Book Division

The NWU Book Division represents authors, contributors, and ghostwriters of books of all types in all genres and formats: fiction or non-fiction, single-author or anthology, published by large or small commercial or academic publishers or self-published, distributed on paper or as audiobooks or e-books.

The Book Division provides a place for networking, information sharing, and mutual support in our working lives as authors, especially through the NWU-BOOK email discussion list. The Book Division also takes a leading role in the NWU’s advocacy work on copyright and other issues of particular concern to book authors.

The Book Division is a national caucus within the NWU. Book authors are members of their respective local NWU chapters as well as of the Book Division.

The Book Division has published a variety of resources and advisories for authors about book contracts, copyrights, e-books, licensing, and other issues. NWU members are also eligible to receive assistance and advice from the NWU Grievance and Contract Division (GCD) on book contracts or disputes with publishers or others.

The Chair or Co-Chairs of the Book Division are unpaid member volunteers elected by the NWU’s triennial Delegate Assembly.  The current Book Division Chair elected at the 2021 Delegate Assembly is Dan McCrory, (Southern California Chapter), writingbiz@yahoo.com, phone 323-719-2173.

Contact the Book Division Chair if you would like to be part of this work or have ideas for what the Book Division should be doing.

    • Report infringements of your copyrights (including infringements by publishers) to the U.S. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. Reporting is essential to document the nature and extent of infringement problems.

Latest Division News

Copyright Office Proposes Cheaper, Easier Copyright Registration in Response to NWU Petition

In response to a petition by a coalition of writers’ organizations, the US Copyright Office today proposed to create a new category and procedure for “group registration” of copyright in multiple “short online literary works.” Co-signers of the petition for rulemaking which led to today’s action included: National Writers Union (NWU) American Society of Journalists […]

Finally, Ebony Pays!!!

We’re glad to announce that the final 4th quarter payment of the Ebony settlement is complete. The last $18,323 is en route to 16 writers. It was due Dec. 28, but Michael Gibson, president of the ownershp group CVG and CEO of Ebony Media, decided to get this done after being sued in court and slammed […]

A SEAT AT THE JOURNAL-ISMS TABLE

On Saturday, December 1, NWU President Larry Goldbetter and executive committee member A.J. Springer were recognized for their work in getting Ebony freelancers paid at Richard Prince’s 9th Annual Journal-isms Roundtable Holiday Party at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Journal-isms covers all aspects of Black media and is a leading voice for diversity in publishing. Prince was […]