I am an aspiring writer who posts my work on a "Writers Critique" Yahoo! Group. Is this safe?

Question

You have to apply before you can join and only members of the group can see your stories. When I was accepted, Yahoo! Groups sent me a form saying that even though my story wasn't copywrited, it was still safe since Yahoo! Groups considers it copywrited when you post something through them. Even so... is this safe? I desperately want to be published someday and I know that to do so, I should NOT copywrite my story until it sells to a publishing house. However, I would be absolutely crushed if someone else published all my hard work under their name. What is the right thing to do in this situation?

Answer 1

Quote:
Today almost all major nations follow the Berne copyright convention. For example, in the USA, almost everything created privately and originally after April 1, 1989 is copyrighted and protected whether it has a notice or not. The default you should assume for other people's works is that they are copyrighted and may not be copied unless you know otherwise. There are some old works that lost protection without notice, but frankly you should not risk it unless you know for sure.
Unquote

Anything you write and are highly proud of you should keep to yourself and attempt to get it published. I think groups are fine as long as you keep track of your writing. Trust is a big factor here. I'm sure if someone was to steal your story and change it around a bit, you'd never know it if you never read the book. What's the odds?

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Anything created after April 1, 1989 is considered copyrighted whether there is a notice or not. (Note: "Copyright" is the correct spelling.)

People take credit for the writing of other people all the time whether there is a notice or not.

Join the group. The only way you will become a better writer is if you have a like-minded group of people to critique what you are doing.

It seems like a risk well worth taking to me.

One caveat: keep a log of what you write and where you have posted it, including the date and time. If you ever see your work claimed by someone else, this record will come in handy.

Answer 3

Even though it is copyrighted, as others have pointed out, that won't protect you from an unscrupulous thief.

At that point, suit for profits or a cease/desist order are all you can do. In order to recoup you justly due profits you will have to be able to show origination. A notary public or, more easilly, the poor man's copyright can do this for you.

The increased chance of loss are why only let trusted critics read my work before it is final.

Answer 4

Copyrights belong to the writer unless they are sold to someone specifically. When you write an article, novel, story, poem, or whatever, it is YOUR work and automatically copyrighted. The TIME of copyright varies from country to country.

There are undoubtedly unscrupulous people that will scam excellent work and pretend it is their own. If you are putting your work on any public site, there is always a possibility it can happen.
Just be aware of it and send your work to valid publishing houses; if you are an excellent writer, your work will eventually be noticed. Your name attached to your work on an internet public forum, blog, or club forum is it's own form of security AND a form of publishing that is becoming ever popular.

Answer 5

who's submission is the terrific? I remember while Baron Von Rashke's Claw became a tournament ender! there are a number of old-college submissions that have been functional, to be certain! Verne Gagne's Sleeper, the Camel grab, Baron's Claw, Kerry Von Eric's Claw,(I valuable do leave out the Von Eric's with the help of how!). i like Chris Benoit's Crippler flow Face, now common in basic terms by way of fact the flow Face, Ric Flairs discern 4 became and is very functional, yet i could could desire to declare that The Undertaker's new submission is the main devastating at present. perhaps of all time! a minimum of for now, besides! i'm conscious that there are a number of strikes that I even have not reported, some which is often extra devastating, yet who can record all of them? Heck, who ought to recollect all of them, precise? in basic terms one guy's evaluations!

Answer 6

Do a Poor Man's Copy right...

Put your writing into an envelope with a code in the ATTN: x
Keep a jornal of what is in that envelope by the ATTn: line
Put the envelope into the mail, sending it to yourself.
Do not open the letter, but file it in a fire proof file box.


Example mailing label (how I would do it)
This is the address of where you send it to, not the return address. Use your own return address there, even tho you are basicly repeating it here.


My Name
ATTN: Abb
My Street Address
My Apt #
My City,My State, My Zip code
The US Postal stamp validates the contents as Official Mail. That date will serve you in the even that someone steels any of your material.

Nothing on the internet is safe, always cover yourself.

Answer 7

Easy fix, type the story out and include the date then put it in an envelope and mail it to yourself .
keep the unopened envelope with the postmark as your proof of the date you wrote the story.

Answer 8

Your work is copyrighted from the time you write it.
Go to: copyright.gov for more information.

Answer 9

It could be but someone can still steal it....i mean, what is yahoo! gonna do when that happens