: Re: Is there a format I can save my poems in that will make the publisher unable to copy and paste? I have a large collection of poems which I've been meaning to submit for publication, but

@Sent2472441

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Worrying that a publishing company is going to steal your poems is like worrying that the dry cleaner is going to steal your clothes, or that the shoe repair shop is going to steal your shoes. Could it happen? I suppose. But on the list of things that are worth worrying about, this is very, very low. As others have pointed out, if any publishing company was caught doing this, their reputation would be ruined and they would lose far more than the small amount they would gain by cheating you out of your royalties.

For a new author, the thing to worry about is writing something good enough and attention-getting enough that publishers and readers will be interested in it. Every hour you spend trying to devise some scheme to protect your work from being stolen is an hour that COULD have been spent editing or marketing your work. Don't waste time worrying about the one in a million chance that your work will be stolen. Worry about the 99 in a 100 chance that no publisher will be interested in your work.

By the way, the other paranoid fear I hear a lot from new writers is that a publisher will lie about how many copies they sold to short change you on your royalties. Same as above: If a publisher was doing this, sooner or later it would come out. A disgruntled employee would reveal it or an IRS auditor would discover it or something. IT's not worth the risk. Has it ever happened? Maybe. But it's not worth worrying about.

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