This page lists the documents you, your family, your executor, or your personal representative will need in an emergency, should it be one as good as a Netflix deal or as bad as your agent forgetting to tell you about a Netflix deal. Chances are you won’t need all of them, but we thought it […]

Anti-Copyright Notice/Copyright Waiver: Anti-copyright notices and copyright waivers are written statements attached to a poem, song, story, or other intellectual property by the piece’s creator and copyright holder. These statements typically encourage free distribution of the piece and renounce or waive all copyright claims. This immediately places the work in the public domain. Favored by […]

An Introduction to the Legacy Kit The SFWA Legacy Kit does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available in this guide are for general informational purposes only. We know what you’re thinking. As soon as you saw that scary word—legacy—your brain turned left at Albuquerque and […]

The SFWA Self Publishing Committee is happy to announce that we are open for submissions for the next SFWA Science Fiction StoryBundle, which will run from February 10 to March 4. The theme for the bundle will be Expansive Futures. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, StoryBundles are curated collections of books offered […]

If you hit the writerly version of the lottery, the production company interested in licensing your work will want copies of your publication contracts and complete information on the rights status and availability of your work. The easiest way to provide this is with an inventory. The best way to prepare and maintain this inventory […]

Legal instruments like wills, trusts, and partnership agreements carry the force of law; that is, they legally obligate your executors, attorneys-in-fact, trustees, and partners to carry out your wishes, but they may not tell your loved ones and beneficiaries everything they need to know to do that. They can’t convey the location of important documents, […]

Charles E. Gannon’s Caine Riordan series (all best-sellers; 4 Nebula finalists; many other noms/awards) is soon joined by The Vortex of Worlds series (epic fantasy). Coathor in var. NYT-best IPs, he received 5 Fulbrights while Dist. Prof. of English.

Using the Coronavirus pandemic as an excuse, the Archive has created the “National Emergency Library” and removed virtually all controls from the digital copies so that they can be viewed and downloaded by an infinite number of readers.

When you have your first (or next) contract in front of you for a traditionally published book, you are likely thinking primarily about your advance and what rights you want to retain.  But one of the most significant clauses, usually found somewhere toward the end of the contract, may be the most important for you in the long run: the reversion clause. 

by Dan Brotzel

Many writers find it difficult to talk about money, especially if it means asking for more and potentially risking turning down an offer of publication. But writing is a business as well as a passion, and the more cash you can secure for it, the more time you’ll be able to devote to your craft. Here are a few pointers on how to approach the dark art of negotiation…