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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/21833
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

If you live in America, the moment you write your first words for the story it is automatically protected under copyright law.

It is quite insulting to professional publishers to think that they would want to steal your book. Honestly and integrity is the way publishers go if they want to make a good name for the company. It just isn't good businesses to be dishonest.

Think of it this way: they would make far more of a profit making you, the writer, happy by paying you to continue making lots of books for them. Why would they want to shoot their cash cow?

Two, expecting a first or even third draft to be ready to be published before it has been proofread, edited, revised several times, edited again and read by several beta readers to find logic errors, plot errors, and loose storyline threads is pure arrogance. Sorry, but expect the reject pile if you haven't even done any of these things. The editors will not be doing your work for you, much less want to take such a rough draft.

I'm pretty sure you haven't yet or you wouldn't be so concerned about publishers stealing your "baby."

Go google: "Will a publisher steal my manuscript?"

Read up and feel better.

Just stay away from vanity publishers that try to get you to pay them and you'll be fine. Remember honest publishers will pay you.

And, in the end that's what this is really about you want to make sure that you aren't ripped off. That's fine, but consider what I said.

The best advise I've read on this it to submit to the big name publishers if you're worried.

Original score: 4