If you had a book contract...

[Amy Eye]

I just like to get people's opinions on things, and who knows, this could help people in the future..

If you had a book contract, what rights would you absolutely NOT give up, which ones would you be ok with giving to the publisher?

Would you be comfortable giving up your rights to your characters? Would you be ok with allowing a third party to make revisions to your book? Don't limit yourself to those questions, but any rights: movie, audio book, etc....

I know some of you have been traditionally published, give us all some ideas, and those who have not, what do you think?

[C.S. Splitter]

Well it's not like I haven't fantasized about having to answer such questions lol.

I can give you my over all answer: How much? :)

Maybe there is just not enough "artist" in me, but I think everything is for sale at the right price.

If you (some deranged publisher) think I have a great concept but you don't want me anywhere near future projects, the concept is for sale.

If you want me to work on YOUR concept as a ghost writer, we can negotiate.

If you want me to write books for you with my concept but you want the rights to those books for the next 75 years, there is a price on that too.

In Sopranos speak, I am a who-uh. :)

I WISH I had to make those kinds of decisions.

From reading what "real authors" have written, some things are fairly standard but there are always negotiations. Things like covers usually fall to the publisher. They might take author input, but they do the covers.

Who gets the final word on edits is a big one for authors. That's where I think trust comes in. The author needs to trust the editor.

But then, as authors get "bigger", you can usually see the editing take a dive. Their books get longer and more rambling.

Here is a GREAT blog on writing and publishing that covers some of those areas: http://write2publish.blogspot.com/

Robin Sullivan is the owner of a small publishing house and she often gives "her take" on the industry. Her husband is an indie gone traditional author. They both talk about writers and publishers.

She stated on another GR board that she would be open to interviews....

Splitter

[Amy Eye]

Thanks for the link, Splitter! She does have many wonderful things to think about in there!

[Cambria]

I see you have put some thought into this Splitter. I think we all have.
Even me....

[J.A.]

I was wondering about this the other day aftre reading someone's blog - what would they have to offer to get me to join a trad-publisher? A lump of money would be nice but I'm too finickity about my book to like the idea of someone else having purchased the right to tell me what to do with it. Having someone else do the publicity would be nice, but I can hire someone for that. And because I'm looking at it as a pension plan, I'm not in a hurry. I figure it's ticking along quite respectably for a 5-month-old, and book 2 will help. So remind me why I want a trad publisher?? On the other hand, having more writing time would be nice... but until I can afford to ditch the dayjob, that's unlikely.

I would consider signing for a one-off book deal with the option to take them up on another if both parties were up for it, though, by way of testing the water. I'd want it to be with a small, friendly press though. In that context I'd want a say in most stuff but be willing to concede input on it to the editor so long as I got on with them, with the option of referring it to an outside party if we couldn't agree. And I'd be inclined to suggest a Trial period of a few months working with them - if we all got on and all were happy with the finished product, that's when the contract could kick in whereas if we couldn't agree and didn't get on we could all withdraw with no-one the loser - but the author could not use that edit of the book.

Mind, all that's probably unrealistic but the perception of larger publishing houses is that you get a contract and then if it all goes wrong you're stuck, not allowed to use your own book and with no way to extricate yourself.

I wonder if rather than options on rights, having something a bit more flexible and modular (as well as the usual) might be an interesting option.Price by rights, maye - the more rights they concede, the more royalties they get? Make it negotiable and modular and priced; it'll be a bit more complex but potentially much more flexible.

I think (and may be talking out of my hat here) that this is a huge opportunity for presses to rethink the way they do things. Given that authors can set up as self-pubs if nec but most seem to prefer someone else publishing them, no matter how small, why do things the way everyone else does? Find out what would work equally for both parties and works in both interests - and then get inventive!

JAC

[Amy Eye]

I like the idea of a give and take, they leave the authors with more of their rights, they get a bit more of the royalties. I think many authors would rather keep a tight grip on their works than have a few extra pennies, or even dollars, in their pockets. But maybe that is just me since I am not an author...

[Cambria]

I would rather have rights than money (at this point in my career) And I like the idea of having more of a say in the book and the concept of it. Its a hard decision and i think with every author its different

[J.A.]

I think so. But there would have to be some sensible way of resolving disagreements or it would all go horribly wrong!

I was really impressed in the first few HP movies at how truthful to the book they were, and where they diverged they kept to the spirit of it; but the JKRowling stipulated in her contract that she should have loads of input. It showed, and I think it was to the benefit of all concerned.

And though with publishing, traditionally the idea is that the publisher knnows what sells, these days there is e-publishing so you can give stuff a trial without investing megabucks. If it doesn't work you can retweak before investing in a print run - everyone's a winner!

Mind, having done the whole "I like to be indie" thing earlier on it did occur to me yesterday that if someone offered me a six million advance I would probably take it, publish the minimum they asked so I could pay off all my family's mortgages and my own and write full-time, and then consider whether I wanted to stay trad going fwd or go back to indie-dom. Which is a bit two-faced I suppose but I've always been pragmatic; finances are always the sticking-point with these things, and once they were straight many other things become possible.

Not that I think that that's a choice I'm going to have to make, you understand....!
JAC

[Cambria]

LOL. JA- i think most of us (if not all) would sign just about any deal for 6 million!!

[C.S. Splitter]

Cambria wrote: "LOL. JA- i think most of us (if not all) would sign just about any deal for 6 million!!"

I'm trying to think of what I wouldn't do for 6 million....

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Hang on, I'm still thinking....

Splitter

[Cassie]

C.S. Splitter wrote: "Cambria wrote: "LOL. JA- i think most of us (if not all) would sign just about any deal for 6 million!!"

I'm trying to think of what I wouldn't do for 6 million....

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Hang on, ..."

:-)

[J.A.]

Splitter, you tart...!!
heheheh
JAC

[C.S. Splitter]

J.A. wrote: "Splitter, you tart...!!
heheheh
JAC"

Yeah....still thinking.....

Splitter

[Cambria]

I'm still thinking too....

[Amy Eye]

Wow, at least we aren't low priced whores or anything, we got some gold in our futures!! :)

[J.A.]

Splitter's still thinking, isn't he?!
heheheh
JAC

[C.S. Splitter]

Amy wrote: "Wow, at least we aren't low priced whores or anything, we got some gold in our futures!! :)"

Speak for yerself. I once spent a weekend with an ugly woman because she had jelly doughnuts.

It was a whole dozen so don't judge me too harshly.

Splitter

[Cambria]

Jelly donuts? UGH. Coffee rolls are so much better....

[Cambria]

I'd date a werewolf for free...... even if he didn't give me a book contract.

[Amy Eye]

C.S. Splitter wrote: "Amy wrote: "Wow, at least we aren't low priced whores or anything, we got some gold in our futures!! :)"

Speak for yerself. I once spent a weekend with an ugly woman because she had jelly doughnu..."

I guess everyone has their price....LOL