I am quoting the lyrics of a song as my Epigraph. While it fits on one page, it contains about 150 words. Should this be included in the word count that is used in a querry letter?
Thanks
Thanks
Word Count ? RE: Epigraph
- Thread starter TobySor
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Before you worry about that, the question is, do you have permission to use the lyrics of that song?
Exactly.
And I don't think 150 words would make much of a difference to your overall word count.
Word counts are usually rounded to the nearest 1000 (or 5000). You don't need to be exact, just give them a ballpark number for size.
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ditto...and again unless the song is public domain (like a folk song) you need permission...BUT you don't have to worry about that right now- your publisher will help you decide whether you use it or pick something else as an epigraph and FYI my epigraphs have a tendency to change along the process...
Appreciate the feedback. So even though I quote the songwriter (In this case Bob Dylan) and list the title of the song, I would need to get reproduction rights from the owner of his publishing? I guess I was under the impression that as long as you quoted who wrote it, you were ok. I think my first concern at this point is getting an agent to read my novel.
Patricia: Interesting that you responded to my post. One of the agents I was planning on querying was Dorian Karchmar as my research indicated she is interested in quirky fiction as well as debut novelist. My novel certainly is quirky and I am quite new to this so I hope she might be interested in reading it. Wish me luck.
Patricia: Interesting that you responded to my post. One of the agents I was planning on querying was Dorian Karchmar as my research indicated she is interested in quirky fiction as well as debut novelist. My novel certainly is quirky and I am quite new to this so I hope she might be interested in reading it. Wish me luck.
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For songs you need permission and you or the publisher will have to pay... but while querying I wouldn't worry about it- you might look for a folk song that's similar in the public domain or find a quote you can use...
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Yes.
No. There is no "fair use" for copyrighted song lyrics in the US. See Neil Gaiman's blog for some of his own experiences with this (the second letter he answers).