Why you should set up your literary estate

In 2018 my father passed away. He had four books in print and was working on two more. He had over 40 years of research on serial killers. He called me a few months before he died and told me he wanted me to take charge of his books when he died, although he expected to live for several more years. He told his editor, agent, and publisher as well. But he wrote nothing down. There were no explicit wishes. So, I spent a lot of time researching what I had to do to keep his work alive, publish what I could from what he left behind, and take care of his legacy.

Here are twelve links that will help you set up your literary estate so that when you pass on, your family will know what to do and who should be in charge of your literary estate.

     Estate Planning Tips for Authors (Bookworks)

     Estate Planning for Writers - Executors, Literary Trustees, Copyright (Sidebar Saturdays)

     Estate Planning for Writers - Part II - Transferring Intellectual Property to a Corporate Entity (2021) (Sidebar Saturdays)

     How to Create a Literary Will (Boing Boing)

     Important! And Pass it On! (Neil Gaiman)

     Nolo (Wills, Trusts, Estates)

     Selecting a Literary Executor (Copy Law)

     SFWA Legacy Kit (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association)

     What Happens When an Author Dies? (The Creative Penn)

     What is a Literary Executor? (Writers Digest)

     Your Literary Estate, Part One: Assigning A Literary Executor (The US Review)

     Your Literary Estate, Part Two: Managing Your Work (The US Review)