How to Get Permission to Use Quotes in Your Writing

How many times have you opened up a novel or a non-fiction book and discovered that that the first chapter (or even every chapter) was prefaced by a famous quote? Authors often use quotes in their writing in order to emphasize a particular theme or even as a way to get the reader "in the mood" for the story. Regardless, if you want to use quotes in your writing, you'll need to learn how to get permission.

Many authors choose to use quotes only from people who have been dead more than seventy years because their quotes are now considered "Fair Use" under the public domain. Copyrights are good for the duration of the author's life and for seventy years beyond their death. As of this writing, it is generally safe to use quotes from authors published before 1928.

If, however, you want to use quotes in your writing by someone who is still living, the situation becomes a little trickier. In order to stay within the realm of legality, you will need to obtain written permission from the author, the publisher or the agent.

Let's say, for example, that you want to use a quote from a book that was published five years ago. The copyright is still in place, which means that you need to obtain permission. Some people say that you can use small quotes without asking, though I wouldn't recommend this. The law is fuzzy on the precise number of words you can use before violating copyright, so why tempt fate?

To get permission to use the quote in your own writing, send a letter (preferably by certified mail) to the publisher. Sometimes, there will be a specific address in the front matter of the book; if not, you can look the publisher up on the web and send the letter to their Permissions Department.

Usually, if the publisher agrees to allow you to use the quote in your writing, they will send you a contractual form that you must sign and return. They will then return it signed to you and you'll have the permission that you requested. If the publisher does not want you to use the quote, you will receive a reply to that end, usually within four-to-six weeks.