Copyright of autobiography

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Copyright

"How do I copyright my work?"

When new writers ask this question, it’s the wrong question. You don’t have to do anything to copyright your work, it’s automatic in every country (except China). If you wrote it then it’s your copyright it. Instantly. The moment you write the words they are yours. You don’t have to do anything.

In the USA there is an official government copyright form that you can get and fill in, but you don’t have to do it. You still have the copyright on your own unique created work.

What most new writers mean when they ask "How do I copyright my work?" is "How do I protect my work?" meaning they don’t want to get ripped off.

Autobiography is the type of story that is least likely to get ripped off, after all it’s your life, not someone else’s.

However new writers often think that professional publishers or agents might steal their work and publish it. This is NOT going to happen, and if you go to a publisher or agent with this idea in your head, they won’t touch you with a barge pole. People who have this idea are just too much trouble.

No professional will rip you off, it’s too much like hard work – if your work is worth something they’ll make their percentage if they publish it. Why go to all the trouble and risk by stealing it?

Don’t worry about copyright, you already have it.