Q. What is cross-collateralization, and is there a cure? A. Cross-collateralization is an accounting concept (stay with me here) used in publishing agreements (and also commercial loans). It refers to the right of the publisher to charge your royalty account for any amount owing to the publisher under any other agreement. Unfortunately, many writers fail … Continue reading Q&A: Cross-collateralization
So You Want To Be In Pictures? It’s every writer’s fantasy — Hollywood buys your story and before you know it, you’re watching your name roll down the credits of a summer blockbuster. Likely? Of course not. Nevertheless, the chances of your work being considered for film or television might be greater than you think … Continue reading The Reel Deal
It’s a lawsuit-happy world out there, and even fiction writers need to be aware of the dangers. If you write true-crime novels, for example, you might be sued for defamation, invasion of privacy, or violation of the right of publicity. Or your novel may be too close to someone else’s novel, and you could be … Continue reading Do You Need Liability Insurance?
Myth #1: “To obtain a copyright on my work, I have to register it.” Actually, copyright is automatic when a work is created and fixed in a copy or recorded for the first time (the instant you lift pen from paper, or your word processing software saves to disk). Registration is not required to qualify … Continue reading Top 10 Copyright Myths
Everyone talks about them, but few really understand. What are the “rights” you sell to a magazine or a publisher? First, let’s review the basics. You already should know that the author of an original work owns its copyright the instant it is “fixed” on paper, disk, video, photograph or other tangible medium (unless it was “work … Continue reading Rights 101
[toc] Many authors market their services under a trade name or use websites to display, market and sell their work. Some novelists use pen names or pseudonyms. What all these writers have in common is the need to protect the goodwill and value of their most valuable asset: their business name. To accomplish this, writers … Continue reading Do You Need A Trademark?