With the increase of people using personal blogs and social media accounts, there has been a rise in the number of fake writers who want to steal content and pass it as their own. There are a number of simple yet effective ways to protect your writing portfolio from being stolen and used without your permission. Keep reading for more information about how you can keep your work safe and secure.
Make Sure The Person You Are Interviewing Is Willing To Part With Content
As a blogger or content creator, you are in the fortunate position of being able to ask questions and get answers from some of the most prominent people in the industry. If you are looking for original content to repurpose and use on your blog, you can interview the author of a book, attend a blogger summit, or inquire with a company’s public relations department. However, if you are planning to use content that was not purchased from a third party, you need to make sure that the author is willing to give you permission to do so. Without their consent, you are committing copyright infringement and could face legal repercussions. Some individuals and companies will aggressively pursue cases of copyright infringement against bloggers and social media users. The best way to avoid this is to make sure that the author has given you permission to use their content in the way that you intend to.
Use The Proper Attribution Cue
When writing a piece for publication, it is important to give credit to the source of the content you are using. You should include a reference to the original author and the website/blog where the content can be found. If there is no clear indication of where the content came from, it could be attributed to anyone. When repurposing or building upon content, you should always give credit to the original author or the publisher of the content you are using. Even if the content is in a public domain, you should still give credit to the original author or publisher. Failure to do so could also result in legal action.
The next step is to choose a creative commons license for your work that will allow it to be used by others. While there are many different licenses out there, keep in mind that not everyone will have the same interpretation of what exactly you meant by “creative commons” when choosing a license. Some writers and photographers will not want their work to be used for commercial purposes, while others will allow virtually anyone to use their content as long as they give credit where credit is due.
Use A Copyright-Free Image
When it comes to content creation, visual aids greatly enhance the reader’s experience. To truly maximize the impact of a blog post or magazine piece, you should always shoot for a high-quality image that is as diverse and eye-catching as possible. Sometimes, a well-placed graphic can even make up for a weak or lackluster piece of writing. Keep in mind that not every publication will have the same approach regarding visuals, so you should experiment and find what works best for you.
Use Short Peek-A-Boo Titles
Most often, the title of a piece will be the very first thing that strikes the reader’s eye. A well-crafted, short title can quickly encourage the reader to continue. A good title for a piece of content should be both informative and inviting. Oftentimes, a good title will include the name of the article’s primary resource. These are just simple tips to ensure that your work remains secure and is able to be distributed freely.
Avoid Using Excessive Capital Letters
Even when editing content for publication, excessive capitalization can be a clear giveaway that you are trying to imitate the voice of an actual person when writing original content. When in doubt, lower the case of the words you are using. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to this issue, especially if you are writing for an audience that includes the legal community.
To keep your work safe and secure, you need to take a few simple precautions. By choosing a creative commons license for your work, citing the source of your content, and using a high-quality image, you can make sure that your work will be attributed to you as the author. If you are using content that was not legally obtained or purchased, make sure that the author agreed to the use of their content in this way. It is also a good idea to keep your prose as tight as possible and always verify the facts that you are stating. In the end, proper documentation and attribution will make sure that your content remains untouched and you are not subject to any sort of legal action. Now that you know how to protect your writing portfolio from theft, you can confidently begin to utilize this content in your own right. If you found this article valuable, make sure to also check out these blogs and websites to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and tricks in technology and publishing.