Help with "compilation" ?

[Dinoman]

Hello all, is it possible to put together (i use the word compile) a book about train wrecks using stories and news columns as long as i give the proper credit with each story? I am not trying to call myself a writer, i just wish to put together a book. I have googled the words copyright and plageriasm but neither really answered my specific question. Any help and/or advice would be great.
Thank You

 

[Stewart]

If you were quoting a snippet then it would be fine. If you were replicating articles you would need to seek permission from the copyright owner.

 

[novella]

It's entirely possible and people do such projects all the time.

Stewart is right. For each story or article you have to obtain written reprint permission detailing how you are going to use the story and what rights are being granted (e.g., article will appear in this particular book in print only). Sometimes the copyright owner will require a fee, sometimes not. Each will most certainly want a credit and it's also nice to say thank you in the book somewhere.

A book like that would usually have original writing in it as well, something like an introduction about why the book exists and maybe some text introducing different parts of the book or tying together bits of journalism.

Before you go ahead with such a scheme, it's probably a good idea to write a proposal, mentioning a few of the stories you'd like to feature, and pitch it to a publisher of such books, maybe a press interested in history or trains.