Jordan Castillo Price's Blog, page 72
September 29, 2010
Packing Heat 122: Fight for your Rights
Packing Heat is a podcast I've been putting out since 2007. My goal is to help other writers stay motivated, and to encourage them to take their writing to the next level. You don't need special gadgets to listen; Packing Heat plays in your browser, like YouTube. Or you can subscribe (and leave me glowing feedback) at iTunes!
These are the show notes from this week's episode:
I was getting set to tell you all about my idea generation process for a short story I was entering in a contest...and then my two weeks of work came to a screeching halt when I discovered that the terms I would be signing over by entering the contest were different than I had been told. No nefarious bait-and-switch, just an honest mistake, but it still prevented me from entering the contest because I wouldn't sign over those rights, and they wouldn't alter their terms.
There are some agents who are beginning to take on epublished clients, but it's a very new field. Most epublished authors end up negotiating their own contracts. Here are a few things to consider when you're looking at that piece of (electronic) paper: Think AheadThe ebook business is changing incredibly rapidly. In 2008 when I started publishing my own Kindle books, very few authors were doing it. Now lots of authors are doing their own Kindle books, and some are making a nice paycheck doing so. There's no way to know what will happen in two years, but before you go signing some right away that your gut is telling you to keep, try to imagine yourself at the next level of writing success, two years in the future, looking back and telling past-self, "Don't do it!" Terms Rights - Which rights are the publisher asking for? Electronic, print, or both? Are they asking for print rights when they don't have a specific plan to put your work out in print? Ask to negotiate for those separately. Are they grabbing audio rights? Translation rights? Movie rights? Wouldn't you kick yourself if a flashy Mexican indie writer-director approached you and wanted to do a Spanish-version film of your ebook...but you couldn't because you'd signed those rights away to someone who would never even try to sell them for you?
Duration - How long do they want it? Get the shortest term you can, because the ebook business is changing so rapidly, you don't want to get locked into something that looks advantageous now, but is a ridiculously poor deal for you two years from now. I prefer to sign for three years, though most contracts now are skewing longer, and most epublishers will not negotiate this. Do not sign anything for the "life of the copyright" unless you know what that means.
First refusal - When you sign over first refusal rights, it means that when you write a followup story, you must submit it to the same publisher. You can't take it elsewhere, and you can't self-publish it, not unless they look at it first and turn it down. This locks you into publishing with this publisher whether you want to or not. Some publishers demand first refusal rights on subsequent books in the series, some try to snag it for ALL your subsequent writings. I never agree to this.
Set In Stone Is the publisher unwilling to alter their contract even one tiny bit for you? I see that as a giant red flag. There are lots of other publishers, as well as the self-publishing route to consider. Don't sign anything you disagree with.
Your Assignment Read through the list of epublishing contract red flags at epicauthor.com/redflags.html - I haven't seen each and every one of these situations up close and personal, but I have seen quite a few of them! Even if you're still starting out and you don't have a contract on your plate, it can't hurt to start getting familiar with some of these things so you can make an informed decision when the time comes.
Listen at Packing Heat, 29 minutes
These are the show notes from this week's episode:
I was getting set to tell you all about my idea generation process for a short story I was entering in a contest...and then my two weeks of work came to a screeching halt when I discovered that the terms I would be signing over by entering the contest were different than I had been told. No nefarious bait-and-switch, just an honest mistake, but it still prevented me from entering the contest because I wouldn't sign over those rights, and they wouldn't alter their terms.There are some agents who are beginning to take on epublished clients, but it's a very new field. Most epublished authors end up negotiating their own contracts. Here are a few things to consider when you're looking at that piece of (electronic) paper: Think AheadThe ebook business is changing incredibly rapidly. In 2008 when I started publishing my own Kindle books, very few authors were doing it. Now lots of authors are doing their own Kindle books, and some are making a nice paycheck doing so. There's no way to know what will happen in two years, but before you go signing some right away that your gut is telling you to keep, try to imagine yourself at the next level of writing success, two years in the future, looking back and telling past-self, "Don't do it!" Terms Rights - Which rights are the publisher asking for? Electronic, print, or both? Are they asking for print rights when they don't have a specific plan to put your work out in print? Ask to negotiate for those separately. Are they grabbing audio rights? Translation rights? Movie rights? Wouldn't you kick yourself if a flashy Mexican indie writer-director approached you and wanted to do a Spanish-version film of your ebook...but you couldn't because you'd signed those rights away to someone who would never even try to sell them for you?
Duration - How long do they want it? Get the shortest term you can, because the ebook business is changing so rapidly, you don't want to get locked into something that looks advantageous now, but is a ridiculously poor deal for you two years from now. I prefer to sign for three years, though most contracts now are skewing longer, and most epublishers will not negotiate this. Do not sign anything for the "life of the copyright" unless you know what that means.
First refusal - When you sign over first refusal rights, it means that when you write a followup story, you must submit it to the same publisher. You can't take it elsewhere, and you can't self-publish it, not unless they look at it first and turn it down. This locks you into publishing with this publisher whether you want to or not. Some publishers demand first refusal rights on subsequent books in the series, some try to snag it for ALL your subsequent writings. I never agree to this.
Set In Stone Is the publisher unwilling to alter their contract even one tiny bit for you? I see that as a giant red flag. There are lots of other publishers, as well as the self-publishing route to consider. Don't sign anything you disagree with.
Your Assignment Read through the list of epublishing contract red flags at epicauthor.com/redflags.html - I haven't seen each and every one of these situations up close and personal, but I have seen quite a few of them! Even if you're still starting out and you don't have a contract on your plate, it can't hurt to start getting familiar with some of these things so you can make an informed decision when the time comes.
Listen at Packing Heat, 29 minutes
September 26, 2010
Chapter 8 Voting is closed
Initially, the three options were neck and neck, but then the memory stick scenario pulled into the lead:
I’ll bet they’re getting hungry - let’s see some manna. 823%How can Tim possibly resist cracking open that memory stick—even with Randy and Marianne in the room? 1851%Expose Tim as the Voice of Reason. It's fun to watch him squirm. 926%
When I was feeling out the initial story elements, I had about 100 people voting, but now that number's dropped to 35 two months in a row. Is it un-fun? Or ...
I’ll bet they’re getting hungry - let’s see some manna. 823%How can Tim possibly resist cracking open that memory stick—even with Randy and Marianne in the room? 1851%Expose Tim as the Voice of Reason. It's fun to watch him squirm. 926%
When I was feeling out the initial story elements, I had about 100 people voting, but now that number's dropped to 35 two months in a row. Is it un-fun? Or ...
September 25, 2010
But it's only a wafer-thin mint...
Ha ha, you've got to love Wisconsin! This is the opposite of the food sticker-shock I got in Las Vegas, where food USED TO BE CHEAP but is now outrageously priced.
Pete invited me to a new coffee shop/gallery he'd read about in a small town about 20 min. away, so we took a little ride. The county highways between here and there are all scenic, winding and hilly. So we got there and there was a special all-you-can-eat barbecue going on--and we could smell hickory wafting through the parking lot...
Pete invited me to a new coffee shop/gallery he'd read about in a small town about 20 min. away, so we took a little ride. The county highways between here and there are all scenic, winding and hilly. So we got there and there was a special all-you-can-eat barbecue going on--and we could smell hickory wafting through the parking lot...
September 24, 2010
Memory stick...the lead increases
Voting will close tomorrow on The Starving Years next chapter, and the memory stick scenario has pulled ahead. And yet, a mere 7 well-placed votes could potentially unseat that choice!
Want to get in on the fun? Read The Starving Years and cast YOUR vote as to where the next chapter should go.
Want to get in on the fun? Read The Starving Years and cast YOUR vote as to where the next chapter should go.
Sleepwalker/Betweentimes at Rainbow and ARe
For those of you who prefer to shop at third-party vendors, I've put Sleepwalker and Betweentimes up at All Romance Ebooks and Rainbow Ebooks today. (Also added Petit Morts to Rainbow Ebooks.)
September 23, 2010
Photoshop World Keynote
Let's look at some Vegas pictures. I might as well start with Photoshop World, which was the primary reason I went. Since the motel PW was being held at (Mandalay Bay) was exorbitant, I stayed at a cheapo place a couple of motels down. It LOOKED close on the map, but walking there...that was another story. I think it took about 1/2 hour to walk to the hotel and another half hour to walk to the convention area. On my way there, before I realized what a daunting trek was ahead of me, I passed b...
I don't miss this
Ah, the photos from my Vegas trip are getting older and older and I still don't have time to post them. And so, a non-sequitur....
My ex was telling me a story yesterday and I remembered this "thing he always did" that I don't miss at all! When we were at a social thing where he knew everyone and I knew no one, like a function from his family or his work, he invariably would re-introduce me to someone I had met once in the distant past and make me feel like a jerk for not remembering them.
"Th...
My ex was telling me a story yesterday and I remembered this "thing he always did" that I don't miss at all! When we were at a social thing where he knew everyone and I knew no one, like a function from his family or his work, he invariably would re-introduce me to someone I had met once in the distant past and make me feel like a jerk for not remembering them.
"Th...
September 22, 2010
Packing Heat 121: Skipping Ahead
Packing Heat is a podcast I've been putting out since 2007. My goal is to help other writers stay motivated, and to encourage them to take their writing to the next level. You don't need special gadgets to listen; Packing Heat plays in your browser, like YouTube. Or you can subscribe (and leave me glowing feedback) at iTunes!
Skipping Ahead I know several authors who skip sex scenes and don't write them until the story is otherwise done. I always wonder why.
embarrassmentframe of mindneed to...
Skipping Ahead I know several authors who skip sex scenes and don't write them until the story is otherwise done. I always wonder why.
embarrassmentframe of mindneed to...
September 17, 2010
Memory stick is in the lead
Exposing Tim as the Voice of reason was tied with opening up the memory stick for a while there, but today the memory stick has pulled into the lead.
(What am I talking about? My free thriller The Starving Years, of course! Read! Enjoy! Vote!)
September 16, 2010
The Starving Years is Neck and Neck
Usually there's a clear frontrunner...except in the "pick a character" phase where Javier and Tim tied for second place.
Read the current chapter and commentary here!
Read the current chapter and commentary here!
