Board index › Topical Discussion › Art, Writing, and Music

Should I get my story published?

Page 1 of 1 [ 5 posts ] 

Previous topic | Next topic

Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

01 Oct 2018, 3:28 pm

I wrote a story but it's similar to the book Room, which is where I got the idea from. I love that book, and the movie, so I made my own version of the plot.

If I tried to get it published, would I get sued for copying? My mum says she read a book that had a similar plot to one of the Stephen King novels, yet that got published with no sueing. So should I try to get it published anyway, or will I get sued?


_________________
Female


Kraichgauer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 48,454
Location: Spokane area, Washington state.

01 Oct 2018, 7:50 pm

Do it. You won't get sued, unless you've stolen from Room word for word.


_________________
-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


redrobin62
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Apr 2012
Age: 62
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,009
Location: Seattle, WA

04 Oct 2018, 2:55 pm

Go ahead and get it published. In case you don't know where to look, I've linked to The Submission Grinder. They list all the markets for short stories and novels.

https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/


_________________
One Day At A Time.
His first book: http://www.amazon.com/Wetland-Other-Sto ... B00E0NVTL2
His second book: https://www.amazon.com/COMMONER-VAGABON ... oks&sr=1-2
His blog: http://seattlewordsmith.wordpress.com/


AnonymousAnonymous
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 72,114
Location: Portland, Oregon

06 Oct 2018, 10:42 pm

Publish your story, but get it copyrighted first. Just review your country's copyright laws before you publish.


_________________
Silly NTs, I have Aspergers, and having Aspergers is gr-r-reat!


Trogluddite
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Feb 2016
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,075
Location: Yorkshire, UK

07 Oct 2018, 8:23 am

I don't see any reason that you should be sued. As you say, you have made your "own version" of the story, not just copying and pasting passages from the book which inspired you. There would be very little literature, films, art, or music if it weren't for artists being inspired by those who went before them.

AnonymousAnonymous wrote:
Publish your story, but get it copyrighted first. Just review your country's copyright laws before you publish.

A simple outline of UK copyright law can be found here.
In particular...
Quote:
Copyright is an automatic right and arises whenever an individual or company creates a work.

Quote:
...your idea for a book would not itself be protected, but the actual content of a book you write would be.


_________________
When you are fighting an invisible monster, first throw a bucket of paint over it.