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Occasionally, indie authors will need to contract with a service provider – an editor or a cover designer or a tour operator. Or two or more authors might decide to band together in a partnership to provide, say, an editing service, or even a small press. Particularly if you’re starting a business, you’ll need to file some forms with the government. You could just shake hands and assume that everyone involved will be trustworthy and fair – yeah, right – or you could have a lawyer draw up the proper paperwork.
But it’s expensive to hire an attorney. And besides, they’re right up there, in terms of trust, with used car salesmen and members of the U.S. Congress (a lot of whom are lawyers, so there you go). So it’s understandable that indies – who are notoriously frugal – would want to avoid paying some shys—uh, that is, a fine, upstanding member of the bar – to handle simple legal matters. Continue reading “Legal Advice: You Get What You Pay For”