Your Book. Your Busines. Your Editor.

Hello!

 

I took a bit of time off as I caught up from my identity theft loss of time, but it’s time to put blogging back on the menu. Lol

 

We’ve been doing Your Book. Your Business. and it’s time to continue with that. It is your book. But, whether self published or with a publisher, you hopefully have an editor. Now, an editor is a sort of magical being in that they see things that we’re invisible to us no matter how many times we’ve been through it! However, Here are some quick things about editors at small publishing houses:

They usually do not have last say except in terms of house rules and grammar.

There are many types of editors. Content editors are there to strengthen the pacing, the words, and point out any obvious oops, like having your Italian friend all of sudden be from France sort of thing. Line editors are there to find the grammar and punctuation and help make your MS clean. Even though many content editors have a strong grasp of grammar and punctuation, you still want this line edit to happen. Copy editors are more in formatting and accuracy of text, not necessarily fact checking for fiction books, but in newspapers, they can and do. They are sort of a line editor of sorts.

They can help brainstorm, give you ideas, etc.

They can be your best friends.

They can help you keep your confidence.

They are not squeamish about marking up your manuscript—even if it’s worrisome to them how the author will take it.

They want you to succeed.

They make suggestions.

They’re usually quirky and believe absolutely in work they acquire in houses that allow them to acquire.

 

What they are not:

 

Your personal punching bags.

Your personal library.

Your research assistant.

Your mom.

Your babysitter.

Your janitor.

Your boss.

Perfect.

The last word on your manuscript. You are. Though in some big houses the editor may have more editorial control, in most small houses, they suggest.

Even if you personally pay for your editor, you do not want to treat them bad. You don’t want to burn that bridge or bad mouth them. Trust me, they’ll hear about it. Also, any editor who hears you totally bad mouthing another editor, will be leery of taking you on if they have any sense at all. Unless that editor took your money and never edited, I’d suggest discretion is valor.

If you aren’t meshing with your editor, hey, no shame on both parts. As head editor, I try to match up personalities as well as books, but you can’t always do that. It’s best to leave it at personalities don’t mesh, or that your weaknesses weren’t her strengths, etc. rather than bad mouthing.

Word gets around, and then you don’t have access to as many editors. The quality available to you will go down.

If your editor says, “Hey, look up the rules for this.” for whatever reason, don’t ignore, don’t half ass it. You may think your editor is overreacting, but I can tell you from personal experience, that though there are sometimes they just don’t know, most of the time, they are right. Or at least, they are right to have you double checking your facts. If they say, the reader needs more/less of something, look into WHY the editor thinks this. As an author, there’s a knee jerk reaction to say, “Not my baby!” and be mutinously stubborn in changes. Let that feeling pass and move on.

If you don’t, you will have readers who say you’re full of it, that you don’t know squat. Like having ice caves in the wrong city/town/state, or not having the BIA in charge of serious things on the reservation instead of state police, or having a native tribe of Arizona be from Washington. Seriously, if your editor says, research this, double check that fact, do it. Period. Even if you’re right, and say you prove yourself right, what did it really hurt? In fact, it could inspire a blog post.

I’m an editor and an author. I’ve had it happen to me both ways…having an editor mark something I didn’t know how to change so didn’t, and having an editor mark something wrong that I knew was right as it pertained to the reservation and the laws involved that the editor had no clue about. Trust me, do your due diligence. Make sure of your facts before bucking your editor. It’s just safer that way.

The thing is, though it is your book, the editor is a reader too. If they’re confused/hung up on something, there’s a good chance your readers will be too. If they’re saying feels a bit slow, then pick up the pace.

Whatever you do, do NOT be a jerk, publically or in emails, to your editor. Do not call them names, rant about what they’re doing, etc. Seriously, you can dislike an edit, and even disagree with things, but do not become unprofessional.

Which brings up, you don’t have to agree with your editor. You can disagree. Just explain why. Don’t ignore them, try to hide their changes, reject without reason. Explain. That will give the editor a chance to explain as well. Dialogue is so important in this stage. You have to trust your editor, but your editor has to trust you. If she can’t trust you to follow directions and communicate, you will get the minimal edits, at least, more likely, but you may not get an acceptance for the next book. The feeling being, why edit what will be ignored? Why deal with someone who bad mouths? Who won’t work with me? Why waste my time?

Editing and publishing is a very subjective business. Especially if your editor is the acquiring editor, don’t make them your enemy. Don’t make them not want to work with you.

If you do have issues, say, it’s been six months in line editing, be professional and respectful in your inquiries. They may be in the wrong, but perhaps it’s a human failing, or perhaps, it was a change. Either way, being respectful will keep you from being blackballed or other bad things happening.

Editors are there to help you shine. Listen to them, communicate with them, work with them, and you’ll have the best story possible.

 

After all, it’s Your Book. Your business. Don’t mess it up.

Your Book. Your Business. #4

Your Book. Your Business. #4

Due to recent events, I’ve changed this week’s post to be about pirating.

An aspect of the writing business which I loath is pirating. The sites never really come down. You feel torn up, violated, abused, and half the time, no one is listening anyway. “It’s a victimless crime. Why do you care. Who am I hurting? It’s not like the writers work or anything. The writer should just be glad I want to read their awful work. Books should be free.”

 

I have heard all of this and more, but we can’t give up the fight. It’s not just for writers either. It’s all art. Writing, painting, music, and fashion designs… All of it is sparked on creativity. Oh man, I remember when Metallica took on napster. Everyone was soo upset. “You’re just greedy. Music should be free. Everyone should have the right…” yada yada.

Well, guess what? If Metallica hadn’t done it, then the little guy would have been put out of business long time ago. Concerts don’t just pay the talent. They pay the stage hands, the venue, etc. The money concerts bring in supports the hotels, restaurants, etc. There is a ton of businesses that receive extra money because of these events. It’s not just the musicians that are affected by this. The fact that Metallica took on this role saved hundreds if not thousands of jobs all over the world. You already have access to free music…it’s called the radio!

Art, there are galleries, online galleries, etc. where it is Free to go look. But don’t copy it, don’t print it out for your wall, don’t use it yourself. Also, don’t claim you did it. In music and art, you can “copy” to practice, but don’t put out that it’s yours. In Music, it’s called a cover, and in art, it’s called a study. There are more rules and it is your job to find out those rules if you want to use them. I have a study of Chagall. I went to the extreme of signing it, “Study of Chagall” then my name and year so there is no question of my intent.

The materials needed for both art and music is astronomical. Don’t believe me? Go price equipment. Not cheap as dirt, won’t be worth the space equipment, but that needed for good art and good music. Even middle of the line isn’t cheap. Hell, dirt cheap isn’t cheap. Then there’s the electricity, the practice venue, the studios, the other stuff people don’t think about, ie printing costs, mediums, replacing brushes, website costs, seller fees, etc.

Same goes for books. There’s this thing called a library, and since you don’t have to pay to get a card… yes, it’s free. And, in this day and age, the pirating of books is happening digitally. One, if you can afford an ereader, then shell out the 5-15 bucks for a book, or don’t read it, or go to the library. Two, there are hundreds of contests going on every day on FB, Twitter, Goodreads, and even publishing sites sometimes have them where they are giving out free books. If circumstances have changed, or the ereader was a gift, then spend a little of your time going after the legitimately free stuff. Or “buy” the free books offered on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I have been poor. Homeless, not enough food, poor. I’m here to tell you there is NO excuse.

Still think this is a victimless crime? Think again. I’ve gone on many blogs trying to show how even the loss of ten dollars can affect a family. I have no thyroid, and for a while, my monthly meds were ten bucks. They’ve gone up, but yeah. I have been so poor that I had to choose between spending ten bucks on meds and buying my kids milk and cereal that would have to work for breakfast and dinner for the weekends. So, don’t give me the I’m poor excuse. It isn’t one. I didn’t go stealing your stuff, burning down your house, making you ill, or any other issue because I was poor, so don’t go stealing my books and keeping me from being able to eat under the excuse that you’re poor. By the way, it’s one of the worst excuses in the world for bad behavior. Anyway, here’s my FB post yesterday. It is highly emotional. Probably should have censored it a bit, but I’d also had my wallet and some car parts stolen over the weekend, so my tact meter was broken about the issue of thievery.

 

 

As many of you know, pirating of art, from books to paintings, to anything else, pisses me off. Well, today was supposed to be a rerelease of book that has been out of print for around 9 months. The pirate sites have them up still, so Amazon is refusing to publish. I was supposed to re-release it today. Instead, I'm wasting time fighting pirates. If I had an actual sword, might be worth the LITERAL DOLLARS AND CENTS I'M LOSING RIGHT NOW. PLEASE IF YOU'VE NEVER BELIEVED ME BEFORE, PIRATES LITERALLY COST THE AUTHOR MONEY. I DON'T CARE WHAT SOME AUTHORS SAY. IF YOU WANT A FREE BOOK, GO TO THE LIBRARY OR SIGN UP FOR THE HUNDREDS OF FREE BOOKS GIVEN AWAY EVERY DAY. OR JUST 'BUY' THE FREE ONES ON AMAZON.

My pre-release and release being put off can also affect other authors as it puts us closer together. At a time where I'm looking to grow fast and furious in all avenues of my life, the loss of money through ANOTHER FUCKING THIEF after the loss of my wallet, etc. and that headache, it makes me want to set them all up in a firing squad. BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO IT IF PEOPLE WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD THEM. SERIOUSLY. I know people who pay 6-8 bucks for a damn cup of coffee, but won't pay five for a book they can reread. Just...

If you are HONEST TO GOD POOR, and in case you're wondering, if you get your hair and nails done, that's not poor, that's whining, for example, then talk to a favorite author. I need so much marketing help etc., and would probably trade work for a copy of my books! A lot of authors are willing. ON top of the contests and giveaways and libraries carrying them, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR DOWNLOADING PIRATED BOOKS OTHER THAN YOU WANT TO BE A THIEF AND/OR SUPPORT A THIEF. IT IS NOT A VICTIMLESS CRIME. My family IS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS.

 

You want it in the vernacular? I will get paid for these sales right before school starts. So this directly plays into whether or not I will be able to buy my kids clothes, pay the fines, the tech stuff, sports stuffs, and all the other crap of having a special ed kid going to first, another going into middle school for first time and needing freaking uniforms, and one going into high school for the first time and needing god knows what else besides the normal pens and clothes. IT MATTERS.

 

AND NO, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE RANT. THIS ALSO WILL PUT OF THE PRINT RELEASE OF BOTH THE MIDWIFE'S MOON AND THE ULFRIC'S MATE AS IT IS A MATTER OF TIMING. SCREW ALL PIRATES AND THEIR SUPPORTERS. YOU CHEAT MY FAMILY, MY CHILDREN AND I HAVE NO LOVE FOR YOU.

 

 

As you can see, this directly affects my bottom line in a way that’s very personal. I did what you must all be prepared to do. I sent out the DMCA notices, my publisher is assuring Amazon that she has the rights to my book, and that I am the author, yada yada. But it’s costing time and money that would be better spent being creative or resting for the next bout of creativity, or playing with my kids. That's not to say it's okay to do it to someone who's rich. The authors and publishers are still paying others (editors, managers, etc all get paid from this work) from the money made on each sell. And don't forget, the big bad boogie man Amazon takes about a 70% cut on anything under 2.99US. So, that makes it even harder for everyone to get paid. But Amazon, Barnes and Noble, they all deserve their cut for providing space (yes, even online space) for readers to buy the work, and they, of course, take it. The money you pay doesn't go straight into the authors' pockets. Hell, it doesn't even go straight into the publishers' pockets. It first goes into the third parties pockets, to then be distributed. (Why I will never be on Amazon's side when they try their BS with big pubs and make it look as if they are doing it for poor little you. They're not. They want control over it and hope to bring people to their own publishing company. Don't be fooled. You getting anything cheaper is a by product, not the end game, and would change if places like Books a Million, Barns and Noble, ARe ever went out of business. Though they are domiciled in my home state, they are not the underdog. But that is a post for another day LOL)

 

 

 

But, it is a cost of doing business nowadays. You have to fight them. If we authors all flooded the FBI with these sites and complaints, they’d be shut down faster. You have to not ignore it. There are programs out there that will do it for you (which I suggest if you can at all afford it. I hate the business end of writing. I want to create. So I get that lol). However you choose to deal with it, whether hiring someone, buying a program, or doing it individually, you must deal with it. I’ve sent out multiple forms. I hate it with a passion. But it must be done.

 

Your creativity is your money maker. You cannot let anyone destroy it. Not by piracy, not by drama, not by criticism. You must hone it, learn to make it stronger, and protect it. You can do this.

 

After all, it’s your book, your business.

 

For the readers out there. Please, if you are not paying for a book on a site when Amazon is charging, it’s likely pirated. It’s not a lucky break or a deal. They are stealing. Don’t support them, don’t use them, etc.

Your Book. Your Business 3

Your book. Your Business.

 

We’ve been doing this series of business things, mostly on contract details that are often overlooked. Now, I’d like to talk to you about the author community. (Since my assistant reminded me to blog! Flu is running through my family in a very strange manner! I'm exhausted, so bear with me, and hopefully, you'll understand what I'm saying.)

 

Your author friends can be some of the best friends you’ll ever find. However, sometimes, there is a snake in the grass. He/she may be seen as someone grand, but, if you do research, you may find a lot of things wrong with what they’ve told you. Others, who don’t want to see or who drink the koolaid won’t see it until it’s too late. Sometimes, even then, they can’t see it.

 

So what do you do when you have two opposing sides? Mostly, I recommend staying out of it. The community is a large one. However, there are times, when you must pick a side for your own conscience. Even then, I’d go with class. Be forthright in your opinions. Share sites that you found your information on, copies of legalities, screen shots, etc. as needed, but try to keep your opinion professional, regardless of how angry you are at the time.

 

How many times did we see backlash for authors rioting with readers? Or, let’s take it to the TV Realm for a bit. Who has seen Chef Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares (trademarks, etc. I’m not claiming any affiliation for or to them. This is used in fair use policy as an icon to deliver a point.)? The one with the ABC Baking Company? The people who went absolutely beserk on national social media? Even international? Just for the record, I want to be famous, but not in that way!

If you push people far enough, claim contracts say this when legally, they don’t say any such thing, you’re going to start looking like that. And while you may have your Sammy in your corner, well… think of how he comes off? Brute, bullish, and not very nice. He’s been eating’ Amy’s sauce too long…ie, drinking her Koolaid ;)

I have said things I regret. We all do. But, when it’s in the community, be extra careful. One, you don’t know who’s going to say what where, or, if you give an opinion in confidence, who that person may tell, or who will choose a person in another country over a longstanding friendship with you to be that spy or to give away your confidence. You don’t know who will turn down a friendship as close as sisters for a business or a person not worthy of the trust or loss of friends. You don’t know when it will come back to bite you in the a$$. You just don’t know.

 

While you don’t have to be a sheep and bleat all the latest fads, neither can you burn your bridges with bad manners and back stabbing because you never know when you will need that bridge to cross to a new level, and instead, are stuck. If you’re lucky, the material will still be there to build the bridge. But, if you wait too long, the materials will rot away into the landscape, or be swept away in an ocean of moving on with people who aren’t stuck on stupid or back stabbing you when you’re not looking.

 

In your social media contacts, marketing, ads, etc., be someone you can be proud of. Be someone whom the readers are going to flock to. Don’t become angry and sullen and hateful because you’re upset about something. Remember, the authors/readers/publishers will hear about it at some point, and you need to be able to honestly say you weren’t the one who started stuff, but you’ll finish it.

 

Er, I mean, don’t take stuff lying down, but don’t make a public debacle that will make the readers turn from you. Even if you’re right. Find the middle ground of sticking up for yourself, but not letting drama queens make you look bad for their bad behaviour and having their cronies come in and attack you too. Just, stand the high ground. Like Obe Wan in Star Wars. You’ll win on the high ground. You may lose friends you cared about more than yourself, but at least you didn’t compromise your moral standards and droop to their level of defending what they have no clue of which they speak, or of a free for all name calling douchebaggery.

Keep it classy. Keep it real. After all, it’s your book, your business.

Your Book. Your Business. Number 2

Your Book. Your Business. Number two in a series.

 

It’s Tuesday and my assistant tells me I’m to write about writing. *hangs head* I forgot to do my art one yesterday, so writing this early and getting it ready on time. We started talking about reading your contract. Remember, don’t get suckered into paying for something that’s already yours, or signing away rights that are yours.

Continuing on in the same vein, I had a situation. As many know, I’ve had a lot of health issues over the last five years. I still found time to write. I had a couple of contracts finally come about the same time from a publisher I’d already signed with before. I didn’t read it because I was so sick. In order to feel more business like, I signed it sooner rather than read it. Ironic, eh? I even told him, I’m too sick to read and comprehend, but I trust you. I’m sure it’s the same as before. He never disabused me of that notion when I very much needed to be told it wasn’t the same. However, it is on my own head I didn’t wait until I felt well enough to read it, or at least take enough meds for short term comprehension, at least.

And, it taught me something. Even people you think you can trust may not have your back when it comes to business. I have also learned, that some people will choose business over friendships, but that’s a mountain to climb another day.

In the meantime, let’s go over having multiple contracts from the same publisher. Check it side by side. See if there are any difference, like having early release payments added that weren’t there before—a per month, when before, if your book was selling for, er, wasn’t selling, you could pull it and re-release it elsewhere, or self publish it. Of course, these options would be after you’ve rewritten/edited it more and added/took out bits that may have needed adjusting. But, if you all of sudden have a per month fee, and no, I don’t think you should always be able to get out easy, but if it’s a change, see why not.

Or, if you had recourse if your publisher wasn’t doing their end, like not doing their end of the job, or not keeping to things they promised. I mean, as an author, you need to realize stuff can go wrong, but if someone says April, then, with no warning, changes it to August even though you’ve had it turned in for months, well, you should have the option to get out. Or, if they put it out, and it doesn’t sell more than 4 copies in 6 months, then again, you should have the option to pull. Not every book is going to be a best seller, but every book should sell something, if only to family and friends. Also, you can ask for changes like that. Say, if I don’t sell 100 in the first year, I want my rights back. If you’re last four books sold a thousand copies in three months, then perhaps say 500 in a year. Something. You have right to expect some sales and promotion. You also have the responsibility to promote and try to sale as much as possible. Take marketing classes, read blogs, etc. Anything to learn the best ways that work for you.

If there are changes, open up dialogue between yourself and the publisher. And have a friend, or best yet, an attorney look at it. Now, most of us authors don’t have the funds to have an attorney on hand, but there are many who aren’t as expensive as you may imagine. Also, there are literally hundreds of blogs written that legally explain your rights about clauses. Educate yourself, but educate yourself even more so if you can’t afford help.

As I’ve said and will continue to say, you don’t have to know how to do everything. However, if you’re not comfortable doing it, then you need to hire someone who can do it for you and help you out with whichever area you need the most help with, and reading a contract is no different. Don’t worry about feeling embarrassed you don’t understand all the clauses.

Read. Your. Contract.

What all are your responsibilities? Are they something you can live with? Sometimes, the publisher acts as if you are the only one responsible for everything, yet won’t help out, won’t give leads, doesn’t provide a place for support and questions. Other times, they do something when it’s first out, then nothing. Some fall in between. What are you comfortable with? Work with your publisher, and you’ll have the best experience. But don’t let them make you do work that they then don’t use. I had a publisher for whom I was required to write a specific number of blogs for, a specific kind of blog post for a specific site, and it never got used. Happened more than once to a lot of us. That just wastes everyone’s time.

Ask around. Who’s used them, what have they done for the authors? If they’re less than 2 years, you’re just going to have to take your best guess and decide if you want to give them a chance. That can be a great thing. New businesses have a lot to prove and may work harder for you.

But above all, the publishing arena is a business, just like your book rights, so read your contract. Publishers want to make it as much as authors do. When things work together, author and publisher can have a long, happy career with each other.

 

I, for one, never want to have to work any day job that’s not related to the arts. I don’t mean for Michael’s, or other supplier. *grins* If you’re happy with your contract, sign up and do everything you can to make your book the best it can be.

 

After all, it’s your book. Your business.

Your Book. Your Business. Number one

Your Book. Your Business. Number one in a series.

 

It’s Wednesday and my assistant tells me I’m to write about writing :D *cheeky grin* I love having someone keeping me on track when it would be easy to fall off and let it go because it’s easier.

 

One place I’ve found people not paying attention because it’s easier or they’re afraid of hurting people’s feelings is publishing. Authors become a close knit group. We’re happy and grateful to the publisher who says yes to our work, even more so for that holy grail of getting put in print. But, come with me now and wipe that starshine out of your eyes. The business of being an author is just that—a business.

We sit there with a blank page and create worlds that we love. Worlds we want people to love and to read. We are creative beasts. Few are lucky to be both creative and business minded. There is no shame in that. But here’s the deal—you can’t ignore it!

First, we’ll talk about the contract and the importance of reading your contract. Lately, a plethora of small, specialized (at least, that’s how it reads to me—the ones not standing the test of time are either badly managed, tightly specialized, or dare I say, both?) niche publishers especially it seems, are going out of business. In every house I’ve ever signed with, which is three, there is a contract clause for the rights reversion upon going out of business or putting your work effectively “out of print” even if you have an ebook only release.

Many publishers are charging—some as much as $5000 from what I heard from a contractor that works with one—if you want your edited version.

 

Early contract release, that’s for another blog some day. But for end of contract or publishers going out of business? No. Here’s whatthe RWA has to say about it.

I’m an editor. When I do edits with an author, I expect that author to do their own work. I’m there to guide, build confidence, and train them. I am not just there for the one story, I’m helping authors to build up their writing careers and themselves. Teaching them what they’re doing wrong and letting them fix it, guiding as needed, is the only way to really receive the quality manuscripts that I want to have, as well as gives the author a leg up anywhere else.

Wait?

I like to help the authors even if it means they may take what they learned elsewhere?

Yes.

I know that’s not the norm. That some will say you have to do it for the author. I do a few as examples, but, like my children, if I’m always doing it for them, and never let them try on their own, I’m going to end up with 150 kids that can’t walk…er, authors who are multipublished but still don’t’ know that a comma splice is two independent clauses not two unrelated clauses, or who think that starting every sentence with she or but is a great idea. Or who think all was is passive voice, or… I could go on forever.

Authors accept or reject changes. Only grammar/formatting are absolutes for most smaller houses. As long as you have the power to reject, you’re a part of the editing process. Then, a responsible author will go through and add in their own edits, and so forth until the MS is ready for publishing. That makes each mark guided by the editor, but essentially, it is the authors.

What if you’re not so good at the language of contracts? Hire someone. Have a friend help you and go over it line by line as needed.

Anyway, it’s only one point on the contracts. I’m going to be harping on the contract and pitfalls at least for one or two more blogs, but this is a start of the series for the business of writing.

This is your business. Read your contract. Don’t assume.

 

Your book. Your business.