Q: What are some ways to protect your work once it is mailed off to be viewed by publishing companies? My fear is that it could be read, then officially refused by the publishing company, then USED by the same company or sold to another company.
Q: Before submitting a manuscript, either by e-mail or regular mail, should an author be concerned about getting it copyrighted to protect it from being stolen or used by another writer?
A: You're protected by copyright law from the moment you write down the words. Registering your copyright with the US copyright office is a separate step. It doesn't afford you any extra protection. it simply makes it possible to sue in court if your work is infringed. But theft of unpublished work is so rare as to be functionally nonexistent, so theft is about the last thing that new writers need to worry about. A good agent or publisher won't risk his or her reputation by stealing. A bad agent or publisher isn't interested in your manuscript, just in your money. So send out your work and don't worry about it being stolen.
taken from “Choosing Reputable Publishing Professionals”
with Victoria Strauss
Thursday, March 9, 2006
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