Owning copyright in my name or LLC?

[Susan Cross]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.

I own an LLC for my writing. I am almost finished with my first book, a memoir of a semi-famous person. He passed away right after we were finished with our recording/interview sessions.

I have several questions.

1. The widow has threatened to sue me to make this book part of the estate. There is no contract because when I brought the contract he chose not to sign it. He said he just wanted his story to be told.

2. If I register the copyright in my name, can I be sued personally -- are my personal assets at risk or if my contract with the publisher (a small publishing house) is in my company's name does the LLC assume all responsibility?

3. Now that the project is approaching completion, our friendship has turned sour (not a surprise when it comes to business, I guess). She is taking advice from someone, not an attorney, and challenged me on several issues including cover design, approval of cover and manuscript, and she called me JUST A GHOSTWRITER. As I understand it, a ghostwriter gets paid in advance when they accept an assignment and this was not done. It was always agreed that my name would appear on the book cover as: By LC with SC.

Does she have a case?

[Stevef]

Please repost without names

[quincy]

And please repost to one of the other threads you have started instead of making a new one. All of your questions are related to your book. All of the questions, therefore, should be posted to one thread.

Thanks.