Official Policy Regarding Internet Piracy, Copyright Law,
Reprinting Articles, Excerpts, Fan Fiction, Etc.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT INTERNET PIRACY OF MY WORK:
It's come to our attention that somebody uploaded several of my novels, complete, to the net, as illegal downloads. This information was turned over to my publisher and several author organizations I belong to. Any site or person caught distributing my material on the net in this manner will be dealt with in the same way and we will not hesitate to prosecute if remedies are not immediately forthcoming. They can rationalize it all they like--it still remains stealing.
By scanning books and posting them on the net these people are stealing from the author and publisher. They cut into royalties--which are a writer's livelihood--and they impact your ability to read more of your favorite authors when contracts aren't forthcoming because of lost sales. If someone can't afford to buy a book, the best way they can help authors AND get to read the book is to request that their local library purchase a copy for their shelves.
If you find sites offering illegal downloads of this nature, you will be doing the author a great favor by bringing it to both their attention and the attention of their publisher. Thank you.
Currently, many legal electronic version of my books are available. Please only purchase & download from these legitimate sources.
Regarding Copyright:
I'm often asked if someone can post part of a book or an article that I've written to their site, newsgroups, email lists, newsletters, etc. The answer is a definitive no, with very few exceptions.
You CANNOT legally copy chapters of a book, entire articles or poems to their site without permission of the author and the publisher.
My publishing contracts expressly forbid unapproved reproduction of my work. When I write for sites on the net, including my own, the reader must consider that I may shortly be using that material again in a book and henceforth, I do not allow reproduction of the article electronically--if I do, it will say so within the article. As far as out of print books, I own the rights and it is up to ME when to seek re-publication. The books are NOT public domain.
If you want others to read something on a web site, then send a link to that article, do NOT copy the article itself and send it out. Ask yourself if you would be willing to work for five or six months free for your company or employer--this is the average minimum time it takes to write a book. Contrary to popular opinion, the average full-time writer barely scrapes out a living, and even less when their work is plundered by thieves and handed out free--this especially applies to e-book authors.
If you desire to reprint a small excerpt (250 words or less) of one of my books for review on your site, please contact the following for permission:
Crafting The Body Divine
Sexual Ecstasy & The Divine
Totem Magic
Magical Meditations (and therefore, Trancing The Witch's Wheel):
Ten Speed Press/Crossing Press
Phone: 1-510-559-1600
PO Box 7123
Berkeley CA 94707
Any of the Indigo Court Series/therworld (SOTM) Series/Chintz 'n China Mystery Series/India Ink Mystery
Series:
Kate Seaver, Editor
Penguin Putnam
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
Dancing With The Sun
Embracing The Moon
Tarot Journeys:
Yasmine Galenorn
Contact via contact page on this site.
Regarding fan fiction:
No, you do not have my permission to write fan fiction based on any of my works. First: there have been cases where fan fiction has led to courtroom fights over copyrighted material. I'm not about to even go there--so I don't give anyone permission to write in my worlds I create, or use the characters I create. For one thing, I will be writing 'prequels' at times (set back in Otherworld or other realms) about some of the secondary characters and I don't want any interference in that.
My emotional stance on fan fiction: I'm sorry if this ticks people off, but to me, fan fiction is like having somebody else intrude into my characters' lives and my worlds and try to take over my stories. These characters are very much a part of me. The idea of someone writing slash that doesn't fit my characters makes me absolutely cringe. These characters exist in my head and heart--I get queasy thinking about some of the perverted fan fiction I've seen and what the writers have done to the characters.
These characters are part of my daily life. I am attached to them, I have long-term plans for them, and I'm territorial. It's my choice how and what of my worlds to reveal, and when.
I will not read fan fiction and I have never written it. However, I'm not going out searching on the net to find out if somebody has been writing it (frankly, I really don't want to know, it gives me the willies). If someone is writing it based on my world, they have no permission to do so, and they really shouldn't even think about telling me because I'll be very pissed. And in no way do they have any rights to the characters or the world I have created.
I highly encourage readers and fans of any author, if you have cool ideas, create a new setting and characters in which to use them--get in there and write new worlds, new stories that are all your own! You'll find it a lot more rewarding and then--if you do a good job--you can look into publishing. Whereas, with fan fiction, post it on the net, call my attention to it, and I'll do my best to get the work taken down.
Ten Myths About Copyright Explained By Brad Templeton
Please Read This Article--It's Valuable Information.
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html