May I Have Your Permission, Please?

There’s an interesting post by Brandon Mendelson about “How to Use Public Domain Content” at http://mashable.com/2009/11/02/public-domain-content/.

It’s not uncommon for authors (especially college professors) to condense or otherwise edit another writer’s work so the work can be included in their own book. Here are three typical reasons why you, as an author, may want to edit another writer’s work:

1. The essay you want to use is long, and your editor has said you have to cut twenty-five pages from your manuscript. Out come the scissors—you can cut three paragraphs from the original essay and that will trim one page from your manuscript. Those three paragraphs in the essay aren’t pertinent to your book, anyway.

2. You really only need to quote five pages from a twenty-five page essay but the five pages aren’t sequential. You decide to use only the five pertinent pages and drop the rest. This will trim twenty more pages from your essay.

3. One of the essays you want to use has four pages of bibliography. Why should you include the other writer’s bibliography? After all, your book will have its own bibliography.

The problem? You shortened your manuscript by editing the work of other writers. Can this be done legally? Sometimes—but only if you follow the rules. When you request permission to use copyright protected materials your request MUST state exactly what you are using and you must make clear any changes being made to the original material. Have you made it clear that the article you are using has been edited?

In the examples above you will probably be granted permission to make the first two edits as long as your manuscript clearly indicates where cuts have been made. However, in most cases you will not be granted permission to drop the other author’s bibliography.

In my next posting I will explain further.

© 2009 Anne Wallingford. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve  posted an updated sample of a standard “request for permission” letter and form to my web site.Got to http://www.annewallingford.com

Click on the button for Freelancer’s FAQs.

Scroll down to the section on Copyright and look for the link that says Sample Permission Letter and Request Form.

Anne