Writers in the Storm

by Erika Marks

Hello, friends! I hope this finds everyone ready for the holiday season—and by ready, I mean totally freaking out! (Just kidding. Well, sort of.)

I know this time of year is one during which we can’t help but be especially reflective, not on just this past year but the years before it, and, of course, the one ahead.

It also seems to be the time of year when the world becomes especially list-happy with everything from books to bagels getting put on a Best of/Worst of list somewhere in the world. So I thought, why not add a Best/Worst list of my own during this season of reflection?

Recently, I met with a great writing group and one of the students asked me—after I’d told them that I was 20 years writing and submitting before I got my first book contract—if I would have done anything differently along the way, and if so, what?

Today I'm sharing my list of the best and worst things I may have done on my writing journey.

And because I like good news first, let’s start with the best things I did for my writing in those years.

1. I wrote every day.

Now I’m sure—no, I KNOW—there were exceptions to this. Life steps in (or gallops or tramples or…you get the picture) but during those times when I was in a story, I never left its side. For me, when it comes to writing, distance does NOT make the muse grow fonder. Even a bad day of writing kept me connected to my characters—and that connection got me back to the screen the next day (even if it was only to delete every word I’d written the day before).

2. I moved on to a new story when a current one needed to be shelved.

It’s hard, I know. We write and we edit, we cut and we add. We nurture the darn WIP like a baby bird and we cannot bear the thought that it might be for nothing, which of course it isn’t, because no matter what comes of the novel, whether it’s sold or shelved, our craft is stronger for it. But all that said, it still stinks to bid it adieu and move on to a new WIP love. But it’s necessary. And I did it more times than I can count.

3. I kept a spreadsheet of the agents I queried.

I know it sounds goofy and anal, but when you query agents for as long as I did, a good memory doesn’t cut it. I wanted to keep track, really keep track, of who I had sent what to, if they’d offered to see my next project, if they’d offered advice. All those pieces of correspondence ultimately brought me to my current agent, a fabulous relationship that I truly believe was 20 years in the making, and every contact I made led me closer to it.

4. I listened to feedback.

I know this sounds obvious; so obvious, I almost didn’t add it to the list. But there was time when I DIDN’T listen to feedback, and I wish I had earlier.

*  *  *

Okay then! Boy, that was fun. Yay me, right?! Cheers on some good moves, Erika! High fives all around!!!

Well. Now it’s time to put down the toasting glass and get on to the NOT so good news…

So, deep breath. Some of the worst things I did on my writing journey (be warned, it’s not pretty):

1. I sent my work out too soon.

How soon is too soon? You know the scene in the movies where the writer pounds out THE END, bundles the fat stack of typewritten pages into an envelope and mails them off gleefully? Yup. That soon. I can’t honestly tell you the first manuscript I did a real round of edits on. (You think that’s an awful confession? Wait till you get to number 2.) Forget getting other readers, I didn’t even take the time to reread it MYSELF! Gah. DOUBLE Gah.

2. I queried before my novel was finished.

Now we’re getting to the really ugly confessions, friends. In the pantheon of dumb moves, this is a biggie. But hear me out! I was excited about the concept, I was positive the idea alone was so sellable that I just had to get it out into the universe before someone else declared it! So imagine my excitement when the requests poured in immediately…then imagine my panic. Same goes for the previous worst: When an agent requests a manuscript that isn’t finished or isn’t ready, nobody wins. The moral: For the love of Pete, JUST WAIT.

3. I didn’t read.

For a long, long time, I wasn’t a reader. And it showed in my writing. (And other places too, I’m sure.) Only when I committed to reading—and reading widely—did I truly begin to understand how to build/tell/shape story.

4. I tried to write to trends.

We’ve all been there. We write and submit our own original ideas. Meanwhile, we keep reading about yet ANOTHER debuting author whose (fill in the blank with popular trend of your choice here) novel is joining the ranks of the growing rage and collecting big bucks. We think how much easier it would be to just write one of those books instead, right? For me, it wasn’t. I had neither the passion nor the stamina for a book I had built on trend.

Which leads me to one of the most popular pieces of advice but still one of my favorites: Write the book you want to read.

*  *  *

So there we have it! Yet another Best and Worst List to add to the ranks. Thank you so much for letting me share mine, friends—now I’d love to turn it back to you. If someone asked you what the best and/or worst thing you did on YOUR writing journey was, what would you say?

Erika's previous post here at WITS: 7 Tips For Finishing The First Draft

About Erika

A native New Englander, raised in Maine, Erika has worked as an illustrator, an art director, a cake decorator, and a carpenter.

She now lives in North Carolina with her family and still rushes to the ocean every chance she gets. She is the author of Little Gale Gumbo,  The Mermaid Collector, and The Guest House.

Find Erika: on Facebook, her website, or Twitter.

by Susan Spann

Writers In The Storm is delighted to welcome back Susan as she kicks off her new series on copyright and rights clauses in publishing contracts.

Note: As always, Susan is open for questions down in the comments!

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As 2013 draws to a close, I’m starting a brand new #PubLaw guest series here at WITS.

Many of you have commented about your desire to take charge of your writing careers in 2014 – to launch a new year with a brand new publishing outlook. For some, that means finishing a new novel. For others, finding an agent or a publisher. For others still, 2014 will mark the launch of an independent publishing career.

Some of you may look at this list and say “yep, I’m planning all of the above.”

Whatever publishing path you choose, and wherever you are along it, it’s critical that you know your legal rights. In particular, authors need to understand the ins and outs of the rights a copyright gives them – and the ways in which a publishing contract exploits and divides those rights.

In light of that, the shiny new #PubLaw series here at Writers in the Storm will be taking a look at the various rights which fall within the larger umbrella of “copyright,” and how common publishing contract language handles each.

WHAT IS A COPYRIGHT?

In general terms, a “copyright” is a form of legal protection which covers all creative works “fixed in a tangible medium of expression.”

Copyright protection is automatic, and begins at the time of the work’s creation. A work doesn’t have to be published to acquire copyright protection.

The requirements for a valid copyright include:

1. copyrightable subject matter (for our purposes, it’s enough to know that novels and short stories qualify), which

2. meets the minimum “threshold for protection,”  (generally, this means “it was actually written by the author claiming copyright,” it’s original, and it’s more than a trivial variation on someone else’s work),

3. is “fixed in a tangible medium,” (meaning it’s capable of being transmitted and/or reproduced--saving it on a computer is enough) and

4. was created, or is owned, by the person claiming the copyright.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO OWN A COPYRIGHT IN MY WORK?

Create it yourself and save it in a way that allows for transmission or reproduction to someone else. (A computer file is sufficient. So is a handwritten copy.)

That’s all!

Copyright automatically attaches to the work when you create it.

Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is not required in order to own the copyright, but it is required in order to sue infringers and to obtain certain kinds of damages. For maximum protection, copyright owners should register published works within six (6) months after the initial publication date. (However, if that doesn’t happen, a copyright can still be registered at any time during its term—albeit with some potential loss of rights to certain claims and damages.)

HOW LONG DOES A COPYRIGHT LAST?

In the United States, copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, if the author is a “natural person” (meaning a human rather than a corporation or other business entity).

When the author is a business or other entity, copyright lasts for the lesser of 95 years from the date of the work’s initial publication or 120 years from the date the work was completed, whichever comes first.

WHAT RIGHTS DOES A COPYRIGHT GIVE ME?

The owner of a copyrighted work acquires a broad set of rights. The most important are:

1.         The right to control copying and publication of the work, in all forms and formats, as well as all languages.

2.         The right to create and control creation of all derivative works.

A “derivative work” is a work based upon the characters, plot, and (in the case of specialized worlds) settings created in the original work. Sequels qualify as derivative works, but so do film adaptations, stage plays, graphic novels, video games, apps, and merchandising rights.

3.         The right to control distribution (or to prevent distribution) of the work.

4.         The right to control performance and display of the work and any derivative works.

5.         Moral rights, defined as the right to prevent mutilation, modification, and alteration of the work, as well as the right to ensure the author’s name is displayed on or in connection with the work. Traditionally, we don’t pay much attention to “moral rights” in the U.S.A., but they’re a fairly big deal overseas.

6.         The right to sue for damages if someone violates these rights without permission.

Along with all of these rights, the author acquires the sole right to license, or grant permission, for other people or entities to exercise these rights on the author’s behalf. A publishing contract generally addresses all of these rights in one way or another—and it’s important that every author understand the various ways a publishing contract might address the different parts of the author’s copyright.

In the months to come, we’ll take a tour of common contract language and examine these various clauses in detail.

Thank you for joining me today, and thanks to Writers in the Storm for giving me the chance to share a little copyright cheer for the holidays!

If you have questions about this or any other copyright issues, please ask in the comments – I love to help!

About Susan

Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author from Sacramento, California. Her debut mystery novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Minotaur Books, July 2013), is the first in a series featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori. The sequel, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI, will release in July 2014.

Susan blogs about writing, publishing law and seahorses at http://www.SusanSpann.com. You can also find her on Twitter, @SusanSpann, or on Facebook.

All of us at WITS do our best to bring you information about every aspect of today's publishing. Today's post delves into a unique project, and New York Times bestselling author, Deb Holland, is here to tell you all about it -- the good, the bad and the OMG!

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By Debra Holland

The idea of a multi-author anthology set in my bestselling Montana Sky series was born in the Spring of 2013. The prior year, I’d written a collection of short Christmas stories, Montana Sky Christmas, and loved the experience. I had more ideas for Christmas stories and knew I wanted to write a second collection.

The Problem: My deadlines for the year didn’t allow time to add a book of short stories.

One of my long-time favorite authors, Andre Norton, had several multi-author anthologies in her Witch World series. Authors or aspiring authors would write a story set in Andre’s world for the anthology. Other authors, like Mercedes Lackey, have done similar anthologies.

But, to my knowledge, no indie-pubbed romance authors had done it... Yet.

My Original Idea

• Open my Sweetwater series to other authors to write in, using my characters as secondary characters in their stories.
• Include a few of my stories, but have the majority of the book written by other authors.
• Use a multi-author anthology as a promotional opportunity.
  
  ~ The stories would showcase each author’s writing.
  
  ~ Each author was allowed to link her anthology story to her own books or series.
  
  ~ All the anthology authors would be able to cross-promote and gain new readers.

Initial Steps

My very first step was to contact literary attorney Elaine English and have her draw up a contract for the authors in the anthology.

A Summary of How This Stage Went:

1. I compiled a list of Western or Western Romance authors who were friends of mine. One declined because she didn’t want to give up her rights to her story. Five said no due to deadlines. My biggest surprise was how many said yes.

2. The invite included some of the details about the contract.

• It was a writer-for-hire situation
• A flat fee of $500 for each story
• I retained the rights to each story in the anthology.

Note: I figured it was only fair to pay the authors up front for the stories, since (once the book earned out) I would be benefiting from the royalties.

3. I chose a word count of 3000-12,000, and stipulated that the story must be heartwarming, although it did not have to be a romance.

4. The short story must be edited before submission to me.

5. Submission deadline of August 15^th, 2013. Publication date -- September, 2013.

What Worked Great

Once the group of authors was signed, I started a private Facebook page so everyone could communicate and get to know each other.

Being together on Facebook made it easier to talk about story ideas and make sure each author’s character names were unique.

A few of the authors turned in their stories way before the deadline, and the rest were mostly on time.

We all expected to have the anthology published well in time for the holidays, yet my own deadlines were stressing me out. It was a huge help to obtain a pre-order button so the book would be for sale, yet I’d still have time to work on my part of it.

The other authors of the anthology have all been very good sports about the entire process, and have likely worked harder than they imagined they would.

The best part of the experience has been reading the other author’s stories—all very different and special. I loved seeing their creativity. They’ve also added some new characters and businesses to Sweetwater Springs.

All the authors have been supportive of me and of each other and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of ladies to work with. I’m very grateful to them.

The Stressful Parts

While I had a fun time reading the stories, some were not nearly the quality of writing I’d expected. It had never occurred to me that some of these authors hadn’t written short before, and that they’d be handicapped by writing in my world, not their own.

At that point, I had the sinking feeling of: Oh, no! What have I gotten myself into?

A Summary of How This Stage Went:

1. Although every one of the stories was copyedited and clean, many needed a lot of developmental editing. I did far more editing than I’d planned. Worst of all, I had to push back the September publishing deadline.

2. I did not provide was a character “bible,” which would have made things easier on the other authors. This meant I had to answer a lot of questions about my characters and my town, even as other deadlines loomed.

3. I was trying to finish Harvest of Dreams by its August 31 pre-order deadline and the story was fighting me all the way.

4. I wanted to contribute one story to start the book and one to end it but I ran into an unexpected writing block: I couldn't find the heart of my story.

I began to doubt my ability to pull this off, and worried I was going to let down the other ten authors. I’d cracked the editing whip and made them work so hard to polish their stories into jewels and yet I wasn’t contributing a similar caliber story.

5. Formatting was a major stumbling block.

I thought it would be a simple matter of cutting and pasting to combine all the stories. (NOT!) E. Ayers rescued me and ended up formatting the whole thing. E. put in hours on the formatting before I ever sent the anthology to the official formatter.

The downside? Whenever I had to add a story or bio, I had to send them to E. so I didn’t mess up the formatting

6. The week before Sweetwater Springs Christmas had to go to the formatter, I was still writing the ending story for the anthology. That week, I had crazy bedtimes.

400+ pages of hearwarming stories ~ $4.99 on Kindle

BUT... I’d finally found the “heart” in my beginning and ending stories, and I adored the one I wrote for the middle of the book.

Somehow, all the work managed to get done.

7. The formatter returned the anthology with a few days to spare before the pre-order, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I uploaded the ebook to Amazon.

8. The formatter turned her attention to the print version and everyone, once again, read their story. Errors were fixed.

By the time we finished the book, it was all sort of a blur.

I anxiously waited for the first reviews to come in. Usually, my super fans read and review my books within 24-48 hours, so when I didn’t receive a review in that time period, I began worrying.

When the first review—a five star—was posted, I nearly cried with relief.

As of now, we have seven five star reviews. The anthology is currently on the Amazon Top 100 lists of Western Romance, Romance Inspirational, Fiction Holiday, and Short Stories.

What I've Learned for "The Next Time"

If I did a multi-author anthology for my Montana Sky series again, I’d do several things differently.

• I’d allow a lot more time--perhaps a year--for the whole process.
• I’d certainly work with this group of ladies again, both because they’re talented writers, good friends, and we’ve been through the learning curve together.
• An anthology might be easier with fewer authors, so that’s something to keep in mind. Also with fewer authors, the word count per story could be greater.
• I’d create a detailed “bible” of characters and places, including the childrens' ages for the year the anthology is set.
• I’d have in the contract that the story would have to be both developmentally edited and copy edited.

Another possibility would be to put out a call for submissions and have authors submit stories with no guarantee of being accepted. I’d just take the top 6-10 best submissions.

Most of all, I’d go into the experience with a different mindset.

Knowing the difficulties and time requirements in advance consuming the anthology will allow me to plan accordingly, so I’ll be less stressed during the experience.

Have you ever worked on an anthology? What did you like or dislike about the experience? Do you have insights to add, or questions for Debra?

Let's give her a warm welcome down in the comments!

About Debra