Interview Releases — Should You Use One?
Recently, I completed a weekend intensive freelance writing course at UPOD Academy with David Hochman. I met a remarkable group of accomplished writers who have inspired me to write about the legal issues freelance writers and...
CockyGate Update: One Writer’s Adjective, Another Writer’s Short-Lived Trademark
Last spring (2018), romance writers lit up social media over a trademark for the adjective cocky. As you can expect, the descriptive word can be found in countless numbers of romance novels, whether on the page, in the title, or...
Merchandising Rights – Do you have control?
People who love books also love book-related merchandise. Tie-in products, also known as swag, have long-term promotional benefits, whether you are giving product away or selling it. If the book is popular, so will the related...
Using Orphan Works – When A Copyright Owner Is Impossible To Identify Or Locate
Two weeks ago, a reader contacted me about copyright permissions after reading my Derivative Works article. The writer intended to use copyright-protected letters she thought would make a shocking exposé. After attempting to...
Using Another Author’s Work — Is Your Derivative Work Infringing Someone’s Copyright?
Creative inspiration for writers often comes from the work of other authors. Maybe we are inspired by someone’s story or moved by a relatable character. Maybe we want to add something new to an existing story, or expand...