Publishing
| Publishing
Reversion of Rights
Blog reader Sue Harrison said: I’ve found myself in a frustrating situation with a publisher regarding the definition of “out-of-print” [and not being able to obtain] a reversion of rights to two of my novels. These novels have earned back their advances but are no longer available to the public. I’m guessing this situation has…
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Answering Questions On Contracts, Part 2 of 2
Denise Grover Swank asked: What should an author do if they are offered a contract from a small publisher but don’t have an agent? → Do your best to understand it. Be ready ahead of time by reading (and maybe even printing out and keeping in a notebook) all the blog posts you can find…
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Answering Questions on Contracts, Part 1 of 2
Last week I did a post giving a cursory glance at a few important clauses in publishing contracts. It would take a whole book to go into detail on contracts, so on this blog I’m just trying to get you familiar with some of the basics. Today I’m going to answer some of the questions…
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Publishing Contracts
I’ve been negotiating quite a few contracts lately, and you’d be surprised how this aspect of an agent’s job stays constantly interesting. Publishers are always changing their contracts in small and large ways, needing more and more to protect their interests in this difficult economy, so agents have to stay diligent in making sure their…
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The Tools of Your Trade
Since you’re reading this blog, I assume you’re probably pretty good at knowing your way around the computer. This is a very good thing! It’s vitally important that you’re comfortable with technology. You should also know that the standard program used by publishers in working with manuscripts is Microsoft Word. I don’t want to hear…
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Authors We Love
Right now I’m at the conference of the South Carolina Writers Workshop. We’re slumming it at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort. It’s a rough gig, I tell ya. One of the big draws for me this year was the keynote speaker, author Joshilyn Jackson. I’m a huge fan of southern fiction in general, and I’ve…
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How to Fire Your Agent
(Encore presentation of a previous post.)There comes a time in every agent’s life when one of their clients needs to move on. Yep. We all get fired by an author at some point. It isn’t pleasant, but it’s a reality in business. What are some reasons writers opt to terminate their agency relationship? I think…
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Announcing Winners
of The Forest For the Trees by Betsy Lerner THANKS for entering the drawing, and for all your great tidbits of writing advice! If your name is NOT listed below, here’s where you can buy the book:Buy on AmazonBuy on Barnes and Noble I used a random number generator on Random.org and from that, drew…
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Happy Fall
I’m taking a few days off from the blog. Back soon!
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How Can You Tell How Well Your Book is Selling?
Mark Polino asked: Can you suggest ways for an author to tell how well their book is selling? This is sometimes a tough one for authors. The most reliable way to keep track of sales is through your royalty statements, but as you know, those come infrequently, and it can be frustrating having to wait…
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Another Peek into My Mailbox
or, “Everybody’s Gotta Start Somewhere” Dear Rachelle, What is your advice for my 26-year old daughter who has not yet published her poetry? Signed, The Poet’s Mom *** Dear Mom, Here’s my advice for your daughter: Get immersed in the world of poetry publication. Subscribe to magazines like Poets & Writers. Buy the Poets Market.…
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"The The Impotence of Proofreading," by TAYLOR MALI
And if you like Taylor Mali – here’s an even better one:What Teachers Make
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Behind the Scenes
at a Pub Committee Meeting Let’s pretend this is a small-ish imprint where everyone gets along and respects each other. In other words, it’s a bit of a fantasy but you know, we like to pretend here on my blog. This is vastly simplified – it’s just supposed to give you the flavor. And we’re…
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Should I Use a Nom de Plume?
The question of whether to use a pen name comes up frequently among writers. People wonder what kinds of circumstances might dictate using a pen name, and how to choose one. There are several legitimate reasons to use a pseudonym. You simply may not like your real name, or it doesn’t fit the genre in…
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