DeviantArt?

NVash · 11-04-2010, 06:01 PM

I was just wondering, as a writer is it a bad idea to upload your story to DeviantArt to just get some criticism and opinions on it? Is there something written between the lines where if you upload your story DeviantArt owns it and not you? Or can one do that, get criticism, continue to work on it and upload new versions until its perfected and then publish it?

kcmay · 11-04-2010, 07:31 PM

If it's feedback from other writers you want, consider using critiquecircle.com. It's free to join and post -- you just have to critique others in return.

I used an artist I found on DeviantArt to do the cover art for Venom, so I don't believe there's an issue with copyright. Just be sure to read & understand the agreement if/when you post something there.

NVash · 11-05-2010, 11:08 AM

Thanks, Ill have to check that site out.

The main problem I have is that Im afraid one will steal my story or something to that effect. Chances are if youre putting something up on a site you havent sent it off to a copyright office yet. Sure you may have done that old Mail It To Yourself trick but otherwise you dont have anything official. Chances are you might have just written that chapter of your story sitting around in your room earlier that day, printed it out and put it in the mail box for that mailing Cheap Mans copyright trick but thatll be awhile. Putting it online I fear someone will take it off, tweak a few things and make a story that theyll claim is their own. I feared that with DeviantArt as well and Im just wondering if I have anything to fear, if they copyright it there temporarily since it says stories are copyrighted by their authors or if Im just making this all up. Id figure in a court of law one could use that site and the link to their story as proof its theirs but once everything proceeds and they get, say, a publishing deal, what are the odds that theyd still have that old story uploaded? So there goes their evidence. I dont know, maybe Im overthinking it. But I have alot of stories Ive been working on for many many years Id like feedback on before I try to get them published and I just dont feel like worrying about something as serious as having my ideas stolen.

queentess · 11-05-2010, 02:25 PM

If you're worried about someone stealing your idea, have you considered paying an actual "legitimate" editor to go through it?

NVash · 11-05-2010, 02:32 PM

Nope, never knew that was a possibility.

I might face a problem with that as well. See my stories are written to be comic books. Im not good at writing novelizations so theyre not very long and are instead meant to be about an issue or two apiece. I dont even know if critiquecircle or an editor could tell me much about that but nonetheless I just registered over at critiquecircle.

kcmay · 11-05-2010, 06:16 PM

Oh, I see. I'm not sure critiquecircle is what you want, then. Most of the writers there are working on short stories or novels. I don't know if the site is capable of handling comics. Poets have to look elsewhere, as well.

As far as someone stealing your ideas... first, let me remind you that ideas can't be copyrighted. Words can. Second, many writers harbor the fear that we will be ripped off. If you want to publish and share your stories, you gotta find a way to deal with that fear and be on your toes about finding plagiarism. Did you read about Cooks Source? The whole internet came down on this magazine editor for ripping off a blogger. Yes, some people steal. It's a drag. Thankfully, MOST people are honest.

Luke King · 11-06-2010, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NVash

The main problem I have is that Im afraid one will steal my story or something to that effect. Chances are if youre putting something up on a site you havent sent it off to a copyright office yet. Sure you may have done that old Mail It To Yourself trick but otherwise you dont have anything official. Chances are you might have just written that chapter of your story sitting around in your room earlier that day, printed it out and put it in the mail box for that mailing Cheap Mans copyright trick but thatll be awhile.

Copyright is automatic. The moment you have written something, it's your copyright and you own it unless you decide to sell it or give it away. You don't need to go to an office or mail it to yourself. The mailing it to yourself thing is a safeguard against the day when somebody (possibly) plagiarises your work.

NVash · 11-06-2010, 05:28 AM

I once heard copyright was automatic but I never understood how that worked. Its automatically copyrighted once I finish it but how would I prove that in the court of law? Im not trying to annoy you and I appreciate all the information everyone, Id just like to get all my bases covered before I go out there and put my stuff online.

I have some stuff thats already officially copyrighted with documentation to prove it that I debate uploading but problem is when I did that the story wasnt done. What I did was essentially copyright the first few chapters, if this were a novel, but many others were unfinished so they werent included. Even now some have been finished, some arent. Id just like some feedback on everything Ive done so far.

HarryT · 11-06-2010, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NVash

Thanks, Ill have to check that site out.

The main problem I have is that Im afraid one will steal my story or something to that effect. Chances are if youre putting something up on a site you havent sent it off to a copyright office yet. Sure you may have done that old Mail It To Yourself trick but otherwise you dont have anything official. Chances are you might have just written that chapter of your story sitting around in your room earlier that day, printed it out and put it in the mail box for that mailing Cheap Mans copyright trick but thatll be awhile. Putting it online I fear someone will take it off, tweak a few things and make a story that theyll claim is their own. I feared that with DeviantArt as well and Im just wondering if I have anything to fear, if they copyright it there temporarily since it says stories are copyrighted by their authors or if Im just making this all up. Id figure in a court of law one could use that site and the link to their story as proof its theirs but once everything proceeds and they get, say, a publishing deal, what are the odds that theyd still have that old story uploaded? So there goes their evidence. I dont know, maybe Im overthinking it. But I have alot of stories Ive been working on for many many years Id like feedback on before I try to get them published and I just dont feel like worrying about something as serious as having my ideas stolen.

You seem to have a few misconceptions about copyright law.

The days of having to send things to "copyright offices" are long gone. You automatically hold a copyright to anything that you create.

The legendary "mail yourself a letter" thing has no legal validity whatsoever.

If you are really that concerned about other people stealing your work, I'm afraid the only answer is never to show it anybody.

I hope that you use rather more punctuation in your published work than you have done here

.

NVash · 11-07-2010, 07:19 PM

Thanks, I appreciate all the information. Is there anywhere I can read about copyright and how it pertains to me now? Last time I researched it I found myself at the US Copyright Office and sending some of my work in for a copyright but now that I see that isnt quite needed Id like to find out as much as I can.

I use punctuation in my writing, maybe I should use it more often.

HarryT · 11-08-2010, 11:39 AM

Copyright is pretty simple. Do anything "creative", that's non-trivial, and it's automatically copyrighted to you. That copyright will extend for your entire lifetime, and for 70 years beyond your death. You don't need to register anything, or even include a copyright statement in your work; it's completely automatic.

adityadubey · 11-10-2010, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NVash

I was just wondering, as a writer is it a bad idea to upload your story to DeviantArt to just get some criticism and opinions on it? Is there something written between the lines where if you upload your story DeviantArt owns it and not you? Or can one do that, get criticism, continue to work on it and upload new versions until its perfected and then publish it?

Whenever you upload any art on deviantArt you get to chose whether you want to allow people to use your work. They also have the option of a creative commons license. So that should not be a problem.

jaxx6166 · 11-12-2010, 11:10 PM

Paranoia is a bitch in and of itself. If you're that afraid, you may as well just go to the whole 9's and send the package off to USCO. I back up all of my stuff daily with date/time stamp and mirror it to my iDisk, whose server logs would be able to validate my date stamps, I hope. And if you're posting onto a message board for a critique, your date/time will be posted there as well.

I wouldn't be too worried now, it seems like everyone is too busy writing their own dreck to try and steal yours

11-04-2010, 06:01 PM	#1
NVash Wandering Vagabond Posts: 282 Karma: 350000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: iPod Touch	DeviantArt? I was just wondering, as a writer is it a bad idea to upload your story to DeviantArt to just get some criticism and opinions on it? Is there something written between the lines where if you upload your story DeviantArt owns it and not you? Or can one do that, get criticism, continue to work on it and upload new versions until its perfected and then publish it?

11-05-2010, 02:32 PM	#5
NVash Wandering Vagabond Posts: 282 Karma: 350000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: iPod Touch	Nope, never knew that was a possibility. I might face a problem with that as well. See my stories are written to be comic books. Im not good at writing novelizations so theyre not very long and are instead meant to be about an issue or two apiece. I dont even know if critiquecircle or an editor could tell me much about that but nonetheless I just registered over at critiquecircle. Last edited by NVash; 11-05-2010 at 02:38 PM.

11-04-2010, 07:31 PM	#2
kcmay Addict Posts: 363 Karma: 500001 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Kindle2	If it's feedback from other writers you want, consider using critiquecircle.com. It's free to join and post -- you just have to critique others in return. I used an artist I found on DeviantArt to do the cover art for Venom, so I don't believe there's an issue with copyright. Just be sure to read & understand the agreement if/when you post something there.

11-05-2010, 11:08 AM	#3
NVash Wandering Vagabond Posts: 282 Karma: 350000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: iPod Touch	Thanks, Ill have to check that site out. The main problem I have is that Im afraid one will steal my story or something to that effect. Chances are if youre putting something up on a site you havent sent it off to a copyright office yet. Sure you may have done that old Mail It To Yourself trick but otherwise you dont have anything official. Chances are you might have just written that chapter of your story sitting around in your room earlier that day, printed it out and put it in the mail box for that mailing Cheap Mans copyright trick but thatll be awhile. Putting it online I fear someone will take it off, tweak a few things and make a story that theyll claim is their own. I feared that with DeviantArt as well and Im just wondering if I have anything to fear, if they copyright it there temporarily since it says stories are copyrighted by their authors or if Im just making this all up. Id figure in a court of law one could use that site and the link to their story as proof its theirs but once everything proceeds and they get, say, a publishing deal, what are the odds that theyd still have that old story uploaded? So there goes their evidence. I dont know, maybe Im overthinking it. But I have alot of stories Ive been working on for many many years Id like feedback on before I try to get them published and I just dont feel like worrying about something as serious as having my ideas stolen.

11-05-2010, 02:25 PM	#4
queentess Reading is sexy Posts: 1,303 Karma: 544517 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: none	If you're worried about someone stealing your idea, have you considered paying an actual "legitimate" editor to go through it?

11-05-2010, 06:16 PM	#6
kcmay Addict Posts: 363 Karma: 500001 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Kindle2	Oh, I see. I'm not sure critiquecircle is what you want, then. Most of the writers there are working on short stories or novels. I don't know if the site is capable of handling comics. Poets have to look elsewhere, as well. As far as someone stealing your ideas... first, let me remind you that ideas can't be copyrighted. Words can. Second, many writers harbor the fear that we will be ripped off. If you want to publish and share your stories, you gotta find a way to deal with that fear and be on your toes about finding plagiarism. Did you read about Cooks Source? The whole internet came down on this magazine editor for ripping off a blogger. Yes, some people steal. It's a drag. Thankfully, MOST people are honest.

11-06-2010, 05:28 AM	#8
NVash Wandering Vagabond Posts: 282 Karma: 350000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: iPod Touch	I once heard copyright was automatic but I never understood how that worked. Its automatically copyrighted once I finish it but how would I prove that in the court of law? Im not trying to annoy you and I appreciate all the information everyone, Id just like to get all my bases covered before I go out there and put my stuff online. I have some stuff thats already officially copyrighted with documentation to prove it that I debate uploading but problem is when I did that the story wasnt done. What I did was essentially copyright the first few chapters, if this were a novel, but many others were unfinished so they werent included. Even now some have been finished, some arent. Id just like some feedback on everything Ive done so far.

11-07-2010, 07:19 PM	#10
NVash Wandering Vagabond Posts: 282 Karma: 350000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: iPod Touch	Thanks, I appreciate all the information. Is there anywhere I can read about copyright and how it pertains to me now? Last time I researched it I found myself at the US Copyright Office and sending some of my work in for a copyright but now that I see that isnt quite needed Id like to find out as much as I can. I use punctuation in my writing, maybe I should use it more often.

11-08-2010, 11:39 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Copyright is pretty simple. Do anything "creative", that's non-trivial, and it's automatically copyrighted to you. That copyright will extend for your entire lifetime, and for 70 years beyond your death. You don't need to register anything, or even include a copyright statement in your work; it's completely automatic.

11-12-2010, 11:10 PM	#13
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	Paranoia is a bitch in and of itself. If you're that afraid, you may as well just go to the whole 9's and send the package off to USCO. I back up all of my stuff daily with date/time stamp and mirror it to my iDisk, whose server logs would be able to validate my date stamps, I hope. And if you're posting onto a message board for a critique, your date/time will be posted there as well. I wouldn't be too worried now, it seems like everyone is too busy writing their own dreck to try and steal yours

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