# My Series Question



## TheSilenceIsBroken (Jan 26, 2009)

Okay, I have written a furry series that took me a year and a half to complete. I have tried to get it published but no one seems to want it for whatever reason. So, I am interested in posting it so other furry lovers can read it, review it, etc. How do I upload them? They are made using Microsoft Word for the Mac and I used word art as well...
Also, will my material be protected should someone try to hijack and pass it off as their own? 

Thanks in advance.


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## Poetigress (Jan 26, 2009)

Assuming you have an FA account, go to FA and click on "submit."

There is a copyright notice underneath each submission automatically, but I'd put one into the text as well, so that if people save the files, it's right there.  

I wouldn't really worry that much about people stealing stuff -- frankly, there's not enough opportunity and money in furry fiction to make theft worthwhile, and even as much as the fandom has grown, word would get around pretty quickly.  My only concern has been making sure that people understand they can't use my characters in anything without permission, or repost my stuff elsewhere online without permission, so you might want to consider that in your copyright statement.


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## Art Vulpine (Jan 26, 2009)

I would definitely get the books copyrighted to avoid your stories getting pilfered. 

I would also make sure you post the "All characters, subject and events are a work of fiction. Everything else is purely coincidental" statement to advoid some loon thinking that a particular event in your book relates to him or her and they decide to sue you. Trust me, even though you're talking about furries, there are some people with some crazy ideas out there and are desparate to get money by lawsuits.


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## kitreshawn (Jan 26, 2009)

A copyright notice actually isn't necessary at all, it is implied by the moment you put your ideas down in tangible form.  Putting the notice on gives you no more protection or legal protection then leaving it off (and someone could just delete it if they wanted anyway).

So if you have it written down you are protected.


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## Poetigress (Jan 26, 2009)

It isn't technically necessary, no, but I think including it is still worthwhile.  Even if it doesn't technically have legal weight, it can serve to let people know that, hey, this belongs to me and it's not okay to do whatever you want with it.   People will violate copyright out of ignorance far more often than malice.

While it's true that works are copyrighted from creation, the only thing that has actual legal weight, in terms of being able to file a copyright infringement lawsuit, is an official registration with the US Copyright Office.  Realistically, though, that's usually a waste of time and money unless you're doing something like self-publishing a book.  (And in case anyone reading this doesn't already know -- if you're sending a novel manuscript around to editors, don't bother registering a copyright.  For one thing, they're not going to steal your idea, for another, it makes you look clueless and/or paranoid, and finally, it's something that they'll do themselves if they decide to publish your book.)

Going back to the benefits of including a notice on your work, there's another aspect I'm not certain of, and that's whether you can truly claim that something is copyrighted to you when it's being posted under a username instead of your legal name.  Since plenty of people do write under pen names, there are probably provisions already, but that's another reason I choose to go ahead and include a notice -- it gives me a chance to publicly link my username with my real name, on each individual work.  I haven't researched this, though -- anyone have any relevant info?


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## kitreshawn (Jan 27, 2009)

Just realized I had a relevant link.  Go here for more information:

http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/copyright.html


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## ScottyDM (Jan 27, 2009)

Is there a writers' group in your area? We have one here in the Springs and they hold a monthly critique, where members read and comment on each other's work.

S-


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