The nuts and bolts of the business of writing are as essential to a writer’s success as the writer’s work itself. Join CLA and attorney Paul S. Levine to learn about: The principles of copyright law as the underpinnings of all writing; The roles of agents and lawyers, the process of obtaining them and the means of compensating them; The contents of a typical collaboration agreement and why such a contract is an absolute necessity; Typical publishing agreement clauses dealing with royalties, advances, rights granted and rights withheld, etc.; and The editing process: what happens if the publisher rejects the manuscript, the publisher’s ultimate acceptance of the manuscript, actual publication after acceptance, and promotion and publicity.

Presenter: Paul S. Levine, Esq. “wears two hats” – he is a lawyer and a literary agent. Mr. Levine has practiced entertainment law for over 34 years, specializing in the representation of writers, producers, actors, directors, composers, musicians, artists, authors, photographers, galleries, publishers, developers, production companies and theatre companies in the fields of motion pictures, television, interactive multimedia, live stage, recorded music, concerts, the visual arts, publishing, and advertising.

In 1998, Mr. Levine opened the Paul S. Levine Literary Agency, specializing in the representation of book authors and the sale of motion picture and television rights in and to books. Since starting his literary agency, Mr. Levine has sold over 100 adult, young adult, and children’s fiction and non-fiction books to at least 50 different publishers and has had many books developed as movies-for-television, television series, and feature films.