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Well, I'm kind of concerned about my idea being taken. Let me ask another question then: Is anyone familiar with writing local history books when other authors have already written histories?
I'm getting a little skiddish as I go along here because there have been a few older history books written and an amateur website set up with entries for events, citizens, etc already for the area. I know that obviously local history is fair game, no one can monopolize public information like that, but I'm worried about being too similar and encroaching on copyright infringement. I never plagiarize and I know all about citing sources and whatnot, but I've only ever written academic things before. This is my first foray into real commercial writing. Obviously I'm including my own framework and analysis to the book, as well as original research, but many of the events and people have already been written about, just not in the detail or narrative that I want to present.
Has anyone had any problems with writing local history if other books already exist on the topic?
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