Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves
Rogue Writers Who Think The Policies Don’t Mean A Thing
It will catch up with you sooner than you think, bucko

You slip away from your desk. You stretch as you glide into the kitchen. You smile a soul-at-peace smile. You saunter out to your deck. You take in the beauty that is your life. A few sips and a sigh later, you decide it’s time to get back to work.
Oh, look. An email from Medium. I wonder what…
Remove all writing you do not have the copyright or permission to use. Citing the source does not supplant the necessity of securing these permissions.
Remove all photographs which you do not own or do not have an unrestricted license for reuse. Citing the source does not supplant the necessity of securing these permissions.
Mark and cite all passages or quotations taken from other sources (otherwise known as Mosaic Plagiarism).
And the email states that you have 24-hours to make the adjustments. And then?
Suspended.
The first violation was from an article titled, “Should You Eat Protein Before Bed.” I included results from a scientific study but didn’t link the research itself.
The second violation was from my most popular article, “If You Want a Body Like Mine, Don’t Do What I Do.”… When I went back and looked, I found the link I included didn’t work. I couldn’t believe it. Somehow I messed up the copy and paste.
Here’s her takeaway.
1. Double and triple check your links to make sure they aren’t broken
2. Before hitting publish, reread your article to make sure you haven’t accidentally missed referencing your sources
3. Use direct quotes even when paraphrasing
So when this mean old editor hurts your little feelings and you feel as though you need a safe space and a lollipop, consider this.
I’m doing you a favor.
I’m not PNing your piece to the Second Coming because I’m bored and have nothing better to do. Slap on your Big People drawers. Many of you want to treat this like a job. So be it. And I’ll be right here helping you write better, like it or not.
You can read about Suzie Glassman’s ordeal here.
