When the kissing has to stop

[erastes]

One of the main problems about our genre (gay fiction—romance, for anyone just tuning in) is that it’s very insular and pretty small. In the English speaking world you soon get to learn who writes it, and some of them over time become internet friends.  This has, as I’ve mentioned before, caused problems with Speak Its Name because from time to time you have to review people that you have known for years—if only digitally—but people who you might correspond with via email or chat on a daily basis.  I try and get around this as much as I can by having a variety of writing professionals who review for me, and I try and choose the least connected person to that author/book to review.  Doesn’t always work, of course, and it gets harder as the more the people in the genre get to know each other.

However, they are professional, and I trust each and every one of them to put any personal feelings aside to review a book.

And that’s what part of the business of publishing is all about – putting your personal feelings aside.

I’ve noticed that some authors have a problem with this, it’s something that they have to do when the creative process has to take a back seat.  They don’t like to put on that professional head and start being the hard-nosed advertising executive, the salesman, the PR agent, the snake-oil vendor.  The slight change in pace where you have to stop being the artist and start being business like. I don’t think any of us like to do it, but it is necessary.

I’ve been involved in collating and choosing stories for two anthologies, one for short stories, and one for novellas.  It’s very hard when you get a story that you are going to have to reject and it’s from someone who you’ve known for years; in one case one of the authors I had to vote “no” on was someone I’d known since my very first days in fandom, six or seven years ago. But most of them were people I knew in one way or another.  I’m happy to say that 99 percent of the rejectees behaved professionally – as one would expect. Not all, sadly.

On Speak Its Name I may have to review books from people I like immensely, but I have critique to give.  I may have to review books from people I dislike too, but I know that I can put that to one side and judge the book not the persona who behaves like an eejit that wrote it. I try and avoid both situations, if I can, as I say, but it happens. 

This is one reason that I’ve not started up a gay historical imprint. The other is liquid assets, but one day it’s something I’d like to do when I have the funds to do so—but I can imagine the stress on editors when they get a manuscript from a friend, be it an internet friend or someone they’ve met in real life, and they have to say “it’s not for us.”  It must be hard, every time, but I respect—hugely—the people I know that do it on a daily basis.

What many people have to learn to do is to take off that diva-creative-artiste darhling!-head from time to time, and put on that business head and say to yourself: “this is business.” NOT nepotism. Not “Mates Rates.” Not undue influence. Not friendship.  You are selling your wares to someone else for professional rates, and the person you are dealing with isn’t your friend, it’s the other person on the end of your contract.

Yes – this was caused by something that happened yesterday. I’m not naming any names but basically someone said “Oh i can’t afford to pay you for your short story right now, as [reason withheld] but as soon as I get the royalties from the book, I’ll start sending out payments one at a time.”

Er. No.  I’m sorry about that. 

I’ve known this person online for a while and I read their journal, and comment on it regularly but when it comes to business don’t pull an Iris Print on me and start acting unprofessionally and promising Jam Tomorrow.  If you didn’t have the money to pay for the stories then you should never have entered into the contracts in the first place. While we correspond about the contract between us, I’m not your friend, I’m a business woman and I expect the same level of professionalism that I would from my banker, or my solicitor.  If either of them said “Oh we can’t afford to deal with your account this month, you don’t mind waiting until some indeterminate time in the future do you? After all, we’ve been out for drinks a few times!” 

Yeah – I can imagine my reaction.  There’s lots of banks. And lots of solicitors. And hard as it is to say, lots of editors too.

Comments

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

All too true, alas. I've not had a penny yet from An Ungodly Child. Always a blank response from the publishers.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

That's completely crappy. You need to break away, as they are absolutely in breach.

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

They are indeed, but then AUC would be out of print, never to return.

[jean-roberta.livejournal.com]

OMG, Literarily Bent, are you serious? That's an excellent novel! BTW, everyone here should read it as well as my review of it (in the archives here: www.kissedbyvenus.ca - also available from me on request).

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) I remember your review well!

Alas, since the publisher never promoted it at all, it only sold 250 copies and is technically a failure.

[jean-roberta.livejournal.com]

Literarily Bent - don't despair! I have an idea. Will say more privately.

[angrboda]

As a complete outsider, I feel a sudden urge to hug you. *hugs*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Always welcome!

:)

I don't have a hug icon (unsurprisingly, so this will have to do)

[angrboda]

That's okay, because I only just realised now that I forgot to use mine...

[johnrw.livejournal.com]

It's not a situation peculiar to publishing, ask my (life) partner. I'm possibly one of the worst businessmen still (more or less) solvent. I have this horrible tendency to price to the economic value rather than what it'll actually cost let alone make a profit. Over the years this has cost me dear and I still have problems walking away from a job - even if I'm not sure it's worth it.

The mantra "It's not personal, it's Business." may be true but it's very hard for me to separate and so, Yeah there are times when I ought to have either 'Mug' or 'Mark' tattooed on my forehead - it would save time and heartache.

Each year I resolve to act more professionally and it lasts maybe until the first 'worthy' work comes up. Which is a laugh because there are times when charities are less charitable than I.

Dammit I suspect I'd be lousy employed by a large company - can see it nowarmed- perhaps it's better I try and make this work!

[johnrw.livejournal.com]

Oops
can see it nowarmed- perhaps it's better I try and make this work!

ought to be
can see it now- perhaps it's better I try and make this work!

editing failure!

Reading this thread I feel I ought to point out two things,
1 I'm neither author or agent nor publisher just a self employed tradesman.

2 I was referring to my difficulties in keeping business head and personal life apart.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

i can see your point, and I'm sure that I'd be the same, being nice to people if I was in business--but this was a case of "Hey, I can't actually pay you as contracted, but that's ok, isn't it? I'll pay you as soon as the book starts to get money, and *I* get paid." Which is entirely unacceptable, if she didn't have the money upfront, she shouldn't have done into the deal.

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Hard boiled egg? /Sam Vimes

Have got N's Lurgy. Will be alive at some point in the future.

x

[erastes.livejournal.com]

as usual, I have entirely missed what you mean, mad pod person.

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

It's the flu. Which is killing me. I have spent today either asleep or in so much pain I wish I was asleep.

It's from Nightwatch btw. "Liberty, Justice, and A Hard Boiled Egg."

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes, daftie, I know what it's from - we've discussed how TNW is my favourite book of Pratchetts!! But I have no idea what it means in reference to the post.

[joannesopercook.livejournal.com]

They said they couldn't pay you after they'd signed a contract?

Wow. That's...reason to put the word out to the writing community not to sign a contract with such people. Amazing.

One wonders if, when they take their car in to have the tires rotated, if they would dare say to the mechanic, "Sorry, can't pay you, but you and I are pals, so hey, you're okay with that, right?"

*boggles*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes, you can imagine the mechanics answer, couldn't you. I was a bit more polite.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

That is total contractual fail and completely unacceptable. If you sign a legal document, you are legally bound to follow through on your side, friend or not. But I don't envy you for having to explain that to someone.

I do want to say that one of the nicest rejection letters I've had was from an editor I'd met at a convention and had several drinks with -- she told me very honestly that the story I'd submitted just didn't fit the rest of the anthology (also that it could do with some expansion), and that was that.

[jean-roberta.livejournal.com]

I've had polite rejections like that. In one case, after the antho came out & I read it for review, I realized the editor was right: my story had a completely different tone from the ones that got in.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that the contract is void anyway as it was mooted for another publisher - but it was between myself and the editor rather than myself and the publisher. The payment clause just says "The editor will pay the author" and with no definition of time (it's a terrible contract but I was younger and more ignorant) - but any court in the land will judge intent as being "payment within reasonable time" rather than "when I get paid" - after all - she's assuming the book is going to make enough money to pay all the contributors, which isn't certain, at all - or how long it will take!

[moons-storm.livejournal.com]

Umm. Wow.

As I've posted elsewhere, myself and two business partners have managed to scrounge up the cashflow to finally go into business after years of planning and wanting to. We've done the research, we've devoted the time, and there is money in the bank to pay the people we contract for our first anthology. I would never think to advertise for something I could not pay as soon as contracts were signed. It's... bad business, and if I fell through on my end of that contract with payment, I would fully expect my authors to be thoroughly displeased with me and act accordingly.

Business is business, plain and simple.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the venture, I'd seen your submission call - good luck with it - and yes. It's the reason I haven't done it (other than not having a bloody clue how) is that I KNOW that I'll need money up front, lots more than I currently have!

[moons-storm.livejournal.com]

One of our goals is to report, at the end of every year, very publicly, all the financial movings SMP. We are a startup, with no real clout to help us, and so we're hoping by being utterly transparent to make it easier for authors to trust us. I also think it might help people who would like to dip their foot into owning a small press to see where all the money went and what return was made.

When we began this, we had little idea just how much money would go into it. I don't regret a penny spent, but it's an investment. I hope you have the opportunity to have your own imprint and see it be extremely successful.

[jessewave.livejournal.com]

Erastes
A contract is a contract and this individual has a business relationship with you to pay you according to the contract.

Business has nothing to do with friendship.

Imagine her nerve to tell you that you have to wait until she gets her royalties. She is supposed to have money in the bank to meet her contractual obligations to you.

[jean-roberta.livejournal.com]

Actually, Erastes, whether this person's promise to pay later (rather than a.s.a.p.) counts as breach of contract rather than simply disappointing depends on the wording of the contract. Were you promised payment by a certain date? From what I've seen, some contracts mention time-frames for payment and some don't, unfortunately. Eroticjames on this list (& maybe some others with legal expertise) might have some legal advice on what to do if the contract is vague on this point. (I assume that diffences between laws in the UK, the US & other countries aren't hugely significant re the publishing biz.)

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Payment for a short story? Um... that money ought to be there before the contracts are sent out. For most anthologies, that's all you'll ever get, anyway, so it shouldn't be dependent on royalties.

I can see why you don't want to name the individual/press here, in hopes that the situation will resolve, but if it doesn't, I hope you notify hipiers.com and Pred&Ed about the difficulty so other folks don't get stuck in that situation.
The great part of small-press is diversity, rather than the if-it-ain't-the-next-Twilight-we-don't-want-to-bother. The downside is that while some people do have the business savvy to get one up and running and the ethics to pay the writer first, a lot of people have no idea how complicated and expensive the endeavor can be. Crossing fingers, hoping it shakes out.

[dcjuris.livejournal.com]

Accepting the work whilst *knowing* there's no money to pay for it is just bullshit. Pardon my language but, seriously?

The whole business and friends thing... Ugh. Personally, as an author, I'd *much* rather be judged on my work's quality than on who I know. What's the point of that? In a situation where you're in because you're friends, where's the respect?

But I deal with this almost daily, as one of the "underlings" at my office is my sister in law. I am *supremely* able to separate work from personal life, and she is not. She constantly expects favors and becomes personally insulted when I don't grant them, or when I reprimand her for a mistake. So stressful.