| mary rosenblum | Hi! This is our regular Tuesday forum with me, your web editor, Mary Rosenblum. I've published 3 SF novels, 4 Mysteries, and more than 50 short stories in multiple genres, as well as nonfiction. I'm here to answer any questions you have about writing, editors, submitting, agents, or whatever.
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| mary rosenblum | Hello, all. I hope you had a great Fourth!
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| ducky | Question about timelines: How long does it take from the time a complete manuscript is sent to the printer until the book is in the stores? (Your experience)
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| mary rosenblum | Ducky, that's a good question, and the answer varies.
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| mary rosenblum | For a traditional publisher, the average time from submitted draft...
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| mary rosenblum | to bookstore shelf is two years...
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| mary rosenblum | although it can be as brief as one year if the marketing department goes alone with a fast publication.
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| mary rosenblum | For example, if the topic is a hot seller.
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| mary rosenblum | It can be longer.
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| mary rosenblum | Small press; houses can turn books around much more rapidly...
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| mary rosenblum | because they don't have the publishing load of a large traditional house.l
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| mary rosenblum | And Print on Demand can turn out a book in a matter of months...
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| mary rosenblum | because they only need to do the set up.
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| mary rosenblum | This is why you can't use today's books on the shelf...
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| mary rosenblum | as indicators of the 'current trend'.
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| mary rosenblum | They are already two years old.
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| gerryd429 | Mary, is that also for "timely" work...say non-fiction about current events?
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| mary rosenblum | That is a different case...
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| mary rosenblum | say you are writing about a sensational murder, what have you...
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| mary rosenblum | the publisher puts that ahead of all the other books on the schedule...
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| mary rosenblum | and other books may get rescheduled...
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| mary rosenblum | but they only do this if they figure it's a big money maker.,
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| mary rosenblum | Hi! This is our regular Tuesday forum with me, your web editor, Mary Rosenblum. I've published 3 SF novels, 4 Mysteries, and more than 50 short stories in multiple genres, as well as nonfiction. I'm here to answer any questions you have about writing, editors, submitting, agents, or whatever.
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| jackie7777 | Great weekend. Explain the whole copy rith thing please.
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| mary rosenblum | Copy right, Jackie, is confusing to new writers.
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| mary rosenblum | You own your copyright to your words the minute you hit 'save' on the computer or type the words on paper.
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| mary rosenblum | Or write 'em with a pen!
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| mary rosenblum | Where a registered copyright is valuable is if you need to sue someone for infrigement...
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| mary rosenblum | since it makes the legal issues clearer.
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| mary rosenblum | BUt you can certainly sue or threaten suit without registered copyright.
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| mary rosenblum | You DO own your words. \
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| mary rosenblum | My fiction is not registered, although copies are deposited in the Library of Congress.
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| mary rosenblum | I and my publishers don't find it necessary.
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| jackie7777 | How should I handler articles written?
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| mary rosenblum | You need do nothing, jackie.
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| mary rosenblum | You own your copyright, and nobody can use your words without your permission.
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| mary rosenblum | Now ideas and titles are not copyrightable.
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| mary rosenblum | But realistically, in my many years in publishing, ideas are not at risk in ficiton.
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| mary rosenblum | Hollywood is a different story and yes, ideas are more closely guarded there.
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| mary rosenblum | And yes, you have no recourse if an editor reads your NF query, rejects it, and assigns a similar topic to an established writer...
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| mary rosenblum | But generally that does NOT happen and it really isn't anything to lose sleep over.
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| ducky | that Library of Congress thing - is that the source of the ISBN number?
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| mary rosenblum | jTo be honest, ducky, I can't remember the origin of the ISBN. That might be it.
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| jackie7777 | How do we deposit items in the LOC
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| mary rosenblum | Your publisher does that, jackie.
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| ducky | Does the writer usually perform multiple edits at the direction of the publisher?
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| mary rosenblum | Sure, ducky. You'll perform some edits for sure.
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| mary rosenblum | Let; me tell you how editing works.
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| mary rosenblum | Your editor will ask you to make content changes...
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| mary rosenblum | but she or he will tighten your prose without changing content...
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| mary rosenblum | You will have the chance to go over the edited ms and argue any changes before publication.
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| redneckgirl-7 | what is LOC mary and how do we protect what we write after
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| mary rosenblum | LOC is Library of Congress, where all publiished books are recorded and stored in perpetuity.
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| mary rosenblum | you don't need to protect your writing, redneck, you own the copyright as soon as you hit 'save' on your computer or type the words on paper.
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| mary rosenblum | Hi! This is our regular Tuesday forum with me, your web editor, Mary Rosenblum. I've published 3 SF novels, 4 Mysteries, and more than 50 short stories in multiple genres, as well as nonfiction. I'm here to answer any questions you have about writing, editors, submitting, agents, or whatever.
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| bengalrose | Mary, I have always been loath to over-plot my novel for fear that I might squash my creative juices. But lately it has occurred to me that just because I might outline my story doesn’t mean that I am locked into that exact course. Any basic strategies for plotting a novel length work? I really want to get the 1st draft done by the end of the year. It is my understanding that with Fantasy it is a must to have a completed MS prior to submitting chapters to agents. Is this true? I guess I have a couple of questions here...sorry!
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| mary rosenblum | Yes, bengal, as an unpublished novelist you WiLL need to complete the ms.
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| mary rosenblum | AS to plotting, do what works for you.
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| mary rosenblum | Think the story though, make notes, draw a timeline, do what works.
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| mary rosenblum | You can sort of do a shorthand version of the book and then go back and flesh it out into real scenes and chapters. Everybody works differently. there is no wrong way to do it.
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| sailor | What else do we have access to besides books on the shelt to tell us what the trends are?
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| mary rosenblum | Sailor, the media..news, talk shows, magazines, are as good a barometer of trends as any.
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| mary rosenblum | Start your own 'new wave'.
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| mary rosenblum | Do something no one else is doing. You succeed in writing by being the leader, not the follower.
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| mary rosenblum | Harry Potter is making millions, not the clones that follow.
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| jackie7777 | I know a first-time writer should always complete the ......
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| jackie7777 | fiction ms before submitting a proposal but what if your....
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| jackie7777 | idea is a great fcurrent event hot-seller (Gay or Political)
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| mary rosenblum | Jackie, thank you! This is a topic I haven't really addressed before, but this is a VERY common misconception among new writers and nonwriters...
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| mary rosenblum | which is The Million Dollar Idea.
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| mary rosenblum | Ideas have no value.
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| mary rosenblum | Not on their own., \
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| mary rosenblum | The book that you write using that fiction idea as value. \
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| mary rosenblum | Three authors can write a novel using the SAME idea.
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| mary rosenblum | I do this with short story workshops all the time.,..assign a very specific idea...
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| mary rosenblum | And you get VERY different stories.
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| mary rosenblum | Your idea alone will not sell your book.
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| mary rosenblum | Your good book will sell a lot more if the idea is new and innovative...
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| ducky | So hypothetical situation (this is in a story I'm writing)-the author is asked for some minor content changes, starts to do them, and then the marketing department of the publisher moves her deadline up because they want to release the book sooner. Plausible?
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| mary rosenblum | happens all the time, ducky.
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| mary rosenblum | It's called...'You CAN write forty eight hours straight it you really have to'.
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| mary rosenblum | Been there. :-)
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| redneckgirl-7 | Mary My true crime book came out in May "Baby Merchant"
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| mary rosenblum | Hey, cool, redneck! Way to go!
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| paulplqn | With a new novel, is it best to have sequels or additional books in the ready?
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| mary rosenblum | Yes, it is, paul.
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| mary rosenblum | It is always a good idea to offer the editor a sequel when you submit the original draft.
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| mary rosenblum | Most publishers want to see how you perform for a couple or three books before they decide how you do.
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| mary rosenblum | If they like book one, they may be willing to buy that sequel on proposal, rather than wait until it is published.
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| tkat_2 | Mary, I heard either from you or Mel that book titles weren't copywrighted and yet the author of Farenheight 9/11is being sued for infringement because of the title. Why is that?
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| mary rosenblum | That is a rare case, tkat, similar to the copyright infrigement case against 'The Wind Done Gone', the parody of Gone with the Wind.
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| mary rosenblum | Copyright law is a fuzzy area. Farenheit F451 is a HUGE seller now, with national attention. That is why the suit...
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| mary rosenblum | because of the negative publicity of the movie, and Bradbury may not like it.
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| mary rosenblum | His publisher may feel it damages his sales by association.
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| mary rosenblum | But for someone who is NOT a national name, no lawyer will pursue such a case...not a realistic l awyer anywya.
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| jackie7777 | I have written an outline of my piece and I think it is HOT.
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| jackie7777 | But the novel is incomplete - can I get publisher to notice?
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| mary rosenblum | Well, jackie, if you published your True Crime novel through a TRADITIONAL house, you could try, because you have proven you can turn in a ms on deadline and in publishable shape.
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| mary rosenblum | It is less likely that you will succeed if you published with a small press or Prinnt on Demand house.
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| mary rosenblum | But you can try. Warning; If you submit the proposal and it is turned down, you cannot resubmit the ms.
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| mary rosenblum | You are more likely to sell the ms.
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| paulplqn | Makes me think of the Da Vinci Code - a story told in an unusual but timely context.
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| mary rosenblum | Yep. But you know what? No writer has ever say, 'I'm going to write the next blockbuster' and has then done it.
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| mary rosenblum | THey publish a blockbuster and say; AFTER THE FACE...I knew it would be a blockbuster. Ha.
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| ducky | We did that short story exercise at a writer's conference I went to. the diversity of responses was **amazing**
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| mary rosenblum | Yes, it's proof that ideas are not important, it's what you do with 'em that counts.
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| ducky | But must an offered sequel be a completed ms.?
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| t green | what if you only have a rough outline of the sequel when you submit your first draft, mary?
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| mary rosenblum | No, ducky, you do not have to offer a sequel at all.
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| mary rosenblum | I didn't with my first books.
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| mary rosenblum | And all you want to offer, t green, is a single page of proposal.,..
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| mary rosenblum | citing the general story.
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| mary rosenblum | The editor will ask for a synopsis and chapters or may write you a contract on the strength of that proposal.
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| paulplqn | Perhaps Bradbury is a republican, given 9/11's strong opinion?
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| mary rosenblum | Might be.
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| mary rosenblum | I'll probably hear the details at the World SF convention this fall. :-)
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| roady | I have a question about a magazine publisher.
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| mary rosenblum | Yes?
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| t green | does one mention in the query letter on the first submission that a sequel is being planned? or is it best to bring that up after the first ms is sold?
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| mary rosenblum | Include it with the submitted draft, t green,
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| mary rosenblum | Your editor/agent may feel you are offering two books for sale and they are unlikely to buy two books from a new writer at once.,
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| jackie7777 | How do you find a good agent? I have the AAR list.
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| mary rosenblum | Read the AAR (Association of Author's Representatives) website educational material and start sending out LOTS of queries, Jackie...
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| mary rosenblum | Yes, all at once. You'll only hear back from a few agents, probably, and you can choose the one that sounds best to you.
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| redneckgirl-7 | so Mary are you saying that a book I write can have the same
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| redneckgirl-7 | as another book
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| mary rosenblum | Sure, redneck.
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| mary rosenblum | I wish I had a quarter for every 'band of fantasy characters in search of an item of power, battling evil goblins' books.
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| mary rosenblum | Sound familiar? As in JRR Tolkien?
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| bengalrose | Some time ago I realized my novel was actually three books. So I have narrowed my focus for the first book and now I have the basic story for two more. Since I do not yet have an agent, I will need to get one when the first book is done. I assume it is good to tell prospective agents that I already have sequels in mind??? Or is it different for agent than for editors?
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| mary rosenblum | I would submit your chapters and synopsis or whatever the agent wants, bengal, and then tell her/him that...
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| mary rosenblum | you already have two sequels in mind, assumiing the first book sells.
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| mary rosenblum | Make it clear you don't want him/her to sell ALL three a t once, but knowing ...
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| mary rosenblum | that if the first book sells, you're good for two more may make an agent look more favorably on your work. :-)
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| ccollier | I got a postcard in the mail today Mary from an author
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| ccollier | describing his book and a plea to please buy it with a
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| ccollier | happy face, LOL Windy City Knights by Michael Black
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| mary rosenblum | I get a ton of those from SFWA and MWA address lists, Christine!
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| mary rosenblum | A lot of writers do post cards and mail to a professional list like that.
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| mary rosenblum | My opinion-- judging by what I have learned from writers who do this and who do not (like me) is that you don't increase...
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| mary rosenblum | your sales enough to cover the cost of printing and mailing.
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| bengalrose | Where's the World SF Convention being held?
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| mary rosenblum | Boston, Bengal. Labor Day weekend. I"ll be one panels sometime. Don't have a schedule yet.
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| ducky | I don't think Bradbury's masterpiece and Farenheit 9/11 are even in the same universe :-)
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| mary rosenblum | They're not at all ducky. But the title is CLEARY a reference to F. 451
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| sailor | From what I've read, a lot of first time authors get a contract that requires the author to submit a second book to that publisher within a year or so. For a newbie who finally sells her first book, do you have any idea what percentage of the time that contract will require a second book?
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| mary rosenblum | Depends on the genre, sailor.
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| mary rosenblum | Mystery publishers generally want THREE books.
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| mary rosenblum | GENERALLY, not every time!
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| mary rosenblum | But they prefer series.
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| mary rosenblum | Sometimes a fantasy or SF book will sell better with a second.
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| mary rosenblum | Don't know about YA specifically.
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| ducky | Does the World SF convention have a website, Mary?
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| mary rosenblum | It does. I don't have the url...i'm in California on my laptop, not at home..\
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| mary rosenblum | Look for Noreascon in google.
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| paulplqn | AAR list? What is it & where do I find one?
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| mary rosenblum | THat is the list of agents on the website, paul...\
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| mary rosenblum | and they only list agents who are open to new clients, as I recall. (My agent isn't listed, for example);.
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| mary rosenblum | www.aar-online.org/index.html
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| mary rosenblum | That us the url.
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| mary rosenblum | That IS the url.
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| paja | Is this the chat that will talk about what happens to your writings when you die?
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| mary rosenblum | jWell, it was supposed to be, paja. :-)
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| mary rosenblum | But I had a lot of questions, so I wanted to take care of them first.
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| paulplqn | All kidding aside, what venue? I live about 1/2 hour away from the city.
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| mary rosenblum | Paul, it's at the downtown convention center. \
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| mary rosenblum | THe website will give you particulars.
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| bengalrose | Found it Mary... http://worldcon.org/
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| mary rosenblum | Thanks, Bengal.
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| bengalrose | How much of the costs to go to such a con can an fledgling author like myself right-off in taxes?
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| mary rosenblum | All of 'em if you're filing as a writer, bengal.,
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| mary rosenblum | Go read my interview with accountant John Caton for particulars about telling the IRS that you are a pro...
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| mary rosenblum | and no, sales are not necessary.l
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| mary rosenblum | It's in Surviving and Thriving: Interview Transcripts
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| mary rosenblum | 'sorry.
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| mary rosenblum | I got bumped off...
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| mary rosenblum | bad phone line herel.
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| jackie7777 | So what does happen to your mss when you die?
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| deb1234 | So what does happen to our sales and works after we pass on? And, do we need a will that addresses this in specific?
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| mary rosenblum | What happens to your ms finished, unfinished, royalties and rights...
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| mary rosenblum | depends ON YOUR WILL
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| mary rosenblum | If you die without a will, they go to you
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| mary rosenblum | your next of kin.
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| mary rosenblum | If your next of kin choose to burn them, as has happened to a couple of VERY well known SF writers.
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| mary rosenblum | Too bad.
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| mary rosenblum | Your royalties go to that next of kiin and they own your rights to your published works.
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| mary rosenblum | This involves money and can get VERY messy.
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| mary rosenblum | I have a will for that very reason.
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| mary rosenblum | You need to designate a literary executor in your will...\
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| mary rosenblum | mine is my agent for example.\
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| mary rosenblum | It is in her best interests to make money with my finished and unfinished ms.
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| mary rosenblum | I have also designated a writer friend who has agreed to complete any ms that I have not finished when I die...
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| mary rosenblum | and my royalties are specifically designated to my sons.
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| mary rosenblum | Without this...anything could happen.
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| mary rosenblum | And of course, this needs to be updated.
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| sailor | Will your agent's fee as executor be higher than her normal %?
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| mary rosenblum | No. She ONLY handles my words, and is separate from the estate executor.
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| mary rosenblum | She gets her standard percentage
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| paja | What should we do before we've gotten an agent?
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| mary rosenblum | Choose someone who will handle your work the way YOU want it handled, paja.
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| mary rosenblum | It could be a friend, another writer, your spouse...
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| mary rosenblum | and give them legal permission in your will to finish your ms.
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| mary rosenblum | You will have a lawyer look over your will, so that person can make sure the language is clear and legal.
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| mary rosenblum | But do it. It is not expensive and I am in the middle of untangling a messy intestate estate here...\
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| mary rosenblum | No litererary work is involved, but the legal processes can really complicate things for people who care about your writing.
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| mary rosenblum | And potentially there is money.
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| mary rosenblum | What if your book becomes a bestselling movie after you die?
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| mary rosenblum | It won't even happen if your agent or relative has no legal right to sell the work to the producer
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| paja | How does one find someone to finish mss if they do not have scads of writer friends or are the Lit. Exec?
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| mary rosenblum | Pick someone who you think writes like you and is willing to try, paja.
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| mary rosenblum | Your work would need to be nearly finished anyway.
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| mary rosenblum | Or give someone the right to FIND a writer to finish it.
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| mary rosenblum | Just decide what you want to do with your words after you die...
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| mary rosenblum | then say so in your will and think of royalties as cash or stock.,..they need to go to someone.
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| jackie7777 | So that's how writers' work continues after their death as..
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| jackie7777 | in the case of Alex Haley.
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| mary rosenblum | Yepj
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| mary rosenblum | A lot of tolkien's work was published after his death by his son.,
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| mary rosenblum | And...I'm going to have to end this, since I AM in the middle of this process...
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| mary rosenblum | and I have an appointment with a lawyer!
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| mary rosenblum | I'll bring it up again, don't worry.
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| mary rosenblum | Our guest on Thursday is Patrick Swenson remember!
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| mary rosenblum | I should be home for that!
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| mary rosenblum | And I'll try to make the open chat tomorrow, same time as the forum.
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| mary rosenblum | Don't know what my schedule is, but I"ll do my best!
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| mary rosenblum | Patrick will be talking about small press...\
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| mary rosenblum | and if you think you might one day publish in a small press, DO come ask questions. He's a great speaker, an editor and publisher.
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| mary rosenblum | I'll post this transcript in the usual place. See you all on Thursday, if not before!
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| mary rosenblum | Thanks for coming'
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| mary rosenblum | And have a great week!
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