writing.

Please don’t send me your stuff

Quick PSA: 

Unless I have an existing, mutually agreed-upon working relationship with you, please do not send me your writing for critique, review, or other professional feedback.

I don’t have the time to read your stuff, and I don’t want the legal exposure. Even if I did have the time to read your novel—which I don’t because my schedule is stacked with my own projects—I can’t look at what you send me because I don’t want to be on the receiving end of a future lawsuit that claims I ripped off your work in one of my own stories. 

(And no, I am not interested in writing a novel with or for anyone else, regardless of how amazing your idea may be, or how certain you are that it will lead to untold riches for us both. See the paragraph above about the legal exposure thing.)

I get such requests on a semi-regular basis, but they’ve picked up lately for some reason, so I am putting this out here to discourage future requests. This isn’t me pulling the ladder up and thinking I am too good to help out new writers. It’s to protect myself against copyright claims and to minimize the chances of someone showing up at my place one day with a framing hammer, a bunch of zip ties, and an unshakeable conviction that I stole their idea for a novel. 

15 thoughts on “Please don’t send me your stuff”

  3. I was going to suggest a story where a political party used the levers of power to fund a disease that was then used to rig the election in favor of their candidate, causing President Wild to be voted from office. The other party would eventually regain power, getting their billionaire (Scent) reelected, and in connection with a billionaire who used to be in league with the plotters but was disillusioned and switched sides, exposed the plot and began posting it on the social media platform that was owned by the billionaire before beginning in firing most Federal employees.
    Starring: President Wild and Billionaire Scent
    That was my idea, but I felt like it was too far fetched.

  4. Sad that you even need to make the PSA. Clueless, semi-desperate, wannabe authors should get an agent. They tried and can’t? Maybe that should tell them something. Successful writing is hard, demanding, and requires elusive talent. I am happy you are successfully writing and publishing. You are giving the world a lot of enjoyment. Thank you.

  5. I would never! Besides, my writing is crap. I’m a 70 year old grandma who just wants to sit in my chair with a cat on my lap, cup of tea and read your way cool books to my heart’s content. Thank you for what you do, Marko.

  6. If I send you a l handwritten note, with anything (Idk, how much I loved your last book) can I get an opinión on my handwriting and how to improve It maybe?

  10. Smart. Tom Clancy claimed that he only read nonfiction (history and technical manuals) so he could not be accused of ripping off another author.

  11. Damn, I was about to start writing my novel about an author who turns up at another author’s house with a framing hammer, a bunch of zip ties, and an unshakeable conviction that they stole their idea for a novel.

    Back to the drawing board I guess

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