Bestselling Author Accused of Cyberbullying

There is always a time in one’s writing career where the question of “how far is too far” comes to pass. Whether it be the choice to comment on a poor review or a temperamental tweet about a publisher, the decision we make sometimes decides our career future, as well as our fan base. If recent allegations are true, bestselling author Stephen Leather has recently found that out the hard way.

Leather stands accused of cyberbullying fellow authors Steve Mosby and Jeremy Duns, reports Buzzfeed. Mosby claims Leather is behind the website fuckstevemosby.com, as well as other sites meant to demean his moral character. Duns also found proof that Leather was behind the site fuckjeremyduns.com when the bully accidentally included a redirect to his own webpage.

This isn’t the first incident in which Leather has been accused of questionable behavior. The popular thriller writer has been exposed by the Observer for is harassment in the past, and has publicly boasted about frequenting forums under false names and hoodwinking readers by creating sockpuppet accounts.

Leather’s actions have now been called out by many high-profile authors, including J.K. Rowling, who tweeted, “By ‪@jeremyduns: a very disturbing read about a fellow ‪@HachetteUK author. If true, this is shameful behaviour,” and included a link to an article covering the matter.

What are your thoughts on cyberbullying? Share your experiences of bad author behavior below and weigh in on the story!