Writing Tip #3: Accountability

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Writing Tip #3: Accountability

Now, I know not everyone is a writer, but this may be helpful to non-writers as well, especially those who have careers that are more solitary and need a lot of self-discipline and self-motivation to keep you on track.

For the most part, writing is a solitary endeavor. Not all the time. I mean, there are the wild parties at the writing conventions. (I know I've had a few crazy nights at In Your Write Mind with my writer friends.) But the biggest chunk of time spent tending to the business of writing is your butt in your chair, typing out thrilling tales. And you're alone. So alone. Unless you count the characters in your head and on the page, but if you start believing they're real, that's a topic for a different writing tip.

When you're on your own, especially if you don't currently have publication deadlines threatening you, it can be hard to focus, to stay motivated and productive. Making your own deadlines or bribing yourself are good attempts at keeping yourself in line, but they don't work for everyone.

Fear not, there is something else that may help.

Though us writers spend most of our time working in solitude, one of the great things is that other writers know what we're going through. They're going through the same thing. And writers are a great bunch who are willing to band together to support each other! You see it with all the writer forums and groups that spring up all over the place. Most other writers are welcoming and supportive of other writers (and if you find some who aren't, turn tail and run -- you'll easily find others who are).

And these fellow writers can help with accountability, keeping you on track. I feel this works best in small groups. What I do follows -- you may need to adjust for your own preferences.

Now, big forums like Kboards, which I frequent, definitely have support, but it's sometimes hard to keep the accountability going with such a large group of writers. This is why I love Writing Quest and my two fellow SHU Writing Popular Fiction grads. These are smaller groups, and even if Writing Quest ever grew to larger proportions, the focus of the group is goals (and cheering each other on).

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know I've been running Writing Quest for some time. It started out as monthly events on Facebook, but now it's Facebook group. At the beginning of each month, we list our monthly goals. We can check in throughout the month, but some people also check in only at the end of the month. Sometimes putting your goals out there to a group spur you to be productive so you can come back at the end of the month and declare your success.

OK, sometimes a group still isn't personal enough to get you in line and working diligently. This is also why I don't know where I'd be without my two WPF cohorts, J. Gunnar Grey and Melanie Card. Because of them, I have kept on task more often than not.

What we like to do is e-mail each other and check in -- see what we're up to, what we've gotten done recently, and what our plans are for the next few days ahead. Now, we don't e-mail every day, but usually at least once or twice a week (OK, sometimes we e-mail daily or even more than once in a day, but that's usually when we're having a lively discussion about something or another about writing or publishing).

This checking in on a consistent basis is helpful because it makes me want to have something to report. I hate the messages that start out, "Well, I got nothing done all week." It makes me feel guilty and unproductive. I want to feel as productive as they are (well, almost -- my production is no where near at their level, but I have a toddler to blame for that).

And the funny thing is, even when I think I haven't gotten that much done, when I type it up in an e-mail or a post to Writing Quest, I realize I actually got a lot more done than I thought. It's encouraging to see your accomplishments, however little, put down in words!

So, if you want to find a way to be accountable, find a couple of other like-minded writers willing to do a mini-group e-mail exchange with you. Or join a small group focused on writing goals. Remember, any writer is welcome over at Writing Quest, so feel free to send a request to join the group!

J. Gunnar Grey - Reading an Epublishing Contract

J. Gunnar Grey is guest blogging! She has been my critique partner for several years, and she's a great writer. For more information about the author, please scroll to the bottom of the article. Enjoy!


Reading an Epublishing Contract by J. Gunnar Grey

So the epublisher loves your story and wants to publish it. She forwards you a contract. You start reading and it's gobbledygook. There's no substitute for a good contract or intellectual property attorney, and I certainly don’t claim to be either. But here are some of the paragraphs likely to be included, what they mean, and what you should avoid.

First the contract should specify what it covers. This includes the name of the publishing company, the author's real name, the title of the manuscript, and the contract date. The date is important because contracts of this sort are bound by a time limit. More on this later.

Second is usually the publishing rights, which the author is granting to the publisher. This can take a number of forms, such as exclusive world rights, English language rights, North American rights, and so on. Rights can be further broken down by media, e.g., print-on-demand (POD) paperbacks, traditional print run trade paperbacks, audio formats, or the most popular right now, readable (text) digital format.

It used to be the case that authors jealously guarded their rights, selling different rights to different companies in different deals, which added together to total a more attractive sum than the straight paperback advance. In fact, this was considered an important part of the agent's job, getting the best deal possible for the author across a broad spectrum of the entertainment industry, including the movie option and audiobooks. This is less important than it used to be, because most epublishers don't want your movie rights in any case. Again, more on this later.

The third section generally covers what the author guarantees the publisher, and that's a manuscript that's free and clear of encumbrances. The author must warrant (guarantee, in layman’s English) that no one else has any right to the story. If it was previously published, all rights must have reverted to the author, who will generally be asked to provide written proof of this reversion.

Other paragraphs in the contract are likely to cover:

• who provides the ISBN (usually the publisher)
• who secures the copyright from the U.S. Copyright office (usually the author, if the author wants one)
• who sets the selling price (almost always the publisher)
• the conditions and percentages governing advances and royalties
• who provides the cover art (generally the publisher but the author is often invited to submit, if he likes)
• what happens if the publisher goes under (reversion of rights to the author) or the author dies
• who pays taxes on the earnings (almost always each party pays their own)
• whether the author has the right to audit the publisher’s books (if not, this is a red flag)
• whether electronic signatures are acceptable, and
• if there are any future disagreements between publisher and author, which state law shall govern (usually the publisher's)

Some specifics:

• As mentioned above, these contracts are bound by a time limit, and for epublishing contracts, the duration is usually somewhere between three to ten years. While a longer duration allows the writer to build up a head of marketing steam with one company, that's assuming the two parties continue to get along.
• It's important to specify when the contract begins running: from the date within the first paragraph, from the signature date, or from the date of the title’s release by the publisher. Theoretically, it's possible for a publisher to tie down the rights to a book and never publish it, if the contract runs from the release date. But before becoming paranoid, note that the publisher would have little to gain by such behavior, certainly not money. (Although that could be a lovely cozy mystery, couldn’t it?)
• The writer should also note who has the right of final approval of the manuscript, him or the publisher, and whether his input is required for substantive changes. If an editor will be hired, who pays for her services?
• The writer should maintain control of his name or pseudonym, his characters, and his career. The publisher may request a sequel, the right of first refusal (meaning she wants to be given first crack at any sequel or book featuring the same characters), or some deal of that sort.
• There's usually a clause of mutual indemnification in these contracts. That means if anyone sues the publisher, this third party has no right to go after the company’s writing stable. Or if someone sues the writer, the third party can’t also attack the publisher through the contract.
• Another clause is likely to cover who's allowed or required to take action in the event a third party infringes the book’s copyright.

There are so many possible red flags, there's no way to list them all. But here are some of the more common or outrageous ones.

• The so-called "rights grab." This is where an epublisher ties down rights she has no intention of exercising, such as those for foreign languages or movie production. These are potentially lucrative avenues for the author, easily capable of replacing the advance (if the publisher doesn’t offer one). Note that if the publisher does intend to exercise these rights, and this is spelled out in the contract with a member of staff assigned to the project, it's not a grab.
• A ridiculously long duration. Epublishing contracts are not meant to last forever and even ten years is seen as lengthy in this fast-changing environment. Twenty or thirty years, the length of the copyright, and "in perpetuity" all qualify as ridiculous.
• Ownership of the characters. It's fair to say that an epublisher is merely renting the rights to your book for a set length of time. Any demand to own or control the characters or the serious is not a good thing.
• Ownership of the author’s career. I'm not kidding.
• Finally, any required transfer of money, time, or work from the author to the publisher. This does not include marketing, which is a necessary evil at any level of publishing shy of James Patterson or Janet Evanovich. It also doesn't include any volunteer effort the writer may put into the firm, such as a blog hop for all the house's authors. But if the publishing company requires its writers to pay for publication, that's a vanity press and it’s one of the reddest flags of all.

Some epublishing contracts are straightforward and easily understood, but others are complex, professionally prepared, tight legal instruments. There's something to be said in favor of a company that utilizes a basic contract, as it implies a willingness to be flexible and work out issues with its writers. But there’s also something to be said for a company that wants no grey areas where misunderstandings can form. Each writer considering such a contract should only sign if he's comfortable with the terms. And it's worth repeating—if there’s any doubt, there's no substitute for a legal beagle on your side.


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About the Author

J. Gunnar Grey has never wanted to be anything except a novelist, so of course she’s been everything else—proofreader, typesetter, editor, nonfiction writer, photographer, secretary, data entry clerk, legal assistant, Starfleet lieutenant commander, stable manager, dancer—and no, not that kind of dancer. Her long-suffering husband is just excited she’s actually using her two degrees, one from the University of Houston Downtown and the MA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Gunnar writes novels that are mysterious, adventurous, and historical, but all sorts of other stuff can leap out of that keyboard without warning.

The first part of her novel, Deal with the Devil, is currently available from Astraea Press, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble (and you should go buy it - it's a great read!). She also published a handy book that every writer in e-publishing should have: Format Your eBook the Free and Easy Way.

You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.



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NEXT UP: Writing Prompt - Chain Stories.