Hi Angela, First, great work on the Writers Weekly site, it's a very valuable resource. I am working on some ideas on e-books. One question I had was, if it is produced in PDF format, how can it be prevented so that one person can't buy it, download it, then send/email to a couple other people, and so on and so on, etc. Is there a way to make it so that the only person who can read it is the person who bought it? Any help/info would be appreciated. Thanks! M. …
I found a new website that rents books to people by mail. They have my book listed on their site but my publisher says they never ordered a copy. Do you know what's going on? -M …
Can you send me your list of recommended freelance illustrators? -Melinda …
My designer has disappeared and I can't figure out what font he used on my cover. Can you help? I found a great resource online for this! You upload an image of the font in question and you get an instant result. See: https://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont …
Can I use the photograph of a painting on my book's cover? -Jeanine Can you take a photo of a painting and use it on a book cover? What about about a photo of a sculpture? How about a building? Well, it depends.... This part of copyright law can be confusing. There's an excellent article on this subject here: https://www.wipo.int/sme/en/documents/ip_photography.htm …
How can I find paying fiction markets on your site? -Jack We do have several paying markets for fiction writers on our site. Go here: https://search.writersweekly.com/search-ww.cgi Type fiction in the box there. In the drop-down box below it, click Search Markets and Jobs. …
I can't understand why my book is not selling? Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Target.com, etc. advertise the book, as I do on my website. It's been online for two years now. Why isn't it selling?! Many authors make the mistaken assumption that putting a book online means people will actually see it and that this will automatically translate into sales. Since there are so many websites, and so many online bookstores, and so many books in those bookstores, nobody can expect sales from just putting a book online. Marketing a book online should be considered at least a part-time endeavor. The authors who are really successful are the ones who make marketing their books a full-time job. You have to get online daily and spread the word, through an ezine (an ezine is more effective than a blog because you contact your readers directly; you don't wait for them to come back and visit your site whenever they happen to remember you're there), through networking, through requesting links on other websites, through offering excerpts for other websites and online publications to run, and through participating in online discussions about your book's topic/your book. Assuming that simply having a book page on Amazon will mean you're going to start making money on your book is probably one of the most common misconceptions I hear from newbie authors. Nobody is going to know about your book until you start telling them about your book. …
My publisher will let me order postcard and other things with my book's cover on them but they seem awfully expensive. Do you have any sources that might be less expensive? …
Dear Angela, I've been waiting for nine months for a magazine I really like to schedule a publication date for my inspirational essay. Soon after I submitted it, the editor told me she really liked it, but it would take them a while to schedule it. Now they've sent a contract in which they want me to sign over Exclusive First Rights for it to be put on their website without paying me on acceptance or scheduling a date for its publication. I'll be paid when it is uploaded on the website, but "its placement is subject to the editorial staff's discretion and may be removed from the website at any time without prior notice." I think they should pay me now or schedule a publication date if they want me to sign a contract. If I turn over first rights, they could sit on the piece forever. I think it's a good piece and I really want to see it in print. What do you think about the contract and do you think there is any advantage to my letting someone put it on the website? This isn't a major magazine. I need good printed clips. Thanks, A. …
Angela, I know you're not a lawyer, but I'd like to get your thoughts about this situation: I recently entered a contest sponsored by a large financial business. The rules state... …
Don't pay for reviews that can ultimately harm your reputation!…
Angela, Are there any of these ''write blogs for pay" jobs that are not scams? …
I sold an article to a company that, according to their listing in Writer's Market pays $800 to $1,200 for articles and columns. They are publishing my article and have not asked me to sign any contract nor have they discussed money. The magazine went to print last week and will be hitting the streets within a week or so. If I do not receive a check from them after it hits the street, I plan to have my attorney write a letter to them. In your experience, is that the best course of action? Thank you for your time. …
Dear Ms. Hoy, I have been receiving your newsletter for a short time.I am getting a little confused about the process of getting a book published. I have two very silly children's books that have been read to two second grade classes and they seemed to really enjoy them. I want them out there. If not for any other reason than to make my dream a reality. May I please bother you for your time and expertise where publishing two little books are concerned? I want to be a genuine author and I know that I will succeed, once pointed in the right direction. Thank you and enjoy your day, Malissa …
I have kind of an odd-ball request: I entered a novel into a contest - kind of an American Idol contest for novels. It's doing pretty well. It made the semi-finals, unofficially in 10th place out of 296 entries. Unfortunately, only the top 5 have a shot at getting published. One of the top five will be published by (name of company removed). That's where you might come in. If I get published, that would (a) Be a big boost for my self-published book and (b) Be a nice little thing to mention in my advertising. Given that, I was wondering if you might be willing to pass the word around to friends, family, employees, contacts who like to read, etc. that my novel might be worth a look. Anyone can comment and vote as long as they register with (the website hosting the contest). -S …
Do you think Pen Names are necessary and is it an easy process to get one? I am asking this because I knew that there was an alternate name you could use, like the stage names, but never knew the term to search for. Any thoughts on this subject would be helpful. Thanks in advance, G. …
Hi Angela, I am currently writing a novel (Adventure/Fiction). My characters, plot, etc. are fiction; however, I am planning to include real places. Do I need to ask permission from the business establishment my characters would be attending? Ex: I am researching (a popular event in Alaska). I won't name the event in my novel, but if anyone has been there it's pretty clear to what I'm referring. Of course, each of my characters won't be the same in their responses, so some of them won't like/enjoy/might have bad things to say about their experience at the business establishment. Is that okay? I don't want to be sued for defaming their establishment. …
What is the best way to handle fan mail? Should I reply and thank them for their support? Or should I accept it and forget it? I really would appreciate some feedback. Connie …
If you sell an essay to a magazine that purchased all rights (and you were paid) and that magazine folds before your piece is printed, what are your rights in terms of placing it elsewhere? …
Dear Angela, Another writer suggested I contact you. What a magazine wants from me doesn't sound quite right to her. I wrote an article, on my own, and then queried a large Canadian magazine and asked if I could submit it to them. The editor responded right away and asked me to submit it 'on spec' since they haven't dealt with me before and because the article is written in first person. She wants me to submit 750 words. …
Hi Angela, I can't afford to buy a block of ISBNs from R.R. Bowker ($275 for 10). I found a company online that is selling single ISBNs. I didn't think that was allowed? …
What does "ibid" mean? I've seen it referenced in footnotes in books. Lisa …
I get your ezine every week and really enjoy what I read and have learned a tremendous amount. I've written you on occasion and thought you'd be a good one to bounce this situation off of... I started writing professionally about four years ago, at age 41, starting with a small weekly newspaper that has grown from about 8000 copies to about 21,000 copies now. I write all sorts of feature stories and news writing and sometimes take my own photos. …
Hi Angela, Kinda new at freelance. I have sold a few articles, and now wish to build a web page, rather than e-mail clips with queries. Once an article is sold to a publication, can the author of the article post a clip of the article on the author's web page? Is the entire article necessary? Do you think a web page for editors to visit is a good idea? Any advice you can give would be appreciated. Sincerely, Jerry …
Hi Angela, In your book, Profitable Email Publishing, you said you use egroups to manage your subscriber list. When I go to egroups.com, it reroutes me to Yahoo Groups. Is this what you use to manage your WritersWeekly subscribers? …
I want to use a photo I found in an old newspaper in my book but I can't find the copyright owner and the newspaper is now out of business. How can I determine if it's in the public domain? …
A legit, well-respected publisher just accepted an article that I wrote and will be running it later this year. How long should I give them before asking about payment? Thanks …
This may not be the correct venue, but I wanted to reach you. I followed a "market" ad from your listings,and submitted an article to a magazine. The ad stated "payment upon publication", and the item was published. I have yet to be paid, and wonder what to do next. I wrote two "gentle" e-mails to the editor asking about payment, and suddenly no one's home. …
Hi Angie, I was looking at the ad from Blue Mountain Arts, Inc. in your latest issue .I have always considered greeting cards as a potential place to sell, but need some clarification. This statement, "Buys exclusive rights for all greeting cards. If a work is used only in an anthology, the writer keeps the copyright." is the one that confuses me. If they buy my idea, does that mean that I can't sell it anywhere else or just to another card company? Thanks, Sandy …
Dear Angela, A new subscriber to your weekly. You had a similar request for info about paying to have work critiqued. I tried that URL and couldn't access it, so again the question is...I've had one dealing with the Literary Agency Group (LAG) in New York; I paid them to critique a stage play and now they seem to be looking for more money to help get this stageplay ready. Sound kosher? Many thanks, Charlie Gourlis …
