Published on January 21, 2004
The time-period spanning December 2003 and January 2004 was
terrible for my Writing Services business. It would take me a year
to write an accurate account about what happened to hurt my
business during that time.
Every snafu was a problem caused by some jerk of a client. I
immediately realized two things about that week: 1) The need
to disengage from Immoral Scofflaws, and 2) The need to
rethink how I do business as a writer…
Published on January 21, 2004
I signed a book contract in November of 2001. My book is still not out. Supposedly it’s in cover design and I haven’t seen it or seen blue lines. So I know we still have quite a ways to go. Also, and more concerning, is now that I understand publishing contracts more, I see there is no publication date listed on the contract. There is no clause that says when it will be published or how long before I can pull out because she does not publish it. It only indicates what will occur if it NEVER gets published. But there is alot of time between November 2001 and NEVER.
Another writer with them says she’s on four years. Customary and reasonable amounts of time listed in the Writers Digest says one to two years. What in the world can I do?
SL Brown, MA
One year is average; two years is pushing it. Three to four years? Holy cow!
I’d be furious!
Authors should always add a “publication date no later than xx, or rights revert back to author…” clause to their contracts. Otherwise, they may wait forever.
You can try threatening the publisher with exposure about their horrible contract and slow operations if they don’t return your rights. If other authors and agents knew it takes that long to publish with that firm, nobody would submit to them and the quality of their inventory would suffer greatly. They may even go out of business. Unfortunately, with no dates promised in the contract, you will probably need to hire an attorney to try to get out of the deal.
Or, the publisher may be in financial trouble and may welcome an offer to terminate that contract. It can’t hurt to ask.
I’d really like to know the name of that publisher. We may already have complaints about them on file.
Published on January 21, 2004
When the editor of a small community newspaper called to ask if I would be interested in writing several freelance articles for the paper, I hesitated. He was only offering $50 per story and I was concerned that the articles would require much more time and effort than the pay warranted. But, with the holidays around the corner and few deadlines during November and December, I agreed to take on the assignments.
Published on January 14, 2004
Several months ago, I was approached by Bob Freiday, a highly
successful freelance journalist, about a book idea. I liked his idea
and, in record time, his book was complete and we published it
as a trade paperback and as an ebook. Bob admitted during our
myriad of emails that he was often under the weather,
suffering from “Cat Scratch Fever.” The emails we exchanged after
that included humorous recipes that he could test on his mother’s
cat (the one that scratched him). Bob got really ill in October and I
received a cryptic email from him one day, asking me to send…
Published on January 14, 2004
Numerous readers comment on why it’s a bad idea to
do business with “jerks.”
Published on January 14, 2004
self-publishing
More than 20 years ago I started writing what later became my novel, Three Part Invention, published just last year. That first draft was written in the first person, beginning when the main character, my alter ego Beth, was five years old. Though the novel changed greatly from that first draft, it has preserved for me experiences and emotions I’m sure I would have forgotten by now: details — even minutia — about growing up female in the 1950s, participating in the very early civil rights movement, and the flush of first love…
Published on January 14, 2004
I’m trying to make freelance writing a larger part of my income this year but my head is already spinning thinking about the tax issues having a part-time, at-home business will cause. Can you suggest a good book or website that can answer my questions (as to what’s deductable as a business expense if you have a part-time business, what legally you have to do to establish yourself as a business, etc.)?
Published on January 14, 2004
Years later I wrote a letter to a local newspaper regarding something I felt passionate about. Out of two hundred letters printed that month, mine was chosen as the second best letter submitted. That was the catalyst I needed to pursue writing as a career. I now realized that my dreams were to be my goals. First I wanted to see an article of mine in the newspaper. It happened. Then I wanted to see my name in print in a magazine. I did. And over the past three years, with a lot of hard work, articles and short stories were published and I was getting paid!
Published on January 7, 2004
We spent New Year’s Eve eating cheese and crackers and playing charades with friends…which means we must be getting old. I’ve always hated New Year’s Eve. Being married to an alcoholic (my ex) for 12 1/2 years will do that to you. We left by 9:30, picked up one of Frank’s friends, and went in search of a burger. For some odd reason, every burger and fast food joint in town was closed. So, we had a late night, quickie dinner at Olive Garden and drove home to watch movies and eat popcorn. It was, by far, the best New Year’s Eve ever! When we flipped the channel to watch the ball drop in New York City, I wasn’t dreaming about what I’ll be doing next year. I was reflecting on how much better life is for the children and me since marrying Richard more than four years ago. We are truly blessed!
Last night, Zach had a friend over for dinner. I’d cooked up a fun kabob dish and we were all having a nice time eating and chatting about the children’s Christmas vacation. Out of the blue, Max put his fork down and said, quite loudly…
Published on January 7, 2004
Despite a backache and my failed attempt to rid the bathroom of that endless pile of dirty laundry, I was actually in a pretty good mood this morning. I’ve been pretty cranky lately, which is the end result of dealing with too many jerks (rude people online), deadbeats (those publishers appearing in our Whispers and Warnings forum), and freaks (One guy keeps threatening to show up on our doorstep if we don’t remove his warning. We had to get our attorney involved because we think he’s a psychopath.). One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to not let people get me down. I figure if I meditate enough and practice my new form of exercise, yoga, at least once a week or so (I have a phobia about exercising in front of other people), I will be able to be a calmer, more peaceful person. However, a fax I received this morning blew my New Year’s Resolution right out of the water…
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