Donna Ballman

Why is S&S accused of violating campaign finance laws? Which writer's fan got him horrid publicity? Why is the bankruptcy clause in your contract worthless? Is an author-formed collective a good idea? These and other headlines are in this week's Write Report.

Which vanity publisher is being sued by 16 authors for deceptive practices? Will ignorance of copyright law be a defense? The libel tourism bill becomes a law. Plus, whose secret identity are BBC lawyers trying to hide? And what Macmillan authors need to do when they get that little contract amendment about e-rights in the mail. These and other writing and publishing headlines are in this week's Write Report.

Which state has joined the pileup of attorneys general investigating Apple and Amazon? Which celeb’s followers convinced a library that gay literature is kiddie porn? Libel tourism soon to be dead in the U.S. thanks to this new law. Plus, one of my favorite legal thriller writers, Paul Levine, blogs about how legal thrillers sometimes fall short, legally speaking. These and other headlines are in this week’s Write Report.

My first review for The Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom

I’ve been
interviewed on Selling Books

The big news this week was that a literary agent cut a deal directly with Amazon to publish some e-versions of already-published books. The original publisher is claiming it owns the e-rights, and everyone else is concerned that this gives Amazon even more power. Plus, JK Rowling strikes back at latest plagiarism allegations. These and other headlines are in this week's Write Report.

This week on Litopia’s podcast The Debriefer, Peter and I talked about the universal e-book format, why it matters that we don’t have one yet, and what authors can put in their contracts to make sure their books appear in all the major e-formats. This headline, plus more of the latest writing and publishing news are in this week’s Write Report.

The Write Report has been named an Awesome Blog by Writing World, the very first blog chosen for this honor. Thanks so much. What an incredible honor. Writing-World.com is an awesome website for writers.

Which monarch is championing libel reform? Which publishers are killing endangered trees to make books? What does Facebook do to dissenters? Which writer is claiming Heroes stole the last season from their comic book? The headlines, plus more of the latest writing and publishing news are in this week’s Write Report.

Which book just got banned in New Jersey? Which gardening book author is accused of plagiarism? What are TV execs scared of more than bad ratings? And why did a mom turn into a library book thief? These and other stories are in The Write Report.

Which author got a grand jury subpoena to reveal sources? Does Google have an evil plan for all those books it just scanned for free? Why is J.D. Salinger turning over in his grave? What are the publishing titans up to this week in the ongoing battle over e-books? These and other headlines are in this week's Write Report