Do you copyright them before you post them here? I have mine copyrighted but don't post it on the stories. My husband says I should but I think that is kind of like saying "hey I am a great author" I know I am an amateur so I am curious who does and where you post it if you do.
The moment you finish a story, you own the copyright. Registration is a public record of your copyright which helps document your ownership of a copyrightable work. Registration does come at a fee, so it may not be worthwhile for shorter pieces that you do not intend to publish for profit. In Canada, check with the Copyright Board of Canada for more information. Also, check out the Writing Resources thread under General Writing in this forum.
The biggest thing is to be careful when posting your work anywhere. If you do post any work I would suggest only posting a couple of chapters or just lettign your friends be the ones to read your work.
I have not bothered to sort out proper copyright verification or whatever, I never think things like that matter too much. I am just hoping that I never need to use it in the future. Heather
for copyright info in the us: U.S. Copyright Office seasoned writers/pros don't register their copyrights [screenwriters and songwriters are exceptions]... so, anyone adding the copyright notice to their work is immediately seen as an amateur... registering your copyright is just not necessary, since your work is protected as soon as you complete it... and the notice will date your work, show how long you've been trying to get it published...
I prefer to think of it as: Every day you learn something new is a good day. I'm not prepared to call a day a total loss if I don't learn something new, although I greatly prefer informative days. Other events can have value too.
