Steal like a Substack Writer

The Certified Writer’s Files #11

I have a job that I hate.

I have a stressful college major.

I also happen to write on Substack. THAT makes me happy.

In fact, it has made me so happy that it’s practically consuming my thoughts every day. “What if I’m not delivering quality content?, “What if I actually suck at writing for Substack and no one tells me anything?”- these are some of the thoughts that go through my head every day.

But still, I manage to say ‘Fuck you’ to all my crippling anxiety and self doubt and I do make sure to try and write something different every week. Is it a hobby? Is it a passion? It’s most certainly not my job, I’m not getting paid to do this shit, that’s for sure.

But I just love doing this. For the people here, for my friends here, for the new friends I make every day, for the comments that call me indulgent for no reason (they make me laugh so hard) and it’s all a fucking peach until people start actually paying attention to you. And by that, I mean copying you.

Don’t you just love getting copied? I do. I love seeing all my work get so undervalued, I love seeing all my friends go behind paywalls just so that they at least get paid for being copied, I love confronting them in the DMs and basically getting a ‘You didn’t invent this subject’ in response. Classic. Beautiful.

I don’t even know why I copyright my work anymore, if it is THAT easy.

Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a place to be inspired. It isn’t a crime to get inspiration. Most creators/ writers even feel honored to be inspos for you. So talk to them.

Send a DM, an email, anything. We all see you clicking the same post three hundred fucking times in a short period of time. I honestly don’t get the issue of saying “I was inspired by..” . But maybe that’s just me. With so many information available on social media, we all want to stand out, we all want to write the next most original thing, we all want to be the refreshing voice, we all want to be in tune with everything - but not everyone can be.

Isn’t it such a bummer to get a ‘good job’ in the comments for something you obviously didn’t come up with? Isn’t it such a bummer to completely dismiss a creator’s feelings by stealing from them just because they have a large following? God, even Lana Del Rey is seeing all the comments you’ve been making about her new boyfriend (something deeply unnecessary and weird), so why wouldn’t I see people on Substack copying my work? That I so carefully copyrighted? I see you. Bummer, no?

Make arrangements with your favorite creators, or simply tell them what you’re about to do. You’re not stealing from a huge corporation that doesn’t care if you live or die, you’re stealing from a human being, someone who putted all their time and their effort into this, and someone who’s probably not getting paid a single cent for this. Or getting terribly burned out and terribly underpaid (being a writer, essentially).

And if you’re a creator (even with no followers at all), please copyright your work. Be protected, because we’re not valued at all. This isn’t a valued profession, not even on social media, where everything is apparently ‘so easy’. We’re being ripped off by people every single minute. I, too, got my submission stolen and didn’t get paid. By a “serious” magazine. And you thought I wasn’t going to say anything about this on Substack? Just because social media can be a no man’s land, doesn’t mean I’m not going to take my work seriously.

So you see this happening to people that actually want to do this for a living, who are, in fact, doing this for a living, and you still want to copy all of their work? Just because they have thousands of followers (most of these accounts have well deserved thousands, thank you very much.)? Just because their work is ‘public’? If you do, sit down wherever you are because I’m going full teacher mode:

COPYRIGHT 101 WITH TEACHER AMES.

Hi.

Public domain and copyrighted works represent two VERY distinct categories of intellectual property, my dearest students.

- Teacher, what the fuck is a public domain?

- Very well, my dear, a public domain is a work, or a selection of works that no one holds exclusive rights to. Cool, no? It can be freely used by anyone without permission. You can even shit on it if you want.

-Teacher, which works can be considered as public domain?

- So, works enter the public domain either because copyright has expired or because they were never eligible for copyright in the first place.

EX: Literature works that are public domain right now:

• “Frankenstein”, by Mary Shelley

• “Pride and prejudice”, by Jane Austen

• “The wonderful wizard of Oz”, by L. Frank Baum

You can copy, modify, and distribute public domain works without seeking permission or paying royalties.

So no, Substack writers don’t produce public domain content. Some of them have all their work copyrighted so smartasses don’t steal from them. Yes, im looking at you, fiction writer, short story writer, poet, think piece writer, any writer. Please protect your work. Oh. You don’t know how to? I’ll help you.

HOW TO COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK: A CHAT WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND, THE SUBSTACK ALGORITHM.

AMANDA: Hi, Sub. Can I call you sub?

SUBSTACK: You can refer to me however you like! What can I assist you with?

AMANDA: I’m doing a piece on copyright and people stealing content. Can you help me understand how one can copyright their work here?

SUB: Great question! Here’s how you can handle copyright for your work on Substack:

1.Automatic Protection: Your original creative work is automatically protected under copyright law as soon as you create it. There's no need to apply for copyright protection.

2. Registration (U.S. only): If you're in the United States and want additional legal enforcement options, you might consider registering your work with the United States Copyright Office. This can be crucial if you ever need to take legal action for copyright infringement.

3. Documentation: Keep records of your work and its publication dates as proof of authorship in any potential disputes.

AMANDA: Cool, cool. And which kinds of work can be copyrighted?

SUB: Copyright protects original creative works that are expressed in a tangible form. Here’s what typically qualifies:

- Written works like articles, stories, and blog posts

- Music, including both compositions and lyrics

- Visual arts such as paintings, photographs, and graphics

- Dramatic works including plays and scripts

- Other forms of creative expression that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression

As long as your work is original and expressed in some form that can be perceived either directly or with the aid of a device, it should be eligible for copyright protection.

AMANDA: Thank you! Is there anything you want to say to “Certified.” Readers?

SUB: Yes! If you or your readers have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out anytime!

This was written for my best friend Sarah.

I’ve seen this happen to you way too many times.

*If you’re a new friend I just made, check this sexy post out: