Copyright 2015 Theresa Harvard Johnson
Navigating the world of writing and self-publishing can be extremely frustrating for writers regardless of experience level. Depending on the purpose of our manuscripts, we often encounter questions with hard to find answers. And if you are a poet, those questions are often compounded.
There are several books that I believe are invaluable to your growing reference library. They will relieve some frustration when seeking answers surrounding a specific subject, especially in creative projects; and point writers toward professional, sound advice. In addition, most of us would rather spend more time writing than piecing together questionable, partial resources from around the web.
There is an easier way to get the answers you need.
Below I have listed five of my favorite resources, explained why they are on my list and provided info on where to find them (just click the link).
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Getting Permission: How to License & Clear Copyrighted Material Online & Off by Attorney Richard Stim. When writing one of my books, I needed to use a chart and information previously published by another author. While I knew that I needed to get permission from the author or the publisher, I did not know everything involved in that process and how to completely cover myself. Nor did I want to go through an attorney to get it done. In brief, this book provided the answers for my purposes. I also learned how to get permission to use song lyrics, reprint music or even license my own material. I have found absolutely no end to the rich resources of this book! It even covers negotiating text permissions and fees, tells me where to go to get what I need, and provide all the licensing forms I need to get it done. I am convinced that every serious writer needs this book. In some of my spoken word poetry pieces, I sing popular songs between the lyrics between stanzas which is quite common in this arena. However, I struggled to learn how to gain permission to legally use them. This book answers those questions as well. It is an indispensable resource.
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The Public Domain: How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writing, Music, Art & More by Attorney Stephen Fishman. I have always found myself looking for images, charts, music or art to include in my books, blogs, book covers, movie clips, etc. While I understood Public Domain, I had no idea where to find materials that I could legally use. I made a lot of mistakes in this area that quite honestly, could have cost me dearly. This book provides extremely detailed and simple to understand legal information about Public Domain material and tons of resources on not only how to find what you are looking for but where to find it. So this book is practical in that sense. It covers writing, music, art, photography, movies and television, art work, software, architecture, maps and so much more. Any question you could possibly think of is answered. This book is an indispensable resource.
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Business and Legal Forms for Authors & Self-Publishers by Tad Crawford. This book is exactly what the title describes, an endless resource of contracts, forms and information for use by authors and self-publishers to not only protect their personal interests; but to also help clarify the critical importance of the business of writing. The author doesn’t just throw a bunch of forms in a book, but helps the writer grasp the necessity of the legal aspects of his or her craft. I have used this book for countless projects, one in particular was to help me develop an ongoing writing contract with an national/international magazine publisher who wanted to use my work. I had no clue how to cover myself without hiring an attorney. What I have found most useful, however, is the book publishing contract section which helps authors gain insight concerning book contract negotiations. A new edition of this book will be released soon, and I will surely update my library.
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The Writer’s Legal Companion by Brad Bunnin, Peter Beren. There hasn’t been an updated version of this book published in a while. This is important to note because references to technology are pretty much irrelevant. The good news is, you can by this book for about a nickel or less on Amazon. Please hear me when I say this: Do not toss it out in the wash because the technology aspects are out-dated. Why? Because it includes timeless wisdom concerning writing related contracts, collaborative projects, handling of print projects and work-for-hire agreements; as well as information surrounding often ignored pitfalls of publishing, publicity and privacy. Some timeless ethical issues are also addressed. Outside of college textbooks, I have not found a great deal of comprehensive information on these subjects. At best, a book or a person may specialize in one or two areas. What I have learned from this book has helped shape my approach in deciding whether or not to include certain information in my books that may have fallen into the category of slander or malice. I have also been educated concerning the complexitites of “collaborative projects and work-for-hire.” This book is an indispensable resource.
- How to Publish Your Poetry by Helen Ciaravino. This book presents itself as the-everything-you-need-to-know guide to get your poetry published. It does have some valuable information inside. What I loved most, however, was that it provided me with an introduction to the poetry publishing climate and helped me define some very realistic goals as it relates to my writing style, and the area I would like to break into. The second aspect that proved extremely helpful was learning about the expectations of poetry publishing as well as how to submit poetry to potential publishers – including query letter development and poem formatting. This is a big deal. Query letter samples for unpublished and poets who have already been published are included along with professional advice. Because of this, I have found myself referring back to this book time and time again. It will help poets move from obscure magazines to getting published in some respected publications if the advice is headed. I’ve had some success in this area with this book. This book is an indispensable resource.
None of these books are what I would call read-throughs – with the exception, perhaps of Ciaravino’s book. All these books are trusted resources in well-known and popular writing communities. By no means should the book content take the place of an attorney in your specific situation should it be determined that you need one.
