Oh, cool! That should be a fun series!
We're Literary 2: To Read Makes Our Speaking English Good
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
Betsy and Nutty - thanks so much for the warning. So up to seven words (credited on the same page) is OK?
I don't think it's a hard and fast rule, Gar. It's percentages -- if the source is 100 words long, 1 word is 1%. If the source is 1 million words long, then 500 words are practically nothing.
Long story short: there is probably no way on earth to fit song lyric quotation into fair use, when you are publishing something. I can't think of a publisher in the US who would not insist on requesting permission for every singly music cite, just to be safe.
[A writer I know and trust who is published by one of the big publishers] says her publisher lets her get away with seven words of song lyrics per song without buying rights.
For the 11 year old mysteries, I'd also recommend the Trixie Belden series (11 or 12 year old protagonist), possibly out of print. I loved mystery/fantasy as a child, why can't I remember more books? Grr.
I'd also recommend the Trixie Belden series (11 or 12 year old protagonist), possibly out of print.
They're back in print now and being re-released!
I don't know about songs, but with poetry, at least, permission is definitely required. I have the only permission that I know of to use Edna St. Vincent Millay's verses and verse fragments as chapter heads (in And Then Put Out The Light). Her estate insisted on reading the MS first, and then gave permission and waived the fee.
I would imagine living lyricists are at least as strict, no?
But I thought Gar was talking titles, not actual lyrics? Aren't titles fair use regardless?
Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!
Aren't titles fair use regardless?
Just titles? That, I really don't know about. I did get permission in advance to mention Fairport Convention in "Matty Groves", but that's a very specific version of the song, linked to a particular band.
Would ASCAP or BMI or whoever have that info at their website?