A blog about the topics of writing, Sharon C. Williams

Book contract: Sign readily?

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When I was offered my first book contract I was over the moon. I had a few people look it over and did some research to make sure it looked good. I signed it and we proceeded to getting the cover, more edits and all the things involved in getting a book out in print to the public. And the rest is history as the saying goes.

Time move on and things didn’t sit right with me after a couple of years so I asked for my rights back. That prove problematic. Very problematic to be more specific.

I could write a small book on what to look for in a contract, what to question and to know if you should sign or walk away. Things I did not know at first and as a newly signed author would not have known until something went wrong.

One has to ask questions, do the research and make sure your book and yourself are being represented well. It took such a long time for you to get to this point. Don’t get so excited that someone wants to put your book in print.

As a new author back than I did the research but I didn’t know what to be looking for or asking for exactly. I did the best that I could. And for the most part it worked out.

So what to look for?

-make sure there is a termination clause listed and that is is specific.

-make sure you learn when the royalties will be dispersed

-make sure you understand the double secret code some might use when they explain your royalties and how the money is divided.

-make sure you are able to contact them in time of need besides the website they run

-ask if they have ways of having your book reviewed and how they go about doing that

-what happens if they fold?

There are more but this is what cam to mind at the time of this blog. Not all of the above applied to me but from other frustrated authors.

There will be times where it all looks good and it could be exactly what is written down on paper. There will be times where blips will occur and it seems the publisher has all the rights while you have none. But there are many people out there who are willing to work with you in looking over your contract and helping you when times go south.

Don’t be in a rush to sign over your rights to your book. It is tempting but this your baby and it deserves the same TLC that you gave it while creating it.

I am more cautious with anyone who is interested in any of my manuscripts. And that is a good thing.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writng

“It’s complicated”: Is it really?

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How many times have you heard in a movie or TV the phrase, “It’s complicated,” or read it in a book? If you are like me than too many to count. To be honest it has gotten old and it has been old for a while now.

How about you write out the scene? It does not have to be a full-blown back story but just a bit to explain it. I often scream at the TV when I hear the phrase. Take some time do a little work and explain why it is in your view complicated.

Your job as a writer for a show or a movie is to well write. Taking the cheap way out, and sadly it works for the most part, is just frustrating. But another sad part is it has been used so often that people hear it, accept it and move on not putting the writers against the wall and holding them accountable for it.

How about saying what it it? We are too lazy to get into it right now. We don’t want to bother. We know you will accept the word even if we never ever explain it. Who knows why it happens as often as it does.

Our readers and viewers deserve better, don’t they? If you paid good money for a book or a movie, and let’s face those are getting pricier as the years go by, you should get your bang for the money Heck, we deserve better ourselves if we are the writers producing such books and movies.

I don’t see this changing anytime soon, if ever, but I had to let this out. Why? I guess it’s not so complicated for me.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing aspect

Writer vs. Author

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What is the difference between writers and authors? The reason I asked the question is when I typed this into the search engine on Yahoo I got the following.

“We often use the words author and writer interchangeably. But indeed both these words are quite different. A writer is a person who writes a book, article, or any literary piece, while an author is essentially the person who originates the idea, plot, or content of the work being written.”

We do use the word interchangeably at least the people I hang out with. We do it so often I wonder if I asked them point-blank some might struggle in answering the question.

While the definitions of both words above show the difference in the two one depends on the other. You can’t be an author if you don’t write.

I even have author friends who don’t define themselves as writers if they don’t have a book out. I use to think that which is counterproductive. For starters it is not true especially if you go by the definition above. Secondly it brings down one’s confidence. One that we do to ourselves. Thankfully I broke free from that way of thinking early on.

However you call yourself, regardless if you have a book out or not, if you are writing you are moving toward something. To me that is the whole point. Just start writing so at least you can join in the conversation.

The Musings of A New Englander