I love the e-book idea Neil. If you ever release something along those lines, let me know. If it applies to a US audience in addition to UK writers, I’d be happy to mention it at All Freelance Writing — my freelance writing blog with quite a few readers who struggle with the same kinds of content theft issues. I know content thieves get my blood boiling, so any way to stop them more efficiently is a good thing as far as I’m concerned. 🙂

I’ve been a freelance print writer (magazines, newspapers) for years but as much of my work dries up I have now turned to the business world for new clients. I have also dipped my toes in online waters with mixed success.

On your first point, “Why your company can’t afford shoddy web content” I think, never a truer word said. When I first started in the business writing world I spent a long time looking at company sites, company reports and other types of corporate writing and was surprised, (perhaps I shouldn’t have been) at some of the poor quality displayed by some well-known companies in the UK.

So poor quality is a terrible advert for any business, it’s a message I am constantly trying to get across when company officials complain about the price I charge for work. The answer is simple, you get what you pay for.

On the subject of theft, I think plagiarism is far too nice a word, where possible I too go after them but it’s so time consuming. I’m a small one man business and, as they say, time is money and sometimes reluctantly I let things go, even when I know I should go after them.

I am hoping that all the recent Google algorithm changes will relegate these people to page one million. I live in hope.

However it’s just occurred to me as I write this that an ebook on the best and quickest ways to deal with writing theft might just be a best-seller.