Amazon.com released in a report last week that erotica is one of the most frequently plagiarized genres due to lax online copyright laws.
Understandably, authors are upset, with many arguing that plagiarizers have soiled the reputation of a classic, timeless genre.
“Frankly, I’m just insulted,” sighed Sharon Miller, a 49-year-old erotica author. “There’s another so-called author out there under the name of Shonda Jackson who blatantly copies my complex plots and character development, but passes it off as her own.”
Jackson published a novel mere days after Miller’s own publication date—books that read similarly to Miller’s, yet aren’t nearly as good.
“Take for instance my book, Hedonistic Pleasures,” said Miller. “The main female protagonist Laura meets a mysterious man named Rex and they indulge in a night of passion and exultation,” She then proceeded to read an excerpt from Pleasures.
“Laura spread herself on the bed, unsure of whether her enigmatic lover would remove her blindfold sometime soon. His rough, masculine hands ran down her thighs causing a shiver to run back up her arms. She could smell his sex. Their fingers intertwined. His manhood, sturdy and warm, pressed up against her and she could imagine it glistening in the soft moonlight shining through their villa windows.”
Miller then continued to read a part of Jackson’s book, Good-time Sex.
“Laura spread herself on the bed, and she didn’t know if her big sexy man would take off her sexy blindfold. His sexy, hairy hands ran down her thighs, which was really fucking hot. She could smell his sweaty body. Their fingers were exploring each other like in that John Mayer song. His dick was like a horse’s.”
Clearly agitated, Miller explained that she would never write something as smutty as that. “In Shonda’s book, the man doesn’t even take Laura out to dinner before performing cunnilingus. I would at least establish a romantic atmosphere before he goes down on her.”
“Shonda Jackson is trashy,” Miller contended.
Miller remained hopeful though, holding on to the belief that readers will still prefer a well-written erotic journey over a shoddy, cheaper substitute. According to the author, subtle details like Miller’s classic irony and juxtapositions were lost among Jackson’s copy.
“My readers like the plot development, the tension, and the unique characters so, in the end, I think they’ll continue to buy my versions of the story. When people read erotica, I’m sure they aren’t just skipping to the sex parts. What’s the point of that?”
Originally published Nov. 2013