Help! Someone Stole My Idea—I’ll Never Be a Published Writer Now!
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
You’re probably here because you were cruising the book sales memos and saw something that sounded close to your own work. Now you’re nervous that you were scooped, and that your idea is not going anywhere because someone else got there first.
A Soundalike Idea Doesn’t Stop You From Becoming a Published Writer
A writer was recently full of emotion after she saw some marketing materials for a book deal announcement that struck her as very similar to her own work in progress. Was this it? Would she never become a published writer? She was dejected, thinking she wouldn’t have the confidence to continue writing her project if someone else already beat her to it. It felt like her dream of becoming a published writer had been nipped in the bud. At least for this novel (which had already been years in the making).
Oddly enough, this is a common dilemma, and here is the (at times, tongue-in-cheek) response I wrote on the Good Story Learning community chat that I hope can help if you feel like your book idea was stolen by someone much closer to being a published writer than you.
Can You Still be a Published Writer When Someone Else “Stole” Your Idea?
Most people in the industry shrug off this question and say, “Don’t worry about it, you can still be a published writer, even if another published work sounds close to your own.” While this can seem dismissive, publishing professionals have seen this exact debacle play out hundreds of times and have a bit more context to add.
Thousands of books will be brought out this year. Unless the lookalike book you saw becomes exceptionally popular, it’s (sadly) very likely that the published writer who “stole” your idea will get a brief moment in the spotlight and then fade into obscurity. (It's unfortunate, but quite true: for each successful book released in a year, many more do fairly well but don't get noticed widely.) Then the following year will bring another round of books. Then another.
In the BEST case, it will take you six months to complete your book. Then, you’ll need another three months to find a literary agent and revise everything under their guidance. Afterwards, it will go into submission and–if you’re lucky–it’ll be bought in three more months (and that’s actually quite fast). And you’re still not done, as this does not mark the end of the process of becoming a published writer.
You’ll enter the contracts, editing, design, and proofreading stages—and all of this could take a minimum of two years before your hardcover is released. In the event that delays occur or more revisions are needed along the way, you could easily be waiting three years from today for your published writer dreams to come true and to hold your finished book in your hands.
Published Writer Context: Confusing the Pitch and the Execution
Finally, a two-sentence marketing description doesn't quite capture the full essence of a book: voice, tone, plot points, sense of humor, etc. All of these elements are different in your book than that of the other published writer who has a similar idea. While the pitches for the two projects might be similar, the two could be completely different when actually executed. A book pitch and an actual book sometimes have little to do with one another!
You may be tempted to delete your manuscript and start over, bemoaning your lost chance to become a published writer. Don’t do it. Instead, keep plugging away! There's no need to feel like someone else has the same book idea as you. Eventually, you may become that published writer whose work appears in a deal announcement and some other aspiring writer might throw up their hands, wondering how you “stole” their WIP.
There are only so many book ideas in the world, besides. It’s what you do with your idea that makes you unique. Quality of execution is what matters, and there's more than enough space on the shelves for books of all kinds.
Believe in abundance instead of lack. Someone else getting a book deal doesn’t diminish your chances of achieving success. You can still become the published writer of your dreams.
Elevate Your Storytelling
Wherever you are in your writing journey—from an initial outline to a draft to pitching your project—the experienced team at Good Story Editing can take your work to the next level.