Using Song Lyrics In Fiction
I hear this question often — “Can I use song lyrics in my fiction?” I completely understand. Music provides great inspiration for writers. A few lines from “In Da Club” by 50 Cent could be brilliant character insight....
Using Music and Film Clips Without Violating Copyright Law
If you are creating book trailers, audiobooks, or online videos that include preexisting music or film clips, copyright law can be one of your biggest headaches. The first step to avoid copyright violations is to identify who...
Confessions, Trials, and Fiction
A writer this week asked about the use of confessions in the criminal trial process. A character in the writer’s plot has signed a confession admitting facts necessary for conviction of a crime. The writer wanted a short...
Media Liability Insurance – Do Authors Need It?
Most manuscripts are not contentious enough to land an author in court. Some writers, however, do venture into highly controversial topics (like those found in memoirs or biographies). Or their fiction includes real people or...
Contests, Sweepstakes, And Giveaways – Is Yours Legally Compliant Or An Illegal Lottery?
In the book-marketing world, giveaways are popular among authors, especially when launching a new book. Giveaways are innovative tools for authors to promote awareness, engage readers, locate new readers, collect useful marketing...