Helen Sedwick's Blog, page 4
October 19, 2014
Negotiating With a Book Publisher: 7 Deal Points to Confirm Before You Sign On The Dotted Line.
Today, I am running a guest post by Jody Rein, a book publishing consultant, literary agent and former executive editor with Big 10, Big 6, Big 5 publishers in New York. She shares some helpful advice on understanding and negotiating publishing contracts.
A traditional book publisher has offered you a contract—hallelujah! But…now what?
I always negotiate book publishing contracts in (at least) two stages. I recommend you do this as well.
Stage one: Agree upon the key deal points.
Stage two: Revie...
October 5, 2014
A Little About My Novel, COYOTE WINDS
Where do cows go on Saturday nights? To the moo-vies.
My father loved to tell puns and stories, especially stories about his boyhood on the western prairie during the 1930s, the Dust Bowl.
I will be forever thankful he wrote a short memoir about those years before he passed away. Not ready to say goodbye to my Dad, I reread his memoir several times. I found wonderful tidbits about making ice cream from summer hail and the frightening silence before a dust storm. But I was struck most by someth...
September 16, 2014
How to Get Permission to Use Images Without Paying a Fortune or a Lawyer
You have probably heard the old joke,
What do you call 1000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
A good start.
Okay, that’s unfair (unless, of course, I get to choose which lawyers), but I do think there are many matters that writers can handle on their own without paying an attorney.
All they need are tools and information. That’s why I wrote Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook and this blog.
With that same goal in mind, Jessie Brown and I wrote a new e-book
September 13, 2014
How to Use Real People in Your Writing Without Ending Up in Court
Scarlett Johansson won a defamation suit against a French writer for creating a promiscuous character who happened to look like the movie star. A Georgia jury awarded $100,000 to a woman who claimed a character in The Red Hat Club falsely portrayed her as an “alcoholic s**t.”
Writers face three big risks when using real people in their writing: defamation, invasion of privacy, and misappropriation of the right of publicity. Yet every fiction writer bases characters on real people. Memoirists a...
August 28, 2014
From Astronauts to Van Goghs: Little Known Sources for Public Domain Images
Looking for a photograph of a bull elk? Or a 1890s baseball card? Or a space shot from the Apollo moon launch?
Perhaps you have searched Creative Commons images and haven’t found exactly what you want. And you don’t want to pay a fortune or an attorney.
I’ve compiled a list of some little known resources of public domain images. As you will see, I had a lot of fun putting together this list.
Most of these images may be downloaded for free, but some of the sites charge a small “reproduction fee”...
From Alligators to Van Goghs: Little Known Sources for Public Domain Images
Looking for a photograph of a bull elk? Or a 1890s baseball card? Or a space shot from the Apollo moon launch?
Perhaps you have searched Creative Commons images and haven’t found exactly what you want. And you don’t want to pay a fortune or an attorney.
I’ve compiled a list of some little known resources of public domain images. As you will see, I had a lot of fun putting together this list.
Most of these images may be downloaded for free, but some of the sites charge a small “reproduction fee”...
August 23, 2014
The Surprising Controversy about DRM
On bridges spanning the Seine in Paris and the canals of Venice, lovers place padlocks engraved with their names and throw away the keys. These colorful love locks create a touching testament to the promise of an unbreakable bond.
Don’t you wish you had such a lock on your writing?
Authors worry about piracy, particularly of their ebooks. I know I do. Every time I search my novel’s title COYOTE WINDS, I find sites offering a free or one cent downloads. I could waste a lot of time sending DMCA t...
August 10, 2014
Questions About Copyright, Pen Names, and 1099s
Today, I am going to answer questions posted by readers through emails, my website, and even Amazon reviews. I appreciated when readers take the time to ask questions. It helps me know what’s on your minds.
QUESTION: Oh no. I published my book last year and never registered it with the U.S. Copyright Office. Is it too late?
ANSWER: No, it’s not too late. You may register a copyright anytime within its lifetime (currently, life of the author plus 70 years). In fact, you must register your copyri...
July 24, 2014
Kindle Countdown Deal Going on Now
The Kindle version of Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook is now available for 99 cents on Amazon. On Sunday morning, the price will increase to $1.99. Regular price resumes on Wednesday, July 29, 2014.
Please help me spread the word. Thank you.
UPDATE: Under Amazon’s current rules, this Countdown Deal is only available to U.S. (and perhaps U.K.) buyers. My apologies to readers outside the U.S.
If I ran the world (or at least Amazon), I would make these offers available worldwide.
Related posts:
Kind...
July 22, 2014
Kindle Unlimited — One Writer/Lawyer’s Perspective
You have to be impressed by Amazon’s ability to generate news. Not about books or business or world peace, but about AMAZON. A week doesn’t go by when Jeff Bezos isn’t portrayed in the headlines as a pariah, a genius, or both.
On Friday July 18, 2014, the news was Kindle Unlimited (KU), a subscription plan that allows readers to pay $9.99 per month for unlimited access to over 600,000 ebooks. Interestingly, big publishers have not signed on. While there are some marquee titles (Harry Potter, T...
