Ask The Expert

Do I Need Permission to Feature Local Businesses in My Novel?

Published on April 4, 2012

My manuscript is a humorous mystery and uses some of the local haunts in (my city). I don't say anything bad about any of them. It's mainly the characters going to places like (a local restaurant), which is considered a local original. I explain why. Also, (a local diner). Everyone in the area where my heroine lives would know this place. They would also know that the bathroom is decorated with (a well-known cartoon character) accessories. This is mentioned in my manuscript. One character also works at a local charity, mentioned by name. Is it okay to use them as long as I don't show them in a bad light? Or, should I get them to sign something? If so, what? …

Help! My Book Has Been Attacked on Amazon!

Published on March 28, 2012

For some inexplicable reason, my novel has been attacked in an Amazon review by a first-class idiot who hasn't even taken the trouble to read it. I can't imagine why anyone would want to damage my book's credibility, but I suppose there are some people who are capable of such nastiness. I've contacted Amazon. but they won't remove it, saying it doesn't violate their guidelines. Hard to believe that they would keep a review that falsifies a book's major premise. I'm hoping anyone with half a brain will understand that this is a vicious, mindless, unfair, and irresponsible smear, and not a legitimate review. …

What Free Product Should I Use For Book Promotion?

Published on March 7, 2012

What Free Product Should I Use For Book Promotion?

I've been reading your book, 90 DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan. It is very handy to have all the info. in one place. I especially like the idea of an ezine (Days 4-7 in the book), and think I could write one about my ideas on writing fiction. I need to find something to offer free to attract new subscribers and I have an idea I'd like to run past you. I have an unpublished non-fiction manuscript. Even though I now write novels, does it make sense to offer chapters of my non-fiction book as the free item to attract people to subscribe to the Ezine? …

Should I Send Queries Via Certified Mail? No!

Published on February 8, 2012

I sent a story (to a magazine) via the post office, certified mail, to make sure it got there, and no one claimed it. It was sent back. I sent an email asking for their mailing address and it was where I had mailed it to. I sent another email asking about it, and in the email I got back, I was told that certified mail is not accepted, and to send the story via email. The guidelines specifically state that emailed stories are not accepted. I sent another email stating that, and never heard back. …

Is This a Bookstore Scam? Maybe.

Published on February 1, 2012

A bookstore emailed me to see if I wanted them to carry my POD book. First, I had to send a copy to see if it was "appropriate." Now they say it is, but they want me to send books to them. They do not want to order them from my publisher. Also, I have to sign a 50/50 contract, meaning I'll lose money on each sale. I'll even have to pay postage to ship the books. Wouldn't I be stupid to do this? …

My Publisher Refuses to Pay My Royalties!

Published on January 18, 2012

My Publisher Refuses to Pay My Royalties!

(My publisher) in New Mexico has not issued me a royalty check for more than two years because, as they have told me, they have "OTHER VENDORS" to pay. (They are) a POD publisher and our contract states they will pay royalties every six months. However, since the amount they owe me is small, approximately $86, I am sure they just have me on the back burner. The two books I had published by them are on Amazon.com and with local distributors. Is there anything I can do to get direct payment from Amazon? …

Do Bookstores Stock Self-Published Books?

Published on January 4, 2012

Do Bookstores Stock Self-Published Books?

I have a question: Do bookstores ever stock self-published books? I know someone who runs a bookstore, and I was thinking of contacting her about this. How would it work as far as ordering books? …

How Much Is Too Much?

Published on December 21, 2011

I queried the editor of (a magazine) with an article idea on spec. He requested seeing the article. After reviewing, he stated that he liked the article. Per his request, I adjusted the word count from 1700 to 1050. He asked how much I wished to be compensated for the article. I replied that I would be happy with whatever he's paid in the past for comparable articles. He countered that he needed a price. I caved in and requested $200 for the article and photos. Communication stopped. Would you happen to know how much this publication/website typically pays for articles? I'm curious if I'm way out of bounds with my request. …

My Sister Died Young. Do I Need To Get Permission From Her Husband To Publish Her Writings?

Published on December 14, 2011

One is a romance novel that my sister wrote 20 years ago. She died very young, but was in the process of a final edit. We never could get a publisher interested in it because they wanted someone who would continue to write novels, not a one-shot thing. My father passed away four years ago. He had written many, many stories about upbringing in the country that could be published either singly or as a collection. With Print on Demand, both of these now are possible. That said, is there any reason I can't publish either one of those? Would I need to get permission from my sister's husband? …

Should I Reformat My Book Based On The Comments Of One Reader? No!

Published on December 7, 2011

Should I Reformat My Book Based On The Comments Of One Reader? No!

Here's a message I received via email today: "I'm still absorbing your book and all its resources - my only real comment is that I'd like it in a smaller format with more pages - this is hard for me to use." That reader is a magazine editor who sees perfectly well with glasses. She's been reading the book for about 2 months. I'm kinda stunned at her remark, as the publication is a WORKBOOK with fill-in-the-blanks material. I suppose I could do a Facebook and/or blog survey about the issue. But first I want to know what Booklocker has to say about reader reactions and YOUR gut instincts as publishing pros. …

Common Names vs. Trademarked Names

Published on November 17, 2011

Common Names vs. Trademarked Names

I see your point, but how does this really differ from the problem of character names? I write a story, and I make up a name for my character, but with just about any name I pick, say "Phil Walters" or "Susie Kimball" (and I just now made those up), there are going to be dozens of people across the United States with that name. And now the cops are after Phil because Susie is missing and they think he murdered her, or after Susie because her boss says she embezzled $10,000. How does this differ from (a suspected fictious business name) running a sideline in smuggling drugs? Coming up with names and such is enough of a pain when writing, without making it harder. And what if I do check a name/URL/e-mail out today? Somebody could easily start using the name between the time I submit the story to a publisher and the time it is published (lead times of a year are not unusual). Do I have to recheck everything when I get the final galley? My publisher would be *most unhappy* if I made a whole slew of changes that late in the production cycle. You can't be a hundred percent safe on something like this, that's what the usual disclaimer is for. …

“Does That Website Really Own The Photo They Just Gave Me Permission To Use?” Not Likely!

Published on October 19, 2011

“Does That Website Really Own The Photo They Just Gave Me Permission To Use?” Not Likely!

I have found a few pictures on the Internet that I would like to use in my book. I have seen them on several different sites. However, I can't seem to locate how or where to buy the rights to use them and I haven't been able to find them (or anything similar) on the sites that allow you to purchase rights. One website has given me permission to use them but I am not at all comfortable with this because I cannot be sure that THEY have the rights to be using them! …

Do I Need to Copyright My Short Stories Individually? Nope!

Published on October 12, 2011

I am a short story writer, and am putting together a website to market my stories -- at a rate of one new story per month. I have the 'store' set up with PayPal and my 'merchandising' platform close to being ready. However, a self-published author has told me that I need to get each story published through a 'real' publishing house, ISBN number, the works, in order to protect that story. Is this true? …

Does Ingram Distribution Mean Bookstores Will Stock My Book? No!

Published on September 28, 2011

Does Ingram Distribution Mean Bookstores Will Stock My Book? No!

I am still a little confused about the distribution through Ingram. So, does that mean we're guaranteed to at least have a few books in the bookstores Ingram works with? Or, does it depend on how many copies the bookstores want to order from Ingram? …

Is This Publisher / Editor / Literary Agent Legit? NOPE!

Published on September 21, 2011

I was dismayed to receive an email from a publisher this morning that made me wonder if he ACTUALLY read (my manuscript) at all! All of the issues he raised were covered and solved in the writing, so he is either extremely unintelligent or has simply browsed through the book. I wondered what you think might be the motive behind his comments? After receiving some amazing reviews from both professionals and readers alike, I was aghast reading his comments. …

How Much Should I Charge For Ghostwriting?

Published on September 7, 2011

As a loyal subscriber, I've used your expertise in so many different capacities over the years, and for that I'm extremely grateful. To that point, I'm in need again. I have a client who would like me to ghostwrite a non-fiction book and I have no idea what to charge. My research indicates that fees range from $5,000 to $100,000 (depending on factors such as research, page count, expertise, etc.) but I wondered if there were any fee structures that you could point me to and/or if you had any advice/direction from your own experience. Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated. …

Was I Ripped Off? Yep!

Published on August 31, 2011

I saw an ad in a local magazine asking for writers and article ideas. To my surprise and delight, when I inquired, I immediately got three writing assignments. The editor said that they'd pay me $75 for each, but, after I wrote them (the articles) she was disappointed. She said they weren't long enough, and wanted to bring the price down to $45 each. I actually thought that was fair so I said it was okay. Well, I spent two to three weeks getting the articles ready, even neglecting other things I was working on. I sent the articles in and was asked for my address so they could mail my check. This morning, however, I received an e-mail from the editor informing me that the publisher said that it wasn't in their budget to pay me--not later--simply not at all. I wrote back immediately saying that that was unacceptable (I felt as though I'd been scammed) and that I wanted her to have the publisher get back with me IMMEDIATELY. The bad part is that I threatened to take it to small claims court. I guess I shouldn't have done that. I just was soooooo angry! I truly feel that the entire deal was a scam from the beginning... …

What Are the Odds My Book Will Sell?

Published on August 24, 2011

My new POD publisher has published thousands of books so I can expect them to sell lots of copies of my book, right? …

Do Foreign Authors Need a U.S. Bank Account?

Published on August 10, 2011

I'm very interested in your POD services. I know you know what you're doing. One question, Amazon requires a US bank account for Kindle publishers. What happens with your POD? Do you manage the finances? I'm in Australia, so getting a US bank account would be a challenge. …

My Traditional Publisher Abandoned My Book!

Published on August 3, 2011

Several years ago I contracted with a publisher to write a biography. The contract was pretty draconian, claiming all print and electronic rights, but I anticipated good sales and, after some haggling, I signed the agreement. It appears the publisher is no longer actively selling the book. A major indication of that, in my view, is that the book isn't available through the publisher's website now, although others in the same series are. I would like to reclaim electronic rights at least, and wonder what the best approach might be. Does the publisher's obvious lack of interest in the book give me leverage? If I do a re-write before self-publishing, would that shield me from legal challenges? …

Should I hire this spammer to promote my book? NO!

Published on July 20, 2011

I recently received an email from (a book marketing firm) asking me to use their service to promote my book. Do you know anything about them and do you have an evaluation of their service? …

Double Spaces After Sentences? No More!

Published on June 29, 2011

When I was in high school I took a creative writing class. We were taught there were always to be two spaces after a period. I have noticed that is no longer the case, My blog site even adjusts my two spaces down to one. When did the rules change? …

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