Indie authors: Murky biz advice, gray legal issues

A variety of potential problems can create problems for indie authors starting their own business. Oftentimes, this arrives as murky business advice and gray legal areas. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about those many issues:

• Should I copyright my manuscript? 
You’ve just put the finishing touches on your book and are about to send it off to an editor, a literary agent, or maybe even a publishing house. Seemingly countless hours of thought and sweat went into your novel or nonfiction book, and it’s pretty good stuff, if you do say so yourself. But then a dreadful thought comes over you: “What if some slimeball tries to steal my work and pass it off as his own?” 

• Trademark registration is overkill for new writers  
Authors who’ve written a series of books or who’ve created a publishing house (also known as an imprint) to publish their books sometimes purchase trademark protection in an effort to protect themselves. This almost never is necessary, though.
 
• Will I need a Standard Address Number? 
Sometimes self-publishing authors are advised that they need to purchase a Standard Address Number (SAN) for their book released in the United States. Be wary of such advice, especially if it comes from a salesperson.

• How to avoid copyright infringement
In the United States, the basic law is this: If a work is copyrighted, you can reproduce it only if you give the author credit for it (not doing so amounts to plagiarism) and if you receive permission to use the work. As with all of our laws, though, it’s not quite that simple. 

• Can I use the names of real companies and products in my books? 
There’s a lot of confusion among writers about whether they can use the names of real companies and brands in their stories. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of misconceptions about trademark prohibitions and how to cover yourself.