Imagine waking up and seeing this.

Imagine waking up to 50+ notifications — texts, emails, DMs — all of it. 

Much more than a normal Tuesday. 

Your eyebrows furrow as you wipe the crust and confusion from your eyes. 

You sit up in bed. You skim the first dozen messages, then realize today isn’t going to unfold as you thought. 

A “writer” with over 130k LinkedIn followers stole your work and passed it along as his own. 

You think to yourself, I know this guy. Maybe it’s a mistake?

One of the texts is a side by side comparison from a friend:

It is definitely NOT a mistake. 

You’ve been ripped off, word for word, with zero credit from someone who touts himself a “writer” – and makes his living selling writing courses. 

How would you respond? 

Unfortunately, this story is real.  

Eddie Shleyner is the Founder of VeryGoodCopy.com. He’s a prolific writer, marketer, and a personal friend and mentor. 

I flew to Chicago to dive into this story with Eddie, including his excellent write up on the entire event, for episode five of Reed Between The Lines.

I even rented out an entire basketball court on 167 Green. The topic, story, and guest warranted it. And it’s by far the coolest video I’ve ever produced in my career.

If your work was ripped off, what would you do?

Bush it off?

Go to LinkedIn and put them on blast?

Eddie decided to confront “The plagiarist”

Below is their WhatsApp exchange:

Seems reasonable enough…

It is a big deal.

As Eddie writes:

You, too, are “shocked” by The Plagiarist’s spectacular gaslighting.

I was seething reading this the first time.

And again the morning of our session as I prepped.

It’s wrong. It’s unfair. And it’s unacceptable in every way.

I’m sharing this story with you for 3 reasons

1. Eddie’s article is a masterclass in content marketing

It captured my attention months ago when I first read it. And when I began designing my show, RBTL, I knew this story had to be part of the show. Because no one is talking about it — but happens to everyone. Myself, and you, included. Speaking of which…

2. I’ve had my work stolen online too — but I didn’t know how to respond.

Roughly a year ago I saw a content bro swipe my LinkedIn post and publish it as his own. It was infuriating to see him get 700+ likes from my work, without citing me, then turning around and selling SEO templates and services on the back of my (and sure others’) ideas. That’s a fraud, straight up.

3. If you publish content online, it’s inevitable that your work WILL be stolen. So you need a response plan.

That sucks to write. I’m not enjoying telling it to you. But I want to equip you in case for when it happens. If you notice your work is stolen, confront the Plagiarist privately and explain your position. Offer them to give you credit and remove the post to remedy the situation. If they refuse, it’s really your call. But use Eddie’s and my experience to guide your decision.

BTW, Eddie and I didn’t just talk about protecting your work online

We also shared:

→ How to develop a unique style that stands out from the competition, including the “zero ending” technique

→ Overcoming imposter syndrome and self doubt — especially when the pressure for growth is overwhelming

→ Eddie’s blueprint and advice for growing his side hustle before going all in on VeryGoodCopy.com

And much, much more. I highly recommend watching the full episode if you’re serious about building a lasting career as a creator or marketer.

Holler at you next Saturday,
Devin

PS: This post took me 2.5 hours to write, and the show took dozens more. If you enjoyed either of them, you can help me grow them by taking 12 seconds to:

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