Writer's Tips

May Writer’s Tips – #Copyrights, #Plagiarism, Book Matter and More!

Published on by dgkaye

Welcome to my May Writer’s Tips. I have collected some fantastic helpful articles in this past month. So as not to overwhelm, I’m going to break up this post under two different umbrellas. In this edition I’ve tailored this month’s discoveries to tips that specifically pertain to book writing and potential legal snags – how to find your writing voice, what constitutes plagiarism, penalties for using song lyrics in our writing, what to put in front matter of our books, and the importance of designating a social media executor.

The BookDesigner takes us through the definition and meaning of Voice in writing:

What Is Voice in Writing? [Examples Included]

Janice Wald of Mostlyblogging.com talks about the 4 types of Plagiarism and the consequences in 2022

https://www.mostlyblogging.com/ethics-sentence/

Anne R. Allen has an informative article with great detail on why writers cannot use song lyrics in their writing, the permissions required, and the penalties of using them:

Can A Writer Quote Song Lyrics in a Memoir or Novel?

Anne R. Allen with another informative post explaining why writers need to appoint a Social Media Executor:

Why Every Writer Needs a Social Media Executor, NOW!

Bryn Donovan has a concise article on all that’s important and why for front matter of books for publishing:

https://www.bryndonovan.com/2022/05/16/11-things-you-can-put-in-the-front-matter-in-a-book/

Stay tuned for next month’s edition of Writer’s Tips where I’ll be sharing some articles with handy tips and some great tools for writers.

©DGKaye2022

51 thoughts on “May Writer’s Tips – #Copyrights, #Plagiarism, Book Matter and More!”

  1. Thanks for sharing these blogs, Debby 🙂 I was surprised when I found out I couldn’t use songs lyrics in my books years ago.

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  2. Thanks, Debby. I remember somebody asking me to translate a book full of song lyrics and I asked her if she had got permission, (she hadn’t) but she sought advice from the small publisher she was working with and was told it was not necessary. I am sure the advice was wrong, but I didn’t do the translation anyway. (This was a Spanish author, but I don’t think the laws are different here). Thanks for all the great blogs. I’m off to visit them. Stay well.

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    1. Thanks for adding to the conversation Olga. Yes, it seems many aren’t aware of copyright laws with lyrics so I thought it was important to share. Happy weekend my friend. ❤

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  6. Great tips, Debby. I hadn’t thought about a social media executor until your post. When a friend recently passed away, I wondered about her sites and how they would be silenced. They are still up, so her family probably doesn’t know what to do about them. I’m going to have a chat with my sons and ask that they handle this for me. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Hi Gwen. So glad you found these helpful. I haven’t checked all social sites, but I do know that Facebook has a place to designate a social executor and have ticked mine off. Glad to help. ❤

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  8. Hi Debby – good tips for us all at various times … I think I’d find Bryn’s front-matter information useful … and interesting to read up about – cheers Hilary

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  13. A great round-up of important topics, Deb! Copyright infringement is a huge deal! Song lyric publication can be confusing and I see a lot of bloggers sharing entire lyrics on their posts as an inspiration for a challenge (Song Lyric Sunday). While this article doesn’t exactly address blog posts, my instinct tells me to only use the title which is OK, and/or a few lines from the song with full attribution. I would love to know more about lyrics shared in blog posts.

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  16. Pingback: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – 16th – 22nd May 2022 – Hits 1995, Aretha Franklin, Stories, Podcast, Poetry, Guests, Reviews, Health and Humour | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

  18. Great stuff, DG. There were some lyrics I would have loved to use in Waiting for Westmoreland but I knew very well the problems that would have ensued. Anne Allen has some good info. Song titles are OK; not a single line of lyric.

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