Publishing Guidelines: I want to publish short stories that I collect from the public...?

Question

If I let people know ahead of time that their stories might be published and I change the names and other personal information in the stories, do I have any other legal issues to worry about if I do get it published?

Answer 1

You can't change any names in regards to the stories and you can't change any personal information. All stoires that are published are copyrighted.

You can do this:

Make it known that you plan on starting an anthology. You then contact the publishers of your intentions (and this is very important because contracts can be a year long before anyone can publish the story), but sometimes the contract is only valid until the story is published. If the author wants to be in the anthology, then you have no problem, if the publisher is finished with the contract with the author, you have no problems.

Once you have a collection of stories, you'll contact a publisher, get an artist for the cover, an editor who will make sure everything is in order, and a printer. This can run into a few bucks. You also have to take into consideration a payment for the author. Some anthologies will offer a copy of the anthology, others will offer so much per word. So, a 5,000 word short story at, let's say, 3 cents per word will cost you $150.00 'per author.' 15 stories will cost you $2,250.

I know all my stories and where they are published. Anyone publishing my work who doesn't contact me first will definitely hear from my attorney. Copyright infringement gets into big bucks.

Answer 2

It sounds to me like you have a LOT of legal issues. Why on earth would someone give you their story and have you change their name and personal information on it? So that you benefit? What you propose writing is an anthology. There are hundreds of them out there. But the authors whose stories are included in the anthologies are given credited and they are compensated for it. That is the professional way to do it. I cannot imagine an author just giving you a story to change to your name and take credit. Further, you would have to have a literary attorney draw up a rock solid contract giving away those rights. Suppose a producer read a particular story in the book and wanted to buy it for a movie? Would you own the rights or wold the person who actually wrote it? If you then identified the true author, that would make you a liar and seriously damage your reputation as an author.

I am currently editing an anthology. Every contributor will be identified by name and there will be a bio of them in the book.

What you are proposing is unheard of and no author would ever agree to it. It is theft. I would never take credit for another's work. Pax- C

Answer 3

Make sure you have it in writing that the author of the story has given you permission to publish their works, to avoid problems.

"Always give credit
where credit is due
'cause if one becomes famous
the others will sue"

Answer 4

You will need to get a signed wiver from the people you ask. The go to the Writers Year book which is avaliable in libraries, and apply to ALL of them.