Whoever said imitation is the greatest form of flattery lied. Or they haven’t been on the receiving end of someone listening to your plans and ideas, in confidence, and using them for their own, personal gain.
A recent experience had me livid. I wanted to jump through the computer and practice my best old school Taebo moves or pull off my earrings and apply some Vaseline to my face.
I know…I’m being a bit extreme but I was having a moment.
My emotions fluctuated from anger to rage and they settle quite comfortably at disappointment. You see, in this literary game there are a lot of players, but I believe there are very few innovators, especially in the area of Black books.
It’s my goal as a book marketer and writer to be ranked as one of the innovators because I am known for creating signature events and unusual promotional campaigns. And after sleepless nights, hours of research, crazy budgets on technology, and custom styling, I have found myself…swagga jacked!
I had my hissy fit, and I felt like calling my girls (which I did) and have a whining session (Thanks Tee!) but when the smoke cleared, I wondered when is duplication flattery and when is it fraud?
Instead, of going down the slippery slope of the legal ramifications associated with intellectual property, or catching a criminal case for assault, I thought I’d consider the true issue I had when I felt like one of my campaigns was “imitated.â€
Professional Integrity
Professional integrity calls on fundamental goals and standards practiced within a profession. It’s about how professionals will conduct themselves and if we handle matters with grace and professionalism we will benefit our industry, businesses’, brands, and clientele. Professional integrity also requires that we hold each other accountable for behavior that reeks of poor judgment and poor values.
Well, Dana, what is swagga jacking? I’m so glad you asked. Have you ever considered “borrowing†an event title because it’s cute? Or have you listened in on a conference call just to use the content, in the same manner, for your personal gain (i.e., using it in your business)?
I believe swagga jacking is when you utilize someone else’s ideas in the same manner or carry about it in a way that it appears closely similar or identical to the work of another person and pass it off as your idea or work. Somewhat like plagiarism.
Now, I want to be clear, very few ideas are original — I get that. However, what I won’t concede to is blatant disregard for the time and work that another person puts into their business and end product.
My friend’s grandmother would say “If you’ll lie, you’ll cheat. And if you’ll cheat, you’ll steal. And if you’ll steal, you’ll kill.†One little mishap will lead to others and then you’ll find yourself staring at a cease and desist letter. But for many professionals it really isn’t necessary since one of the ways for building a brand and audience it through collaboration. Other professionals do it, and we can too.
Skimming Karma
In that moment, I believe a little birdie sits on his/her shoulder and whispers, “if it worked for her, it could work for you.†I’ve heard it call skimming karma, when you believe that you will have the same results as another person because you do the same things they did.
Life, my friends, just doesn’t work like that. And if that little birdie has you convinced here’s what you do: Call her up. Yes, call up him/her and see if they are willing to collaborate or bring an event to your town. They could surprise you.
For example, I host an event in Houston called “Books, Beauty & Banter.†I’ve collaborated with two groups taking it to other cities. We had a great time. The group had a wonderful turn out, and I’m sure we will work together again in the future. They held the event and I had an opportunity to expose a new audience to one of my signature events.
If You Can’t Beat Them
In the past we heard “if you can’t beat them, join them.†Well, I think the new saying is “if you can’t beat them swagga jack themâ€. But don’t do it, it’s not worth it, and consider how you could negatively impact your name and business brand by simply appreciating a good idea, that’s not your own. Instead expand your professional reach and consider collaborating, or reach deep down inside can create your own stamp on the industry and you too may find yourself…swagga jacked.
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Dana Pittman is the marketing strategist for Nia Promotions. She has worked with authors such as Anita Bunkley, TL James, Jean Holloway, Evelyn Palfrey, and she recently established S.I.R. Authors, a book marketing promotion group. Books are her passion and marketing is her lifeline.
For more information visit www.danapittman.com and www.sirauthors.com.
Dana, I’ve definitely been there 2 or 3 times with folks and I’m sorry I don’t think stealing someone else’s ideas or things shared in confidence and passing them off as your own is any type of flattery. I’m not one for violence, but some literary beatdowns are definitely due for quite a few folks.
Way to take a bad situation and share with others, in a way that’s helpful to all. Thanks so much.
-Tee
Tee,
Thanks for posting and I must say it took me a while to calm down and use that energy wisely. I good friend said I PC’ed my response because I swear I could see red. (smile)
Dana
People are always taking my sayings and using them without referencing where they got them…at least ask…when I started writing I called my work ‘Fictionalized Truths’ then one day I saw other authors using the term…okay…but, seriously, we should all be able to tell OUR stories without having to ‘pimp’ anyone else. No one can stories as I can, and I cannot tell them the say way as anyone else. When one does that he or she is a literary thief. I know someone is going to say there are no new stories under the sun, but there sure are new ways to tell them, I assure you…I am going to go out on a limb and say my voice is pretty different and if I ‘hear’ it anywhere I will know QQ
angelia
I don’t know. I write in fear of this very act of malice, since this is a tough one to prove. I remember, in gradeschool, I dreamed of opening a lingerie store that sold only lingerie, underwear, cosmetics, and body scents (lotions, bath items, fragrance). I loved fashion magazines and lingerie. I used my summer job monies to purchase cute little tap-pants sets, camisoles, etc., even though I wasn’t old enough to have a boyfriend. My dream was that consumers would walk into my store, which would have departments that looked like a fabulous bathroom, a fabulous bedroom, a walk-in closet, etc., and buy items directly from the closets, the drawers, the medicine cabinets, the linen closet, the dressing table, the curio display, etc. Soap, sponges, etc., would be purchased from around the tub…you get my drift. Then along came Victoria Secret. Talk about killing a dream. I had that idea, but obviously someone else had it too. I love what they’ve done with Victoria Secret, but I still think I could have done it better. But once an idea is branded with that kind of goodwill, no matter who did it first, it’s tough to come after it. I could’ve used that money to launch my writing career!! Even though there is no way my little idea could’ve influenced the creators of magnificent retailer, I still felt jacked for a long time.
DJ,
you are right, it is hard to prove, but you can hear and feel the voice of many authors…I have read books, thinking, ‘I know I read that before’…and it is because it is almost verbatim to what someone else wrote or how they wrote. Truthfully, we cannot lose much sleep over it, because in many cases we will never even know…and you could always do DJ’s Jammies or something with some kind of DJ twist…surely
angelia
DJ’s Jammies. I like that! That’s odd, because my daughters call pajamas “jammie-clothes”!
Angelia,
I felt that way about stories before and it makes me wonder if I’ve read the same book twice, especially with publishers reissuing the same books with different covers (I’ve feel for that one a time or two).
Dana
I’ve seen more of it than I ever imagined, especially in the marketing and promotion side since you can’t copyright ideas. Some folks seem to think that makes it fair game, but if they had an ounce of integrity, they should at least run it by the originator first.
It’s theft, plain and simple.
Sorry, putting new batteries in my keyboard right now! LOL
Tee you have to be extremely careful of submitting stories and even moreso to certain publishers. With so many independent publishers mass producing large quantities of books from a variety of authors, pieces of your work can be out there in various books and you not know it. There have been times when I have read something that was almost identical to a scene in a book that I had submitted to a publisher…not similar…. but nearly IDENTICAL….I am waiting now for a particular persons book to drop that I had tried to work with that who was to publish me but never followed through. Now suddenly they as a publisher have a book coming out personally though they are not a writer and the blurb that is being used to describe the book just does not sit well with me. Just a few tweaks here and their and wahla……your book becomes a hit and you just may not know it simply because of the numerous urban books that are now being published that we can’t keep up with them all.
Sounds messy
Dana……Girl!!!!!! I’ve been there a few times. WoooSaaaa! I too, come from a marketing background. I have worked as a marketing professional in corporate America for about 15 years. It was my job for years to come up with new and creative concepts and events. When I became an author in 2004, creating events came easily, hence the Divas of Literature Tours, Self-Publishing Symposuim etc. The problem is that early on, I shared some of my ideas before implementing them and I was…dun dun dunnnnn…swagga jacked! A dear friend and colleague who also blessed with a unique sense of creativity was recently swagga jacked for a program she designed. The people she designed the program for loved the idea but told her they couldn’t do it due to lack of funding. Next thing you know she received an invitation to attend and event from the same people. Upon a closer look she realized she had been swagga jacked and they had the nerve to invite her to witness it first hand!
People have some integrity and dignity. Either come up with your own ideas or hire the person with the ideas to do this stuff for you. Stealing is not cute and can lead to severed relationships and bad business.
Renee,
Oh no! I wrote this article as a way of letting go. I refuse to let people keep me from sharing when so many others have shared with me. But to knowingly just makes me see red. I quickly count to ten and I’m blessed with something new and creative.
In the end, it works out but I have a memory like an elephant and that’s probably the worst part of the situation when working with me.
But it’s all good!
)
You are right Dana. At the end of the day you can’t let negativity steal your creativity! Which is why I still share too. Ultimately, when you have a divine purpose no one can hinder that!
Stay blessed!
Renee
Renee,
I agree and the same to you.
Dana
swagger jacked!
i’ve been swagger jacked so many times i’ve lost count. however, i still believe in providing great free content and i still believe in sharing what i know with those who ask. i’ve submitted pr campaign proposals to publishing houses, authors and book conferences, who later passed on my service, but tried to implement components if not all of my proposal and failed. when i visit my cardiologists, although i know the terminology and the mechanics of the my heart maintenance program, not one time have i tried to do what he does.
dana and tee, we’ve talked about this. what i know for sure, because i’m experiencing the benefits of being ripped off is that it always comes around. it always leverages your brand, because they will soon realize only you can do that, because it’s your thang.
people need to stay in their lane and if they don’t then they will learn the hard way every time. just wait and see.
.-= — Visit Dee Stewart´s site & last blog post at: Contagious Joy WRiting Series Announced =-.
Dee,
And that’s the silver lining of the entire situation. Being jacked helped me. (I feel like I’m in a support meeting…LOL!)
1. It solidified to myself that I was rocking the ship.
2. I decided to amp it up!
Lastly, after talking with great people like you, Tee, Jean, and a few others I realize it comes with the territory.
I hope that this article will help people to consider working with other professionals. We’ve done it before and had a great time. And so many other professionals do it, why shouldn’t (or can’t) we.
I’m going to stop here before I jump on another one of my soapboxes. (smile)
Dana
Thank you all for reading and making today lively. Have a wonderful weekend!
Until later,
Dana Pittman
Dana, don’t run off. I’ll be by today to share some additional comments.
No problem. I’m here!
Swagga Jackin’. Wow. It’s a shame what folks will do these days.