How can I be sure that my book idea won't be stolen?

Question

I am thinking about sending a query letter to a literary agent, but am worried, that rather than (maybe) accepting me, they might give my story to another writer who is already under their contract.
Does is happen?
And how can I protect the right on my idea?

Answer 1

Make a photocopy of your "book". Get the original signed and dated by a solicitor. Send the photocopy to an agent. Keep the original. Sit back and wait for the rejection letter.

Answer 2

Don't get me wrong...it does happen.

But the idea would have to be huge to be worth stealing.

What a writer brings to an idea is execution. They decide what direction that idea is going to go in. Take one idea and 50 different writers will do 22 different things with it. 22 because a lot of writers arent that imaginative. They just work in a straight line.

The more unique elements you story has to it the easier it is to protect. If you go to a court and say "My idea was about a girl who moves to NYC to be an actress and they made a movie about a girl who moves to NYC to be an actress!" they will send u quickly on your way. That idea is too general, it has already been done countless times and there isnt anything that unique where the people making the movie would need to steal it from you.

Now, if you have an idea that goes "man sets fire to his house and unintentionally opens a doorway to another dimension" and thats the movie they made...and you can show that they had access to your idea at the point in time that the movie was being greenlit then maybe you have something. (and no you can't use that idea...it's mine mine!)

The thing is though....most agents arent going to make a deal for something that's just an idea unless the writer has a proven track record (someone like stephen king probably wouldnt even need an idea to get an advance)

The vibe I get is that you have this idea you think is great but don't want to bother to write it unless there is going to be a guaranteed payday at the end of the rainbow. Hate to break this to ya but it doesn't work that way. Coming up with ideas is easy. If that's all it took most of the population would be making a living that way.The hard part is writing the thing.
And if you really are a writer you write because the idea is so fascinating that you can't help but write it. You have to explore the idea as fully as possible. You won't be able to think about anything else until its written.

Now once you get the thing written (if you know the whole story in your head you can write a few pages laying it all out and they call that a treatment. ) you register the thing with the writer's guild for 10 or 15 bucks. and it's good for 15 years.

But let me make this absolutely crystal clear...registering an idea that is not completely and utterly unique will be worthless.
If you can describe the idea by saying "it's like a combination of this movie and that one" then the idea is too common to register without a first draft written. You can tweak the story even after its registered but you need something that is as close to your finished product as possible.

If you have any questions feel free to let me know.

Answer 3

It really doesn't happen anymore, and when it does, the offending parties are instantly revealed as frauds and the victimized writer is awarded much more in a lawsuit than they would have ever made had it been published.

Why? It is incredibly easy to prove that you've written something first. Odds are you wrote it on your computer, and guess what? Your computer will know what date you created the file and when you saved it last, and you can take a picture of your manuscript, or in your case query letter, in front of something definitely showing that day's date and year. You can tell friends and family about, and they will verify your claim. Heck, this question could serve your favor.

And, you are sending a query letter, don't worry about someone stealing it. An agent wouldn't really gain anything if they gave it to another author, by the way, they would make the same cut regardless.

Answer 4

If there is a print listing for that agent somewhere (not just a web page), they are usually legit. Agents who are actually in the business of selling books do not have time to mess with unsalable manuscripts and they don't lift ideas.

If you are still uncomfortable with sending out your query, mail a copy of your manuscript back to yourself via registered mail and DON'T OPEN IT. This is legal proof in a court of law as to when you had it written.

By the way, writers do not go under contract to an agent. They MIGHT be under contract to work on a series of books for a publisher, but the agent has no stable of writers he can assign work to.

Oh, don't go posting your story on line until you are within a month or so of publication. At that point, you get the ok from your publisher to post the first three chapters on line to sell the book to readers.

Answer 5

You've had some quality responses thus far. Ideas are not copyrightable. Once you put your manuscript in hard copy form it becomes yours in copyright.

The query letter you send to a literary agent simply gives a most brief synopsis of your story plus your credentials--if you have them.

Literary agents receive hundreds of manuscripts and query letters every day. Your submission must be an eye-opener if it will be read completely.

Log on to copyright.gov/ and read the rules and laws of copyright. You can submit your manuscript using a TX form to the Library of Congress. The cost: $35. Waiting time to receive your registered certificate: about eight months. Again, read the rules on copyright.gov/.

The old practice of mailing yourself a copy of your manuscript and leaving it sealed is an old wive's tale. To repeat, once your manuscript is in a printed form--on paper--then it is yours by copyright.

Answer 6

1. You send a copy to the agent

2. You send the original to yourself at the same time in a sealed envelope with post mark like a regular mail.
When you receive your original , do not open it,
keep the envelope seal and put it some where that you can find it later if you need it . That is your proof and a classic way to protect your copy rights.

Worst case cenario, If later the agent gives your ideas ( or even part of your ideas ) to some one else you can sue him by pulling out the original that you had sent to yourself earlier, remember to ( keep this evelope seal and only open it in court or with a lawyer ).

Answer 7

You are safe in sending a query letter, literary agents don't operate that way. You query merely gives a brief outline of you story. You have positive proof of the ownership of the complete story stored on your hard drive. You can always have your story copyrighted before you try to have it published, but in my opinion it is not necessary. I have written four full length novels, I warn you that that finding a publisher is a daunting task, be prepared for rejections, but never give up.

Answer 8

The thing is, an idea is just an idea. It's becoming a full piece of text that's the tricky part. For every 100 people who say they're writing a book maybe 1 really does. No one is ever going to rip you off. It's rare and usually only happens after publication.
Don't sweat it. Pitch that book with all you got.
Good Luck

Answer 9

I have a feeling that you should put a copy of you work in an envelope and post it back to yourself being sure not to open in. Keep in a safe place and if ever you integrity is called into question you will have a proof of ownership with the date on the envelope.

Answer 10

do some copyright kinda thing, or copy down what u will send to the literary agent, and keep the copy as proof u had the copy with u, and had the idea first. does that help? sry if it didn't. =[