gr8writer

I have an idea for a book that would require a lot of interviews. My question is, how do I ensure that some of the people I interview will not steal my idea before I have a chance to write it up? It will require interviews from all religions in addition to scientists and atheists is there anyway I can copywrite my idea before I start writing?

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Healing

Be gentle, it's my baby.
j/k have fun you won't hurt my feelings.

valeca

No. Ideas can not be copyrighted. (Go here to read more about it).

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You know you wanna.

gr8writer

So what do I do if someone steals my idea and writes it first?

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Healing

Be gentle, it's my baby.
j/k have fun you won't hurt my feelings.

archer88iv

Count on losing sales to the other book unless yours is better?

Really, if they wanted to write the book, had the time, had the knowledge, they'd probably beat you to the punch. (Translation: it'd already be written.) Count on the fact that they, too, have day jobs.

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-J

gr8writer

Have any of you had to write a book that required many interviews. How do you set up interviews with normal everyday people?

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Healing

Be gentle, it's my baby.
j/k have fun you won't hurt my feelings.

Non Serviam

1) Stop them in the street and ask if they'd mind being interviewed for a book. (Assume that most of them will say no, but a few will say yes.)
2) Inform them the interview will be taped. Make sure you have the equipment to tape it. Get them to sign a consent/release form drafted by your attorney.
3) Interview them.
4) Type up the interviews.
5) Sell your book.

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Born naked, helpless, unable to care for himself and completely open-minded, Non Serviam has subsequently surmounted all these difficulties and gone on to become a decently-clothed, self-sufficient, close-minded sod.

Just Jim

gr8writer,

You say that you plan to interview several people. You aren't going to tell each one everything the others have said. There's no way anyone else can steal it.

They would have to do their own interviews, and they would come out with a completely different book.

If you have a good idea, just do it.

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http://jimsstories.wordpress.com/
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Sam Winchester

The people you interview mightn't have the slightest inkling of how to write a book, so therefore I wouldn't worry about them stealing your idea.

As Jim said, you aren't going to tell anyone what happened in the previous interview.

Sam.

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lin

Actually, it IS possible that there's a "high concept" idea that would be revealed from the nature of the interviews.

But the chance of somebody being a writer who is going to steal it and try to write it up is pretty slim.

Let me suggest that you create a non-fiction proposal for the book and send it around to agents and publishers in applicable fields. This might help organize your work, anyway. It also might either:
a)convince you nobody wants it and save you some time of
b) get a nibble or strike, in which case you're requesting interveiws as "writing a book for Doubleday" or such. Which opens doors and makes the book seem less "stealable" on the off chance that you run into somebody interested in doing that.

Like the man said, get signed releases. With email addresses. This becomes a mailing list of very likely prospects if the book is published.

(Be careful of the clergymen: they'll steal anything. And if they are CATHOLIC clergymen, don't bend over in front of them.)

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gr8writer

haha about the clergymen. How do I go about writing a proposal for a book anyway? If a publisher was interested would I have to agree to have it written within a certain amount of time? I've never done it.

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Healing

Be gentle, it's my baby.
j/k have fun you won't hurt my feelings.

lin

One cool thing about non-fiction is that you can approach agents and publishers before the book is complete. If they like it, they'll want to see more. If you're a newbie with not track record, they probably won't contract until the book is finished or mostly done, unless they are so blown away by the idea that they want it and figure even if you mess up they can get it finished.

There are lots of tutorials and "templates" for nonfiction prosals on the web. Sometimes agents even have them on their websites.

They want to see a synopsis, your qualifications and/or resources, sample chapters, table of contents, etc. You should search for such a guide. And at the same time search for agents that might be interested: agents that handle the same kind of book would be a good place to start.

If there is a publisher who specializes in the field, start there. (For instance, Hazeldon specializes in AA, recovery type material)

You can be refining your approach and the book itself as you research the task of proposing it.

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