(no subject)

[erastes]

Buggrit

Well, you live and learn, I suppose. I was wondering why Aspen Mountain Press haven't sent me an edited version of my novella "Chiaroscuro" which will (should) be coming out in December sometime, and before I emailed the publisher I thought I'd better check the contract. Proves you must ALWAYS read your contract...

The Publisher retains the right to edit and revise the Work for any and all uses described in this agreement providing the meaning of the Work is not materially altered.

HELL. That basically means they can do anything they like to it, and I don't like that at all. *cries* And I won't know anything about it until they go to publication. I shall write to them today and ask them for a version. Edit? Yes. I can't do commas. REVISE???? NO!!!

So - in that vein. Please go and read THIS which Logophilos shared with me recently, all about contracts and why you should read them, and why you should communicate any misgivings and why you need to negotiate. As Treva2007 says: AFTER you signed the contract is the wrong time to ask what it means

Comments

[eroticjames.livejournal.com]

I got my edits like a week before the book was due to hit the shelves. So, they send them to you, they're just not very much in the doing it in advance stage.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh that's a relief, thanks James - I should have asked the group first, but I felt such a NITWIT, I didn't like to. Such a newbie at times...

Thanks again

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

I'm very interested to know just how many projects you have on the go at one time.

Oh..and so glad Mr Lucius came home! :D

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I worked on two novellas this year, as well as Junction X (which slowed JX down) but novella one HAD to be written and then a market came up for it, and novella two was half way written and stalled, and a market came up for that, so gave me the impetus to finish it. Usually I like to do one thing at a time, but it's hard, I get sidetracked so often. Right now I have my next project banging me on the head....

*hits it*

Thank you, I was so pleased, too. He's lying next to me by the PC with a smug smirk.

:)

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

It is hard when the next project won't leave you alone, lol. I'm half way through editing first novel but have started novella No 1 and am a quarter of the way through.

Keep up the good work! :D

*hugs to Lucius*

[logophilos.livejournal.com]

The contract I just signed had exactly the same clause and I asked about it - the publisher said to me:
"No one is going to make any changes to your book for
you, that's your job. Unless when I'm formatting I find a he that should be
a she, then I'll change it without clearing it with you. It's that type of
change that this clause covers."

Now of course they can change it a good deal more than that, but I think they're unlikely to. If they do...well, you kick up a stink, put the word out and don't go with them again.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I over-reacted (as usual) I'm sure it will be fine, I shouldn't be so paranoid.

:)

[clarediva.livejournal.com]

No, I think it's right to listen to your instincts, after all, it's not a totally calm, objective matter, you're concerned about your work, which means a lot to you and you're passionate about.

The main thing I took to heart from the recent discussion on contracts was that if the publisher is a good and supportive one, they won't mind you asking questions up front. So long as you're not some flake who asks the same questions time and again and continues to angst about it regardless, I presume! I had a contract at the time and I went and asked 4 or 5 things about it, so that even if the legalese remained ambiguous - which by its nature, I think it always does - I at least had some evidence of the publisher's interpretation and intention. Sorry, that sounds pompous, but hopefully you know what I mean.

And yes, I've been sitting around for a long time waiting for my editing to begin, let alone progress, but I'm reassured whenever I pop my head over the parapet that it's just a matter of being patient. That's *me* being paranoid... ^_^

Good luck with it!

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I'm so sorry! That's a pain in the arse.

This is why, if I should ever be so lucky as to get a publishing contract (not likely but hey, I'm tipsy and therefore vaguely optimistic), I will had it to my boyfriend who is a contract lawyer to look over before I sign anything.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Wow! How lucky to have a CL boyfriend!!!

:)

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

It is, rather! He's been writing contracts lately so he's got a very good idea of what not to agree to!

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Just remember it may involve a lot of homework for him, as publishing law is reputedly like no other contract law on earth.
I think it has way too much "industry practices" and history behind it.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Very true -- admittedly I'm nowhere near a publishing contract, but it's just nice to know I could have a second opinion if I should ever be so lucky!

[jean-roberta.livejournal.com]

For your sake, I hope "edit" means changing commas rather than paragraphs.
I'm getting nervous about my upcoming story collection from Eternal Press, due to come out in February 2008. An editor has been assigned. I'll have to reread the contract. An artist is now working CLOSELY with me on the cover art (and she wants to know every single thing about the characters & situation - I'm impressed), so if editing works that way too, I have nothing to fear. But I don't know yet.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

That's excellent. I'm sure it will be fine. a good editor is worth its weight in gold, although it can be very traumatic the first time you see all the red!!!!

Contract Reading

[treva2007.livejournal.com]

Actually I didn't come up with that pithy comment. My CP --and another epublisher-- Margaret Riley did. But we both learned that the hard way.

Check with your editor and epublisher as to what that means. Aspen Press is pretty reasonable, all in all.

Treva

Re: Contract Reading

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Ah - sorry about that, I thought you were one and the same :)

I will email them, I just panicked. Thank you so much!

[jmsnyder.livejournal.com]

Hey Erastes,

I've had several e-books published with Aspen & they always send edits for my approval. I've worked with 2 different editors there and have been happy with both. They don't "change" your work ~ they make comments and suggestions throughout if necessary that you can choose to address or not (in some of my stories, I wanted things one way and the editors respected that).

The thing is that they have a quick turn-around. Rarely do I get edits back more than a week in advance (though I did with one editor; the other doesn't work that way).

So relax :) Drop them a line and check on the status of the edits. I have three releases with them coming out in the next two months and only one has been edited yet.

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Erastes is a lucky, lucky writer, to have friends with personal experience, plus wow, such good advice!!
and yeah, that "net" vs. "gross" clause, I heard that one 20 years ago, and they're still trying it on.

[aigooism.livejournal.com]

o_O I thought it was a natural thing to read the contract before signing it? But regardless, I hope things work out for you. I'd hate for your novella to be totally edited out!!!

[spikeyboots.livejournal.com]

*pets*

Hope all is okay now. :)

[desayunoencama.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I started using a pseudonym for some of my erotica, for the gay magazine markets, was that they would edit out references to safer sex. Since I am consistent in my morality with everything I publish under my own name, any time I was publishing something someplace where it was possible this would happen went under the pseud.

But, yes, always good to ask about everything in the contract BEFORE signing it.

Although it sounds like this situation isn't as dire as you were afraid it might be...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I just got mine for Men magazine and it's a horror; they can (if they wanted to) make a movie out of my work and not give me a penny. It's a shame really because that will limit the type of story I send them.

[desayunoencama.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't sign that contract.

Try and negotiate it.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Are they paying enough to make you feel OK if they do make a film of it? If not, negotiate it out (I'd try crossing out that clause, initialing it, and sending it back.) After the hatchet job Alyson did on my piece, I'd question anything.

Great link--thanks!