The Latest Posts

• Young Readers and COPPA Compliance May 24, 2020
  If you are an author of children’s literature (especially middle-grade fiction) or your work targets young readers, then make sure your marketing efforts are COPPA compliant.   What is COPPA? COPPA is the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act designed to protect the privacy of children under the age of 13. COPPA helps parents maintain control over […]
  Matt Knight
• Publishing Update — The Writer’s Legal GPS: A guide for navigating the legal landscape of publishing May 23, 2020
  Psst! Hey great writing peeps. Look over here. Sidebar Saturdays contributor and founder Matt Knight launched a legal guide for writers. The Writer’s Legal GPS is an essential tool for writers, agents, editors, and publishers who want to understand the legal risks and rights associated with publishing. This comprehensive desktop reference is packed with clear […]
  Matt Knight
• Creative Collaborations: What to consider in joint venture agreements May 9, 2020
  “I’ve got a really great story for you to write.” Writers hear that line often, especially if they have reached some level of success as an author. It could be a celebrity who wants to publish a memoir but has not the time or inclination to write it. Or maybe it is an acquaintance with […]
  Matt Knight
• Using Letters in Creative Work — What Writers Should Know About Copyright Protection April 18, 2020
  The COVID-19 quarantine is a great opportunity to clean out closets and attics. For writers, rummaging through yesterdays can generate new ideas for creative projects—like using that stack of steamy love letters from an ex-boyfriend. Or maybe a few nasty grams from an irate neighbor over the pruning of a tree. Whatever the source, when […]
  Matt Knight
• Bankrupt Publishers – What’s an author to do? March 28, 2020
  Crazy times. Crazy situations. Hopefully you and your family are COVID-19 free, and your sanity is still intact. One blessing from a forced hunker-in-the-bunker reality is that I’m writing a ton. On the flip-side, the COVID-19 recession has caused such economic upheaval that, from an author’s perspective, could mean bankrupt publishers. Most publishing agreements contain […]
  Matt Knight
• Legal Challenges Of Writing Unauthorized Biographies February 29, 2020
  Biographies are grouped into two categories: biographies written with the subject’s permission and cooperation, aka authorized biographies, and biographies written without the subject’s permission and cooperation, aka known as unauthorized biographies.  The former tends to suggest a puffy publicity piece. The later tends to suggest a forbidden sense of controversy, like a “kiss and tell” […]
  Matt Knight
• Happy Valentine’s Weekend! February 14, 2020
  You’re one in a million. Toasting to you…with wine (because who wants to keep things bottled up). See you next week for a discussion about the legal challenges of writing unauthorized biographies.   Photo Credit: Visualhunt.com | CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication Legal Disclaimer:  Okay, okay. We can skip the disclaimer, but just […]
  Matt Knight
• Contract Amendments — How to modify an existing contract February 1, 2020
  Often during the business of writing, a signed contract may require changes because the circumstances around the project have changed too. Maybe a deadline has been extended, or the project scope has broadened. Regardless of the changes, any contract can be updated by a written amendment provided all parties to the contract agree to the […]
  Matt Knight
• Book Covers And Copyrights January 18, 2020
  A writer this week asked about using preexisting book covers to create a new cover for a book she was publishing. Book cover copyrights are a topic I’m questioned about often.  Who owns the book cover art — the artist, the publisher, the author? Can I use a book cover if I’m reviewing a book […]
  Matt Knight
• Interview Releases — Should You Use One? January 4, 2020
  Recently, I completed a weekend intensive freelance writing course at UPOD Academy with David Hochman. I met a remarkable group of accomplished writers who have inspired me to write about the legal issues freelance writers and journalists face. Over the next few weeks, I will address these issues to help writers understand the many laws and […]
  Matt Knight