How often as writers do we suffer the pain of seeing an idea we had thought of suddenly launched as someone else's bestseller?
I commonly get asked at writing festivals how authors can be sure that ideas they submit to publishers and agents won't just be pinched and developed by someone else. My answer is that while you can't be entirely sure, in truth we are all responding to the same ether - of ideas and influences - and it's perfectly possible for two people to come up with the same thought at the same time - and one find a publisher first. Most publishers and agents have enough good combinations of author and material submitted to them, without needing to plunder ideas with a transfer value.
I have to draft the next bit carefully. I don't want to sound smug, just convey my growing excitement. I don't know if, like me, you are glued to the second series of A History of the World in 100 Objects, which has recently returned to Radio 4, written and presented by the director of the British Museum, Neil Macgregor? Apparently it's a massive success, with huge numbers of people hitting the website to see what the objects look like.
And the reason for my excitement? Surely all these people listening and looking are going to be thinking about how they too would like to work in a museum or gallery (or maybe that it's a good option for their children). And meanwhile, I have just published a book on the subject.
I must rapidly confess that the book was not my idea. I have often felt that being a publisher requires a lot of altruism. The idea for the book came from A&C Black's commissioning editor for reference, Lisa Carden. She wrote the initial proposal, commissioned me to write it and someone else to produce the elegant cover, persuaded her colleagues to invest in it, and having instructed the copyeditor, promptly went off on maternity leave.
My hope is that right now, at home with her new daughter Lucy, she is listening too - and having similarly excited thoughts that now working in a museum or gallery looks such an exciting career option, we have produced the perfect guide to getting started. A felicitous case of commeth the hour, commeth the man(ual).
All best, Alison
Alison Baverstock is the author of Marketing your book, an author’s guide (A&C Black) and is course leader of the MA Publishing at Kingston University.
She is speaking at the Writers' & Artists' Insider Guide to How to Get Published conference on Saturday 19 June. Places are limited so early booking is advised »
Her latest book, How to Get a Job in a Museum or Art Gallery (A&C Black), is out now.
As Alison says, it’s perfectly possible for two people to come up with the same thought at the same time. Or a person may have an idea and later someone unheard of pops up with a published bestseller or movie revolving around the idea. This form of deja vu happens to me all the time. It is no reason however for me to go sue the authors/creators for it. It seems that for every bestselling author there’s got to be a major lawsuit. This may or may not be true, but it gives an observer like me the impression that there are those out there waiting for a writer to make it big so they can sue his/her pockets off. If true, that in my opinion would be one of the biggest setbacks of the writing career. Not only do writers work hard to be successful, but they also have to worry about being punished because of it. One of the prerequisites to being published besides getting an agent and finding a publisher, increasingly seems to be hiring a good lawyer. I would like to get people’s views on this.
Xean
16/6/7/2010
Thank you Cressida.
It's strange, but having ideas taken and devloped by someone else felt much worse than when I've had artwork stolen from an exhibition.
Having a feeling of security does make a difference, and I feel a good deal better knowing that all is well.
In addition to people having the same ideas or running with the same sort of plots, there are also those people who are willing to take advantage of another. They can also be found on some of the most trusted websites, which is alarming.
I wish that I could just go about my life being happy and excited about my projects, but I can't seem to do it these days. There is always someone, who in my opinion, is lazy or has less or no imagination and that will use your ideas.
I have had my ideas copied in the past. At the time, I couldn't do anything about it. Now, I keep records of everything, just for peace of mind. I normally only share my ideas with close friends, until recently when I tripped up over my naivety. I suppose that I needed a reminder to keep my mouth shut.