Category: Jodee Speaks

Jodee Speaks

A Thank You to All Veterans

Today, I’d like to take the time to say thank you to all of the veterans who have served our country. I truly appreciate the sacrifices you have made and admire your courage, strength, and dedication.

In the past, I’ve encouraged writers to honor soldiers by self-publishing stories about them, but today I want to encourage all soldiers, whether they consider themselves writers or not, to share their stories. Each of you has a story to share. Whether it is a love story, a war story, or just general reflections on the time you served, people want to read it.

I think it is important that people get the opportunity to learn many versions of events, especially first-hand tales from those who were there. I also think writing and story telling is a great way to heal, remember, and honor. The American people don’t want to just hear stories from the media. They want to hear stories from the soldiers who were there.

Now, you may be thinking, but I don’t write, and that is okay. You can self-publish a book even if you don’t consider yourself a writer. There are professional ghostwriters out there who would love to help you turn your story into a great book. There are also amazing editors, illustrators, and marketing professionals who can help you be successful.

This Veterans Day, I leave you with this message: share your story. People want to know it, and only you can tell it.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Jodee Speaks

5 Misunderstandings About Using Photos When Self-Publishing

One of the most confusing areas of publishing for self-published authors is copyrights. Many authors aren’t familiar with or misunderstand copyright laws — especially when it comes to using photos in their books or on their covers. Here are five of the most common misunderstandings.

1. “Download Free Photos” Sites

Many authors misunderstand the “download free photos” sites.  Most of these sites only allow the images to be used for blogs, websites, and other personal applications; not for publication.  Also, since these images are designed primarily for use on a computer, they are typically very low resolution and not suitable for printed publication.

2. Wikipedia Photos

Contrary to popular belief, it is not permissible to publish all photos downloaded from Wikipedia.  The author needs to look closely at the annotation on the page where they found the image to see the requirements.  Some will require the author to obtain permission from the copyright holder.

3. Limitations

Some copyright holders will sell the right to publish their image, but their permission may have limitations on the number of copies or length of time.  Many self-publishing companies will not accept a limited authorization.  Authors should check with their publisher before purchasing any such rights to publish
an image.

4. The Copyright Holder

Just because a photo is in your possession doesn’t mean you have the right to publish it.  The copyright holder is considered to be the person who took the photo. Therefore, the original photographer is the one who must grant authorization to publish the image.

5. Subjects in Photos

Despite my previous point, just because you took the photo doesn’t necessarily mean you have the right to publish the photo.  If there are people in the photo, then the author should obtain a photo release from the subjects.

I’d love to know what questions you have about photo copyrights. Please comment below.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Jodee Speaks

Top 6 Self-Publishing Copyright Questions

One of the most confusing topics for new authors is copyrights. I am constantly asked questions by new authors who want to avoid copyright infringements. Here are the top six copyright questions I am frequently asked by self-publishing authors.

1) Is my manuscript copyrighted when self-publishing?

Yes, the copyright for your material was secured as soon as you created it, or when it became fixed in a manuscript for the first time. No publication, registration or any other official act is required to secure copyright.

2) If copyright is automatic, why should I register for a copyright?

Filing with the U.S. Copyright Office creates a public record of the basic information of your book, which gives you the ability to sue for infringement and statutory damages. Doing this creates a legal presumption that your copyright is valid and allows you to recoup up to thousands of dollars, and possibly attorney fees, without having to prove actual monetary harm.

3)  How do you know if something in your book is copyright protected?

 In most cases, any picture, material, text, information, quote, map, song, image or illustration that you personally did not create is copyright protected by the person(s) who created and/or published the material.  Any text or pictures found in a book, magazine or newspaper is copyright protected by the publisher, artist photographer or some other entity.  And yes, most information found on the internet is copyright protected.  For example, if you pull material from Wikipedia, it’s copyrighted by somebody. 

4) What is Fair Use?

Under “Fair Use,” some copyright protected material can be used without permission; however, there are no clear-cut rules, only guidelines and factors to be considered. Fair use is not a right, only a defense. If you are unsure, please consult a legal advisor or copyright researcher.

The following four factors are used to determine fair use: 1) The purpose and character of the use, including potential gains for commercial 2) The nature of the original copyrighted work 3) The proportion or percentage of the copyrighted material in relation to the work as a whole 4) The potential effect on the value of the copyrighted material.

5) Will citing the source of the material free you from copyright infringement?

 No!  Citing the source will not avoid possible court litigation.  Permission must be obtained. 

6) How can I avoid being accused of libel?

Stating an opinion is not libelous, though it’s best to be careful not to make an accusatory statement about anyone when using real names. Do not make the following statements, as they are clear grounds for a libel case: Falsely accusing someone of a crime, or having been charged, indicted or convicted of a crime; falsely identifying someone with an infectious disease; falsely charging someone or an organization with a claim that discredits a business or office and lowers their profitability; and falsely accusing someone as being impotent.  If you are publishing a true story, you may want to change names of characters and places as well as use a pen name. 

I would love to hear your other questions regarding copyrights, and perhaps, I can address them in future book posts.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Jodee Speaks

If You Self-Publish Your Memoir, Read This

Many self-publishing authors have questions about self-publishing a memoir and avoiding a libel suit. Libelous statements are published statements that are false and damaging. However, even if what you write is true, someone can still accuse you of libel. Here is what you need to know to protect yourself.

  • If you make negative statements about another person or entity that have not been proven in a court of law, you need written permission.
  • If you are unable to obtain written permission, take steps to protect yourself:
  • Change all names of people and places.
  • Use a pen name.
  • Do not include an author photo.
  • Do not include an author bio.
  • Consider listing the book under the “Fiction-Biography” genre rather than non-fiction.

I know these steps can sometimes be hard for memoir writers because they are so emotionally involved in their stories and they want the world to know their story. However, publishing a book without permissions can lead to legal, and possibly physical, danger. People such as abusers do not like the world knowing the truth, and they may retaliate against authors who share their stories.

Many publishers will reject the story for publication if the above  precautions are not taken.  Some authors think their “freedom of speech” allows them to say whatever they want.  Unfortunately, this is not the case!  If what they are saying infringes on someone else’s rights, they cannot publish without the other person’s permission.

However, it is possible to share your story by using the above precautions. There are plenty of people who use pen names and have very successful books. Don’t let fear of a libel suit prevent you from sharing your story, but do take the necessary steps to protect yourself.

You can learn about libel, by reading this previous post: Questions Self Publishing Authors Ask: Non-Fiction Book Considered Libelous.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

What Self-Publishing Children’s Authors Need to Know About Hiring an Illustrator

 

For children’s authors, a great illustrator is essential to self-publishing a wonderful book. In children’s stories, the pictures are not only enjoyable to look at, they also help tell the story. Because an illustrator is so important to the success of your book, you need to make sure you hire a talented, trustworthy artist.

Thanks to the internet, it is easy to find an illustrator. If you simply google the term “children’s book illustrators”, you will probably get plenty of results for qualified artists. However, self-publishing authors need to be cautious when hiring third-party illustrators. Here is what you need to know.

  • Some third-party illustrators require you to share a portion of your royalties. This creates ongoing cost instead of a one-time fee for their services.
  • You need to know what the trim size of your book is prior to the illustrator beginning work.
  • The illustrator needs to know specifications about bleed and gutters for the
    self-publisher being used.
  • You should arrange for the illustrator to provide high-resolution image files, not just
    hardcopies.
  • Be sure to get a written contract.

If this sounds like a headache, there is an easier way. Instead of hiring a third-party illustrator, you could hire an illustrator through your self-publishing company. To learn more about hiring an illustrator your self-publishing company, contact a representative at your publishing company.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.