Author Archive


How to Use Images of Real People Without Violating Privacy and Publicity Rights

Suppose you find the perfect image for your book cover on the internet—a plucky redhead with a perfect pout. Even better, the photo is available under a Creative Commons attribution-only license that permits commercial use. What a money saver! But… Read the rest

Answering Questions About Copyright

I love my readers. Not because they buy my books. I like that. I love my readers because they ask interesting questions. I read your emails, sit back and give an audible hmmmm. Your questions challenge me to take… Read the rest

Submission Releases Find Their Way into Book World

Suppose you are about to submit a query and sample chapters to an agent. A pop-up window appears requiring you to agree to a bunch of legalese including the following: I will not assert against Agent any claim based upon Read the rest

Book Disclaimers Don’t Have to be Boring!

Many authors assume the legal disclaimers at the front of their books are supposed to be boring. They presume some pricey lawyers devised standard legalese, and they dare not depart from the norm. Not so. The law does not require… Read the rest

Sales Tax Basics for Writers

If you will be selling books either in person or through your website, then the law says you are to collect and pay sales tax, unless you’re lucky enough to live in a state without sales tax. And calculating sales… Read the rest

Join Me Today at the Non-Fiction Writers Online Conference

Today, at 5 PM Eastern Time (2 PM Pacific), I’ll be giving a presentation called Protecting Your Rights and Your Wallet. I’ll discuss copyrights and how to protect them from ‘theft by contract.’ My goal is help writers spot overreaching… Read the rest

Have the Courts Given Google a License to Steal From Authors?

If I were to scan Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, post 16% of it on my website to attract visitors, and then sell advertising at prices justified by the number of visitors, I would be infringing on Hannah’s copyright. I… Read the rest

Business Set-Up For Indie Authors Now Available

Yesterday, I did a live webinar with Joel Friedlander on how to set-up your self-publishing business. including information about business names and taxes. You can view it here.  Why Authors Who Want to Self-Publish Need a Business Hat For more… Read the rest

Free Webinar on Business Basics for Writers

What are you doing Thursday, Feb. 11 at 1 Pacific time/4 Eastern time?  I’ve teamed up with Joel Friedlander to present a webinar on business basics for writers, particularly the nuts and bolts of setting up your self-publishing business. And Read the rest

Translation Options for Indie Authors

David Vann is one of the most accomplished U.S. authors you’ve never heard of. His award-winning works have been translated into nearly 20 languages, and he’s a former Guggenheim Fellow and Stegner Fellow. Even though Vann’s books are published by… Read the rest

Top