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Who's in November 10's magazines out now?

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  • edited September 2010
    You lost me last month, Webbo. I won't buy a magazine for writers with spelling mistakes. Once my sub finished, that was that.

    Edited to correct my spelling...
  • Have to say I just don't see the adverts anymore, they are just those pages between the interesting bits.
  • Television's the reverse, of course. :)
  • edited September 2010
    thanks, Webbo, subscribing for support for TB and TBers more than fir their usefulness, though, as I said earlier ...
    and I don't need to look for a publisher!
  • Writers' News, Helpline, page 16. What do you think about the answers mentioning single and double quotes and 'fair trading' (latter = re lyrics)?
  • Well done Jennymf, I don't know your real name so didn't spot you - but Montholon I knew. well done Maggie too!
  • edited September 2010
    I was certainly surprised about the 'fair trading' bit, Jay, as it was my understanding that you had to be exceptionally careful with song lyrics and could be charged an immense amount for even quoting a few words. I certainly don't see how it could be classed as coming under the comment/review rules either if you were using them in a book as described.
    Song titles are fine, though.
  • Can't help wondering also if it should have said 'fair usage' rather than 'fair trading'.
  • I wouldn't want to follow that advice without having checked it out and got it in black and white myself.
  • edited September 2010
    Since the matter of rights is essentially a legal one, what is and isn't allowed is up for interpretation. Titles are absolutely okay.
    In terms of content, it hinges on your definition of "fair dealing" and "substantial part". For lyrics, as with any copywritten words, quoting is okay as long as what you use does not constitute a "substantial part" of the original work (there is also some consideration of the relative value of your chosen quotation's content to the original work as a whole). For longer quotes, you can still claim it is fair dealing in certain circumstances (but most likely not fiction, as Heather suggests).
    However, these elements (substantial; quality; fair dealing) are not explicitly defined in law. The Society of Authors notes that on one occasion, using four lines of a 32-line poem was viewed as an infringement (so if we take that as one limit of the proportions, a single line ought to be okay...). The same rules apply to lyrics as any other text, but the music industry is notoriously litigious, and its lawyers would almost certainly disagree.

    There's some more from the Society of Authors here: http://www.societyofauthors.org/sites/default/files/Quick%20Guide%20to%20Copyright%20and%20Moral%20Rights%2009_1.pdf , but if you were serious about using this sort of thing in print, it would be something to explore in more depth with your publisher

    [edit to add=] as Diana said in the article, attribution is probably wise too!
  • in other words, it's a minefield. I am using poems in my books which were written as long ago as 1917, I would be wary of modern publications.
  • Writing Magazine, page 28 - says "either of the above volumes", but mentions only the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook. Should The Writer's Handbook have had a mention? And what about giving a plug to Editors & Preditors (or whatever they're called)?
  • Writing Magazine, page 57 - critique offered (see above re flash on page 7 of Writers' News). Looks like it's being done by James McCreet.
  • Writing Magazine, page 7 - apparently Andrew Motion said that "no one was writing much about sex any more". Perhaps I should send him a copy of my book, "All About Sex". Although I have to admit it's more romantic than raunchy.
  • Interesting article re quoting song lyrics

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/01/blake-morrison-lyrics-copyright
  • See also page 29 in Writing Magazine re Writers' Rights. It says what a "substantial" part means.
  • [quote=Jay Mandal]Should The Writer's Handbook have had a mention? And what about giving a plug to Editors & Preditors (or whatever they're called)?[/quote]
    At a late stage I took out Jane's reference to the Writer's Handbook as it is not quite as clear in helping to sort mainstream publishers from others - eg Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie listed straight after Pearson Educational!
  • I do know the Writers Handbook does list companies that are very borderline like the Pegasus one above.
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