Hi all! I'm part way through writing my first ever noveletteand had a few questions.
1) I want to use a quote from a John Wayne film but (due to him being deceased) I'm not sure if I need to seek permission or not. Do I and if I do how do I go about this?
2) Can a novelette be published? I've typed 4884 words and although not yet finished have (so far) surpassed the 7500 word limit that (as I've been told) classifies it as a novelette)
Thank you in advance
Kind regards Victoria
Hello Victoria
I had the same issue as your first point. I used part of the quote from the opening of 'The Six Million Dollar Man' (don't ask). In any case, it doesn't matter that John Wayne said the words or that he's dead; the dialogue is part of the film and someone owns that. There seems to be no rhyme or reason with this one. Some copyright holders may not bat an eyelid, while others may take you to the cleaners - even if you do the right thing and attribute the quote in your MS. I'd say to err on the side of caution... and your bank balance. Find out who owns the copyright (a good place to start would be the film credits for the studio, etc), and seek their formal, written permission. If they grant it, follow any and all requirements they set for its use.
As an aside, I removed the quote from my MS and alluded to it instead of using any of the words.
On your second point, yes, you can publish a novelette (not sure why I'm asking this, but I assume you're thinking ebook?).
Regards, Joy.