Non-Fiction Writing Using References???

[Dwayne]

I love writing, and my first book will be out soon, but that is a poetry book - one that I am not quoting information from other sources (100% original). Now, I am moving into writing in the business realm. I have written many papers in academia land, and I merely have to give credit to the sources of my information when it is not original thought, but how does it work when you are writing and selling a book for profit? Do I need to contact each author that I quote (even if I am giving them and their books credit for the information)?

Dwayne
dwayne@dwaynekilbourne.com

[Kristin]

Dwayne,
It depends on how you are using their work. When you did it for education, you only had to list the sources. Now you are using it in business, you may need to get permission. I am not sure exactly how you are quoting them. Depending on what you are quoting and the purpose will be the determining factors. I would strongly recommend you visit the copyright web site.

KB

[M.L.]

I would visit the copyright web site, but if this were me, I'd look into the fair use doctrine as well.

I'm not exactly clear on all this as I write fiction, but fair use, as I understand it, means you can quote authors (and cite the material) as long as you're not stealing the whole meaning of the work or claiming it as your own.

This is why you see many business books with reams of footnotes and endnotes, citing the author and the work from which the quote was taken. It never hurts to err on the side of caution and ask permission either. You could end up with a nice blurb that will help sell the book.

Google Fair Use Doctrine and see what you get. You might also want to consult a lawyer familiar with intellectual properties and the rights pertaining to them just to be safe.

[Kevin]

Pretty much what M.l. said.

Quotes are fine. Real world history is fine. Even trademarked product references are fine if you use them in a historical context of society.

Just as long as you aren't saying things such as: GM Makes the best cars ever and Ford sucks (it might be considered an advertisement and you're directly calling down Ford), then go off and re-write an entire chapter of Huckleberry Finn.

However, even though you do this, you should place a disclaimer at the beginning of the book stating your use of references. My disclaimer is so confusing (purposely so), it allows me to even slam some people who are currently alive (my "contemporary historical fiction" has a disclaimer that's half "these people and events don't exist" and half "oh hey it exists but it's used in historical and social context".

lol

:grins evily:

But I suggest you be careful.