The Writer”s Legal Companion : The Complete Handbook for the Working Writer, 3rd ed.

It would be nice to believe that people involved with poetry would always treat each other fairly, but the proliferation of poetry “contests” that prey on the desire to be published make it clear that it”s simply not true. For that reason, every working poet”s bookshelf should include at least one reference work about the legal issues of writing – whether it be fiction, non-fiction, commentary or poetry. From copyright law to contracts, libel and other issues of legality, Writer”s Legal Companion by Brad Bunin and Peter Beren covers everything legal to do with publishing – and does it in an entertaining way that is easy to understand and fun to read.

The revised 3rd edition contains updated information about:

• publishing contracts, what to look for and what to avoid
• libel, slander, and invasion of privacy issues
• electronic and digital rights to your poetry
• the business of publishing, including marketing and selling books
• magazine publishing – who owns your poem? What are first rights? Distribution rights? World rights?
• collaboration and agents’ agreements – how to read contracts and what to look for in an agent”s contract
• federal income tax considerations for freelance writers – do you really need to declare that magazine subscription? Can you deduct reading fees on your taxes?
• copyright legalities

Beren and Bunn make the dry subject matter interesting with lively, opinionated text that will definitely make the facts stick in your mind.