Can I Trust Publishers Not to Steal My Idea?

Short Answer: Yes.

There is a long-lived myth that agents or publishers are likely to take your idea and commission another writer to execute it. This is very rare. Why?

• Most publishers understand that the person who comes up with a solid idea has the best chance of executing it well.
• Most publishers are too ethical to infringe someone else's copyright.
• The risk/reward ratio is too low - commissioning a competent writer to execute your idea isn't cheap, and no idea is a guaranteed solid-seller, let alone a best-seller.
• Good ideas are common in the unsolicited manuscript pile of any publisher's office. Good execution is much rarer.

What is common is for similar ideas occur to several creative folks at once. If your idea hits a publisher's office right after they have put a similar book into production, yours is almost certain to be declined. But it will seem as if they stole it when the other book comes out soon thereafter.

In short, the odds are very much against theft if you go ahead and send your proposal in. We just wish we could tell you that the odds that it will be accepted were as favorable. Good luck.

 

• Re-use of any material on this site requires written permission.
• Opinions presented are based upon our assessment of best practices for the mythical "average publisher." Please use your own business judgment in applying this information.