jplayjames

[jplayjames]

More finished reading challenges

[jplayjames]

Totally left it so long to post #the52bookclub 2022 challenge to avoid spamming, not because I was too lazy to finish the graphic until today.

[jplayjames]

no, no. these are horrors beyond your comprehension. i understand them, though. i desire them carnally.

[jplayjames]

Another reading challenge. Will stop spamming these soon...

[jplayjames]

Another completed Reading Challenge. This one is very busy looking, I may have made a mistake.

[jplayjames]

Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP

(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)

An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:

(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)

I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:

IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.

You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:

HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:

First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.

Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.

Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.

In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.

In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:

I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.

In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.

Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.

Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!

NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!

[jplayjames]

Humans are adorable.

Supporting evidence:

1. Humans say ‘ow’, even if they haven’t actually been hurt. It’s just a thing they say when they think they might have been hurt, but aren’t sure yet.

2. Humans collect shiny things and decorate their bodies and nests with them. The shinier the better, although each individual has a unique taste for style and colouring

3. Humans are not an aquatic or even amphibious species, but they flock to bodies of water simply to play in it. They can’t even hold their breath all that long; they just love to splash!

4. When night falls and the sky goes dark, humans become drowsy and begin to cocoon themselves in soft, fluffy bedding.

5. Some humans spend time in each other’s nests! Just for fun! It’s not their nest; they’re just visiting each other.

6. Some humans use pigments and dyes to make their bodies flashy and colourful! They even attach shiny dangly bits to their cartalidgous membranes!

7. Humans are very clever, and sometimes adopt creatures from other species into their family units. They don’t seem to notice the obvious differences, and often raise them alongside their own young!

8. If a human sees another creature in distress, they can commonly be observed trying to help! Even at their own risk, most humans are deeply compassionate creatures!

9. If a human hears a particularity catchy sound or tune, it will often mimic it, even to the point of annoying themselves!

10. Sneezes are entirely involuntary, and completely adorable. Especially when the human in question becomes frustrated

11. Humans love treats!!! Some more than others. Many humans will save these treats specifically for a later date when they are in need of comfort or reassurance. IE, pickles, pop tarts, Popsicles, etc

12. They’re learning to travel in space!!! They can’t get very far, but they’re trying!!! So far, they’ve made it to the end of their yard, and have found rocks

[jplayjames]

I know Elon Musk gets a lot of hate, but--and I say this sincerely--I don't think he gets nearly enough. If we work together, we can make sure he's hated even more.

[jplayjames]

Doctor Doom, master of subtlety~

[jplayjames]

More reading challenges, this time Disney Princesses and Villains

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/0f1b9469-9724-4d10-aaed-4d97b42ed04c

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/8affd2ed-a5c9-4a51-a6d9-9281e871231b

[jplayjames]

[jplayjames]

It's getting to that time of year for frantically finishing all the reading challenges I optimistically signed up to earlier in the year.

[jplayjames]

Lot of children’s books this month.

[jplayjames]

[jplayjames]

April 2022 reads. A lot of memoir style stuff, mediocre mysteries, and what I’m going to charitably call adult romance this month, IDK what’s up with that, but some fantastic reads in between them - On the Beach, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race, and Climate Resistance Handbook were three of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

[jplayjames]

Final reads for Tropeical Readathon. Pink bg are comics.

[jplayjames]

I spent a bunch of time ill in bed last month, combined with getting my first ever tablet and jumping aboard the ebook train finally, which translated into reading way more than usual. Highlights: Several People are Typing, To Build a Fire, Temeraire Surrisingly good: Doctor Aphra, Love in Focus, Attachments Most unintentionally funny: The Hunt for Red October Biggest disappointment: The Red House Mystery