Asked by: Munand Lasco

Editors are frequently asked whether it’s permissible for writers to mention product or business names in books. The short answer is yes.

Do you need permission to write about a place?

You do not need permission to include song titles, movie titles, TV show titles—any kind of title—in your work. You can also include the names of places, things, events, and people in your work without asking permission.

Can you use someone’s name in a book without permission?

The First Amendment usually wins unless the work is purely advertising, including political advertising. Using someone’s name, image or life story as part of a novel, book, movie or other “expressive” work is protected by the First Amendment, even if the expressive work is sold or displayed.

Can you use real towns in a book?

Towns/City Names: You can use the names of real towns and cities without any problems. I tend to use real large cities and make up the names of smaller towns. It’s easier to “create” a town to your story’s specifications and needs. You can take liberties with real places by making up the names of streets or businesses.

Do you need permission to write an article about someone?

First, a simple rule. If what you write about a person is positive or even neutral, then you don’t have defamation or privacy issues. For instance, you may thank someone by name in your acknowledgements without their permission. If you are writing a non-fiction book, you may mention real people and real events.

How do you avoid libel when writing a book?

Do tell the truth

1. Don’t make claims based on assumptions or opinions. Adding “in my opinion” before a statement won’t save you in a libel case.
2. Don’t embellish or exaggerate. If your book is nonfiction or memoir, then make sure it is truthful in every detail.
3. Don’t overlook invasion of privacy laws.

How do you avoid copyright infringement when writing a book?

Fair Use. Under the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright laws, you can use limited portions of a work, including quotes, without permission for certain purposes such as book reviews, classroom lessons, scholarly reports and news reports.

Can I sue someone for using my name in a book?

In most states, you can be sued for using someone else’s name, likeness, or other personal attributes without permission for an exploitative purpose.

Can you get sued for talking about someone in a book?

The offense of injuring a person’s character, fame, or reputation by false and malicious statements.” The term covers both libel (written) and slander (spoken). Only living people can sue for defamation, so someone can’t file a lawsuit against you for defamation through an estate or relatives.

Can you use public figures in fiction?

Using real people in your fiction—whether they are correctly named or not—can be legally hazardous. If an author includes enough details that a specific fictional character is identifiable as an actual person, that person could possibly pursue legal action.

Can you sue someone if they write a book about you?

Understanding Invasion of Privacy

Even if everything you write about someone is completely true, you still need to consider her privacy. Invasion of privacy occurs when you publicly disclose private facts not related to public concern. As with defamation, only living people can sue for invasion of privacy.

How many words can you quote without permission?

The American Psychological Association allows authors to cite 400 words in single- text extracts, or 800 words in a series of text extracts, without permission (American Psychological Association, 2010).

Can you write a memoir anonymously?

As I see it, there’s no such thing as an anonymous memoir. You’re either telling your life story, or you’re writing a novel based on some events that actually took place.

Why you shouldn’t use a pen name?

Pen names can complicate social gatherings, especially if you forget and introduce yourself to someone under your given name, or fail to respond when someone calls you by your pen name. Also, conferences and signings may become challenging if you’re juggling two names.

Can I publish a book under a fake name?

Yes, authors can self-publish using their pen name or nom de plume. If you’re self-publishing a book, you can definitely use a pseudonym when writing and publishing your book. In fact, many indie authors use a pseudonym or nom de plume when they publish books in several different genres.

How do you legally create a pen name?

You can register a manuscript under a pen name at the copyright office (www.copyright.gov). You’ll have to provide some information, including your real address. But if you really want to keep your true identity under wraps, set up a post office box and have information from the office sent there.

Do I need a DBA for a pen name?

No, you don’t need to use a DBA for a pseudonym/”pen name”/pka/”professionally known as” name, but you can if you want to. You can also register your literary works under…

What is an author’s fake name called?

A pseudonym is a fictitious name taken by a writer in place of their real name. The term “pseudonym” is a Greek word that literally means “false name.”

Did J.K. Rowling use ghost writers?

Absolutely not. Except, according to basically one crazy person on the internet, you could. The Norwegian film director Nina Grünfeld came out the gates back in 2005 with some nuts claims, like the one about J.K. Rowling being an actress paid to be the face of an entire enterprise of ghost writers.

How many times was J.K. Rowling’s pitch for Harry Potter rejected by publishers?

J.K. Rowling’s original ‘Harry Potter’ pitch was rejected 12 times — see it in new exhibit. A new exhibit in the British Library features a number of magical delights!

Why did J.K. Rowling change her name to Robert Galbraith?

She chose the moniker because Robert is one of her favourite names and Robert F Kennedy is her hero. When she created the Robert Galbraith pseudonym, she gave him a military background, as she said it was the “easiest and most plausible reason for Robert to know how the Special Investigation Branch operates.”

Did J.K. Rowling used to be homeless?

Poor and almost homeless, the ‘Harry Potter’ creator eventually became the world’s first billionaire author. Poor and almost homeless, the ‘Harry Potter’ creator eventually became the world’s first billionaire author.

Why do authors write under pen names?

A new name can give an author another chance to release their work without bias or predisposition, and bypass the possibility that their writing will be immediately rejected upon seeing their real name. They can’t publish under their real name.

How did people find out Robert Galbraith?

Rowling’s secret identity was actually revealed after a partner at a law firm told his wife’s best friend. The friend then revealed Rowling’s identity to a Sunday Times journalist. “I was a bit unlucky the way it happened,” the Harry Potter creator told BBC Radio 2’s Graham Norton.

How did J.K. Rowling get found out as Robert Galbraith?

Rowling’s secret identity was actually revealed after a partner at a law firm told his wife’s best friend. The friend then revealed Rowling’s identity to a Sunday Times journalist. “I was a bit unlucky the way it happened,” the Harry Potter creator told BBC Radio 2’s Graham Norton.

Is the author of Harry Potter Anonymous?

As to how The Sunday Times found Rowling’s secret identity, it started with an anonymous tweet to the paper’s arts editor Richard Brooks which claimed that the book was not written by a first-time author but by one of the world’s most famous novelists.