Legal Issues
The writing field is wrapped up in contracts and copyright legalese. Here are some resources to try to makes sense of it all.
Avoiding Libel Issues 
Some fiction writers are inspired by real events or the stories of real people. This is a brief summary of what libel is and a few of the issues a fiction writer might need to consider when using real events as inspiration for a book. Copyright registration for online works [offsite link]
US Copyright Office information on registering work that has been published on the Internet. Creating derivative works
JK Rowling and Warner Bros have filed a complaint against Steve Vander Ark of the Harry Potter Lexicon website and halted the publication of his print version of the lexicon until February 2008. Find out more about derivative works, and writing fan fiction, commentaries, or criticisms. Derivative works [offsite link]
Every copyright holder also holds the right to create further derivative works from their original piece. Fan fiction and derivations created by others can violate the original authorīs rights. Fan Fiction FAQs [offsite link]
Questions about the legality of writing Fan Fiction answered. Including your writing in your will [offsite link]
Important advice from Neil Gaiman on creating a will specifically to ensure your published and unpublished work will be handled the way you want after you die. Negotiating contracts [offsite link]
Advice from Science Fiction writer Tara Harper Ten myths about copyright [offsite link]
Brad Templeton talks about the ten biggest myths about copyright law. Understanding contracts [offsite link]
Moira Allen of Writing-World.com discusses publishing contracts. Understanding rights and copyrights [offsite link]
Writing Worldīs Moira Allen discusses rights and copyright. Using a pseudonym
Using a pseudonym is a personal choice and could be useful in a number of ways. In general fiction, pseudonyms are not as common now as they used to be, but the erotic genre still sees many pseudonyms. Using real life in your fiction
Real life experiences can provide some ready-made material for fiction, but there are both pros and cons to writing what you know. What makes a good publishing contract for a writer? [offsite link]
Dave Taylor analyses a standard contract and highlights the points you need to consider. Links marked with the [offsite link] designation point to websites not associated with BellaOnline.com. BellaOnline.com is not responsible for the material found there.
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