PS SPEAKERMOM:
YOU SAID, "This is a nice myth floating around among some writers. I attended a workshop on copyright law and the attorney who presented answered that common myth saying no judge would accept a sealed envelop with postmark as proof of copyright and it wouldn't stand up in court."

I LOVE LAWYERS. I HAVE A SON WHO IS ONE. BUT REMEMBER THAT COPYRIGHT LAWYERS CAN'T MAKE MUCH MONEY UNLESS THEY SELL SERVICES. IT IS SO HARD TO WIN A COPYRIGHT CASE THAT EVEN WITH A FULLY OFFICIAL, LEGAL COPYRIGHT IN HAND (BY THE WAY THESE ARE EASY TO DO AND ONLY COST ABOUT $30 IF YOU DO THEM YOURSELF) YOUR CHANCES OF "WINNING" ANYTHING ARE PRETTY SLIM. I PREFER TO TAKE THE PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH THUS: SOMEONE COPIES YOUR WORK. YOU FIND THEM BY SELF-SURFING THE WEB. YOU WRITE AND SAY, PRETTY MUCH, "AHA, I CAUGHT YOU!" AND YOU SAY, LET'S MAKE THIS WIN-WIN. YOU EITHER PAY ME OR TAKE A TRADE OUT IN EXPOSURE FOR MY BOOK IN ADS FOR MY BOOK OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IT (THEY MUST HAVE LIKED IT WELL ENOUGH TO COPY FROM IT, RIGHT?) AND WE'LL ALL WALK AWAY FROM THIS HAPPY. I HAD THIS HAPPEN ONCE, VERY RECENTLY. THEY DIDN'T ASK ME FOR A COPYRIGHT. THEY JUST GAVE ME AN AD WORTH ABOUT $400. WHICH IS LOTS MORE THAN I WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR IN REPRINT RIGHTS, ANYWAY! WHAT GOOD WOULD A COPYRIGHT HAVE DONE ME. AGAIN, THIS ISN'T ADVICE. I'M JUST SHARING MY THEORIES. IF ANY OF YOU NEED TO BE SUPER CAREFUL BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU'RE BUILT, THEN HAVE AT IT. LOL. TO EACH HER OWN.
BEST, C.