23
votes
Accepted
Can I include my published short story as a chapter to my new book?
If you don't have a contract, the "publisher" might not even own any of the rights to the book. Is there a copyright page in the book? If so, who is the copyright registered to?
In the case ...
- 56.5k
10
votes
For publishing negotations I would like to know what a publishing company makes in profit?
Before you sign anything, read Kristine Kathryn Rusch's series on "Dealbreakers" -- clauses which, if they are in your contract, should make you walk away from the deal. For example, here's one about ...
- 201
7
votes
How do I make a contract with multiple authors
Adapted from my answer to Can I self-publish a book on the Kindle store when I'm under 18?
Absolutely, whenever you publish something with multiple authors—whether it's a collaboration or a work ...
- 32.4k
6
votes
Publishing Contract - Unsure about the legal wording
It isn't ordinary. It is a scam. Publishers always give royalties. Most likely, the reviews are scripted. Oh yes, don't give them the rights. You can give them first release rights or maybe even ...
- 71
4
votes
Accepted
Do I need to get people to sign a waiver to include their content in my book?
I think it is absolutely wise. Any sorts of legal complications can arise and it's always best to be in the clear. I wrote up a contract with a close friend of mine adapting her work (basically ...
- 751
4
votes
Getting My Rights Back
In some cases you can terminate the transfer of copyright and get your rights back. For works published after 1978, the termination start date would commence 35 years after publication, and you can ...
- 1,348
4
votes
Publishing Contract - Unsure about the legal wording
This is, at best, highly unusual. Any reasonable publishing contract will contain a termination clause, or be for a limited time. One termination event would be if the work becomes out of print, which ...
- 4,347
3
votes
Is it advantageous for authors to work as an LLC?
If an author does something which gives some other person grounds for a lawsuit, an LLC will not in general offer any protection to the author. For example, if a work is held to be defamatory, or an ...
- 4,347
3
votes
I paid for illustrations, now they want more money for copyrights for each illustration: do I owe them this?
It sounds like you paid for a license of the work and not the copyright. According to Justia:
[L]icenses allow a copyright owner to retain the rights while giving someone else a right to exercise ...
- 4,013
3
votes
How do you handle editors who materially change your writing after publication?
You don't have many options open to you—and some options are rather extreme.
Write your articles and let them make the changes they want.
Write your articles and correct any revisions that annoy you ...
- 2,540
3
votes
How do I make a contract with multiple authors
Adapted from my contract:
For the following projects:
“Possession” (ongoing digital comic series + trade print collections)
El Cadejo agrees that the COPYRIGHTS for the above named PROPERTY(...
- 751
3
votes
When a publisher buys the copyright for my books, does that include the pen name I used?
I agree with Cloudchaser's answer. Because one book has the potential to increase the sales of another, you might want to let the first publisher know that you have any title coming out under the same ...
- 1,348
2
votes
Writing without a contract
Generally speaking, any work/time/materials you are going to create for a company should be contract signed first. Signing them "later" should be a clear sign that something may not be right. Being ...
- 4,581
2
votes
Owning comic book characters
It's best to work out the terms for you guys now, as the comic book industry has all sorts of legal issues stemming from how characters were acquired as well as industry rules. Ever wonder why ...
- 13.5k
2
votes
Owning comic book characters
Note that there are two cases ou have to distinguish:
characters that were made by some creator for you as part of a paid contract or hire.
characters that you were allowed to use by the original ...
- 1,078
1
vote
Is it possible for an author to publish an online course based on their published book?
This is going to depend on the detailed language used in the actual contract, and my understanding is that such contracts vary widely. In many cases the language may well be negotiable, particularly ...
- 4,347
1
vote
Do I need to get people to sign a waiver to include their content in my book?
I agree with El Cadejo, it is always wise to have a contract in place. This covers you legally (and to some degree ethically) if:
You have a falling out with one of your subjects who wants to pull ...
- 32.4k
1
vote
I am an author that wrote a biography on a singer. Do I need to get permission to turn the book into a screenplay?
There are three possibilities:
Your contract addresses this issue. Follow it. If you're not sure, ask a lawyer.
Your contract does not address this issue. Go ask for permission.
You somehow wrote ...
- 32.4k
1
vote
I am an author that wrote a biography on a singer. Do I need to get permission to turn the book into a screenplay?
IANAL but you really need to check what your contract for the biography says: you might hold the license to make the biography, but you do not hold the copyright to the life of the singer. You might ...
- 1,078
1
vote
How to sign a contract to publish in a literary magazine?
Some places said that you could just type it in a different font, one different from the above line where it says to type your name. I tried this, but when it converted to an email, it went back to a ...
- 902
1
vote
Getting My Rights Back
If you have a contact at the publisher you could start by asking directly; but it sounds like you've been down that road. You could easily get the run-around here or talk to someone who has not the ...
- 7,600
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