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Book Publishing Tips of the Day
Daily words of wisdom from Dan Poynter and other publishing industry experts. (Search on "tip" in archives for complete list.) - Today's Tip from Poynter: "Disclaimers."
PUBLISHING TIP OF THE DAY"Disclaimers."
"This book is just one source of information on this subject."
A disclaimer in your book may not completely insulate you from liability, but it might help prove you showed due care in warning the reader of potential dangers.
According to Mark Warda (attorney turned publisher) of Sphinx Publishing, these cases involve publishers and he has yet to find a case against authors. Of course, that may be because authors usually are not insured and, therefore, have shallower pockets.
In many cases, both authors and publishers may be protected by the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Some reviewers have noted these disclaimers in their reviews commenting that the information must be worthless since the author and publisher do not stand behind the advice. We will see who is right, years from now when today's books are held to a future standard. Plan ahead; be prepared.
"Long-range planning does not deal with future decisions, but with the future of present decisions." -Peter F. Drucker, Austrian-American management consultant and educator.
(c) 2000 by Dan Poynter. For more tips and information on book writing, publishing and promoting, see the Para Publishing Web site.
MARKETING TIP OF THE DAY
Your cover letter should be personalized, short and to the point. One page - MAX! Include a stimulating lead, follow it by "the clincher" (why their audience cares), a QUICK author bio (just enough to prove he or she is indeed an expert), a call to action and a close.
(c) 2000 by Tami DePalma. For more tips and information about "Marketing with a Twist," visit the MarketAbility Web site. Don't your books deserve MAXIMUM EXPOSURE?