DuBoff Leonard - The Law (in Plain English) for Writers

Praise for The Law (in Plain English) for Writers, Fifth Edition

No writer, beginning or experienced, will want to be without this book. Almost any question you may have about the law and writing is discussed in clear and simple language in Leonard DuBoffs The Law (in Plain English) for Writers .

Jean Auel, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Clan of the Cave Bear and the Earths Children series

The Law (in Plain English) for Writers is a gold mine of information for writers who want easy-to-understand explanations about the risk of turning fact into fiction, copyright law, the obligations of agents and publishers, and many of the other legal issues that affect writers.

Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author of Violent Crimes and The Third Victim

Ive had to avail myself of more legal advice than I ever imagined! The Law (in Plain English) for Writers is, as the title indicates, an easy-to-understand explanation of legal issues commonly faced by writers. I highly recommend this comprehensive guide to all writers, beginners and professionals alike.

Valerie Plame, author of Fair Game: My Life as a Spy , My Betrayal by the White House , Blowback , and Burned

Leonard DuBoffs The Law (in Plain English) for Writers is the most accessible and writer-focused tool I know of for understanding the intricacies of contracts and intellectual property rights. Its a must-have in my personal library and absolutely should be a must-have in yours. I highly recommend it!

Graham Salisbury, author of nineteen bestselling novels, including Under the Blood-Red Sun , winner of the Scott ODell Award for Historical Fiction

I consider The Law (in Plain English) for Writers my go-to reference for understanding how the principles of the law affect me as an author. Not only does the book cover every aspect of the law as it applies to the writing business, but the practical, everyday examples throughout the text make the subject digestible and understandable to anyone who uses it. This book is a must-have for every author, no matter their genre; it is the only writers reference book with a permanent place on my desk.

Annie Adams, author of the Flower Shop Cozy Mystery Series

Writers who wield The Law (in Plain English) for Writers have a wonderful map through the minefield of legal complications that writers knowingly and unknowingly face every day. Without realizing it, a writer may breach copyright law, defamation, or even the First Amendment. I highly recommend this read as a must for any current or aspiring author.

Jared Quan, President of the League of Utah Writers, Executive Director of Big World Network, and author of several short stories and books including Changing Wax

The Law (in Plain English) for Writers is a detailed, knowledgeable, and crisply written compendium of useful (career-building, not to mention career-saving ) information. In eighteen focused chapters, the book covers just about every issue the working writer faces, from dealing with agents to parsing contracts, from collaborating with others to structuring taxes, from privacy concerns to access challenges. It is truly one-stop shopping for the writer who wants to work with eyes wide open in a complex and changing literary landscape.

Lauren Kessler, award-winning author of nine works of narrative nonfiction, including Stubborn Twig , Raising the Barre , Counterclockwise , Dancing with Rose , and Clever Girl

Copyright 2018 by Leonard D. DuBoff and Sarah J. Tugman

All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Allworth Press books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

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Published by Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Allworth Press is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

www.allworth.com

Cover design by Mary Belibasakis

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: DuBoff, Leonard D., author. | Tugman, Sarah J., author.

Title: The law (in plain english) for writers / Leonard D. DuBoff and Sarah J. Tugman, Attorneys-at-Law.

Description: Fifth edition. | New York, New York: Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017038833 (print) | LCCN 2017039753 (ebook) | ISBN 9781621536291 (E-book) | ISBN 9781621536284 (pbk.: alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: LawUnited States. | Authors and publishersUnited States. | Press lawUnited States.

Classification: LCC KF390.A96 (ebook) | LCC KF390.A96 D83 2017 (print) | DDC 349.73/024/8dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017038833

Print ISBN: 978-1-62153-628-4

eBook ISBN: 978-1-62153-629-1

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

To my mother, Millicent, and my father, Rubin, who provided me with the gift of life and the desire to use that gift effectively. To my mother-in-law, Cumi Elena Crawford, for her faith, trust, and inspiration, and to my wife, Mary Ann, for her enduring love and continuing support.

Leonard D. DuBoff

To my husband, Gregwithout any doubt the love of my life; my father, a lawyer who instilled a sense of justice in me from my earliest years; my mother, who always set a good example with respect to the English language; both my brothers Bill; and my son Bill.

Sarah J. Tugman

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

In order to assemble the vast quantity of statutes, cases, articles, and books that have become available since the fourth edition of this book was published, it was necessary to enlist the aid of numerous friends and colleagues. Their help is greatly appreciated, and some deserve special recognition. I would, therefore, like to express my sincere thanks to my collaborator Sarah J. Tugman, Esq., for her extraordinary help with this revision. She has sacrificed many evenings and weekends to bring this project to fruition.

Sarah and I would like to thank Greg Rogers of the accounting firm of Rogers Financial Services and Sean Kim of the accounting firm of Paxton, Miller & Kim CPAs, LLC, for their time and expertise in reviewing the tax chapters.

I would also like to thank Amanda-Ann Bryan Gomm, JD, Lewis & Clark College, 2017, for her valuable assistance in updating portions of this text.

I am indebted to Tad Crawford of Skyhorse Publishing and his staff for their help in publishing this volume.

We would also like to thank Megan Randall and Kiara Meyer for their help with some of the technical aspects of this revision. Thanks also to my paralegal Sara Cain for all of her assistance and numerous recommendations.