Worried someone will steal your work?

If you're a writer, and you have an overactive imagination, then I'm sure you've come across this issue before. I have a very overactive imagination and am a worrisome person by nature. If there's an issue at hand that could remotely cause me grief then I can usually find a way to mull it over to the point of teeth-gnashing panic (I exaggerate). Wait, what am I thinking right now, I'm worried that this post will sound foolish...deep breaths, deep breaths, go to the happy place.

Alright, I won't waste anymore of your time. I do have a useful post for tonight. The issue I was trying to write about a paragraph ago, but failed, is the myth of having your work (your intellectual property) stolen. The article I'm referencing tonight is by Chuck Rothman and the concept goes a little something like:

"If I send my manuscript in to a publisher, will an editor like the idea and try to steal it?" which can cascade effortlessly into, "If that could happen, should I have my work copyrighted?" and so on.

You get the picture. Chuck does a pretty good job in debasing some of these myths. I found the section "Still, it can't hurt to get a copyright, can it?" to be useful.

Read the article on copyright infringement.

Anyway, it's a brief article (more like a FAQ). I hope you enjoy it. More posts and changes coming soon, so drop by again!

Comments

[Anders]

Great article. The "stealing ideas" myth, in particular, seems to run rampant among brand new writers.