Advice to potential authors

[John_Clements]

Lately, issues have been arising within parts of the historical fencing community over serious concern by potential authors seeking publication for protecting their original research and translated materials. So, here are my comments for the record.

I for one am advising everyone attempting to get anything published to copyright everything they produce, to contact literary agents prior to dealing directly with a publisher, to document all correspondence with a publisher expressing interest in your work, and use certified mail not email to deliver submissions.

Publishing is a business and there are unscrupulous individuals in every business. You should not rely on trusting exclamations of good will from people you don’t know, or even those you do, without legally protecting yourself and your work.

JC

[David_Knight]

A not-so-chivalrous publisher plaguing the WMA community? I wonder who that might be...

<img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

David Knight
ARMA SoFL

[JeanryChandler]

I wish I had been aware of all this when I first started writing for the RPG industry, though I have been pretty lucky. The first booklet I wrote I honestly had no idea until the day the check arrived if I was ever going to be paid.... another time I wrote a 6,000 word article just for the exposure, and in what I believe was an honest mistake they left my name off of it. Either way there was nothing I could do.

All I can say is this is all good advice to live by, writing anything in any genre, academic or commercial or somewhere in between.

Jeanry

[haydniuchisutton]

In practical terms, how do I copyright my draft manuscript -Is merely putting a 'copyright sign' and my name/date on one page sufficient?

I've already worked out that by putting it in hard copy it is safer.

[John_Clements]

In the USA I believe that is a "tacit " copyright and protects you in a limited way or up until you make an agreement. But once a publisher "reviews" your unsolicited submission, and it's now in theri hands without your control, well, you never know who they will share it with or what they will decide to do on their own with your original research materials or translations. If it's something historical, they can always claim they just "used the same source" or "reached the same conclusions independently." You can't claim "ownership" unless you can prove it legally. Happens all the time in academic publishing I am told, so I am not surprised to hear about it now in martial arts.

Again, my advice to anyone is seek a literary agent. Get a copy of the 2005 Writer's Guide. Don't assume a friendly sounding publisher with the same interests is simply "happy to get your work out to the community." Rather, understand they are more likely happy to get their hands on something for free that they can use in house with minimal effort while promoting themselves and making a profit. "It's just business."

JC

[JeanryChandler]

So how do you find a literary agent?


Jeanry

[Jeffrey Hull]

Jeanry,

Literary agents are all over the place.

One can find them on the Web easily enough.

And just like publishers, lawyers, the Web - humanity itself - literary agents are a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly.

So be careful.

JH

[Ryan Ricks]

if you're technical at all, you may try using something like PGP to digitally sign your manuscript. or get a .pdf writer, and submit your manuscript via encrypted .pdf, which should keep them from being able to change it.

the mathmatics of secret key digital signatures would definately prove it was yours. it may also be cheaper than getting a literary agent.

just a thought.

ryan