Getting Published is Just The Beginning: A Guide to Intellectual Property (IP) Rights for traditionally published authors and creative writing students

Are you an unagented novelist at the start of your career?

Do you find contracts bewildering?

Have you written a book and don’t know what to do with it? 

I have worked in the Intellectual Property (IP) and licensing sector for over a decade. I’m also a novelist and creative writing mentor. Over the years I’ve answered a lot of questions from traditionally published writers who are at the start of their careers. 

A lot of writers find the business of licensing IP confusing and contracts impenetrable. Often, even when they seek legal advice, they aren’t given a context in which to interpret this advice. 

This easy-to-read guide will give you the tools you need to take charge of your author career.

You will learn: 

Chapter 1: Becoming a professional Writer

• What are you writing now?
• Balancing craft and money
• Think of your writing as a business

Chapter 2: Intellectual Property

• What is IP? 
• Copyright 
• What does this actually mean for your author business?
• What is NOT covered by copyright?
• Fair use
• Other people’s copyright
• Works in the public domain
• Trademarks

Chapter 3: Slicing up IP - Your work is more than the one thing you wrote

Chapter 4: Contracts

• Reading contracts - notes for the bewildered
• Common sections you’d expect to see in a publisher contract
• How do authors get paid?
• Tax

Chapter 5: Publishing Pathways

Chapter 6: Traditional publishers

• The ‘big five’
• Small publishers
• Ubound - part publisher, part crowdfunding platform
• What does a publisher do for you?
• Who is involved
• Things to consider when you’re talking to a publisher
• So, should you sign that publishing contract that you’ve been offered?
• Red flags
• Manage your expectations

Chapter 7: Vanity publishers

• Paying for production services
• Book Production companies
• Red flags
• 
  

Chapter 8: Self publishing aka Independent (‘indie’) publishing

• Manage your expectations
• Red Flags

Chapter 9: Working with an agent

• What does an agent do for you?
• Do you need an agent?
• Manage your expectations
• Red flags
• The very basics of submitting to agents

Chapter 10: Branding and Pen names

• What is a brand?
• Pen name(s) are part of your brand
• Advantages of having a pen name
• Disadvantages of having a pen name
• Pen names on social media
• When do you not use your pen name?

Chapter 11: Self promotion

• Websites
• Social Media
• Useful skills to learn for a professional author

Chapter 12: Alternative sources of income (until you have your big hit)

• Talks and seminars
• Bonus money from your existing books 

Chapter 13: It’ll be okay, keep writing

Chapter 14: Resource list

• Author organisations
• Places to Research Foreign Rights
• Useful books
• Useful Podcasts and Websites
• Design resources
• Social media scheduling tools
• Newsletter providers
• IP resources