Don’t Overlook Legal Issues When You Self-Publish

Legal matters are something authors who publish through traditional publishing houses tend not to think about. Publishing houses employ or retain their own legal counsel, meaning historically, authors haven’t had to bother Lawsuitfretting over these issues. However, if you are your own publisher — and if you self-publish, you are — legalities are something you may have to think about. If you’re writing fiction that doesn’t rely on real or historical figures to tell the tale, you probably have little to think about, legally speaking.

Most legal issues arise out of the use of copyrighted materials — images, likenesses, ideas, names, brands, etc. — which means that nonfiction authors and authors who include nonfiction elements in their books should be aware of potential issues before they publish. It’s always smart to get advice from an expert to sort out what items are copyrighted and which are public domain. Knowing the difference could be a huge time- and money-saver — and well worth the price of legal counsel.

You can probably obtain legal advice from a copyright attorney for a nominal fee if you have specific questions about certain references in your book. This could be money well spent: All too often, authors pay fees to entities who claim to hold a copyright, only to discover the “copyrighted” material in question was actually public domain — which doesn’t require a fee.

This issue also crops up sometimes when quoting material, such as a famous speech, song lyrics or other famous written and spoken material. Generally speaking, authors weave in these references to illustrate a point or bring a scene or story to life, and such uses are generally considered fair use. The distinction lies largely in whether you are referencing a famous work or individual or referencing a private/non-famous person, and whether the material uses is integral to the work.

Basically, famous is fair game, but non-famous — like your neighbor or a family member — are not fair game. When considering quoting materials within a work, generally, materials that play an integral part of the story line are also fair game. For example, if you’re quoting song lyrics in a book about a serial killer who uses these in his crimePersonal Marketing Assistant, that would be integral to the story and would be fair game.

Of course, these are only a couple of the most common legal issues authors encounter, and there’s no way to cover them adequately on this forum. If you ever have doubts about the legality of your material, consult an attorney. For minor issues, your Personal Marketing Assistant may be able to point you in the right direction.

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Overcome Writer’s Block: Tip 2: Build on What You Have

Every writer, at one time or another, has found herself staring at a blank computer or notepad with nary an idea in mind. Perhaps you’re up against a deadline, but your creative juices don’t flow on anyone else’s schedule. Is this, of all days, the day your talent finally eludes you for good?

Writer’s block can stymy a project faster than anything, but over the course of years writing and communicating with other writers, Outskirts Press staffers have discovered and gathered some unique strategies for helping writers deal with a stubborn creative funk. One of these techniques is bound to work for you, too.

Build on what you have.
Writers aren’t always inspired by the opening paragraph first. And, sometimes, the entire storyline isn’t even clear. If you’re itching to write but don’t yet have the whole picture, you don’t necessarily have put off writing until the entire outline is sketched out.

Sometimes a small plot point is all we really have to go on, but we feel it could lead to something big — follow it! There’s no rule against starting there, even if the destination isn’t yet clear. Elaborate on a catchy bit of prose or an intriguing concept you haven’t fully fleshed out. Sometimes you can build an entire chapter or story from that nugget.

Bounce your “scene” idea off an unbiased party; he or she may be able to provide feedback that helps you hash out the entire plot. Choose your writing confidants carefully, then lean on them in times like these.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll discuss more of these techniques in-depth. We want to hear from you, too. What writer’s block-breakers have gotten you past the creative brain freeze? Do share!

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Overcome Writer’s Block: Tip 1

As writers, we’ve all found ourselves at one time or another staring at an empty notepad or Word doc with nary an idea in mind. A deadline looms — either self-imposed or external — and you can’t seem to put together a single coherent thought. You’re desperately chasing that gem of an opening paragraph or the plot twist that will set your story apart, but the right words elude you. Is this, of all days, the day your talent finally fails you for good?

Yes, writer’s block can slam the brakes on a project faster than anything, but over the course of years writing and communicating with other writers, Outskirts Press staffers have discovered and gathered some unique strategies for helping writers deal with a stubborn creative funk. One of these techniques is bound to work for you, too.

Start in the middle – or anywhere!
Sometimes what hangs up the best of us is not starting a project, but starting a project at the beginning. Every writer wants to make a memorable statement with the opening line, but the pressure to do so can throw us straight into full-fledged vapor lock.

If you know your topic and know where your story’s headed but aren’t sure how to introduce it, why not jump in right smack-dab in the middle? Elaborate on your theme and let your intro come to you organically, later. Remember: Just because readers will begin your tome at page one doesn’t mean you have to write it first. They’ll never know if you penned your story’ backward.

Of course, it always helps to bounce ideas off an unbiased party, who may be able to offer useful suggestions that inspire you back to your usual greatness. Choose your writing confidants carefully, then lean on them in times like these.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll discuss more of these techniques in-depth. We want to hear from you, too. What writer’s block-breakers have gotten you past the creative brain freeze? Do share!

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Add custom HTML to your Author Webpage

Webpage Content Formatting Support

What is the difference between an author webpage that looks like this:

and an author webpage that looks like this?

  • Bolded text
  • Enlarged text
  • Colored text
  • Bullet points
  • Supportive graphics
  • Aesthetic placement of paragraphs and
    line breaks

Turn your author webpage into a powerful sales tool with the Webpage Content Formatting Support to help you make the content of your webpage look the way you really want it to look. With the Webpage Content Formatting Support option, you can designate certain parts of your synopsis, biography, and/or sample text to be in color, enlarged text, bulleted, or spaced more appropriately with line breaks or paragraph breaks.

You can even upload up to 100k of additional images to your webpage for placement where you specify.  You can even add up to 100k of additional images and we’ll add them where you want.

The Webpage Content Formatting Support option does not alter the overall design or color scheme of your free webpage lay-outs (you would need our professional Enhanced Customizable Website option for that) But within the sections that you can modify within your author’s center, our HTML expert can enhance the overall look of your author webpage with specific HTML codes designed to make your webpage more professional.

The specific HTML codes that are supported are:

<b>
<ul>
<table>
<font>
<a>
<img>
<mailto>

Or you can hotlink to any images you have the rights to use.

HOW TO ORDER:

To order the Webpage Content Formatting Support option, visit your Marketing Options screen in your author’s center and scroll to the “Support” section.

Is the Content Formatting Option not flexible enough for your website needs? Need more control over the design, theme, navigation, and layout? Need multiple pages? Need more image? Easy! Our Enhanced Customizable Website option might be a better choice. Click here to learn about it.

Not yet a published author with Outskirts Press? Start today by clicking here.