Product Description

The Literary Law Guide for Authors provides essential information about copyright and trademark law. The text and illustrations teach authors how to protect their work and how to avoid common pitfalls associated with writing that may expose a writer to legal liability.

This title breaks down complicated boilerplate language most commonly included in publishing contracts and analyzes the clauses from the author's perspective.

The Literary Law Guide for Authors includes valuable forms commonly used by authors, including forms to register copyrighted materials and to engage the services of artists and other independent contractors on a work-for-hire basis. Also included is a sample publishing contract form with commentary and a list of references to obtain supplementary information.

The Literary Law Guide for Authors is an indispensable writing tool for all writers. A successful writer is an informed writer who understands the legal advantages, disadvantages, and intricacies involved in the business of writing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #554242 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Review
"Covers every phase of the writing and publishing process . . . with clarity and reader-friendliness. Great tool for every writer." -- Marilyn Ross, cofounder of SPAN and coauthor of Complete Guide to Self-Publishing and Jump Start Your Book Sales

"The most often asked questions I receive from authors involve the publishing contract. Now I direct them to [this book]." -- Max Rodriguez, Publisher/Editor of QBR The Black Book Review

"Timely, well-written, and authoritative . . . I highly recommend this book." -- Dan Poynter, Author of The Self-Publishing Manual

About the Author
Tonya M. Evans, Esquire, also known as Lawyer by day, Poet by night™, is an attorney at the Philadelphia law firm of Evans & Borden Evans, LLC. She practices in the areas of intellectual property (copyright, trademark, licensing), entertainment law (publishing, music), and estate planning (wills, trusts). Tonya and her law partner, Susan Borden Evans, who is also her mother, have developed a professional niche within the publishing industry, representing authors in the review and negotiation of publishing and subsidiary rights deals, and educating authors through seminars and workshops on self-publishing and literary law.

Tonya received a B.S. in communication studies from Northwestern University, which she attended on a full four-year tennis scholarship. Thereafter, she played on the women’s professional tennis tour for four years, competing most notably at the U.S. Open and Virginia Slims of Philadelphia in 1993.

In 1995, Tonya attended Howard University School of Law. She served as editor-in-chief of the Howard Law Journal and graduated with honors in 1998. She served as law clerk to Judge Theodore McKee in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and worked at large law firms before joining practice with her mother. Tonya is a member of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Third Circuit Bars.

Tonya lectures across the country on copyright and trademark law, and on self-publishing and successful negotiations in the publishing industry. She has also contributed to Black Issues Book Review and QBR: The Black Book Review. In addition, she is an accomplished poet, performer, and writer. Her books include And Then One Day She Knew, Seasons of Her, and SHINE!

Susan Borden Evans, Esquire, received her B.S. from Howard University, with a major in chemistry and a minor in related sciences, and her M.Ed. and J.D. from Temple University. Susan is an intellectual property attorney in the Philadelphia firm of Evans & Borden Evans, LLC. She concentrates her practice in patent and trademark prosecution, and contract review and negotiation. Susan has successfully negotiated publishing agreements and licensing and sub-licensing agreements, and she has prosecuted hundreds of patent applications.

She is a former chairperson of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association and a former president of the Barristers Association of Philadelphia. Susan lectures regularly across the country on aspects of intellectual property and publishing law, and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar and the Patent Bar.

Customer Reviews

Insightful and Effective
Insightful and Effective would be the best two words to describe the advantages of this book. This book lays out literary law in a non-complex way that is very easy to grasp. Dangerous publishing coups could be avoided by implementing all of the book's stratagies when applicable. The details about electronic rights has really enabled me to see the full value of my children's books. Since reading the book, I surveyed many author friends of mine who unbeknownst to them, had signed away valuable electronic rights that their publisher stand to make a bundle on. Also, being told the vast difference between copyrights and trademarks saved me a lot of money that I would have spent needelessly on protecting my products when in fact I had already taken the proper steps. This book takes the paranoia out of negotiating with publishers and has taught me the precious lesson of knowing that everything is truly negotiable, especially when it's your property at stake. I tell everyone I meet about this book.

Certainly a book for the shelf of an author, small business owner who write publications, and infopreneurs!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I think it does a wonderful job of describing the law and legal issues that an author should know about if they are going to take full advantage of their work product. Knowing the information contained in this book will most assuredly help a small business owner who creates publications to market her company and/or to provide herself with credibility. Definitely a must read for any infopreneur, too!

Interestingly the subject matter included in this book is fairly simple on the grand scheme of things regarding the law. I don't remember a course at either of my law schools that focused on this material. There certainly was a course on Intellectual Property, but that subject is larger than what this book covers. That course covers the real meat of intellectual property: Patent Law. Authors don't need to concern themselves with that subject.

My favorite parts of the book were chapters 2 (Copyright), 4 (Fair Use & Permissions), 7 (Trademark), and 10 (A Brief History of Intellectual Property). I'm glad chapters 3, 8, and 12-14 were included, too. Those talked about how to apply for IP protection with the US Copyright and US Trademark offices, as well as basics about the law of contracts and agreements.

I also enjoyed poking around the Net to learn a bit about the author. I only did this because of the way the author wrote her book. She included herself as part of the book's content. She is a somewhat young attorney who has an athletic background and clearly a drive to be a successful entrepreneur. The world would be a better place if there were more women like her.

I would have enjoyed the book more if it had not been ALL law. For example, while it is true that an author gets substantial protection from registering her copyright so she can sue and get damages. Most writings don't merit filing for such protection. I think it should have been pointed out that some writings don't really need the full range of protection, while others certainly do. If I write a 10-page ebook that helps me market my Web site. Do I really care if someone steals that from me? Probably not. But if I write a 170-page booklet that I sell at my seminars and workshops, then I better register my copyright because some real effort went into that publication and my seminars need it for credibility. I'd be at a loss if someone stole it. Things like this could have been included in the instant book being reviewed to make it better. 5 stars!

Understand Legal concepts easily with this book!
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Tonya Marie Evans at the Book Expo of America in Washington DC this year and she is a smart, enthusiastic, driven woman. This book should be required reading for anyone wishing or thinking about writing and publishing a book. This book will help you understand the process in plain english. This book clearly explains complicated legal issues, offers examples and answers your questions. This is a book you will want to keep on your desk and refer back to again and again. I recommend this to each person who sends me a book to review or asks me any type of publishing question.