Featured on @StorylineReddit: November 8, 2025
At first glance, this reads like a straightforward case of stolen work. But the theft itself almost feels too narrow to hold what actually happens. The disturbance deepens when a private discovery becomes a public test of loyalty inside a family already shaped by comparison and hierarchy.
Two documents are placed side by side. Sentences echo. Edits smooth out language that once existed in rough form. Years of notes appear under someone else’s name. The realization is quiet, procedural. No one is shouting in that moment.
The rupture comes later.
Soon the argument is no longer about who wrote what. It shifts toward need, toward motherhood, toward who is struggling more. Financial strain and online visibility begin to orbit the conversation. The center moves. What was once a question of ownership becomes a question of allegiance.
And allegiance, in families, is rarely neutral.
The conflict unfolds through shifting alignments rather than dramatic revelations. It starts with verification: an unpublished manuscript compared carefully to a newly released book, similarities traced with precision. Confrontation follows, but almost immediately the terrain changes.
The discussion drifts away from authorship and toward circumstance. A child. A lost job. An offer of shared royalties. A counteroffer demanding full transfer of the pseudonym and profits after expenses. The language becomes transactional.
Then it widens.
Parents are informed. Disapproval is voiced. “Families don’t sue each other.” The disagreement stops being private and starts functioning like a referendum. Support lines harden. The threat of disownment is introduced without ceremony.
Phone calls multiply. Messages are forwarded. The injured party repeats her position. The sister-in-law repeats hers.
Eventually, a lawyer is hired. Evidence is requested. Third-party verification is mentioned. The tone shifts from emotional to procedural. A settlement is reached before formal litigation, but the public apology remains pending. The book is taken down.
Control changes hands. The atmosphere does not.
Text Version
[Repost]: WIBTA if I sue my SIL for stealing my book and making a huge profit from it?
REPOST
I am NOT OOP. OOP is u/stolen-ideas
Originally posted to r/AmItheAsshole
Previous BoRU posted by u/anonziee
[Repost]: WIBTA if I sue my SIL for stealing my book and making a huge profit from it?
Trigger Warnings: theft, entitlement
Mood Spoilers: outrageous
Editor’s Note: the previous BoRU didn’t include the full original post which can found on rareddit before some edits were removed. Putting the edits in the proper order for ease of readability
Original post: September 13, 2020
Copy of the rareddit post
I (24f) write as a hobby, and I like sharing my short stories with my small following. I do want to publish one day, but I want to make it perfect first since it’s not edited yet.
The unfinished book we’re talking about came from an idea that I started to build when I was in middle school. I just finished it last year, but because of the virus, I was forced to put that project aside to ensure steady employment with my day job.
My brother and SIL came to visit me to introduce their baby daughter about 6 months ago. SIL just thrusted her baby into my arms even though I lack even the barest knowledge on how to hold a baby. The baby was fussy and my brother helped calm her down while SIL said she wanted to use to bathroom to pump breast milk.
They left later and I didn’t think anything of it until recently that I was told SIL had published a book, and it had been a while since she published. Self-publish is not as time-consuming as traditional publishing. I don’t doubt my SIL’s intelligence because she is a smart woman, but I’ve always heard how she dislikes books cause they’re boring and drags on.
I wanted to show my support and brought a copy only to realize it’s way too similar to mine. I compared it to my copy of unpublished work; it’s obvious it’s been edited and proofread for fluidity and clarity.
I was angry and I admit I overreacted by confronting her over the phone. She said my screaming was upsetting her and hung up on me. It was a back and forth battle with phone numbers to get to the truth. By this time, my parents and her parents are involved.
Then the truth boiled over, probably from stress and being caught since I do have my copy and detailed notes of my progress in world-building and in-depth characters for second book.
She said that my brother and her needed the money cause they have a child and the lockdown threatens their work. She said she will give me 75% of the continuous royalty to settle it.
I said no and told her to give me the pseudonym she put the book under and take the amount she paid for editing and proofreading the book and the marketing ads.
She said I’m taking away her daughter’s college funds, she just lost her job, and her unemployment check hasn’t come yet. My brother is the sole supporter. I threatened to sue, and everyone is furious with me. I believe I will proceed with the lawsuit.
Sorry for the grammar, I’m writing with anger.
Unnecessary edit because there are just too many ugly messages: To those who think this is fake because of incoherency, grammar, and structure; it’s why editors and proofreaders exist. They’re hired to fix the manuscript before publishing. I didn’t proofread this, and that’s my fault. I like to write, but I’m not a professional writer. English is my second language. To those who think it’s impossible to make lots of profit from a one-time self-published book with an unheard of author: SIL has a decent following. When her followers by the book, it climbs Amazon ranking, and that means it’s more visible to other buyers interested in the same genre.
I came here not for legal advice at first because I was struggling morally. I needed help, not to have people attack me in private messages and in the comments.
To those who only commented that this is fake or how I can’t be a writer who fail at basic writing skills: if you do not have anything useful to say, please kindly keep your irrelevancy to yourself.
Edit: SIL was and still is a mommy blogger. She started a blog when she found out about her pregnancy, so it was a weekly-update journey, and the blog turned into a full-on mommy blog now. She has a decent following and she makes money from the ads, but I don’t think it’s full-time worker salary. I gather from the book’s review (on social media platforms that isn’t selling the book-to avoid policy violation) that her followers got the book because they support SIL. I know it’s bitter of me, but I can’t help to feel offended that I worked hard on it to have it brought not under the intention of being interested. It’s how the book climbed ranks, her followers brought them.
Update: I’ve taken your suggestions and have one more talk with SIL without involving other family members. The deal was same as before: give me the name she published under, take whatever money she used to publish and advertised. She insist that I take the 75% royalty because her followers are expecting a sequel from the book. I told her that I will not allow her to make a profit off my work that I put so much effort in. This morning (about an hour ago), she had told my parents and her parents about me not compromising for the sake of her family and her daughter. Now it’s me that’s the bad guy. My parents treats SIL like a daughter, so they told me that either accept her offer or they essentially disown me, saying families don’t sue each other and we’re to support each other. I’m somewhat surprised and somewhat not because I never grew up to be someone they’re ‘satisfied’ with, and SIL has traits that they dream of me having. I feel like a stranger in my own family.
Final update (?): I’ve thought it over, and I’m still thinking about it. I love my brother and my parents, but they are not supportive of me. They don’t care about my feelings because I’m tearing the family apart. My SIL is still very much upset and angry at me, but frankly, I’ve given her a fair compromise. If my family and SIL don’t take my feelings into consideration, then I will not either. I will be taking time to myself and not speak to them until they apologize. I’m going to gather all the text messages (can’t do anything about the phone calls), and I will see if I can borrow some money from my friends to get a lawyer. If not, then I’ll think of something. I’m going to sue her. Not to get back at my SIL and family, but because it’s my property and for the disrespect she has shown.
Thank you all for your support. I never expected so many things to change overnight, but it did. I’m angry, resentful, and bitter.
I don’t think I can convince my parents and brother that she is in the wrong because she did it for her daughter’s future. I’ll probably not have a niece anymore, so maybe that’s why I still have inklings of doubt. Part of me wonders if intellectual property is worth losing my family.
Anyhow, thank you, everyone. I appreciate every comment whether you think I’m right or wrong, or if this is fake/real. It’s good to have multiple perspectives.
Verdict: Not the Asshole
Top Comments
Commenter 1: NTA You need a lawyer, whether you decide to sue or not. Even if you decide to settle without suing, you need a contract memorializing the agreement and you need to file for federal copyright registration ASAP. If you don’t know how to find an attorney, call your local city or state bar association and ask for a referral to a copyright attorney.
Commenter 2: NTA. Its your work that she is claiming as hers. You have proof that its your work. If you didn’t buy a copy and read it you’d never have known.
Commenter 3: NTA She did a bad thing and you have every right to try and correct it. Even if she made little to no money from it, it’s still your idea, your story.
Not that it effects anything here, but I am curious what your brother thinks about all this. You only mentioned your SIL. Does he know what his wife did? Is he okay with her stealing from you?
Commenter 4: YOU ARE SO NTA. Numerous people have either lost their job, companies or are facing economic turmoil, however that is in no way a reason as to why you should steal someone’s life’s work!!! Girl buckle up, get your lawyers because this is your right. You are NOT responsible for their child or her future.
Update: October 4, 2020 (three weeks later)
Thank you everyone for giving me advices on how to proceed with this mess.
After speaking with my pre-law friend, I decided to go the legal route. I reiterated my compromise with SIL and my brother, but he has fully taken her side. My parents warned me that I’d be disowned and I’d be dead to them if I’m willing to stoop so low.
I hired a lawyer and given all the details on my side. My lawyer said she needs my unedited manuscript for the book and my SIL’s published book along with the copy SIL sent to have it proofread and edited. Because the published book has different parts changed, my lawyer needs the unedited version which SIL should still have in the transaction she did with her editor and proofreader. We took the risk to ask SIL for the unedited copy she sent to her editor & proofreader despite the chance of having her feign “I don’t remember their names, I don’t have their contacts anymore, I don’t want to, etc.” I told SIL that we will go through the route of having to use third-party notarization to ensure no foul play on either part (have 1 individual look at my unedited manuscript and the one she sent to her hired editor + proofreader).
Once I told her that, she must’ve realized I was not bluffing. SIL and my brother accepted the compromise (I take the pseudonym, the royalties: with evidence of sold copies). I stipulated that SIL must put a message out to her followers on her blog that she stole from me and not a single word in the book is hers. I thank the Redditors for suggesting that.
She is clearly pissed off and disgusted with me for doing this to my own family.
I threatened her with further legal proceedings if she doesn’t do it. No lawsuit happened, but I’m glad I got a professional option just in case. As words got back to my parents of what I did and how dare I got a lawyer to punish SIL because her blog followers will surely lose trust in her and future revenue.
I told them and my parents that if they have anything to say, use my business email. I’m done with them. They treated an outsider (SIL one month into dating my brother) better than they ever did to me. I don’t need that negativity dragging me down.
I’m happier, more free with my opinions, and I don’t have to feel the need to compete with everything SIL does just to get my parents to love me a little more than a daughter in name.
I have my friends; they’ve always been more of a family unit to me than my biological ones. I knew I was going to lose something coming out of this, but I didn’t expect I’d be okay with the disappointment and hurt.
Thank you, everyone. And no, I will not be telling anyone what the name of the book is because I only came here to get a moral judgment and update everyone on what happened. Please don’t think I’m using this for clout. The book will not be promoted on Reddit: not then, not now, and not in the future either.
Little update on the apology: it’s not out. She said she needed more time to prepare her emotional state and she’s overworked with their child, but she’ll let me know when I can have the apology. (ʘ言ʘ╬).
New Edit (11/18/20): Things did not go as planned. I can’t give you an update now, but soon. Really sorry.
Relevant Comments
Commenter 1: This is great news for you. This story makes me question so many things about humanity. What a terrible family you have. Wow
OOP: Growing up with my parents’ parenting, I thought a lot of favoritism towards my brother was normal because he’s a male and an ‘heir’ in a sense. No one told me it was unhealthy for me to feel inferior and placed in second place. Then I realized when SIL came into the scene that it wasn’t just because my brother was a man but because I didn’t live up to their standards.
Commenter 2: Wow, they really cared more about her ‘future’ than the fact that she was a liar and a thief. Screw all of them. Did she make the blog post?
OOP: Not yet. She has a week to make it in case she wants to use a PR team to lessen the damage of her name.
OOP clarifies the timeline of her brother and SIL’s relationship
OOP: Sorry for the confusion. My mind is running on fumes. When my brother introduced SIL to my parents after 1 month of dating (she was only his girlfriend at the time), my parents were… I guess, elated to have her over more after they asked her what she did for a living. SIL and my brother broke off their engagement twice for personal reasons and wrong timing, so I wasn’t sure how to describe their love-timeline in a non-confusing manner.
Commenter 3: I’m glad it worked out in some way for you. Never understood the you don’t do that to family people in these situations. It’s okay for family to steal or do something horrible to you but if you retaliate in a logical and legal manner Suddenly It’s family you need to forgive and forget. I’m glad you cut them out let’s see how much they care about family when she starts stealing from them. Or better yet when they have to sacrifice for her because “family”.
OOP: To them, SIL could do no wrong. I think, to them, me being their daughter has more flexible room to offend than losing SIL. She’s my parents gem that they can flaunt to other relatives. It’s a weird mindset: my brother is their pride, so technically SIL is also an adjacent pride of theirs.
OOP on receiving the profits from the book
OOP: I received the name the book is published under and every penny the book sold on from the moment the password is in my hands, tax information changed, and linking bank account changed. It’s how SIL had set up her receiving payment method.
What about the profits from the previous sales? Will SIL get anything?
OOP: I will receive that too. I’m taking every cent from the moment the book went live to when I have full control of the book and pseudonymous.
She doesn’t get a dime. Previous revenues will be given to me.
Commenter 4: Can you define “huge profit” in a rough dollar amount? Respectfully, very few self published books make huge profit…
OOP: I looked at the sales report when it first went live. Her pretty-decent sized followers brought nearly 7k on the first day. The immediate sales made the book climb rank and that meant more visibility. The book is no longer available for purchase the moment I unpublished it.
OOP on if she decides to re-edit and published the book
OOP: The book is tainted in my mind. It’s hard to look at it without thinking of SIL, and it probably will never be as satisfying when it’s re-edited and published.
Source
There is a moment early in the story that contains no interpretation at all: two versions of a manuscript on a table, paragraphs aligned, changes marked. The discovery is methodical. It does not need commentary.
After that, the air thickens.
What begins as a direct claim—this is my work—moves sideways once financial urgency is introduced. A daughter’s future. Unemployment checks delayed. Followers expecting a sequel. The book becomes income, and income becomes the frame through which everything else is filtered. That shift happens quickly.
Then the family steps in, and the escalation is visible before it is analyzed. Parents call. Ultimatums are issued. “Accept the offer or you’re dead to us.” The words land plainly. The circle tightens.
From the sister-in-law’s position, exposure carries its own threat. A public confession risks dismantling a cultivated platform. Revenue could evaporate. Credibility might not recover. Fear does not always announce itself as fear; sometimes it appears as insistence.
From the author’s side, the original injury does not stay singular. It multiplies. First the work is taken. Then her refusal to absorb that loss is framed as cruelty. Legal action becomes less about revenge and more about drawing a line that others keep stepping over.
And still, even once the pseudonym and profits transfer back, something lingers. The book is described as tainted. The apology is delayed. The family bond thins but does not fully snap.
Administrative resolution is one thing. Reclaiming what the work once meant is another.
Whether that can be restored remains uncertain.
