For the uninitiated writing a book for commercial purposes it can be scary territory trying to decide if permissions for use should be sought and how to do it.
When writing a biography about a celebrity or well known figure it is highly likely that there will be articles, extracts from other books, photographs and interviews that the writer wants to include in their book.
How to Seek Copyright Permission
The way to get permission for use is to contact the copyright owner. They will sometimes want a fee for use but not always. The quickest way to start this search is by contacting the publisher of the source.
- If the article or photograph is from a magazine then contact the publisher. In the case of magazines the contact details are usually in the front few pages. In the case of a newspaper then a bit of extra research on the internet may be needed to find out who is best to contact. In both cases it will not always be the publication which owns the piece as some copyrights may be owned by freelance writers or photographers. If so the publication will probably direct the enquirer to the right person.
- In the case of a book then the publishing house is the place to approach. The copyright may belong to them. If not it may be owned by a third party or the writer in which case the next step will be contacting them or their agent. Another possibility is that the copyright is owned by a person's estate if the subject of the biography or writer of the book is deceased. The estate will often be managed by a named person or company, often a law company.
- Do not be lulled into a false impression by the internet. Despite being a public domain most things are someone's intellectual property. Even just items in community forums. To avoid any problems ask for permission before using anything found on the internet.
How to Ask for Permission
When writing to ask for permission to use then emails are acceptable but they should also be backed up by sending a paper letter aswell. The information which should be included when asking for permission is:
- Where the article, excerpt, quote or picture was seen
- If it was a newspaper or magazine be sure to mention the edition number or date, the page number and the relevant article
- If from a book make sure to include the title, the author and the ISBN number
- Give full and honest details about how you will be using the piece, the theme of the autobiography and the medium e.g. a book, an ebook, a series of articles, etc. If asking for an essential piece of evidence which the autobiography depends upon then go the extra mile and include a sample from the book
- Give full contact details
- Let them know if they will be credited in the book
Not everything will need a permission for use but if hoping to better safe than sorry.
The copyright of the article Permissions for Use in Biography Writing is owned by Dulcinea Norton-Smith. Permission to republish Permissions for Use must be granted by the author in writing.
