These books are excellent references for an artist seeking to make contacts within the business world, but the artist should beware. The listings are written by the companies themselves and are not cross-checked by the publisher. They may also be outdated as it is the company's responsibility to provide updates. In any event, before sending original materials to a listed company, try to learn something about whom you are dealing with, and use a written contract in any business transaction. This book was one of the first self-help manuals published for artists and it is aimed specifically at the visual artist.
Little emphasis is spent on the subjects of copyrights, moral rights, taxes or law.
There are also numerous contract forms provided, but little information is offered as to the correct usage of the forms or the meanings of the legalese contained in the contracts. Overall, this book is one of the better self-help guides for visual artists. It is a summary of the statutes which govern the works of visual artists mostly, including copyright law as well as state legislation. Some discussion is included of other laws such as The Trademark Act and the laws of the state courts regarding defamation and unfair competition. This book is set up in a question and answer format, providing information on copyright, contracts, libel, the right of privacy, obscenity and other business and tax issues.