Many people who want to get a book written worry that somehow their big
idea will be stolen from them.
The very first thing to know is that it is not possible to copyright
an idea.
Words expressed in sentences, paragraphs, articles and books can be,
and are in fact, protected by copyright law. But the idea behind them
isn't protected.
This article, for example, is covered by copyright law, but the idea
behind it can't be protected. You can't copy this article but you can take
the ideas here, rework them, add your own flavor and, voila' you've got
your own copyrighted article.
So, in theory, if you want to write a book on... putting together a
teleclass or healing via touch or how to get and stay organized, and you
tell your neighbor, your neighbor could also write a book on the same
subject - even if he got the idea from you.
But wait! Think it all the way through... first of all, very few
people actually steal ideas, and fewer of them ever get around to writing
a book. Let's suppose, however, the worst happens - you write your book, your
neighbor writes his... will they be the same?
Of course not. You'll bring your experience to your book; he'll bring
his. Since you've both had different experiences, your books will be
different. In fact they will be so different you may not even recognize
that both started with the same idea.
It goes even further... you'll bring your way of telling your
experience, your voice to your book, making it even more different. The
whole essence of the book will be unique to you, and as a result, your
market will be different.
For example, I just went to Barnes and Nobel (bn.com)
and entered getting organized in the search box. There were 922
matches! Enter the same term at Amazon.com and today there are 4,961
matches. Refine the term to getting organized at home and bn.com
has 24 results; Amazon has 146. Do you begin to see what I mean? Each of
those books is different even though a search engine brings them up.
Let's go another step and suppose you and your neighbor are still
speaking and about half-way through your book, you discover not only is he
about half-way through, and while your chatting you mention something
about teaching children to be organized. You can tell by the expression on
his face that he forgot about that part of keeping a home organized.
Have you lost? I don't think so. No matter what he writes about kids,
it won't be the same as yours.
The truth is I don't really believe in competition. There are
plenty of ideas out there for everyone, and even if they seem, on the
surface, the same, they develop differently.
What's most likely to happen when you share your idea is nothing. The
person you speak with probably doesn't want to write a book, particularly
with your idea.
But even if you share your idea with people you know want to write a
book, like in a class, you're far more likely to be blessed with synergy
than anything else. Even if there is another person in the class with your
idea, the two of you will spark each other in ways that enhance both
projects.
Sure, you want to share your idea with people who will support you
rather than those who won't, but that's another subject. Be open and
you'll be delightfully surprised.
