Libel on the Internet: The War of the Words—Part Three of Three

by Lisa Burns

For the past two weeks, we have explored the questions surrounding libel on the Internet and how it is impacting the industry. Various members of the literary industry have been the victims of online assault on the Internet for years. Up until this point, cyber-bullies, a.k.a. “industry insiders,” posing as legitimate, unbiased investigative reporters, have been telling us how to think without bothering to back up their spurious claims with facts.

You may be asking, “How does all this affect my next novel?” The industry, along with aspiring writers, has made the decision not to listen to the creators of libelous websites and blogs. The result? So-called “bad” agents and publishers will finally have a chance to prove that they are the good guys. Authors, agents and publishers will soon have more options in terms of gathering facts about the literary industry. With the 2008 launch of websites like Cyntopedia, an online encyclopedia for the publishing industry, legitimate publishers, agents and authors are taking a stance against slanderous websites and blogs. The literary industry is fighting back, not by playing the games the non-professionals play, but by encouraging the public to check references and to draw their own conclusion.

There is only one reason these dubious critics have made an impact. The creators of these malicious websites joined the Internet revolution before the literary industry. Now that the literary industry has made its impact online, the tide is quickly turning. This is an important time for the literary industry. History will look back on the past five years and show that the literary industry did not succumb to the childish games of a few tech-savvy, angry bloggers. Instead, they stuck to the original mission of publishing: to provide the public with truth, honesty and integrity in writing. The recent actions of a few misguided bloggers and website operators cannot deter the works of thousands.

A number of laws are being proposed to protect the victims of disparaging blogs and websites. Kentucky Representative Tim Couch filed a bill in March 2008 making anonymous posting on blogs and websites illegal. With his proposed bill, the full name of the contributor would be used anytime his or her comment is posted. On the other side of the debate, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought against an Internet Egyptology newsgroup by a woman seeking damages after the website ridiculed her credentials and expertise, saying she had gotten her college degree from “a Cracker Jack box.”

The name-calling, teasing and lying against agents, publishers and bloggers is just one reason the literary industry is taking a stand against libelous websites and blogs. The real victims are the talented writers who are discouraged from pursuing their dreams after reading disparaging remarks about various literary professionals on certain websites and blogs. It is our hope that would-be writers conduct their own research and choose the right publisher or agent that suits his or her project, even if a website lists a potential agent or publisher on their scam list.

Agree? Disagree? Tell us at editor@writersnewsweekly.com