Can I libel someone in fiction without using their name?
You’ve seen those disclaimers in books that say, “This is a work of fiction. No reference to any person, living or dead, is intended or implied.” This is frankly all you really need. Here are some truths though: if you raise this issue with publishers, it will be a big red flag to them – the AUTHOR HIMSELF is WARNING US that if we PUBLISH HIS BOOK, we MIGHT GET SUED. This will do wonders to increase your rejection rate. Why don’t you just include a note with your manuscript, “Dear editor, please don’t accept this manuscript. Thank you.” Another truth: Lawyer-vetting is generally intended to reduce one’s litigation costs. Since many of the costs of litigation are incurred through being sued (rather than losing a suit), lawyer-vetting is intended not to increase the chance that you’ll win a lawsuit but rather to reduce the odds you’ll be sued at all. This subtle but important difference has several unpleasant results. Lawyers will do their best to dumb-down your book, eliminating anythin
