The Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot: The Reawakening has been the victim of creative property theft
Today, I had the displeasure of being woken up to a really frustrating string of texts from Ana Tourian, who was understandably upset. The text read: The Bonestone is up for sale on AliExpress. My heart dropped. Seconds later, I was scouring AliExpress for the Bonestone, only to find dozens of listings for the 2nd edition Bonetone.
Each listing was worse than the last. A flimsy tuck box, weak-looking card stock, and colours that looked washed out or over-processed.
And so it begins.
The plagiarism and pirating of decks are nothing new. It has happened to me before with the first edition of the Bonestone, and it has happened to countless friends of mine in the tarot deck creator community. And it is so very upsetting — not just because random people are profiting off mine and Ana's hard work, but because of the far-reaching impacts of these unscrupulous practices.
Because it doesn't stop at the sale of the fake deck. Oh no, that would be too easy. Here is how it goes.
These illegal sellers sell their stolen decks with a QR code linked to an email — typically mine and Ana's. We then each have the pleasure of being contacted by customers who have purchased these illegal copies, asking for a PDF of the guidebook. And more often than not, when they are met with a no followed by an explanation as to why, we are then met with abuse. And it doesn't stop there.
All of a sudden, reviews start flooding in about the poor cardstock, cheap printing, strange colours, and more. Along come the one-star reviews, which in turn damage the reputation of the deck, the reputation of the creator, and the reputation of the publisher.
And that's not even taking into consideration the financial loss. Artists live off the royalties from products they have painstakingly produced, either independently or with a publisher. Yet there is very little that can be done about this. An artist might be lucky enough to take down one listing, only for ten more to crop up in its place. It is very much a losing battle.
I cannot begin to describe how this makes me feel. It is such a strange sort of violation. And the fact that artists and authors have no means of fighting this continued assault on the arts is a hard pill to swallow.
So I say to you: the buck stops with you. Educate yourselves. Report suspicious listings. Be cautious when purchasing decks from websites at bargain-basement prices.
The Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot: The Reawakening was created by me, Avalon Cameron, with artwork by the very talented Ana Tourian. It is published by Blue Angel Publishing Australia and is available to purchase from all reputable retailers, including — but not limited to — Blue Angel Publishing, Llewellyn Publishing, Booktopia, Barnes & Noble, The Nile Bookshop, Fishpond, Big W, and more.
The Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot: The Reawakening is sold for $49.95 in Australia and $32.95 in the US. Any copy of the Bonestone sold for significantly less than this is not a legitimate copy. Any copy that does not include the Guidebook is not a legitimate copy. Any deck sold in a tuck box is not a legitimate copy of The Bonestone & Earthflesh Tarot: The Reawakening
As a consumer, you have more power than you realise. Every purchasing decision you make is either an investment in the art you love or a nail in its coffin. Counterfeit sellers are counting on your indifference. Don't give it to them. If the price looks too good to be true, it is
Avalon