Suppose a nonfiction author wants to write a second book with a different publisher, and wants to write about the same topic as a previous book by that author. Is it okay to write a second book about the same topic? Particularly if there are chapter titles that cover the same topics, but are not worded the exact same way and none of the sentences or phrases exactly match? The second book would also have several entirely new chapters, and the previous chapter topics would also be expanded.
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PatriciaL
Registered
It would depend on what kind of publisher you have a contract with (traditional royalty or fee-based POD publishing service) and what kind of contract you signed. I would also question why you want to do this. You already have a book on the topic, why not just write a supplement to the original book? If you are doing this because you have a beef with your publisher, this is all the more reason why you need to be careful not to go against the contract. If you decide to go ahead with your plan, please hire a the services of a good intellectual properties or publishing attorney.
Good luck,
Patricia Fry
Author of 24 books, including "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book" www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. Visit my blog at www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog
Good luck,
Patricia Fry
Author of 24 books, including "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book" www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. Visit my blog at www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog
Brass4777
The Reason
PatriciaL - Thank you for the response, and I hope to read other thoughts on this too. The first book is a traditional royalty agreement. The reason for writing again on the same topic is that the core concept of the book is quite different and based on a different approach to the topic. So the second book is not just an expansion, but it is what I originally intended the first book to be. However, the first several chapters basically cover the same topics, but are not exactly worded the same and have some additional content. Although the titles are different, they use different wording but do cover much of the same topic. After those chapters, the second book will go in a different direction. At this point, I believe (and hope) the second book idea is okay because this premise is the way I originally intended the first book to be but it got sidetracked in my push to move forward with the project at the time. So my question here is to just be more assured that it is okay to write a second book with some of the same beginning concepts, with some of the same material (albeit worded differently) but then expanded in later chapters. I would think that even if the first publisher owns the copyright to the first book and the wording, the fundamental concept is something that I am free to write about again? And if the first few chapters cover the same topics, and I am able to get permissions again from the citations that I used (plus some new ones) for other sources that I cited and used in illustrations, that it is okay to write again about the same topics? The rest of the book is more detailed, and I will elaborate more on previous areas and add new chapters. I adhered too much to the first editor's approach and want to go with my original direction on the basic concepts that I am writing about, with the wording and terminology that I believe is best for this subject. What do you think?
PatriciaL - Thank you for the response, and I hope to read other thoughts on this too. The first book is a traditional royalty agreement. The reason for writing again on the same topic is that the core concept of the book is quite different and based on a different approach to the topic. So the second book is not just an expansion, but it is what I originally intended the first book to be. However, the first several chapters basically cover the same topics, but are not exactly worded the same and have some additional content. Although the titles are different, they use different wording but do cover much of the same topic. After those chapters, the second book will go in a different direction. At this point, I believe (and hope) the second book idea is okay because this premise is the way I originally intended the first book to be but it got sidetracked in my push to move forward with the project at the time. So my question here is to just be more assured that it is okay to write a second book with some of the same beginning concepts, with some of the same material (albeit worded differently) but then expanded in later chapters. I would think that even if the first publisher owns the copyright to the first book and the wording, the fundamental concept is something that I am free to write about again? And if the first few chapters cover the same topics, and I am able to get permissions again from the citations that I used (plus some new ones) for other sources that I cited and used in illustrations, that it is okay to write again about the same topics? The rest of the book is more detailed, and I will elaborate more on previous areas and add new chapters. I adhered too much to the first editor's approach and want to go with my original direction on the basic concepts that I am writing about, with the wording and terminology that I believe is best for this subject. What do you think?
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