To Start Right Here a New Nonfiction Book…
This one is coming from the learning and experience at the Licensing Expo. For the longest time I told writers to learn copyright (I still do… critical). But I also said at times to not worry early on about trademark.
Well, with the focus changing to licensing (which includes publishing), trademark for brands is becoming more and more important. And it is a tough area.
I have had some training in it, and been refreshing that training. So here I am going to do a series of blog posts called Trademark for Fiction Writers.
I am not a lawyer, so it will not be legal advice. I will tell you how to go get that, however, and when it is needed.
I am planning on writing the book fairly quickly here, maybe starting this weekend. And wow will this be basics. Most writers I know can’t seem to make the time to learn copyright, the very basics of what they are licensing. So I doubt this book will have many readers and I honestly don’t care.
I am writing this for me, to make sure I have the basics down fairly solid. And the best way for me to do that is write it.
But at least read along as I write this and ask questions if you want. I will try to make this complex and dry topic moderately interesting.
Moderately… Best I can promise.
Wow, excellent! This comes at the right time, because I asked my daughter (who is a trained graphic artist) to help me brand my series, including a trademark word/typography/image which would represent the series on all licensed items.
THIS IS SO HARD.
I was trying to design something on my own and I kept flailing like a fish out of the water. However, the USPTO.gov site has a nice FAQ section so we can get the basic rules straightened out.
Thank you for tackling this, Dean!
I am thrilled that you are going to write about trademarks. I have been fretting about the logo I created for my micro-press, suspecting that I needed to apply for trademark protection for it, knowing that I needed to educate myself about trademarks, and somehow not managing to get started on that task. Reading your book will be a good start. Thank you!
Write on. Good timing.
Wow. This sounds great! Thank you very much, Dean.
Sounds like the logical follow-up to your Magical Bakery posts and book. I look forward to it. Thanks, Dean.
Chris