Author Law A to Z: A Desktop Guide to Writers' Rights and Responsibilities (A to Z Legal Series) (Capital Ideas) [Paperback]

Sallie Randolph (Author), Karen Dustman (Author), Stacy Davis (Author), Anthony Elia (Author)

Book Description

Series: Capital Ideas | Publication Date: September 6, 2005

Written by a quartet of straight-talking author-lawyers, this is the most comprehensive and thorough reference guide on publishing law—in an easy to read format. From authors to editors, literary agents to journalists, anyone who works with words confronts an astonishing variety of legal puzzles and perils. This easy-to-use guide to writers’ rights and responsibilities will help users navigate this legal maze and work more profitably. Part legal dictionary, part publishing encyclopedia and chock-full of helpful how-to advice, "Author Law A to Z" addresses key concepts in the publishing field. Styled as a series of alphabetical entries, this reference book makes it easy for readers to locate answers to specific questions, get help with a particular problem, or simply browse an array of fascinating entries for greater professional knowledge. Topics include all the major legal issues related to the business of writing and publishing. Entries are extensively cross-referenced for maximum usefulness and most are supplemented with charts, checklists, sidebars, boxes, tips, profiles, case summaries, sample letters, contracts, forms, and other illustrative material.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'Author Law A to Z' is such a godsend for writers." --Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, author of Pen On Fire: A Busy Woman’s Guide To Igniting The Writer Within (Harcourt, 2004) and host of “Writers on Writing,” KUCI-FM.

"Like having a team of straight-talking and brainy lawyers always at your side and on your side.” --Jack El-Hai, president, American Society of Journalists and Authors

About the Author

Sallie Randolph is a senior partner with Randolph Law Offices and concentrates on copyright and publishing law. During a distinguished career as a freelance journalist she wrote hundreds of articles for magazines and major newspapers and authored six books. Ms. Randolph holds a bachelors degree from Michigan State University and is a cum laude graduate of State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. She teaches publishing law as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, where she established a copyright clearance program and served as the program’s initial director. She is a frequent speaker and consultant on publishing and copyright law at writers’ conferences and educational institutions. Ms. Randolph is chair of the Legal Resources Committee of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), former chair of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Bar Association of Erie County, New York and a member of the New York State Bar Association, the ! American Bar Association, ASJA and the Authors Guild. She lives in Buffalo, NY. Stacy Davis, a lawyer and freelance writer, holds a Master’s degree in English from State University of New York at Albany and a Juris Doctor degree from State University of New York at Buffalo, where she served on two law journals. Ms. Davis worked for several years as an editor for a large publishing company. She is admitted to the New York Bar and has practiced in the areas of publishing and immigration law. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association. Ms. Davis currently resides in London, England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Capital Books (September 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931868263
• ISBN-13: 978-1931868266
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #780,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Is A Must Have For All Aspiring Authors, January 5, 2006

By 

Hakim Mulraine (Mt. Vernon, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Author Law A to Z: A Desktop Guide to Writers' Rights and Responsibilities (A to Z Legal Series) (Capital Ideas) (Paperback)

This book should've been called Entertainment & Media Law A to Z. It is both informative and extremely thorough in its description of the legal and business affairs of the publishing industry. It also provides basic information on recording industry practices as well as copyright & trademark law. This book does a terrific job of informing authors of many valuable resources that exist to assist them. As an attorney, I was impressed with the case law cited by the author. However, this book is written in plain English, and written in a way that people of all backgrounds could easily understand. I would say, to aspiring authors or literary agents alike, this book is a must have.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Anyone in Publishing to Increase Your Knowledge about the Law, July 6, 2006

By 

W. Terry Whalin "Publisher/ Editor / Writer" (Scottsdale, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Author Law A to Z: A Desktop Guide to Writers' Rights and Responsibilities (A to Z Legal Series) (Capital Ideas) (Paperback)

You've finally received a book contract. Yeah! Congratulations and what excitement. Yet when you study the contract it is 15 or 16 pages full of legalese that you can't understand. What do you do? Sign it?

Here's a great tool to increase your understanding of the issues related to the legalese of contracts. It's not black and white but often in between and the words on the page make a huge difference. It's the author's responsibility to understand these words.

I love what these authors wrote in the final paragraph of their section on how to use the book: "Remember that no book can be a substitute for the advice of a good lawyer. But this book and others like it can--and should--help you better recognize the need to get good legal advice and help you better understand the advice you get. It can help make you a better consumer of legal services and a savvier provider of writing services. But it can't--and shouldn't be expected to--replace solid professional advice."

Here's a carefully written and researched book which explains complex terms in plain, easy-to-understand language. Get this book--and read it. If you do, you will be much wiser about legal matters in the world of publishing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entries, numerous tips, tricks, techniques, and warnings for the aspiring author in a legally complex world, October 7, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Author Law A to Z: A Desktop Guide to Writers' Rights and Responsibilities (A to Z Legal Series) (Capital Ideas) (Paperback)

The latest installment in the "A-Z Legal Series" from Capital Books, Author Law A-Z: A Desktop Guide To Writers' Rights And Responsibilities packs the collective wisdom of author-lawyers Sallie Randolph, Stacy Davis, Anthony Elia and Karen Dustman into plain terms for lay readers - and writers! Author Law A-Z is organized like an encyclopedia, with A-Z entries of common legal and writing industry terms or issues that every author should know, from "abridgement" and "acceptable manuscript" to "young adult books" and Zapruder film", which denotes a landmark legal case about film rights concerning the home video film that accidentally documented the assassination of JFK. In addition to the entries, numerous tips, tricks, techniques, and warnings for the aspiring author in a legally complex world, from a sample demand letter (as written to a vanity print-on-demand publisher masquerading as a traditional publisher) to a sample complaint for copyright infringement, advice for what to say when one's editor calls, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended for spot research or simple cover-to-cover reading in order to grasp valuable basic lessons of the writing and publishing business.