Creative nonfiction is a genre that holds great creative possibilities. It involves the use of factual events or characters to create dramatic nonfiction using techniques such as dialogue, scenery, and point of view.

It combines the fact-finding of journalism with the literary techniques of the fiction writer to create a dramatic story that just happens to be true. This is also called literary journalism, and, like journalism, it is a genre based on truth.

When approaching literary agents in hopes of securing representation, you’ll want to make sure the agent and/or agency is legitimate. Before you get talked into signing a contract, check out our previous 3 Major Red Flags post and then ask yourself these questions.

Q: Do I need to copyright my novel, nonfiction book, short story, essay, or poems by registering them with the Copyright Office (Library of Congress) before submitting to literary agents or literary journals and magazines for publication?

We’ve got the answer!

Finally, finally, you get a “yes,” and a literary journal or magazine is willing to publish your short story, essay, or poem—congratulations! The journal editor faxes you a contract, and you sign it without a second thought, right?

Wrong. Before you sign a literary journal contract, be sure to take a closer look so you understand what rights you are granting.