Adding Criminal Law and Procedure to Your Fiction: Part III
The Courtroom—Guilty Plea and Trial Welcome to Part III of Adding Criminal Law and Procedure to Your Fiction. See Part I for a discussion of search warrants and exceptions to the warrant requirement, and Part II for stop &...
Making Fiction Stranger (or at least more compelling) Than Truth
The presidential campaign of 2016 is – blessedly – almost over. If you’re like me, you can’t wait to be done with it. On the other hand, to the fiction writer, the election has been morbidly fascinating, with the obscure,...
Publishing Contracts — Ten Tips for Negotiating the Grant of Rights Clause
The nucleus of any publishing contract is the “Grant of Rights” clause. This provision defines what rights under copyright the author transfers to the publisher to commercially exploit in exchange for payment. For...
Reduce the Sting of Warranty and Indemnity Clauses in Publishing Contracts
Every book contract, whether traditionally published or self-published through Amazon, contains warranty and indemnity clauses. The demands made in these provisions tend to be seen by authors as grossly unfair and unreasonable....
Capital Punishment – Procedures And Appeals For Death Penalty Cases
Sarah from San Diego asked about the rules and procedures for capital punishment. The plot in her current manuscript centers on a lawyer’s attempt to free her husband who has been charged with the brutal rape and murder of...