Copyright - what you can and can't use

I know you’re a creative creature. I know you can’t help which way the muses take you. But you do have to think about Copyright Law.

Those song lyrics that fit your story like a glove? That artwork that would perfectly describe your point? You will need permission for the lyrics, unless the songwriter has been dead for at least seventy years, and even then, it would be wise to check. Even for a snippet. And artworks, building plans, maps, photos — even typographical arrangements— can have a different set of rules. Permissions can range from free usage to payment and limitations; something to consider as the more a book will cost to produce, the less appealing it is to produce.

What if you have the best idea ever for a plotline? What if you write up an outline and submit it to a publisher? You own the text of your outline, but the idea is not protected. The publisher is allowed to use your idea. Copyright Law does not protect ideas, concepts and styles. Neither does it protect slogans, names or titles, but trademark may be an issue; or people or images of people, though watch out for defamation.

Sometimes, much as it pains your artistic soul, to pay the rent you’ve got to work for the man. The man owns what you write. If, however, you freelance for the man, arrangements can be made. In fact, any agreement can be changed, as the owner of the copyright has total control.

Something that may please your artistic soul — there is no registration system for copyright. Your masterpiece is copyrighted the instant it is created. While using a nom de plume is perfectly legal, it can make it hard to find the correct owner, thus preventing you from getting attribution and/or payment. Credit and cash…wouldn’t that be nice?

Proving who has ownership of copyright can be difficult, but it rarely comes to court for three reasons. First up, as we know artists starve in garrets, and court can be costly. Secondly, there is a provision in the Act allowing groundless threats to be prosecuted; and thirdly, there is a risk of a perjury charge.

For a simple concept, there are many complexities. For example, even if the material originated or was first published in another country, Australian Copyright Law applies to what happens in Australia with that work. There are very narrow limits to works allowed without permission. Don’t let anyone tell you that because you are a non-profit society, you can use someone else’s work. But if the work is a parody or satire, it may be okay. Just make sure you check.

The Law is in place to encourage you to use your resources in researching and creating new works, which, as the Australian Copyright Council will tell you, benefits our society. It’s regularly amended to keep up-to-date with changing technologies, and the concerns that arise with these changes. It’s there to defend your ‘moral rights’, and any law that does that is a law that’s on your side. And a law that’s on your side, especially as a creative creature, is a law worth respecting. It will return the favour.

For more information see Australian Copyright Council website: www.copyright.org.au

Thank you Belinda Holmes, our guest blogger, for this post

Soirees Litteraires March 2012

Green Olive Press Christmas Party - Better late than never!

Green Olive Press staff gathered during the third week in January at Thai Terrific restaurant in Bondi Beach for a fashionably late Christmas do. And a terrific dinner it was. The party provided the perfect opportunity for the growing team to get to know one another and to celebrate a successful year of business.

In attendance were Caroline Webber (Director), Belinda Holmes (Editorial Intern), Irma Alberti (Archivist), Sam Booth (Events Manager), Sonia Popat (Communications Manager) and their partners.

New mother Bhavna Khanna (Photographer) was obliged to stay at home to comfort little Rani after a traumatic afternoon of immunisations… Dorothy Beaumont (Editor and Proofreader) from overseas was also missed – a skype connection was discussed for the next gathering! Sam Low (Designer) and Mandy Swann (Editor) were sad to miss the event due to health reasons. (Sam has been working too hard on GOP publications, and the above invitation!)

Thanks to Caroline Webber who treated the team to a delightful meal and Christmas gifts! The food and service were excellent. Conversation flowed between slurps of laksa, crunches of calamari and oodles of pad thai. Colleagues shared ideas for the year ahead and departed feeling upbeat and excited for 2012!

Green Olive Press would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy, healthy new year!

Sonia Popat

Communications Manager

It's graduation time...

Graduation ceremonies are long, aren’t they? I must thank my sainted mother and my beloved for enduring the two plus hours to see my split second of glory. But as a social study, it was fascinating.

It was the shoes that sparked it. I have feet like a coral reef walker and shoes are the bane of my existence. My feet may look sturdy, but they bleed. They blister and suffer. I can find any number of things to wear, but unless they suit thongs, Birkenstocks, runners or my faithful boots, I’m in dressing hell. Discovering Doc Martins in my youth is my downfall. Choosing that path in the footwear road led to the inexorable spreading of my already large feet, denying me the joy of footwear freedom. It is my cross to bear.

I had a pretty pair of flats and a fear of falling, but as we sat through the different faculties accepting their honours, the fear faded. Accounting was first. I was most impressed by the skills of few young ladies with extremely high wedge heels, tied flimsily with ribbon round their slender little legs. I wondered idly why their calves weren’t more developed with all that weight to carry, but other than that it was looking like a long day.

Next was Business Management. A few more pairs of giant wedges, but more clip-clopping smartly in 10cm stilettos, sharp at heel and toe. Fierce looking things, they were. No fear from the wearers. Envy started to tickle. I, too, wished to be smart and efficient and clip-clopping surely. And fearless.

Then we came to Marketing. Oh my goodness, how do they do it? Those amazing girls in their gravity-defying shoes: not a stumble, not a hiccup, not a thought of danger. No less than three pairs of red patent leather god-knows-how-high heels. A greater variety of shoes climbed the stairs to the stage, and the tickle was turning to a cough. All the stories were all there — Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, The Red Shoes. The Elves and the Shoemaker had been hard at work. And I was Little Goody Two Shoes.

But Advertising, oh my goodness, one girl had Christian Laboutins! Kid you not. Red soles were all I saw. I’m blind to the rest because my deep dark secret is a dangerous desire for the shoes no-one can afford. Or walk in without years of practice, of which I have none. Go on: ask me about Jimmy Choo… The money may be better, but if all my money would go to shoes I can’t walk in, I think I’ve chosen the right profession. Besides, books are cheaper, and don’t give you sore feet. And the Jimmy Choo one was a good read.

After that peak, Journalism started to bring some sense of gravity back to the proceedings: a few wedges, a few fierce heels, but more sweet flats than anything else.

Suddenly there was whooping. I snapped out of my daze, the world came back into focus, my breathing calmed. It was the Communication graduates. These guys were the jocks. Too much noise to notice shoes, let alone hear names. My mother sat thin-lipped.

Us in Book Editing and Publishing wore sensible shoes. I got blisters. And a diploma. Nobody fell.

Belinda Holmes

29 December 2011

Ten things that make a compelling story by Belinda Holmes

Ten things that make a compelling story

1. Good writing: A good writer can make any story worth reading. Style is a subjective thing, but there are a few universal rules — avoid wordiness, be specific, use active verbs, avoid clichés, and the most used cliché itself, show, don’t tell.

2. Correct grammar: As a writer, you probably have a good ear for language. Use it and trust it. You will find that you have an instinctive grasp of correct grammar, but there are many resources to check,

3. Description: Keep it short, active and specific. Touch on vivid aspects of the setting. Try to use original imagery, and avoid mixed metaphors as this can be confusing.

4. Good dialogue: Spoken language must flow naturally from the characters. It can drive the story, providing information, revealing the characters, creating a sense of space, as well as summarising events.

5. Characters: Characters drive the plot in compelling stories. Don’t let the plot drive the characters or action. Specifics of character make it easier for the reader to identify.

6. Viewpoint: This is the place from which the reader views the story. Most common is the viewpoint from a major character in first or third person. Be careful not to switch viewpoints unknowingly.

7. Show, don’t tell: Maintain subtlety in your presentation. Trust your reader is with you, don’t hammer the point home.

8. Conflict: Some kind of obstacle must be encountered or there is no story. Tension can be used to keep the reader involved.

9. Form and content: They must work together. If it isn’t a novel, make it a short story. By the same token, don’t limit yourself to a short piece when a compelling story may require a longer piece.

10. Unity: Of theme, style, time frames and viewpoint

Five books about writing

1. On writing, Steven King

2. The first five pages, Noah Lukeman

3. How to write a damn good novel, James Frey

4. Eats, shoots and leaves, Lynne Truss

5. Putting pen to paper, Caroline Webber (www.greenolivepress.com)

Supporting Australian Women's Writing....

This is excellent - join up, join in!

Australian Women Writers 2012 National Year of Reading Challenge

Keen on romance, fantasy, crime, YA, literary, mainstream women's fiction? Contemporary or historical? Memoir, other nonfiction or poetry?

Whatever your preference, whether you're a fan of one genre or a devoted eclectic, the 2012 Australian Women Writers Book Reading & Reviewing Challenge invites you to celebrate a year encountering the best of Australian women's writing.

Objective: This challenge hopes to help counteract the gender bias in reviewing and social media newsfeeds that has continued throughout 2011 by actively promoting the reading and reviewing of a wide range of contemporary Australian women's writing. (See the page on gender bias for recent discussions.)

Readers should approach this challenge with a spirit of willingness. There are no failures, just personal goals. Reviews can be long or short, favourable or "this book is not for me". Hopefully, along the way, we'll all discover some future classics and perhaps a few surprises among genres we're not familiar with. The main aim is to have fun.

http://www.australianwomenwriters.com/p/australian-women-writers-book-challenge_25.html

Musings of an Editorial Intern

I don’t mean to skite, but life is good when it’s all about books. When I’m not working with words in my role as editorial intern for Green Olive press, my other job is as a bookseller at Ariel, in The Rocks. Are you jealous? I’m sorry, but it is as delicious as it sounds. Not a bad balance for an obsessive reader. Especially since for both jobs it is a requisite to read. Can you imagine? Now I’m not messy, I’m busy.

Every day is different at the bookshop. Sundays are crazy and busy and fun; people from all over, and Walter the Farting Dog the biggest seller. Monday nights are lovely and peaceful; fellow booklovers quietly browsing, unconscious half smiles on their faces. Monday nights I dust and polish and tend to my books and chat, all of us in the same place of gentle bliss. Book chat turns to life chat, strangers join in, and we’re commiserating and communing and fixing the world. And then chat turns back to books.

That’s the normal turn of events. Christmas is special. Christmas at Ariel sparkles. I like to get there early and stay late to fight any dust that might deflect the shine. The shop is full and fat with luscious books. Customers enter with a bounce in their step. They come to me juggling armloads, asking advice. I love those conversations. Even though first instincts are always right, we talk them through and I learn all I can about granddad and mum and nephew and child and sister-in-law. They leave with bags crackling, full of festively wrapped perfect gifts, each so thoroughly discussed they can’t possibly be wrong. The bounce would be a skip if they weren’t so laden.

Christmas parties I’m not so sure about. The Society of Editors’ (NSW) Christmas party was a winner. Have you been to the Flying Squadron Club at Milsons Point? You must. What a view. Who cared about the weather? Caroline, Mandy and I had a great time, and everyone sitting near Caroline won prizes. I didn’t, but that would just be greedy, wouldn’t it?

- Belinda Holmes

And here's where we went...http://www.sydneyflyingsquadron.com.au/restaurant-bar/