Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Quotes

For the A to Z Challenge, I’m posting promo and other tips for writers. Today it’s quotes.

They say it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

But if you’re quoting someone, it’s better to ask permission than to get sued!

Quotes, excerpts, facts and figures - in print or online - are copyrighted and require permission to use.

There are always exceptions, such as reviews of your book or public domain.

If in doubt, here are a couple publishing law websites to check:
Ivan Hoffman
Pub Law

And if you can’t get permission? Find another quote!

16 comments:

Vicki Rocho said...

A great reminder. I know a lot of people who tend to think if it's online it's fair game.

Anonymous said...

I'd hate to not get permission, and be called out for it. Very unprofessional!! When in doubt, looking up the rules is very important.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Great post and tips.

Yvonne.

TL said...

Oh, great links - always handy to have! Thanks.

Talli Roland said...

Important reminder, Alex. It's easy to forget about all the legal stuff, but it can definitely bite you in the arse if you're not careful!

Anonymous said...

Can I quote you on this post! ;-)

Marvin D Wilson

Laura S. said...

Yes yes and yes always ask permission!

notesfromnadir said...

Thanks, a very important bit of advice for any writer. Some people aren't interested in being quoted, as I've learned. Others just adore it. Thanks for the links!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Vicki - like they do with photos!

Talli, it can. And who's Alex?

Marvin, you can!

Talli Roland said...

Um, sorry! :) No idea how that happened. I know you're not Alex! Where's my wine...?

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Talli, I think maybe you drank it all!! LOL

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Great reminder and resources!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

lovely one.

Simon Hay said...

Can we quote lines from songs? I better check this out. Thanks for the links :)

nutschell said...

great tips on quotes. thanks for the information. I'm sure it'll come in handy one of these days. :)
Great meeting you through the A-Z!
nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Helen Ginger said...

I'm gathering quotes from books that show the "character" of a character - but I'm getting each author to send them to me. That way, I know it's okay for me to use them in a handout for an upcoming workshop I'm leading.