Author Copyright

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Help protect your "Work" (manuscript) with a statement of common law ownership, a form of copyright. Using a copyright statement is the first step to protect the Work. This should be done before sending all or part of a manuscript to an agent or publisher. You can turn to your publisher or a group such as LegalZoom, but I recommend doing it yourself for unpublished Works and also to register a published Work's copyright.   

The U. S. Copyright Office also registers unpublished documents (for a fee):
"Deposit requirements for literary works depend on whether a work has been published at the time of registration. For unpublished works, one complete copy or phonorecord is required. If you use the electronic Copyright Office (eCO) to register your unpublished work, you can submit your deposit electronically. See sl-35 for details about eCO. If you choose to submit a hard-copy deposit or to register using a paper application, there is no specific requirement regarding the printing, binding, format, or paper size and quality of the unpublished manuscript material you deposit. Typewritten, photocopied, and legibly handwritten manuscripts, preferably in ink, are all acceptable. However, because deposit material represents the entire copyrightable content of a work submitted for registration, copies deposited in a format that will facilitate handling and long-term storage (for example, stapled, bound, or clipped material) are greatly appreciated by the Copyright Office." - Source: U. S. Copyright Office website. 

Copyright applies only to the version registered with an official entity like a government copyright office. Changes require new copyright. 

I use the process below until a Work is published: 

Prepare your author copyright statement with your name or pen name. For example:

Copyright (c) 2014 Portia V. Huber

Put your copyright statement in the header or footer of each document connected with your Work. For now, let's assume that the Work documents are chapters.

1. Open Chapter 1.
2. Find how to access Header or Footer (in Microsoft Word, go to the View menu and click on "Header...Footer" - the Top or Bottom "box" on any page of the chapter.
3. Type your copyright statement into the blank space of either the Header or Footer; you could put it in both, if it makes you feel better.
4. Click anywhere on the text page of Chapter 1 to get out of the Header/Footer box and back to the text.
5. Save the changes.
6. Notice that your copyright statement now appears on every page of Chapter 1.
7. Continue working or close the chapter.
8. Repeat 1-7 to add copyright statement to every chapter.

TIP #1 Add the Chapter Title (or Number) to the Header; use the Insert feature to insert page numbers. When you work with printouts of the chapter, these steps could save a lot of time or prevent mix-ups later.

TIP #2 Build this process into a habit for added protection for you and your writing.

TIP #3 You can create second "Read Only" versions of your chapters, for anyone you want to give you feedback, after the steps above are followed. Be sure to keep your working documents not "Read only"!

RELATED TERMS
copyright
copyright claim
common copyright
legal copyright
document rights
copyright registration
rights of ownership
costs to register a copyright

Thanks! to writers whose questions have influenced 2013 topics here at Author Support. Looking forward to blogging more in 2014. 

HAPpY NEW YEAR!

Copyright (c) 2013 Jean P. Purcell

Why not...Self-Publish Your Book?

My book with pen name

by Jean Purcell

One of the first questions I get from new authors is "Should I self-publish or look for an established publishing house?" 

     I have done both, so my answer is "Why not think about both and see which sounds right for you?" 

     Then I try to add some of the pitfalls, either way. Whether you choose to self-publish or to sell your manuscript to an established publisher, you will learn along the way what is involved. There will probably be hopes, bumps, hard work, and sacrifices along the way, either way.

My first book was Not All Roads Lead Home (NARlH), my memoir, written under a pen name. My relationship with Highland Books, Ltd., UK --the publisher--was very positive. Highland still sells first edition copies throughout the UK.  

    Highland did not have US distribution rights when I wanted the book to be available in my home country. Eventually I started a publishing company, Opine Publishing. The second edition extended the flavor of the relationships, memory, religious influences, and changes--themes of the first edition. 

    Not All Roads Lead Home-Second edition adds key experiences of amazing years when my husband and I traveled to changing parts of the world (30 countries for me) from our temporary home in Geneva, Switzerland, until 1998. 

I love advising first-book authors that contact me. It was something I never expected to do. Helping them is one way I can give back. I enjoy getting to know them and their stories.   

    My hope for you is that whatever path you choose for getting your book published, that your dreams for your book will deepen as you work. Your book might give much-needed positive enjoyment for people in different places in life.

     All the best to you, and why not?

Related articles in hopes that you will not talk yourself out of doing the work of your dreams. 

• A Traditionally Pubbed Author Wades into the Waters of Self Publishing
• Publish Your Book the Way You Want
• The Secret: Don't Be Attached to Results
• Why I'm Glad I Didn't Self Publish
• Farmer secures book deal
• The Credible Character
• Is Kickstarter the Answer for Aspiring Authors?
• A Simple Thank You
• Amazon to open European publishing arm
• Is Self-Publishing Better Or Worse Than Traditional Publishing?

Pen Names and When to Admit Them

a ruling pen_Image via Wikipedia

In the middle of writing the draft for the second blog installment of a short story effort called The Visitor,  it's time to mention that Alec Powers is a pen name.

Mark Twain, one of the most familiar pen names, may have been writing for quite a while before he owned up to being Samuel Clemens. Would we prefer that he had used his real name? I doubt it. 

Alec Powers is the second pen name I have used. Jane Bullard was the first, for Not All Roads Lead Home. I have written a few times about why I chose to write my first book as Jane, not publicizing that it was I who was the author. Using a pen name does not require giving the writer's real name

In this age when many authors do not use pens, but choose word processing, where are the pens involved most of the time? I miss the images of the inkwell and sharpened feather quills, the latter of which inspired pen name as a way to describe a writing name.

Who is surprised to remember that one of my favorite books is Gap Creek written by a man in a woman's voice. When I first read it, I wondered if Robert Morgan  was a pen name for a female author, but it does not appear to be so. He so effectively expressed the speech and patterns of a woman and a woman living in a remote area in the southern U.S.

I'll write more on this blog as I continue to practice the short story, for me a new genre and one of the most challenging.   

(c) 2012 by Author Support blog and Jean, Jane, and Alec

Related articles for you to evaluate, from Zemanta:

• Got Ink? (storiesinmypocket.wordpress.com)
• What's In a Name? A Bunch of Letters (susansheehey.wordpress.com)
• Your Given Name vs Your Pen Name (clarbojahn.wordpress.com)
• Book now judged by the name on its cover (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

A Point of View...about book proposals

Image by Getty Images via @daylife: McGraw Hill publishing

Within the last 24 hours I've been talking about book proposals with different people and also came across an article about proposals from book publisher, Fine Print Lit (FPL). You can  read the article sometime when you start to refresh a proposal and want to compare yours with other ideas.  

Beyond content of the Fine Print Lit article, however, I have some thoughts about it and recommend that your proposal avoids the following attributes:

•  Very long

• Not formatted for fast reading
• No sharing options (Twitter, Facebook, other)

  Now, tips about article presentation, which would be more appealing if it included:

1. bullet points
2. bold fonts
3. indents or double-line spacing other than for paragraphs
4. links. 

Nevertheless, the content is worth taking a look.
Let me know what you think about it?

Jean Purcell
info@opinebooks.com
Now Open-Opine eStore and Book Cafe blog

Related articles

• Of Double Spaces and Tabs (inkwellsplatters.wordpress.com)
• The Perfect Paragraph (uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com)
• Just Because You Can (Publish), Doesn't Mean You Should (debbieweil.com)
• What are the common CV design mistakes? (career-advice.monster.co.uk)
• Getting Published (writerswritedaily.wordpress.com)
• 5 Reasons Why You Write the Book Proposal First (writersradioblog.wordpress.com)

"Taste and See": Free Book Chapters in One Book/Smashwords

Jean Purcell
Opine eStore and Book Cafe
Twitter @opinaripeople

Author and writing mentor Lorilyn Roberts founded a creative and efficient marketing network for Christian authors a few years ago. She continues to innovate through a recent advance for Christian authors and readers. Taste and See serves up chapters from selected new books. Maybe you'd like to taste samples from any of the many choices. Free copies are available until December 31 through Smashwords.  

   All reviewers quoted below* gave five-star rating (out of five). “Published by" represents the company, organization, or individual reviewer. * From recent Announcement/Press Release.  sent to me by e-mail via Constant Contact (logo above). Here is a link to the Taste and See cover.

What a few reviewers have said about Taste and See:   
 

*A savory array of great works. One will find a savory array of great works, or powerful messages, riveting stories and profound insights...all included in Taste and See....Published 8 days ago by Inspirational Books

*A library in one book As a contributor to Taste and See I'm excited to be part of this compilation. What a wonderful way to introduce readers to new authors and their works... Published 13 days ago by K Payne

*A Smorgasbord of Delight! Taste and See is truly a smorgasbord for the reader. There is something for everyone here, including Fiction, self help, devotionals, and even poetr... Published 14 days ago by Tracy Krauss

*Taste and See is a banquet of the soul-"Taste and See" is an innovative way to discover if you will like a new book, all in one place. From children's literature to adult suspense, history, humor, you name it. Read more Published 15 days ago by Sally Franz

*Innovative Idea…15 days ago by Theresa Franklin

*Savor the Taste and See... Whet your appetite! This is a lovely little book, filled with first chapter vignettes written by an assortment of talented authors, all with a common goal of bringing the joy of Christ... Published 15 days ago by Sherrill S. Cannon

*If you hunger for God - you'll love this book! Taste and See, A Sampling of First Chapters by the John 3:16 Marketing Network Authors is a wonderful way to preview a variety of Christian authors and their books...Published 15 days ago by God Mission Possible

That’s the review taste here. And here's the link for Press Page for Taste and See. The above review parts are from Taste and See site/press page e-mail sent to me via Constant Contact. 

I'm downloading my free copy of Taste and See today!

Related articles

• Amanda Hocking: The Author Who Made Millions by Self-Publishing Her Novels (booktopia.com.au)
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• Should Authors Review Books? (blogher.com)
• How serious is the hate for indie authors? (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)

Reports of an Author's Work of Betrayal

Image via Wikipedia

Afghan children at a celebration 2002

EDITORIAL



How to respond to news that another writer, this time author of a best-seller, pulled one over on the public? The publishing and book world are full these days with recent news that the author of the acclaimed Three Cups of Tea wrote not a biographical account but a fictional one. Its presentation was believable and immensely inspiring. How far should the harm move us, if we believe the news reports?

At a personal level, it should not deter efforts to remain or to become involved in good works among the Afghan people. One only has to read one of Afghan writer Khaled Hosseini's books, starting with The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, to learn about yesterday's and today's Afghanistan, to feel closer to it, and to remember how much every particle of real help can mean, amassed for good there.

A copy of Three Cups of Tea is in our house, a special present from a daughter to her father a couple of years ago. Now media outlets make serious allegations against the author. The facts in support of those claims are important. But, are they overwhelming at this point?

Among those trying to shed more light on facts, "Pakistani journalist and author Ahmed Rashid says Mortenson has made a 'phenomenonal' (sic) contribution to promoting education in the region," according to one of this post's reference articles below ("Embattled...author). In this writer's view, the full story is not yet out there for all of us to consider, in full.

Whatever the conclusions drawn after full investigation and reporting on this matter, this part of the story is about an author and one book. It does not change real needs and facts about the people and interests of Afghanistan. It does not change that the author, Mortenson, has, according to interview reports, built and turned over new schools for poor and remote areas.

One hopes this incomplete story will neither be swallowed whole (first reported by CBS "60 Minutes") nor allowed to discourage American soldiers and citizens everywhere inspired by the book and its author. It is likely the soldiers have seen enough with their own eyes to draw similar conclusions, that generosity is called for regarding protection, education, health, and other parts of every Afghan citizen's well-being, on their own and for their country.


Scandal at the heart of a book promoting peace and giving causes a wake of wreckage, including the life of the one behind it...if reports are true. What does the author have to say? As yet, he is silent. We wait to see.

A final note: Many writers publish personal narratives. Every such book needs vetting. Recently, we wrote here of the importance of peer reviews. In publishing, across the millions of books every year...or tens of millions...this kind of scandal is rare. Also, at this point it is a report, not a "done deal" as far as the truth goes.


(c) 2011 by Opinari and Jean Purcell

Related articles to read and assess:

• 'Three Cups Of Tea' Author Fights Accusations (npr.org)
• THREE CUPS OF TEA CO-AUTHOR: Book Was Published With Mortenson's Name Over My Objections. (businessinsider.com)
• IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE: Greg Mortenson's 'Three Cups Of Tea' Web Of Lies Grows (businessinsider.com)
• ‘Creative’ approach to non-fiction nothing new (theglobeandmail.com)
• "'Three Cups of Tea' author cancels speech" and related posts (americanbankingnews.com)
• When three cups of tea and goodwill are not enough (theglobeandmail.com)
• 'Three Cups of Tea' shattered into a 'Million Little Pieces'? (ctv.ca)
• Embattled 'Three Cups Of Tea' Author Finds Support In Unlikely Quarters (eslyouth.wordpress.com)
• 'Three Cups of Tea'. One big lie? Author accused of fudging facts (independent.co.uk)
• One Cup of Tea - Jean Athey's second post from Afghanistan (peaceblog.wordpress.com)
• What? A Publisher Published a Fraud? Well That Never Happens, Does it... (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
• Pentagon Is Quiet on 'Three Cups of Tea' Questions (atwar.blogs.nytimes.com)
• 'Three Cups' author hospitalized, cancels speech (msnbc.msn.com)

Marketing Network for Authors Excited to Launch I'M A KEEPER Parenting Book

Click here to read more about Lorilyn Roberts

Lorilyn Roberts is a parent and the founder of John 3:16 Author Group. Lorilyn says:  "Whether you goal is to correct bad behavior or to take your relationship with your child to a new level, THIS parenting book WILL give you the tools you need and the explanations to apply your new knowledge that will MAKE AN EXTRAORDINARY DIFFERENCE. For a Limited Time I’M A KEEPER comes with some extraordinary GIFTS. Get them here: http://tinyurl.com/23rrxt6"

I'm a Keeper, by Ray W. Lincoln 

Buy, Read, Share, Discuss in Groups. We recommend.

 

What is "the thing"?

The professional requirements of publishing, by others or self, are as much "the thing" as the book or script. Hamlet knew his goal - to catch the conscience of the king:
"I'll have grounds
More relative than this—the play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King."
The author's "thing" is to earn the interest of editors, reviewers, readers....

You're Writing Your First Book

First time authors assume that "the book is the thing," to borrow from Shakespeare. Publishing basics are as much "the thing" as the book in progress.