Is It Okay To Mention An Authors Name In Your Book?

Darren Frey · Aug 26, 2011

I am doing the final edits to my book and was wondering if I were to mention Anne Rice's name by saying, "All I found was stories like Dracula and the Anne Rice novels." would that be okay to put in there without fear of being sued?

seun · Aug 26, 2011

Why would Anne Rice sue for that?

Darren Frey · Aug 26, 2011

I wasn't sure though. I thought I better had asked before adding it. Thanks!

rainsmom · Aug 26, 2011

Yes, you can say that.

areteus · Aug 26, 2011

So long as you are not libelling her (and she hasn't copyrighted her own name os you have to pay to use it), it should be fine. The only concern would be if you said something like 'Ann Rice is a... [insert perjorative term here]' in which case there is a case for her to sue because you are implying that she is a [whatever] and that could impact on her livlihood (because people may not buy her books because they think she is a [whatever]).

Just mentioning her in a context in which she is already associated (i.e. vampire novels) is almost certainly fine.

seun · Aug 26, 2011

If you wrote something libelous about Anne Rice, then you'd have reason to worry. Simply mentioning her as an author isn't an issue in the same way you could have your character go to the cinema to watch a new Tom Cruise film.

ETA: Cross posted with areteus.

dangerousbill · Aug 26, 2011

Darren Frey said:
I am doing the final edits to my book and was wondering if I were to mention Anne Rice's name by saying, "All I found was stories like Dracula and the Anne Rice novels." would that be okay to put in there without fear of being sued?

You're safe as a church.

Darkshore · Aug 26, 2011

Not to derail the thread but this seems like a good place to ask this. What about possibly mentioning or "paying tribute" too a character from another novel in your genre? Like if this author has inspired you and you really enjoy his work. I think I've heard of this being done but I'm not sure. The context of paying tribute would be just a small nod to the character or story that anyone that has read said novels would get right away.

SomethingOrOther · Aug 26, 2011

Darkshore said:
Not to derail the thread but this seems like a good place to ask this. What about possibly mentioning or "paying tribute" too a character from another novel in your genre? Like if this author has inspired you and you really enjoy his work. I think I've heard of this being done but I'm not sure. The context of paying tribute would be just a small nod to the character or story that anyone that has read said novels would get right away.

This is fine, and I can recall a few stories/novels I've read doing this. It is called allusion.

seun · Aug 27, 2011

Alluding to other characters is fine as long as it's done for a reason and not just to be cute or smug.

bonitakale · Aug 27, 2011

SomethingOrOther said:
This is fine, and I can recall a few stories/novels I've read doing this. It is called allusion.

Yeah, a lot of mystery writers do that. Agatha Christie did.

I don't care for it, myself; it just reminds me that we're in a book. Especially when they say, "This isn't one of your mystery novels, you know." Because, damn it, it IS.

Lady Ice · Aug 27, 2011

Yes, it's fine. Anne Rice famously wrote some vampire books and so it'd be perfectly plausible for the character to have some in along with Frankenstein. The trouble is when you mention obscurer writers, because then it sounds like name-dropping.

Allusions work only if the readers understand them. Because most readers will understand your reference, it's fine.

Tedashii · Aug 27, 2011

Hmmm..... As long as it's not offensive to the writer, I'd say she wouldn't threaten to sue. For example, if I said, "Beverly Cleary's sucky books were found among the contents in the box." Well, that.... That's where you would get sued.

But anyway, why would you get sued if you even mentioned her name?

areteus · Aug 27, 2011

Yeah, making allusions is fine. A series of books I have read had a number of situations where someone said to a character 'Who do you think you are, Buffy the Vampire slayer?' or similar. Has to be a well known reference, however, otherwise you miss out on the majority recognising it.

IceCreamEmpress · Aug 27, 2011

You wouldn't get sued for saying that you didn't like Beverly Cleary's books, either.

What you might get sued for would be saying that Beverly Cleary plagiarized all of her books from another author (which, of course, she didn't).

"I don't like X" is not an actionable statement.

You might also get sued (though not for libel, but for intellectual property infringement) if you published a book called Ramona Quimby's Guide to Surviving Third Grade without the permission of the Cleary estate.

Susan Coffin · Aug 27, 2011

Darren Frey said:
I am doing the final edits to my book and was wondering if I were to mention Anne Rice's name by saying, "All I found was stories like Dracula and the Anne Rice novels." would that be okay to put in there without fear of being sued?

Authors do it all the time. You are not saying anything negative. In fact, in a sense, you are promoting the author's work!

Is It Okay To Mention An Authors Name In Your Book?

Darren Frey

seun

Horror Man

Darren Frey

rainsmom

Feeling like an old timer

areteus

seun

Horror Man

dangerousbill

Retired Illuminatus

Darkshore

Stranger

SomethingOrOther

-

seun

Horror Man

bonitakale

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

Tedashii

areteus

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is