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Do I demand to copyright my novel, nonfiction volume, brusk story, essay, or poems by registering them with the Copyright Office (Library of Congress) before submitting to literary agents or literary journals and magazines for publication?

mail, writer's relief Whew! That was a mouthful—a question that's every bit unruly every bit its reply. Copyright constabulary can exist about equally elementary as doing a jigsaw puzzle with your toes.

Whether you're writing books or novels, poems or short stories, you're bound to tango with copyright conundrums at some point in your career.

While we're not lawyers, we can tell you nearly the general practices within the publishing industry (specifically, for creative writers who are submitting books and novels to literary agents, or those submitting poems, short stories, and essays to editors at literary journals and magazines).

If you need more details, seek a lawyer who knows intellectual property law, or check out one of the many books out there about copyright.

Should I put the copyright symbol on my novel or other book manuscript?

In general, the answer is no. Here'south why: Us law holds that a work belongs to the book author the moment it'south set down in a fixed medium (i.e. paper, or your word-processing program). Makes sense, right? You wrote information technology; it's yours.

copyright registration for writers Agents and editors know that this is the law. And as long every bit you're querying and submitting to reputable industry professionals, you don't take to worry that they'll steal your work and endeavor to pass it off as their own.

In a certain sense, calculation the copyright symbol could make a writer seem mistrustful and also ill-informed almost the law. The symbol itself is just an expression of what industry professionals already know—that your book or story or poem belongs to you lot. So while adding it isn't a bargain breaker, it can give the wrong impression.

1 more betoken earlier we movement on: Here's what you should know about copyright and mailing your writing to yourself.

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Do I need to annals my book with the US Copyright Office before submitting to literary agents?

Again, we're offering a generalization. And again, it'south "no." If yous do get an amanuensis for your memoir or novel (or whatever book!), the work is probably going to change a lot before information technology actually hits the shelves. That'southward why it'due south usually the publisher's responsibility to copyright a work once it's in its final class.

If you lot're self-publishing or publishing with a small press, be sure that both you lot and your publisher are clear near who is responsible for the copyright registration.

A final annotation: One of the particular benefits to having registered with the Library of Congress is that if yous are ever sued because of your book and you win, you will be entitled to recoup court fees. Also, copyright registration offers a formally copyrighted date, kinda of like those "packaged on" stamps at the grocery store. Both can be as of import if you lot're the kind of person who despises both plagiarism and food poisoning.

What well-nigh copyright and literary journals? Will a literary journal copyright my poem, story, or essay on my behalf?

In general, literary journals that practice annals for copyright protection protect the journal or magazine as a whole, not your specific piece in it. This way, the collection is protected (if someone were to, say, copy the whole matter and sell it under a new championship out of the back of a car at stoplights).

If you've been offered a contract for publication and y'all're concerned about copyright, enquire the editor who caused the piece nigh the magazine's individual policies.

Will copyrighting my book or story protect my ideas?

Whether you're writing a novel or a poem, the law says that y'all can't copyright ideas (or titles, for that matter). Check out this Author's Relief copyright article about protecting your characters, stories, and themes.

More questions almost copyright? Hither is a book that explores copyright police.

Question for Author's Relief? Contact info@wrelief.com. Or leave a comment below!