The New Year is upon us. Everyone is talking about 2012 resolutions and proposing ways to become a better person. Personally, I hate resolutions. It’s fine to desire to be a better person, to lose 15 lbs, to eat more wholesome meals and fewer fast food quick fixes, to tackle home improvement projects, to promise to volunteer at the local food pantry every weekend, and whatever else you “resolve” to accomplish next year. Making resolutions is fine… but then we actually need to turn those personal promises into action. We need to follow through and be focused. And the trouble with New Years’ Resolutions is that, well… it’s become acceptable to admit defeat, to fail. In fact, it’s almost become a sign of humanity, a reassurance to your peers that you will not – this year – actually do better. Resolutions are the promises we ought to be making to ourselves each and every day, not just annually. We should be working every day to be kinder and healthier. We should work every day to get what needs to be done… done. In lieu of 2012 resolutions, I offer an alternative. Rather than resolve to do anything, how about we review the things we have done the past year instead? Let’s congratulate ourselves on a job well done and then look forward with renewed vigor to accomplish more. So here’s to the year’s accomplishments here at Swenson Book Development, LLC. In 2011, we have accomplished the following: Created a Facebook Fan Page,…

Do you have a song lyric you plan to use as your epigraph? Is there a piece of artwork you’d like to see between the pages of your book? Do you want a poem to be inserted into the narrative? Have you excerpted a long passage from another book? Do you use trademarked brand names? Are there tables or diagrams, schematics or sketches that are not your original work that you hope to include? What about those photographs? If you didn’t take them or pay a professional photographer, you will need written copyright permission (and signed releases from any persons who are represented and recognizable in the image). It is important to know about your obligation to seek and obtain copyright permission for the inclusion of material that is not your original work in a book manuscript. Here are five common myths I have heard frequently. Myth #1: Fair Use under the US Copyright Law pertains to non-fiction and memoir. But it does not. Scholars may exercise this exemption from copyright permissions and waivers from fees because their purpose is educational, but book authors have a commercial intent and character to the use of copyrighted materials. Myth #2: If I am just using one line/verse of a song, it’s just sampling and I don’t need copyright permission. Wrong. Recent court cases suggest even Tweets can be copyrighted. There is no minimum limit on the number of characters, words, or lines under which written permission is not required. The American Society…

The business of publishing continues to evolve and new finance models have emerged offering authors more than the option to self-publish or go the traditional route. Between the five big commercial trade presses – Penguin Random House, Hatchette Book Group, Harper Collins, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster – and self-publishing with Blurb, or Smashwords, there are new routes for writers to consider in their pursuit of publication. Small and independent presses can’t offer authors large advances or extravagant marketing campaigns, but they do offer many advantages over self-publishing including distribution. Most self-published authors recognize the difficulty of getting their books into retail stores and libraries because they lack access to the distribution systems used by publishers. Finding a good fit with a small publisher who champions your manuscript can be an ideal scenario for authors. Some presses, if they endorse your manuscript editorially, may negotiate with an author for a subsidy to proceed with publication. When an author invests in the initial production costs, it is possible to negotiate a higher copyright royalty rate in lieu of an advance. Subsidy publication is an avenue to explore. Find a benefactor, or if the author has the financial resources, to provide a subsidy for the production expenses of publication. Subsidy publication is a “dirty little secret” in the publishing business. Many traditional publishers don’t want it well known that such business arrangements can be made outside of their traditional editorial decisions. That’s because an author must still meet all their other editorial criteria…