Theodore Sturgeon called THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER "the second best reference book a writer can have,after the dictionary." Harlan Ellison said, "It may not make you a better writer, but it will keep you from being a poorer one." Isaac Asimov said, "Read [this book]. It will tell you everything clearly and interrestingly."

Published in 1982, before the widespread use of personal computers, the Internet, and electronic publishing, the book concentrated on writing and selling to the print media—books and magazines. Updated excerpts are now being reprinted on various topics—still focused on those primary areas, but still applicable to the current-day writer.

This excerpt discusses the different kinds of rights available an author can license, as well as the basic ins and outs of copyright law in the United States.