Books to Film: The Option Versus The Shopping Agreement
Most writers dream about their book becoming a movie. It’s exciting to think about seeing our creative endeavors on the big screen or television. Plus, who doesn’t like receiving more money? But adapting a book into a movie is a...
Traditional And Self-Publishing Contracts – When To Just Say, NO!
At ThrillerFest this year (a writing conference in NYC for, you guessed it, thriller writers), I moderated a panel on negotiating publishing contracts. The panel consisted of two agents, two publishing lawyers, and two authors....
Ten Things All Authors Need to Know About Copyright
If you write to earn money, you need to know about copyright law. Copyright provides the only legal protection you’ll have if your work is plagiarized, infringed upon, or otherwise exploited without your permission or fair...
Legal Resources For Writers: How To Find Legal Representation
As much as we attempt to avoid legal issues in our writing careers, there are times when consulting a publishing lawyer is a necessity. Maybe you are a victim of a publishing scam or accused of defamation. Maybe you need advice...
Using Real People, Places, And Corporations In Your Fiction – How Real Can You Get And Not Be Sued?
This week one of our subscribers asked about using a real person in her fiction. RuPaul was making an appearance in some sort of fashion (and in fashion I might assume too). The question is a common one by writers and usually...
Publishing Update — Perish From The Earth by Jonathan F. Putnam
Sidebar Saturdays contributor Jonathan F. Putnam’s latest Lincoln & Speed historical mystery, Perish from the Earth was published by Crooked Lane Books in July, 2017 A murder aboard a steamboat forces Abraham Lincoln to...