[CEMartin2]

So I've been putting a disclaimer into the beginning of my novels...

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, names, places and events are purely fictional and not based on any real event. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is an amazing coincidence and nothing more.

Then it dawned on me today, that disclaimer isn't exactly true. I have indeed created characters using my friends' names (with their permission) and even their likenesses. And I've cited real world characters, but in my alternate reality setting- for exmaple, having John Edwards as the 2008 Presidential winner to show that it is an alternate reality.

How do you write a disclaimer to cover that kind of situation? Do you even need a disclaimer like that in the front of a book? I remember Smashwords required a specific wording for their disclaimer page, but I don't have it handy.

 

[RoseInTheTardis]

That disclaimer appears in books even when the author used a friend's name and/or personality for a character (with permission). It's a legal disclaimer and even if you use names, features, quirks, or traits, you're probably not making the character identical. Even if you *are* the situations are fiction. It's just so you can't be sued if you have a character named Mary Thomas and someone named Mary Thomas reads your book and decides she doesn't like your version of Mary Thomas. Even if Mary is your friend who said you could use her name.

On the whole, I don't use friend's full names, only first names, and only when they okay it or ask.

Also I bet places like Smashwords require it so they can't be sued either.