2006-10-18 13:52:09 · 16 answers · asked by Omni 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
There is a method known as the "poor man's copyright." After finishing the document mail it to yourself, when it arrives DO NOT open it. Leave it sealed in the envelope. This is your proof that the contents in this envelope belong to you and it has been recognized as your property by a federal branch of the government, the United States Post Office. You can also go to a public library and ask for a submition form to have your article chronicled in the Library of Congress. This, however, will cost money-not a lot but some. The other obviously only costs the price of a stamp.
2006-10-18 15:23:43 · answer #1 · answered by Jade 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get an agent.
Seriously, to a certain extent, this is a risk that runs with the trade. Fortunes of war, etc. The best you can do is find the most respectable and widely read publisher you can, and hope they'll print your article.
At any rate, copyright laws have changed in favour of the writer, so as soon as you get something in print, basically it's copyrighted. You can pay a fee if you wish to have something copy-written. Read Poet's Market or Writer's Market, which you really should have at least one of those if you're serious about writing. The book will pay for itself if you use it.
2006-10-18 20:56:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
According to letters from literary agents and publishers alike, the chances of plagiarism of a manuscript is extremely rare. Nevertheless, your manuscript is automatically under the copyright laws when it is printed in a tangible form.
You can get it registered under the copyright law by submitting it to the Library of Congress. It takes about $35 and eight months to get the registration back. Log on to copyright.gov/ and read the pertinent instructions that applies to literary works.
Patents are for inventions--not literary works.
More important, make sure your manuscript is error free of punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Ensure the ms is double-spaced in accordance with agent guidelines. Follow the agent's directions from their website very closely.
Find the booklet, "Submitting & Formatting Your Manuscript" by Cynthia Laufenberg. It will be money well spent because it shows how to draft a quality query letter and to format manuscripts and other related creations.
If your manuscript is accepted by an editor or an agent, usually they will get it officially copyrighted for you.
Good luck with your submission.
2006-10-18 21:09:38 · answer #3 · answered by Guitarpicker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First contact a publisher to see what their terms are on publishing. You'll be amazed on how screwed you get as in royalties. Then have a full written script or copy of the book. Have it signed and notarized as authentic copy. That's what I would do if I feared plagiarism.
2006-10-18 20:56:09 · answer #4 · answered by R J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a copy-write. Have your work notarized, page by page. The date will serve to protect your authorship. Go to reputable publishing houses with an outline or rough draft. See if one is interesting in buying and publishing your idea. Never give up your final draft until they have signed on the dotted line and you have a contract and check in your hand.
2006-10-18 21:11:36 · answer #5 · answered by Tom 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Posting it to yourself is one of those myths that everyone believes (I'm a writer). Copyright is automatic when you have actually written the piece of work, you should use your name, the (c) symbol and date with the title, though if someone steals it it's going to cost you a lot in legal fees and most people give up. You can register it with the copyright office or with a service like http://www.ideasecure.co.uk . Best of luck in your writing career!
Bri
2006-10-22 18:38:27 · answer #6 · answered by Brianna W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What do you mean? In case you didn't know, everything we write is automatically protected by copyright, even these words as I write them. It also depends on where are you publishing since, depending on publication policies, publishing houses might be appropriating (euphemism for stoling) your work, so be careful which publisher you deal with!
2006-10-18 20:56:13 · answer #7 · answered by zap 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
free paten....mail a copy of your article to yourself and never open it, until you feel it has been stolen, the date of reciept from the post office will serve you contained that article from that point. so hurry (we call this the ***** rig) way of copyright.
Publisher and songwriter alike do this when there is no money to get a paten.
2006-10-18 20:58:51 · answer #8 · answered by CeKaye L 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You need to have it copyrighted before you have it published. This way, no one can say it was their idea.
2006-10-18 20:54:51 · answer #9 · answered by skynfan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
on the bottom do a BIG copyright sign so hey would now not to stel it
2006-10-18 21:42:03 · answer #10 · answered by fefi76229 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋