tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post970745583641184779..comments2024-03-29T07:29:32.276-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: When an agent requests your full manuscriptJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61844599849771893382017-08-02T07:58:32.710-04:002017-08-02T07:58:32.710-04:00BJ Muntain: I think so, but I couldn't say for...BJ Muntain: I think so, but I couldn't say for sure. It works fine when transferred to a Kindle, at least. <br /><br />I suppose I've just got to wait for the day everybody starts coming round to my way of thinking and embraces my font! I'm not going to risk immediately pissing off an agent by refusing to change from it, anyway.sophistikittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02705390137342099193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2786460842771580372017-08-01T22:07:24.728-04:002017-08-01T22:07:24.728-04:00I think I'm okay with all those points *wipes ...I think I'm okay with all those points *wipes brow*. However, checking properties isn't something I'd thought of doing (at least I know how to do that).AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67731875111049202462017-08-01T18:30:12.840-04:002017-08-01T18:30:12.840-04:00Oh, by the way, that post I linked to before? It a...Oh, by the way, that post I linked to before? It also says: "To complete a copyright registration, you need the name of the publisher, the year of publication, and two copies of the book to lodge with the Library of Congress. At the query stage, you don't have any of that."BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-44439528617844723862017-08-01T18:27:05.989-04:002017-08-01T18:27:05.989-04:00Regarding paying to have your work copyright prote...Regarding paying to have your work copyright protected, Janet has one post <a href="http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.ca/2013/05/copyright.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> on Copyright.<br /><br />As she says in this post: "Some writers think they should copyright their work to prevent plagiarism or theft, but copyright doesn't prevent that at all. Registering a copyright only means you can collect damages if someone does plagiarize your work."BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36386987391210412222017-08-01T18:13:02.488-04:002017-08-01T18:13:02.488-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041316285692964293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28260959883915588232017-08-01T18:11:13.545-04:002017-08-01T18:11:13.545-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041316285692964293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-69415619823040153152017-08-01T18:08:57.895-04:002017-08-01T18:08:57.895-04:00Steve Stubbs: Your work is copyrighted as soon as ...Steve Stubbs: Your work is copyrighted as soon as you put it in a readable format (digitally or on paper). Your computer keeps pretty good records of when it was put into a digital form. If you're really worried, save the first draft in a few different places and never touch it again, so you've always got a copy (or 3) that have the date of the first draft imprinted on it digitally.<br /><br />I think Janet might have some fresh words about whether to register it yourself (that's normally the publisher's job.) I'm sure she's spoken to this - I'll go look.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-3451643468043663902017-08-01T18:04:47.858-04:002017-08-01T18:04:47.858-04:00Kind of surprised this even needs to be brought up...Kind of surprised this even needs to be brought up.Ardenwolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14053900506482830292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56451199936917650552017-08-01T17:24:46.123-04:002017-08-01T17:24:46.123-04:00I do have one question about the copyright notice....I do have one question about the copyright notice. I have no intention of suing anybody (Pirates take note.) But have always thought it would be well to document date of creation in case someone else comes along later and tries to claim credit for my work.<br /><br />In my business there are loads of people who sit and stare at the wall all day, then, when anyone does anything useful, they jump up and try to take credit for themselves. No, I would not do this, but it is an accepted way to get ahead and is very effective when done properly.<br /><br />There are lots of people who have sued the Michael Jackson estate claiming they wrote and sang all the songs and now they want Jackson's money transferred to them.<br /><br />When Margaret Mitchell published GONE WITH THE WIND she was sued eleven times just in the first six months and refused to write anything else. That was during the Depression and people were scheming to get money.<br /><br />Movie companies are routinely sued by people who claim they had an idea for a movie and somehow own the exclusive right to it and now claim they are entitled to millions of dollars. I won't mention names. Who knows who those people are going to sue next?<br /><br />I know people who publish eBooks who say others edit their pdf files to make it appear the eBooks were their work in the first place.<br /><br />Dan Brown was sued by someone who published a book with a similar theme to THE DA VINCI CODE and who claimed he owned the IDEA, not merely the words in which it was expressed.<br /><br />As Tarzan famously said to Jane, "Gosh, Janet, it's a jungle out there!"<br /><br />Is it bad form to register and establish date of creation as an application of the CYA principle? Is that a career ending path to the Carkoon blacklist and the oblivion of the unpublishable and unmentionable?<br />Steve Stubbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13421775912951050610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30960202101935477562017-08-01T16:14:15.458-04:002017-08-01T16:14:15.458-04:00sophistikitty: Is that font universal? That is, do...sophistikitty: Is that font universal? That is, does it look the same on all screens (including e-reader screens)? That's why TNR and Courier are popular - they're standard, and they always look the same.<br /><br />Some agents do prefer Courier. Here's a tip for anyone planning on querying Donald Maass: He likes Courier, and he was impressed that I used Courier for his reading pleasure. It didn't help him choose to represent me, but I like impressing agents.<br /><br />Generally, agents who have been in the business a long time (say, pre-internet) might prefer Courier. Most agents (younger and older) prefer TNR.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-47984427987153539712017-08-01T16:09:27.416-04:002017-08-01T16:09:27.416-04:00Joseph: Yes, having a header with name, title, and...Joseph: Yes, having a header with name, title, and page number is the industry standard. It could probably work in the footer, as well. As long as those three things are on every page.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34025185226088943992017-08-01T16:00:10.756-04:002017-08-01T16:00:10.756-04:00It breaks my heart to have to change to TNR.
OK,...It breaks my heart to have to change to TNR. <br /><br />OK, perhaps that's overstating it, but I love my Palatino Linotype, and much as I know that doesn't actually affect the content of the book, it feels less beautiful in any other font.sophistikittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02705390137342099193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31027282780552346162017-08-01T15:39:37.558-04:002017-08-01T15:39:37.558-04:00New goal: to call all my drafts crazy numbers, lik...New goal: to call all my drafts crazy numbers, like "BestBookEver-Draft-89769862" just to mess with the heads of anyone who reads it.The Sleepy Onehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17406738871201908077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85281922311299811432017-08-01T15:00:35.128-04:002017-08-01T15:00:35.128-04:00Very helpful info. I was very lucky to receive my ...Very helpful info. I was very lucky to receive my first full request a few weeks back, and, I am relieved to say I didn't do any of Janet's "don'ts." I didn't do the header thing though. Hopefully that's not a dealbreaker. The only headers I have are Title and Karen McCoy, with page numbers at the bottom. The agent asked for a Word Doc, so that's what I sent. The file was titled 2017_Book Title_McCoy. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-13892951795466985232017-08-01T13:05:53.548-04:002017-08-01T13:05:53.548-04:00Joseph: The most common format for headers I'v...<b>Joseph</b>: The most common format for headers I've seen is:<br /><br />Snoe/ Brazil/ 123<br /><br />on the top right. Don't assume the agent won't print it out, especially if she wants to make editorial comments as she reads. Which is very likely if said agent has a collection of blood-red pens specially for such a task... :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-74761943615635903102017-08-01T12:59:19.290-04:002017-08-01T12:59:19.290-04:00Reading all the comments, I'm now concerned ab...Reading all the comments, I'm now concerned about headers. Include or not for electronic submissions? Yay or Nay?<br /><br />I've read somewhere that every page of a submission should have a header that gives author's name, book title, page number. For example (Please excuse the lack of adequate spacing):<br /><br /> Joe Snoe Escape from Brazil p. 123<br /><br />I definitely see the reasoning for paper copies. Is it recommended for email submission, or is the header distracting to readers?Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-35320558971270725672017-08-01T12:57:22.772-04:002017-08-01T12:57:22.772-04:00BJ Mountain, Oh noooooo!BJ Mountain, Oh noooooo!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02694333358894726440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-44752838439593744422017-08-01T12:42:02.555-04:002017-08-01T12:42:02.555-04:00Good for me. I would have gotten those six right. ...Good for me. I would have gotten those six right. I'm more creative in my screw ups. The ol' last-second-change screw-up being my favorite.Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43156689844994199122017-08-01T12:27:58.911-04:002017-08-01T12:27:58.911-04:00Robert Ceres: If an agent uses an e-reader, though...Robert Ceres: If an agent uses an e-reader, though, PDFs are notoriously difficult or even impossible to read. That's why most agents prefer Word-standard documents. BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-48936665731416798402017-08-01T12:17:48.858-04:002017-08-01T12:17:48.858-04:00Phewww! The first six mistakes I haven't made....Phewww! The first six mistakes I haven't made.<br />I save a one-off version for a full request, and prefer to send files as a PDF. That way what you see is what you get.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02694333358894726440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75363166955475279772017-08-01T12:11:01.026-04:002017-08-01T12:11:01.026-04:00Casey: no worries. As you may recall, I recently t...Casey: no worries. As you may recall, I recently tried to re-arrange the spelling of Cecilia's name ;-)<br /><br />Colin: good point - as usual!<br /><br />Back to the topic at hand, I had a minor heart attack when I read #6 on Janet's list. It hit me that the manuscript I submitted last week as part of a workshop application included a link in the backmatter. Yikes! It was a pdf, though, so maybe I didn't crash anyone's computer?!<br /><br />Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24924981161858480322017-08-01T12:00:33.769-04:002017-08-01T12:00:33.769-04:00Bother. Claire, not Clarie. Time for me to shut ...Bother. <b>Claire</b>, not Clarie. Time for me to shut up before I insert my foot any deeper in my mouth.Casey Karphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592351859886981726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-48704735049512671272017-08-01T11:59:17.681-04:002017-08-01T11:59:17.681-04:00Interesting (re document properties). My Word prog...Interesting (re document properties). My Word program only puts in my name. Everything else is empty. No gobbledygook whatsoever. I'll have to see what happens when I get my new(er) computer set up, to see if a newer version of Word does anything different.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-57423442599521914812017-08-01T11:58:56.441-04:002017-08-01T11:58:56.441-04:00Thanks, Clarie! I knew there was a good reason to...Thanks, <b>Clarie</b>! I knew there was a good reason to clear the properties. Though to be honest, I do it mostly because I tend to copy documents and the properties often have things like working titles. Or in some cases, working titles of other books.<br /><br /><b>kathy</b>, not necessarily so. At least with some versions of Word (and, I presume, other programs) you have to explicitly turn on markup before the program will start tracking the changes. If I don't turn it on (and I don't), they won't be there no matter how the other person's software is set up. Ditto if you do an "Accept all changes," which essentially tells Word to throw away the revision history.<br /><br /><b>Rosanna</b>, it's going to vary from program to program. But if you can find them in the first place (try the File menu), every program I've tried has had a button to clear them on the same screen or dialog.Casey Karphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592351859886981726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70092066933927483222017-08-01T11:55:13.459-04:002017-08-01T11:55:13.459-04:00Claire: Well... at the query stage, unless directe...<b>Claire</b>: Well... at the <i>query</i> stage, unless directed by the agent in question, you shouldn't be sending document attachments (or any attachments, for that matter). So the submission would be a requested submission. Perhaps the agent said "it would be helpful" as opposed to making it an absolute requirement because, since the agent requested the material, they will be a little more forgiving of such things, not wanting to assume the author is aware that the eReader has messed up their doc name.<br /><br />My point: helpful, but not something to spin the rodent wheels over. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.com