tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post5337518481850030942..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: How to Evaluate a Small PublisherJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-4137415787947934632015-09-25T11:20:08.104-04:002015-09-25T11:20:08.104-04:00Losing control of my characters is one of the thin...Losing control of my characters is one of the things I fear and care about. They have become so dear to me, and I have tried to be very careful not to let that happen. Of course, within my comics, I'm afraid I have lost control of them and they often disagree with me as I am writing/drawing. <br /><br />Thanks again for these great articles. I have saved them to add to my reference library of Shark wisdom.Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18984312428313506022015-09-24T21:39:41.505-04:002015-09-24T21:39:41.505-04:00Leah: That would really suck. To create characters...Leah: That would really suck. To create characters, get to know them that well, then being cut off from those characters... I can see why she would turn to fanfic, if only to continue the stories as she knew them.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7068307535702538602015-09-24T20:52:28.308-04:002015-09-24T20:52:28.308-04:00BJ - Thanks for the clarification; I don't kno...BJ - Thanks for the clarification; I don't know much about work for hire so I tried to be careful about how I worded my post. Always helps to have someone who knows things chime in. <br /><br />My understanding is she was hired for a supernatural series, then created the characters and everything herself. So perhaps saying "she lost control of them" was misleading, because they were always owned by someone else. But it's the first thing that sprang to mind when I finally got around to reading comments tonight.Leah Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12112039253103425880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-5251906411922092382015-09-24T20:47:56.114-04:002015-09-24T20:47:56.114-04:00Note: A lot of what I said above is covered in the...Note: A lot of what I said above is covered in the links Janet gave us.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77155863689045777062015-09-24T20:32:15.770-04:002015-09-24T20:32:15.770-04:00Leah: You're right. 'Work for hire' is...Leah: You're right. 'Work for hire' is a different animal from getting your work published. You're paid to write something (a novel, a report, a manual), or you have a job that includes you write these things.<br /><br />'Work for hire' fiction can help a writer get a start, and can give some very good experience. Donald Maass used to do this. But the characters, plots, worlds, and words are not your own. They belong to the company who is paying you to write these things.<br /><br />Work for hire fiction includes such series as Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley High, and so forth. Sometimes the company that hires the writers will give one pseudonym for all the writers - Carolynn Keene for the Nancy Drew books, for example.<br /><br />However, I have heard that some publishers will try to use a non-compete clause to say you can't write novels with these characters and get them published anywhere else. That's why you want to know about this possibility when negotiating a contract - so you can negotiate that clause, among others. That's also why an agent is such a great deal - a knowledgeable person on *your* side in such negotiations is worth their weight in sapphires.<br /><br />Not to say that you don't understand it, Leah. Just to make sure that everyone knows what 'work-for-hire' is.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20935439563417172012015-09-24T20:17:01.688-04:002015-09-24T20:17:01.688-04:00Angie-
Not sure how familiar you are with the Vam...Angie-<br /><br />Not sure how familiar you are with the Vampire Diaries series, but that's the closest I can think of to an author losing her characters. LJ Smith published the first trilogy in 1991-2. She signed a work for hire contract to write the first trilogy, wrote another trilogy for them in the 2000s, then was fired when they didn't like where she was taking the story. Since it was work for hire, she doesn't own the copyrights to the series. She's continued the series on Amazon Worlds, I think it is? Where they publish fan fiction? but they're not "canon".<br /><br />Janet could probably speak to this issue more clearly, but I don't think that kind of "work for hire" contract is anything querying authors have to worry about.Leah Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12112039253103425880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49630133128695260132015-09-24T20:07:51.749-04:002015-09-24T20:07:51.749-04:00"(I didn't say over valued so lets not op..."(I didn't say over valued so lets not open that tin of gummy bears ok?)"<br /><br />And If you do, make sure it's not the 5 pound bag of sugar free gummy bears <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummi-Candy-Gold-Bears-5-Pound/dp/B000EVOSE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443138877&sr=8-1&keywords=haribo+sugar+free+gummy+bears+5+lb#customerReviews" rel="nofollow">as evidenced in customer reviews.</a> <br /><br />If you do, however, be sure and blog about it so we can share in the adventure. We're here for you. Warning, don't read the reviews unless you have a leisurely afternoon to burn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73039881968466127252015-09-24T19:51:42.668-04:002015-09-24T19:51:42.668-04:00Karen, goodness, thank you (compliments from this ...Karen, goodness, thank you (compliments from this group have great weight!). Susan, Donna, kdj thank you.<br /><br />BJ, looking at my vintage Mudd's Angels, I've decided I actually quite like the cover. I've read more Keith DeCandido probably than anyone, but will peel an eyeball (Donna, or eyball? ;)) for Blish next time I'm at the book tables at RavenCon ... Because, like everyone here I am sure, my TBR pile just is. not. big enough.<br /><br />Home tonight with dinner on the way (yes, rather late - but Margarita pizza of lovely quality, right to my door, and from a client of my company too!) and at least one Angry Orchard cider to go with it.<br /><br />As to the lateness of the rejection, I actually applaud someone not settling for "no answer means no" and I can't say 7 months is the worst thing I've ever seen. As rudeness goes, this is pretty low on my scale. <br /><br />Janet, my final apology for the evening, for threadjacking. I'll send the boy along with a nice bottle and some chocolates soon ...DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87637769053033352862015-09-24T19:42:36.872-04:002015-09-24T19:42:36.872-04:00Thank you for this very valuable information and t...Thank you for this very valuable information and the links. Definitely will bookmark those.Lancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17335923263777449916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25859610712562717722015-09-24T19:17:42.202-04:002015-09-24T19:17:42.202-04:00Wow. Thank you, Janet, for all this information. B...Wow. Thank you, Janet, for all this information. Bookmarked for future reference. <br /><br />Susan, happy birthday (a day late) and wishing you many more! I hope you plan to celebrate all week.<br /><br />Diane, I know you're probably already over it, but sending virtual hugs your way for the "late hit" rejection. Loss of down and 15 yard penalty for whoever took so long to send it. I agree with what others have said-- whatever the reason for it, I sincerely doubt it was the quality of your writing. Onward.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22763680696926806642015-09-24T18:44:32.412-04:002015-09-24T18:44:32.412-04:00Invaluable information - Thanks, Janet.Invaluable information - Thanks, Janet.Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71097979377571985202015-09-24T14:24:26.276-04:002015-09-24T14:24:26.276-04:00Good covers are so important. When I got an offer...Good covers are so important. When I got an offer from a small press, I almost didn't sign with them because the only covers of theirs I'd seen were so awful, I couldn't bear to think about my book being sold that way. But then I went to look at their site and discovered they had published thousands of books, and not all the covers were horrible. <br /><br />And in the end, when it came to that point, they asked me to choose the central cover elements myself. The artist then manipulated those core images into something that reflected the book. And I was very happy with it in the end. Kate Larkindalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06202347563426692610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34949389602716865802015-09-24T13:49:47.865-04:002015-09-24T13:49:47.865-04:00Definitely saving this one to read and comment mor...Definitely saving this one to read and comment more later!<br />Did someone say something about cookies? And cupcakes?<br />excellent resources! thank you.Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23553876273533819242015-09-24T13:39:55.311-04:002015-09-24T13:39:55.311-04:00Hank! I just now saw your comment about your char...Hank! I just now saw your comment about your characters "dealio."<br /><br />*snort laughing!*Donnaevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09026536210749494257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52341814397592919972015-09-24T12:29:52.584-04:002015-09-24T12:29:52.584-04:00BJ: Literary Rejections vs. literary rejections. O...BJ: Literary Rejections vs. literary rejections. One of these things is not like the other ;)Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05332570278984058081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-79416443345299749152015-09-24T12:09:46.668-04:002015-09-24T12:09:46.668-04:00OK, OK, I'll confess to being a bit of a cover...OK, OK, I'll confess to being a bit of a cover snob too. Though if I want the book badly enough, I'll make allowances. But we really do judge books by their covers. I do, anyway, even though I know I shouldn't. If I was self-pubbing, that's where I'd probably invest the most money--the cover.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46570777946110327442015-09-24T12:09:05.616-04:002015-09-24T12:09:05.616-04:00Donna: You are not the only person to not know tha...Donna: You are not the only person to not know that. But I despise the 'eying' spelling, so I prefer to believe that it doesn't exist.<br /><br />Diane: Nothing wrong with reading Trek novels. Have you read James Blish's tie-ins of the original series? Published probably in the 60s and 70s. Great writing - I highly recommend them. They're what dragged me into science fiction in the first place. Now I write it, too.<br /><br />Susan: I like Literary Rejections, too. The account on Twitter, I mean. No one likes actual rejections.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75753286504467793452015-09-24T12:01:40.271-04:002015-09-24T12:01:40.271-04:00Diane - sorry about the R. That's like somebo...Diane - sorry about the R. That's like somebody coming along and kicking you in the pants after you've forgiven them.<br /><br />Le sigh.<br /><br />Book covers. I can't help but be a snob about covers. There is nothing on God's green earth that would prompt me to pick up a book with a cheesy, poorly done cover. Maybe I ought to regret the great story within, but I guess what I don't know won't hurt me. What propels me to pick up a book IS the cover initially. Before I ever read a word. beautiful, well done cover + great title = Donna picking up book. So, there I go with my nose in the air...<br /><br />LOL!<br /><br />Anywho - I have no idea if they had any say - I suspect they did, but b/c I know all three had illustrators drawing the covers, it's likely they were too polite to say anything. (Like I would be.)<br /><br />OFF TOPIC - I just learned something. Am I the only English speaking person out here who didn't know that "eying" is also correct as "eyeing?" I've only ever used "eyeing." Not that other WEIRD looking word.<br />Donnaevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09026536210749494257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65957888553690467822015-09-24T11:57:08.519-04:002015-09-24T11:57:08.519-04:00Off Topic: DLM, I'm sorry. That's like pou...Off Topic: DLM, I'm sorry. That's like pouring salt in a wound that's just begun to heal :( Everyone else has some wonderful advice, so I'll just echo them: indulge in your favorite things for a bit, then add fuel to your internal fire and keep going. Do you follow Literary Rejections on Twitter? Not only do they post some upbeat encouragements that really sink in after a while, but they have a website listing rejection stories of authors. It helps to put it in perspective that you're really not alone.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05332570278984058081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-78045021312933415052015-09-24T11:55:57.458-04:002015-09-24T11:55:57.458-04:00Diane--so sorry. Everyone is right, though--your t...Diane--so sorry. Everyone is right, though--your talent is obvious. <br /><br />A brief note on Baker & Taylor. B&T will post books even if they are unavailable so they can tell potential buyers how large their database is. I'm not sure if there's a way to see the availability of books on B&T without a login, but I know a few small pubs that do well and usually have material available. Spencer Hill comes to mind, but if people want a more complete list, I'd be happy to put one together.Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31896128650885735712015-09-24T11:47:18.266-04:002015-09-24T11:47:18.266-04:00BJ, I think I may be a non-snob as well (I mean, I...BJ, I think I may be a non-snob as well (I mean, I read Trek novels sometimes); some of the best novels I've ever read had covers which ended up being entirely misleading. It's certainly true authors don't necessarily have input with publishers.<br /><br />I do love GOOD covers and design, though. A beautifully made book has the most absolutely wonderful *THUNK* when you snap it shut, a timbre not entirely unlike a single heartbeat. I'll *THUNK* a book more than once just to feel and hear that.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-86807050096044654792015-09-24T11:38:29.588-04:002015-09-24T11:38:29.588-04:00Diane: It's a strange thing, and something I a...Diane: It's a strange thing, and something I am being forced to acquaint myself with, having long neglected it. I have heard chocolate is good after a workout. I don't know who said that--maybe it was me. Good enough! :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-91944761998365736102015-09-24T11:35:23.613-04:002015-09-24T11:35:23.613-04:00Gossie often prefers to think he's Janet's...Gossie often prefers to think he's Janet's cat, but he deigns to live with me when not in the Boroughs. If we can ever get her for a James River Writers event, he's going to take us to a bar and he's buyin'.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-92211387745177747852015-09-24T11:29:36.827-04:002015-09-24T11:29:36.827-04:00Thanks for the contract links! I love legalese. (Y...Thanks for the contract links! I love legalese. (Yes, I do. Especially when it's telling me my novel is going to be published by a certain time, giving me certain royalties.) I do think it's very important for authors to know what is in their contracts. I think it's important to know what is in any contract a person signs - even if it's a Terms of Service contract for a website. And if an author is on their own in negotiating a contract, that author needs to know what to negotiate and how. And having some legal assistance from an agent or independent lawyer is practically a necessity.<br /><br />Janet said: "If it's writers, they're not using their website to promote their product. A publisher should be focused on their product: books. If the website is largely about how to become one of their authors, how to query etc, that's a problem."<br /><br />I mentioned a publisher just like that earlier, who is very active on Twitter. It makes me sad, because they publish the very sort of stories I write, but I don't trust them, for this reason.<br /><br />Regarding small publishers in Canada:<br /><br />Pricing is a bit different in Canada. Canadian books have always been priced higher than American books, even when the exchange rate was even. I think this price difference decreased once Amazon.com came along and people could order books from the US at the exchange rate. Also, books published in Canada often cost more than those published in the US, probably because Canadian publishers have smaller print runs, while the large American publishers can have much larger print runs, therefore getting a better bulk price. It does kind of suck, though.<br /><br />Donna: Of the writers whose works had the cheap-looking covers... did they even have a say in the cover? Not all authors do, though small presses sometimes give the author more choice. There are a lot of authors out there - at big or small publishers - who really don't like their covers.<br /><br />Of course, you might be meaning that they shouldn't have chosen those publishers - which is something they *did* have some control over. But that's when an author has to really sit down and figure out what's important. Covers may not be as important as getting into the catalogues or higher royalties to some people. <br /><br />Me, I'm not a cover snob - I've always found covers to be completely different from what you're going to see in the novel, and they change so often. In other words, covers almost always disappoint me.<br /><br />Some years ago, a friend of mine - purely as a drawing exercise, for fun - drew what she envisioned to be the cover for the work I'm now shopping around. I liked it. I don't know if its cover will be similar when it finally gets published - probably not - or if I'll be disappointed if it's different. But I did like that drawing.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40856161001448503332015-09-24T11:27:38.190-04:002015-09-24T11:27:38.190-04:00"Abortive fancies" - so many of those my..."Abortive fancies" - so many of those myself. Diane, what a wonderful turn of phrase- proof that you have the chops. I love that. :)E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.com