How a Self-Published Author Can Protect Himself From Being Vandalized

This is an article based on my perceptions of what has happened. I do not claim to be an attorney. At the age of 18 I wrote and sent to Highlight’s Magazine a fable about a wasp living with bees. The name of the story is The Wasp That Wanted to Be a Bee. The story was kept by Highlights for more than three months before they returned it to me in my SSAE. I thought nothing more of it and pursued a teaching career.

In April of 2006 I contacted Outskirts Press. Com a self-publisher’s house located in Denver, Colorado. I told them that I wanted to publish my short story along with a group of my poetry. The title would be The Wasp That Wanted to Be a Bee and Other Silly Poems. They agreed.

The book was ready to be published in November of 2006. It had by that time already been given a copyright number. The book came out in December of 2006.

The story is about a wasp that is living with a hive of bees. He interacts with the bees and tries to imitate their behavior including getting syrup from flowers to make honey in the hive.

The wasp’s name is Wally. Wally learns of the wedding dance and wants to be a part of it. He is told that he can’t. Wally waits outside the hive while the bees swarm.

As he is waiting a huge bear comes upon the hive and is about to swoop out its honey. Wally is incensed and heartbroken that the queen’s beds for her bees will be destroyed. Wally attacks the bear. The bear leaves but not before he swats Wally.

The bees find Wally half dead and carry him into the hive trying to make him well again. They do not succeed and Wally dies. The queen orders his body to be placed on a flower and the petals close on him.

Seinfeld’s animated The Bee film is that close in content to my story that it makes my heart hurt. Wally becomes a confused bee who is angry that honey is stolen from the hive. Really?

I contacted a law firm and was told politely that I didn’t have enough money to sue Seinfeld. I hope his Dream Company develops a conscience and pays me for my intellectual property. But then I guess it’s only ah Dream.