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Kathrynpagecamp -> RE: Some questions... (4/9/2008 10:22:27 AM)
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Unless you have written waivers from everyone in the book (or say only good things about them, which would make for a dull story), you are better off changing a number of the circumstances and calling it fiction.
Truth is a defense to a libel lawsuit, but even if you win, just getting sued is expensive and can be bad for your reputation (and your future writing career). For nonfiction, publishers don't usually want to take the risk unless the writer is well-known or famous (so they can be assured of significant sales) or all the main characters are dead (since a libel action dies with the subject). A publisher may also have concerns about fiction if the characters are based on well-known people and events, but at least the risk of a lawsuit is smaller.
As far as revealing identies to the publisher, if you are writing a non-fiction work, the answer is probably yes. For fiction, the publisher may ask if the characters are based on real people, in which case you tell the truth and give whatever information the publisher asks for.
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