Last time, I explained how self-published authors in the UK are required, by law, to offer copies of their book to the British Library. This post explained how you go about registering to become a publisher with access to their online
Legal Deposit
When it comes to the business of writing, there’s an action all UK self-publishers have to undertake, thanks to a law that has its origins in the 17th century. Legal Deposit, as it is officially known, legally requires publishers to
Locked Down, But Not Standing Still
Gosh! Where has all the time gone? I can’t believe it’s been nine weeks since I last posted something. That’s not because I haven’t been doing anything. In fact, quite the opposite. Since lockdown restrictions have eased further here in
You’ve Got Mail
What makes a good author email newsletter? Two authors tell me how they keep in regular touch with their readers. Mailing lists. Every author should have one. Why? Because once we have our readers’ email addresses, we control how and
EU Copyright Directive
Firstly, many thanks to everyone who commented on last week’s post and shared it on social media. A touch of reality was clearly appreciated! The current reality for authors and creatives could be about to change, if the UK adopts
European Copyright
The European Parliament has recently voted through changes to current copyright law. The European Union Directive on Copyright in the Single Digital Market will force social media platforms, such as facebook, twitter and YouTube to be more responsible when copyrighted material is
2019 London Book Fair
This year’s London Book Fair takes place between 12th and 14th March at Olympia. Like many of these events, if you’ve never been before it’s worth making some preparations to ensure you get the most from your visit. Time will
Every Penny Counts
Last week, the British Library uploaded the PLR statements for authors to download. While it’s always nice to be paid for those times when your books are borrowed from a library, it’s also fascinating to see which books are being borrowed.
The 0.01% Copyright Conundrum
Pretty much every book on writing urges writers NOT to sign away their copyright in a project. And I would agree that, in 99.99% of cases, that is definitely the right step to take. However, there are times when doing
RU GDPR OK?
The recent Cambridge Analatica and Facebook controversy has highlighted the importance of knowing exactly to whom we’re giving our precious data, and then what they can do with it. Next month, new European legislation, known as GDPR, comes into force,
What To Do With Your Form 1042?
If you’ve self-published some work and uploaded it to distributors like Amazon (and Createspace) or Smashwords, you may recently have received an email from them advising you that your 1042-S form is available to download. But what is a
Vlad the Self-Published
Last week’s post (What To Do With My Business After I’m Dead) looked at a book that fellow Writing Magazine columnist Tarja Moles has published. This week, another fellow Writing Magazine columnist, Lorraine Mace, explains why she’s bitten the bullet
What To Do With My Business After I’m Dead
Nobody likes to think about dying, but have you considered what might happen to your writing business after you’re dead? Don’t forget, everything you write is protected by copyright for another 70 years after your demise. That’s 70 years when
Revealing Your Self Through Journalling
Do your journal? I do, and it’s something I’m doing more regularly. Is there a business case for journalling? I think so, because it’s an opportunity to mine your brain for ideas and thoughts. Sometimes journalling helps me to identify
Free Money
It’s that time of year when writers might see some ‘free’ money pop into their bank accounts, but not everyone will be lucky. The secondary rights organisations (ALCS and DACS) are making distributions, as follows: