1- How do I get copyright protection? Before you put forward any methods, please view my location first! Makes the process a lot different. However, fyi, in my country I am unable to find a local copyrighter, so I'll need advise on what to do about that. 2- How do I prepare my manuscript? Despite the fact I didn't find much of a publisher (well, I did, but I'm trying to grab hold of an agent!), I think I need some information on that. Teehee, I know I'm amateur. 3- Which agent should I pick? A local agent, or an international agent? Pros of a local agent: I can meet him/her. Cons of a local agent: I don't trust him/her and I'm not sure if he/she is capable of doing the job at an international standard. Pros of an international agent: I don't know if trust comes here, but definitely can do the job if it's possible. Cons of an international agent:Can't meet him/her. *sigh* [I'm picking an international/American publisher, okay?] Phew! I hope this thread gets some attention. Till then, adios!
Here's what I found for the Google search Copyright registration Pakistan: Registration of Copyrights in Pakistan.
...if your country is a signatory to the berne convention, your work may be automatically copyrighted, as it is in the us... check out the laws there, to see how you are protected if you deal with us agents/publishers: U.S. Copyright Office ...for additional protection, you can register and archive your work with the wga [writers guild of america] for a small fee... that's where most pros register their work and anyone anywhere can send in their mss, despite the current strike... here's where: www.wga.org [screenplays, tv scripts] or WGAE [stage plays, books, song lyrics] follow these guides: William Shunn : Manuscript Format if it's 'not much of one' don't sign anything!... get an agent first... i'll be glad to send you several agent listing links, if you email me... that will depend on where you want your work to be published... since you say you only seek american or int'l publishers, then you'll need an american agent... local ones won't do you any good, unless they have a good track record with getting american publishers for their clients... in the flesh meetings would be a waste of time, if they don't have good connections with the publishers you want... in person meetings are not necessary, though helpful in many cases... if you find a good international or us agency willing to take you on, they'll be used to dealing with clients at a distance... what's more important is that the agent is able to meet with editors, so go for those who are in nyc, as ny is the center of the publishing world... hope this is helpful... email me for further details if needed... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
