The best way to prevent other people from stealing your book is to protect your copyright ownership. You protect it by proving you’re the true copyright owner right from the very first written draft. There are a few simple ways you can do this.

How Do I Prevent Other People From Stealing My Book Before it is Published?

Every time you sit down to write a portion of your book, email that evening’s work to yourself. Send it to two or three private, secure email addresses. Save it on a USB drive, too. This not only backs up everything you’ve written so you always have access to it, even in the event of a computer crash. It also acts as date-stamped proof of your copyright ownership all along the way.

Here’s another great way to get this evidence of copyright ownership—a way that is virtually free of charge. It’s as simple as sealing a copy of your completed work in an envelope and mailing it back to yourself via registered mail. When the date-stamped package is returned to you, keep it sealed and stored in a fireproof container. Then, in the highly unlikely event that someone else ever tries to claim copyright ownership of your work after the fact, you will have more date-stamped proof of your ownership to fall back on.

How Do I Prevent Other People From Stealing My Book During the Publication Process?

The likelihood of any professional editor, designer, or proofreader stealing your manuscript is very low. But, for those of you who are concerned about this, I recommend hiring reputable help you know you can trust.

A great site to find freelancers of all kinds, with all experience levels, from all over the world, is UpWork.com. You can browse through the talent already listed there. Get a sense of what their hourly or flat fee rates are. Or you can post your own job, timeline, and payment expectations to see who replies and take it from there. I’ve personally used this site as a freelancer. I can tell you there are many checks and balances in place to ensure the freelancers you’re hiring are exactly who they say the are.

How Do I Prevent Other People From Stealing My Book After it is Published?

This is where things get a little more involved. When it comes to copyright infringement, the laws and remedies vary per each country. Click here to read some important advice from a trademark, copyright, and entertainment attorney free of charge.

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