Copyrights
This past week, I went to LTUE, and it was great! I sat at the feet of many masters and came away with some good tips to share with you all.
First, some tips from the copywriting class by Robin Ambrose, Rachel Ann Nunes, Michaelbrent Collings, Joe Monson, and Steve Setzer. Your copyright starts from the moment your work is recorded in some tangible form—be it “charcoal writing on toilet paper,” a saved computer file, or an audio recording.
Registering your copyright with the government enables you to be awarded statutory damages for infringement. You should register that copyright within three months of publication.
When you sign a contract with a publisher, do NOT give them the complete copyrights for your book. For example, do give them the license to distribute/sell your book in English for the agreed upon time and format. Do NOT sign over movie rights, audio book, foreign language rights, etc. unless they’re paying you handsomely for them.
Attorney Steve Setzer told our class, "You’re a business; your story is a product line. Each publisher, movie maker, etc. is a different distribution channel for a product from that line. A book can be translated into foreign languages, made into a movie, a game, a toy, and so on. That’s why you give only English-language publishing rights to your publisher. Don’t surrender those potential money-making products.”
Registering your copyright with the government enables you to be awarded statutory damages for infringement. You should register that copyright within three months of publication.
When you sign a contract with a publisher, do NOT give them the complete copyrights for your book. For example, do give them the license to distribute/sell your book in English for the agreed upon time and format. Do NOT sign over movie rights, audio book, foreign language rights, etc. unless they’re paying you handsomely for them.
Attorney Steve Setzer told our class, "You’re a business; your story is a product line. Each publisher, movie maker, etc. is a different distribution channel for a product from that line. A book can be translated into foreign languages, made into a movie, a game, a toy, and so on. That’s why you give only English-language publishing rights to your publisher. Don’t surrender those potential money-making products.”
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Amazon
Michaelbrent Collings had some AMAZING advice about Amazon! I would love to sit down sometime and pick that man’s brain. He had us laughing and taking hurried notes for an hour, and we barely scratched the surface of what this Amazon Bestselling Author knows. I’ll just mention a few key points here.
Get a great book cover, it will make or break your book. If you once took an art class and think you can do it, great—you still need to hire a professional graphic designer!
Amazon subcategories
Notice how some books have a million subcategories even though Amazon only lets you choose two? Here’s how you get them. Remember those keywords that Amazon has you fill out? They’re not just for search purposes. Choosing the right keywords will place your book into subcategories. Go here to read more about it. Read through the text, then click on the links for your genre at the bottom to see the keywords you’ll need to choose.
Why do we want subcategories? They increase the visibility of your book. Besides placing your book in more specific categories for searches, subcategories can be powerful tools. Amazon loves to recommend things its customers are most likely to buy. A subcategory is smaller and easier to rise to the top of. In theory, once you're at the top of a subcategory, your book gets Amazon's attention, and it will recommend your book to buyers. This, in turn, will boost sales and rankings, making your book even more visible.
Get a great book cover, it will make or break your book. If you once took an art class and think you can do it, great—you still need to hire a professional graphic designer!
Amazon subcategories
Notice how some books have a million subcategories even though Amazon only lets you choose two? Here’s how you get them. Remember those keywords that Amazon has you fill out? They’re not just for search purposes. Choosing the right keywords will place your book into subcategories. Go here to read more about it. Read through the text, then click on the links for your genre at the bottom to see the keywords you’ll need to choose.
Why do we want subcategories? They increase the visibility of your book. Besides placing your book in more specific categories for searches, subcategories can be powerful tools. Amazon loves to recommend things its customers are most likely to buy. A subcategory is smaller and easier to rise to the top of. In theory, once you're at the top of a subcategory, your book gets Amazon's attention, and it will recommend your book to buyers. This, in turn, will boost sales and rankings, making your book even more visible.
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