Where can I get a copyright license for my book "Princess Of The Damned?"?

Question

I need a copyright license before I can send out my query letter and synopsis.

Answer 1

Actually, you don't need a copyright before you send out your query to agents or publishers. They will not steal your idea, so long as you send them to reputable places. Also, they will be the ones responsible for officially copyrighting your work once they accept it for publication. If you copyright it, you will just be wasting your money.

It just becomes problematic for the publisher when they go to copyright it again, after more editing is done.

Answer 2

If you want to register your copyright, go to http://www.copyright.gov, which is the U.S. Copyright office, a branch of the Library of Congress. There is a flat fee for copyright, and you can register as much as you can fit together into one binder for that single fee.

However, under current law, your work is copyrighted as soon as it is set down in writing. You only need to register your work if you think it's likely somebody will infringe your copyright, which frankly isn't all that likely. And if you send out your work with a copyright notice on it, many editors will think this looks amateurish and they'll wing your work back to you unread.

And besides, if all you're sending out is a query with a synopsis, what will you gain by a copyright registration? You can only copyright an actual work, not ideas, storylines, or titles. If someone is going to crib your idea, there's not much you can do about that. So just go ahead and send out your query. You'll be working sooner and your writing will get into print faster that way.

Answer 3

Huh?

You lost me on that one.

You only license SOMEONE ELSE'S COPRYIGHTS and for a specific purpose.

For example, Learner and Lowe had to get a license (rights) from George Bernard Shaw for the play Pgymaillion to turn it into My Fair Lady.

When comic Alan Sherman wanted to do a parody of My Fair Lady no one would let him do it commercially because they couldn't afford and didn't think, Lerner, Lowe, Warner Brothers and the Shaw estate would allow it.

For one film the studios had to license TWO books. Phillip Dick's DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SLEEP as the basis for the movie's plot and Dr. Alan Nourse's book THE BLADE RUNNER to get the working title they preferrred over the Dick title. The final result was BLADERUNNER based mostly on the Dick book with nothing in content from the Nourse Book, except rights to use the title. They also have rights to use the book as source material for any other project if they want to make a film of that book.

Answer 4

Go to www.copyright.gov. it's the United States Copyright Office. That is where I'm going to copyright my music once I get the chance.

Answer 5

Great title! No one is going to steal your storyline or story if they're a reputable publishing company.