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Sliiiiiiiiiiiight deviation from the topic but is it okay to reference band and album/EP/demo/etc. names in a story of your own?
Sliiiiiiiiiiiight deviation from the topic but is it okay to reference band and album/EP/demo/etc. names in a story of your own?
Sliiiiiiiiiiiight deviation from the topic but is it okay to reference band and album/EP/demo/etc. names in a story of your own?
Chapter Four
WAR! HUH! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
“Absolutely nothing.”
“Say it again?”
It was the late shift at the radio telescope array. Bill and Pete were eating pizza and idly checking their screens for a sign – any sign – of another alien visitor.
“I mean, the area of space I am looking at has absolutely nothing in it. Zero. Nada. Nothing,” said Pete, chewing absent-mindedly on a double meat feast deluxe with extra pepperoni.
Sliiiiiiiiiiiight deviation from the topic but is it okay to reference band and album/EP/demo/etc. names in a story of your own?
It is astounding how many conflicting opinions there are here. Fair use does not apply to commercial work, yet others say it does.
The book I'm reading now (Saints on the River by Ron Rash) makes reference to songs without naming them explicitly or using the lyrics directly. The narrator says "Lucinda Williams was singing about car wheels on a gravel road..." and I knew exactly which song it was. So if you only use a few words to reference a specific song, is that all right? In this case, referencing the song sort of sets the mood of the scene.
The song itself wasn't meant to have any effect. I just liked the cadence of the words, but I couldn't get far enough away from the actual song to stop reminding people of it (if that makes sense). I didn't really want it to be THAT song... I don't really care about that particular song at all. Regardless, it's been re-written, and I love the new version (which won't get me sued).
RE: Writers' Market... No, it's never been rejected by anyone. I've never submitted it to anyone. I'm simply making a personal choice on how I go about getting my feet wet. I do have a novel I intend to submit for traditional publishing once this is done, though. I'm curious to be able to investigate both options, and I've just chosen to start with self-publishing.
Anyway... Thank you for the input. I sort of knew the answer already, but I had to hear... er... read it for myself. I appreciate it!