventually found its way to Reddit, and then TikTok, where it started gaining traction. At first, I thought, “Okay… maybe this isn’t a bad thing. Maybe it’s just free publicity.” But then I found out that people were writing their own stories based on that scene. Stories rooted in real-life events that actually happened to me.
I’ll be honest: that discovery stung. I poured my heart into that book, blending fiction with deeply personal experiences. Seeing it out in the wild, stripped of its context, and being used as inspiration for other works was a strange, bittersweet feeling. Part of me wanted to go into full protection mode and pull everything down. The instinct to DMCA strike every piece of content connected to that leak was strong.
But then I stopped and thought about it from another angle. The indie author community thrives on inspiration. How many of us grew up writing fanfiction or stories sparked by someone else’s creativity? How many times has a book, a song, or even a single image ignited our imagination?
The author who wrote the short story based on my scene had no idea it was mine. She wasn’t malicious. She wasn’t trying to steal from me. She simply saw a scene that resonated with her and spun it into something of her own. When we finally connected, she was nothing but kind and genuine.
That’s when I decided: I’m not going to punish her, or any other indie author who found inspiration in my work, for someone else’s mistake.
Instead, I’ve chosen a balanced approach:
- Protecting my own work. I’ve filed takedowns for the leaked content shared by the beta reader. That’s a boundary I need to keep in place as an author.
- Supporting creators who were inspired. I’ve given her full permission to continue with her story and release it without fear. She’s adding her own characters, details, and creative touch. H er story will be hers.
I believe something can be inspired by without being a copy. Inspiration doesn’t erase originality; it sparks it. And honestly? I’m honored that a scene I wrote could resonate so deeply with someone else that it moved them to write.
This experience taught me two big lessons:
- Be careful who you trust with your work. Vet your beta readers. Build a circle of people you know and trust, especially before your books are published. Protecting your intellectual property is crucial.
- Lead with empathy. It would’ve been easy to slam down DMCA strikes and stop everything. But that’s not the kind of author I want to be. I’d rather build bridges than burn them.
Seeing that scene go viral was a surreal experience, but it also reminded me of why I write: to connect with people. Stories are meant to spark something in others, whether that’s inspiration, healing, or creativity. I don’t take that lightly.
So yes, I’ll continue protecting my books and setting boundaries. But I’ll also continue lifting other indie authors up whenever I can. If my work made a difference in even one person’s creative journey, then that’s something I’ll always be proud of.
We’re a community of storytellers. The world is big enough for all of our voices. 🖤
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