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Inklings Issue 4.05
================================================================
i n k l i n g s
Inkspot's newsletter for Writers on the Net
Issue 4.5 Mar.4, 1998
================================================================
<http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0405.html>
* Over 30,000 subscribers! *
This issue features an interview with children's author Bruce
Balan, and a column about electronic publishing by Ken Jenks.
Our sponsors this issue:
================================================================
XLIBRIS ANNOUNCES ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING
Xlibris' powerful new services make it easy for authors to
publish their books for thousands less than any other option
available.
Using the publishing tools available on the Xlibris site,
authors interactively publish their books on their own computers.
The company manufactures and fulfills readers' orders for
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Xlibris is a place where every author can publish, and where
every book can remain in print forever.
Be a published author! Find out more about this exciting
opportunity by visiting our Web site (http://www.Xlibris.com)
or by sending email to info@xlibris.com today.
================================================================
THE WRITER'S SOFTWARE COMPANION: multimedia software by Writer's
Digest's Nancy Kress. Uses advanced learning tech. and total
immersion to bypass years of trial-and-error, dramatically
accelerating a writer's progress. http://www.novalearn.com
================================================================
ISSN 1205-6413. Copyright 1995-1998 Debbie Ridpath Ohi. See end
of issue for copyright/contact info. Ad info: sales@inkspot.com
================================================================
| CONTENTS THIS ISSUE: |
| From The Editor's Desk |
| Fresh Ink and Market Information |
| Ask The Electronic Publisher |
| Interview with Bruce Balan |
| Writers' Classifieds |
================================================================
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK:
=======================
Congratulations to Elizabeth King of Maryland for being the
30,000th subscriber to Inklings! Elizabeth has a home photography
business and is interested in romance writing. She wins a copy of
THE WRITER'S HOME COMPANION by Joan Bolker (Henry Holt, 1997).
Congratulations also to Mary Lou Frank, whose name was randomly
picked to win Michael Druxman's THE ART OF STORYTELLING.
This issue features an interview with children's author Bruce
Balan, author of the recent CYBER.KDZ series. You can win a set
of the first three books in the series by sending your name and
email address to giveaway@inkspot.com with "cyberkdz" in the
subject header. Winner will be announced in a future issue of
Inklings. Deadline for entries: Mar.13/98.
And now for a blatant plug totally unrelated to writing: Some of
you already know that one of my hobbies is performing with a
group called Urban Tapestry. Our music ranges from folk ballads
to wonkier tunes, and our second album is available in tape and
CD format. To hear samples from _Myths and Urban Legends_ and for
more info, see http://www.inkspot.com/ut/soundclips.html or email
the autoresponder myths@inkspot.com. General info about Urban
Tapestry available at: http://www.inkspot.com/ut/
FRESH INK
=========
BOOK PRIZE GIVEAWAY (Deadline: Mar.13/98)
-------------------
This issue, we are offering two books for giveaway. Please
note that by entering, you agree to let Inkspot and
Inklings publish your name and email address if you win.
CYBER WRITING - by Joe Vitale (Amacom, 1997)
Subtitle: How To Promote Your Product Or Service Online
(without being flamed). Useful book for any author hoping to
promote books online or thinking of starting a website for
promotional purposes. Info on how to write highly targeted
promotional copy, subtleties of "netiquette", effective use
of email, newsgroups, other tips.
Send your name and email address to giveaway@inkspot.com
with "cyber writing" in the subject header.
WRITING POPULAR FICTION - by Robyn Carr (WD Books, 1992)
Published by Writer's Digest Books. Thanks to Elaine
Miller for donating this book. Covers basics, overview of
genres, characterization, plot, motivation, dialogue,
pacing, revision.Send your name and email address to
giveaway@inkspot.com with "popular fiction" in the
subject header.
If you wish to donate a writing-related book to the biweekly
giveaway, please email editor@inkspot.com with "book for
giveaway" in the subject header. More info about the contest and
books at: http://www.inkspot.com/admin/giveaway.html
The Write Site
--------------
Online workshops, chatroom, links, book club.
Warning: graphic-heavy.
http://www.thewritesite.com/
FicTech Inner Circle Writers' Club
----------------------------------
Started Apr/97, now over 700 members. Free membership.
Critiquing, share writing tips. Register online at URL below.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1498/circlefaq.htm
The Artists and Writers Collaborative-Supportive Workshops
----------------------------------------------------------
Critique groups, chat, resource links, articles, forums, news.
http://www.awcsw.com/
SCRNWRiT: Screenwriting for Motion Pictures and Television
----------------------------------------------------------
Companion website to the screenwriting newsgroup. Glossary,
links, online seminar. Most valuable offering is a compilation
of useful info gleaned from the newsgroup discussion, organized
into chapters. Definitely worth checking out.
http://www.panam.edu/scrnwrit/
Internet/Research FAQ
---------------------
Maintained by Charlie Harris. Guide for those wishing to do
research on the Internet. Originally compiled for writers.
http://www.purefiction.com/pages/res1.htm
Writer's Guideline Database
---------------------------
Nicely designed, browse by category.
http://mav.net/guidelines/
How To Cite Internet Resources
------------------------------
A student guide.
http://www.classroom.net/classroom/CitingNetResources.html
Amazon.com Kids
---------------
This new offering is definitely worth checking out. Articles,
reviews, interviews.
http://www.amazon.com/kids/
** Please send suggestions for Fresh Ink to freshink@inkspot.com
================================================================
MARKET INFORMATION
==================
Please note: Inklings does its best to print only accurate market
info. However, it cannot be held responsible for lost postage,
time, etc. that you may incur due to inaccuracies. Don't send
submissions by email before inquiring first. Get current,
detailed guidelines before submitting. Include SASE for snailmail
replies. More market info at: http://www.inkspot.com/market/.
Special thanks to the following market sources:
SCAVENGER'S NEWSLETTER: monthly sf/f/h/m mkt info letter
http://users.aol.com/Lemarchand/scavenger.html
THE GILA QUEEN'S GUIDE TO MARKETS: Email GilaQueen@aol.com
http://www.pacifier.com/~alecwest/gila/index.html
THE WRITE MARKETS REPORT: free issue from ForWriters@reporters.net
http://members.tripod.com/~deepsouth/index-writemkt.html
CHILDREN'S WRITERS MARKET LIST: sample from childmkt@inkspot.com
http://www.inkspot.com/feature/shauers/
==-----------------------------------------------------==
"FNASR" = First North American Serial Rights, "SASE" =
self-addressed, stamped envelope, "simsubs" = simultaneous
submissions, "mss" = manuscript, "RT" = response time, "GL" =
guidelines, "wds" = words, "cc" = contributor's copy,
"IWGL" = Inkspot Writer's Guideline Library.
If you are a paying market and wish to add your listing to
Inkspot/Inklings, request a form from mktform@inkspot.com.
Check out the new *INKSPOT WRITERS' GUIDELINES LIBRARY* at:
http://www.inkspot.com/cgi-bin/guidelines/guide.cgi
REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN MAGAZINE - seeks articles
------------------------------
Reptile & Amphibian Magazine, 1168 Route 61 Hwy South, Pottsville
PA USA 17901. Editor/Publisher: Erica Ramus. Ph: 717-622-6050,
Fax: 717-622-5858. Bimonthly consumer magazine for advanced
amateur hobbyists. Full color. Circ.15K, est.1989. Buys 40
articles/yr. Typical reader: veterinarians, professional
breeders, serious amateur breeders, and zoo personnel. PAYMENT:
$100/article on acceptance. WORD LENGTH: 1500-3000 words. Buys
FNASR. No simsubs or reprints. Encourages new/unpublished
writers. Editorial lead time: "3 months to 3 years, depending on
the topic and where it fits in our needs." $4/sample copy.
Subscription: "Send $24 if you're in the US, add $15 postage if
non-US." NO EMAIL SUBMISSIONS. Query by snailmail first. NOT
looking for "beginner-type pieces". Full guidelines on website.
(IWGL)
URL: http://petstation.com/repamp
GL: http://www.petstation.com/repamp/racontrib.html#TOP
SIERRA MAGAZINE - seeks articles
---------------
Sierra, 85 Second St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA USA
94105-3441. Managing Editor: Mr. Robert Schildgen Bimonthly
magazine, national magazine of the Sierra Club. Circ. 550K. Buys
40 freelance articles/yr. "We publish on environmental issues,
nature and nature travel." Pays on acceptance, $500 for
department pieces of approx. 800 wds, $2,000 to $2,500 plus
negotiable expense for features of 2,000 to 4,000 words. Buys
FNASR. "We purchase non-exclusive electronic and non-print-form
rights, and limited rights to reproduce for economic institutions
and articles in anthologies." Simsubs and reprints okay if
informed. Encourages new/unpublished writers. Sample copy: Send a
stamped, self-addressed envelope and 2.95. To subscribe:
Subscription is automatic to members of the Sierra Club. For info
on non-member subscriptions, write POB 52968, Boulder, CO 80328
or call 1-800-765-7904 for information. RT: 6 weeks Publishes
manuscript approx 6-12 months after acceptance Email submissions
okay, always query first. WORD LENGTHS: 500-4,000 wds. LOOKING
FOR: "Solid, well-written pieces on environmental issues and
policy, nature, environmentalists, environmental travel, and
other environment-related topics including food, agriculture, and
household ecology." NOT LOOKING FOR: "Opinion pieces that cover
familiar territory, sentimental nature writing, cute/cuddly
creature stories. Other submission remarks, tips/hints for
writers: Take a good look at some of our back issues to see what
kinds of topics we treat and how we approach them - and to see if
we've covered an issue recently." (Source: IWGL)
Email: robert.schildgen@sierraclub.com
URL: http://www.sierraclub.org
DIVORCE MAGAZINE - seeks articles
----------------
Divorce Magazine, 45 Front St., Ste.301, Toronto, ON Canada M5A
1E3. Editorial Director: Diana Shepherd. Quarterly. "DM speaks to
the heart of the issue at the time when the changes caused by
divorce are taking place. Divorce can be the single most
stressful and traumatic event in a person's life; people read DM
because it provides information, support, and guidance they can
trust at a time when they need it most." "This magazine's mandate
is to provide a unique, friendly resource of vital information
and timely advice to help our readers survive - and even thrive -
during their divorce. We are only interested in stories that have
a positive, practical application to our readers. At the present
time, we are not interested in poetry, short fiction, comic
strips, or articles written in 1st-person narrative (with the
possible exception of the humor column). We are also not
interested in "The Divorce From Hell" or celebrity gossip."
LENGTH: 1000-3000 wds (articles), 750-800 wds (humor column).
PAYMENT: approx 10c/wd. "When submitting ideas, we ask that you
include your resume and samples of published work. Please submit
your specific idea for an article in writing. Please do NOT call
our offices with your editorial suggestions - we accept story
ideas in writing only. If your proposal contains time-sensitive
information, please highlight this information." (Source:
The Gila Queen's Guide To Markets #92)
Email: editors@divorcemag.com
URL: http://www.divorcemag.com/home.html
FREELANCE SUCCESS - seeks articles
-----------------
Freelance Success, 801 NE 70th St., Box IK, Miami, FL 33138.
Editor: Teresa Mears. "Market Guide reports and Editor Interviews
are the main content of Freelance Success newsletter, the
marketing and management guide for experienced freelance writers.
We need four to six of these pieces every month, so we're always
interested in good proposals." See website guidelines for details
re: the above. Other articles they consider... "FEATURES: These
are in-depth looks at issues important to experienced freelance
writers. Standard how-tos usually won't work, unless they are
about writing opportunities that few freelancers consider. Past
topics have included how to make a living writing corporate
biographies and a feature by writer who made $250,000 selling
booklets. Length is 1,000 to 3,000 words, and pay ranges from
$100 to $150. MARKET GUIDE FEATURES: These take a genre of
publications or writing --how-to magazines, shelter magazines,
airline magazines, gardening magazines -- and combine a feature
narrative with at least five mini-market guides. Length is about
2,000 words and pay is $200 to $250. WRITER'S VOICE: This is a
first-person column about how you solved a problem common to
writers. It is not a how-to, but I "how I did it." Length is
about 750 words and pay is $50. BIZ BASICS: These are short
features on business issues faced by writers, such as insurance,
taxes, hiring help, renting office space, etc. Length and pay
vary depending upon the reporting involved. Do feel free to query
any topic you think would be of interest to experienced writers,
even if it doesn't fit any of these categories.Because we are a
small publication, it's crucial that writers meet the assigned
deadlines. If you find you have agreed to a deadline you can't
meet, please ask for an extension afar ahead as possible.
Accuracy is also crucial. You are the fact-checker, so please
make sure you have allthe details correct. Sources may not review
any stories prior to publication, and the use of written
questionnaires rather than voice interviews is discouraged.
Editor Interviews may not be done by e-mail or questionnaire. All
stories must be delivered by e-mail, and e-mail queries are
strongly preferred. Please do not send disks, hard copy or faxes
of stories, even as backup. If you're not familiar with Freelance
Success, please send your snail mail address and ask for a sample
copy." Unsolicited submissions sent on spec via snail mail may
not be acknowledged. Market Guides and Editor Interviews pay $75
to $125. (Info confirmed Mar.2/98)
Email: freelance-success@usa.net (Teresa Mears, editor)
GL: http://www.freelancesuccess.com/writer_guidelines.htm
URL: http://www.freelancesuccess.com/
From Margaret Shauer's CHILDREN'S WRITERS MARKETPLACE column:
(CANADA) KIDS WORLD MAGAZINE, 108-93 Lombard Ave., Winnipeg
Manitoba R3B 3B1 Canada: Stuart Slayen, Articles Editor; Leslie
Malkin, Fiction Editor. This magazine for 9-12 year olds wants
fiction and nonfiction of 550-1000 words. Pays $100-$400
(Canadian) on publication for 1st rights.
Email: kidsworld@kidsworld-online.com
Website: http://www.kidsworld-online.com
================================================================
Ask The Experts
---------------
*** Please put "inklings question" in the subject header. ***
Judith Bowen (ROMANCE WRITER) jbowen@max-net.com
David Breeden (POET) drpoetry@ktc.com
Charles Deemer (SCREENWRITER) cdeemer@teleport.com
Mark Fowler (LAWYER) askthelawyer@inkspot.com
Susan Graham (AGENT) slgraham@mindspring.com
Carol Henson (BOOK DOCTOR) bookdoc@Prodigy.net
Ken Jenks (ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER) MindsEye@tale.com
David Leit (LAWYER) askthelawyer@inkspot.com
Bob Sablatura (JOURNALIST) bob.sablatura@reporters.net
Michelle Sagara (SF/FANTASY WRITER) Michelle.Sagara@sff.net
Lee Wardlaw (CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITER) Katknip2@aol.com
Marcia Yudkin (FREELANCE WRITER) send to yudkin@inkspot.com
Columnists may be unable to reply privately to every message,
but will answer selected questions in future issues of Inklings.
Please keep your question BRIEF and send it to *one* columnist.
=================================================================
ASK THE ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Ken Jenks <MindsEye@tale.com>
Merits of on-line publication
-----------------------------
Q: If I have two novels to market (not sequels) is there a chance
that publishing one of them through a company like yours could
increase the marketability of the other?
A: The jury is out on that one.
One of the difficulties in answering this question is that novel
publishers typically don't discuss the reasons for accepting or
rejecting novel submissions. So all we can do is guess, based on
scanty, subjective evidence from the very few authors who have
played this game.
I've been looking for that evidence for three years now, but I
haven't found a conclusive answer. Part of the problem is that
most of the novels which have been published on-line to date are
second-rate, often written by previously unpublished authors.
Some of these novels have made the rounds of agents and
publishers, but have been rejected, so the author turns to the
on-line market because of lower quality standards.
This shows another facet of the problem: the on-line publishing
business does not have a good reputation. Most on-line
publications have the feel of fanzines, with very low quality,
and very few of these publications pay their authors, showing a
lack of professionalism. On-line fiction isn't earning anyone a
decent living. No on-line novel (or other work) has ever won a
major literary award. So despite such efforts as Infinite Edge,
Mind's Eye Fiction, Omni On-line, and Tomorrow SF, it's hard to
make the case that there are any professional-quality markets
on-line.
In book and magazine publishing, credits in semi-pro magazines or
fanzines have not been very influential to editors. (Some editors
even report a negative influence.)
Despite all that, the idea still has merits. If your first novel
is for sale on-line (NOT given away for free), you can use the
sales figures to assist in negotiating with the publisher for
your second. "See? My first novel sold 80,000 copies. So I
deserve a bigger advance." But this only works if you can rack up
an impressive number of on-line sales. A few thousand sales won't
impress a major publishing house.
For now, I recommend that novel authors carefully weigh the
merits of on-line publication. The book publishing industry,
although harder to break into, pays better. You can definitely
use on-line publication as a reprint market, or for a novel that
will not sell in book form, but book publishers almost always
want to buy first rights. It's debatable whether publishing a
work electronically "uses up" your first rights. If you have
questions about specific on-line publishers, feel free to contact
me directly.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
Ken Jenks is the editor-in-chief and owner of Mind's Eye Fiction,
a paying market for short stories on the Internet. He is pleased
to correspond with readers, writers, agents and publishers about
on-line publishing. Mind's Eye fiction can be found at
<http://tale.com/>.
Copyright (c) 1998 Ken Jenks.
================================================================
WIN a set of three CYBERKIDZ books by Bruce Balan: _In Search Of
Scum_, _A Picture's Worth_, and _The Great NASA Flu_. By
entering, you agree to let Inkspot and Inklings publish your name
and email address if you win. To enter, send your name and email
address to giveaway@inkspot.com with "cyberkdz" in the subject
header. Winner will be announced in a future issue of Inklings.
Deadline for entries: Mar.13/98.
================================================================
INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE BALAN
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Debbie Ridpath Ohi <editor@inkspot.com>
Editor's Note: I had to edit out a few questions because of
length. For the full interview (including advice for hopeful
children's writers and on school visits), please see:
http://www.inkspot.com/feature/balan.html
Before Bruce Balan became a writer, he worked as a plumber,
videotape engineer, nanny, bartender, dishwasher, soda jerk,
sous-chef, and software designer. Bruce's latest books include a
middle-grade fiction series, _Cyber.kdz_ (Avon), and _Buoy, Home
at Sea_ (Bantam). Bruce serves on the Board of Directors of SCBWI
and The Read In! Foundation. He is also Technology Advisor to
SCBWI. His web site, "Bruce Balan's Office"
(http:/cyber.kdz.com/balan), was the first author site created by
a North American children's book writer.
How did you make your first sale?
---------------------------------
I love telling this story. I started out the same way most
authors do - I sent out unsolicited manuscripts, got them back
with rejection letters, and then sent them out again. I had a
story I had worked on for many years. In fact it was one of the
first stories I had written: The Cherry Migration. By this time,
however, it was significantly changed. After a series of
rejections and rewrites, I sent it to SCBWI (the Society of
Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) for a manuscript
consultation at their National Conference. My manuscript reviewer
was the president, Steve Mooser. I agreed with some of what he
said and disagreed with some. But I was most happy to hear his
comment "This is a Green Tiger Press book." Green Tiger Press
was a small publisher in San Diego, CA that specialized in
interesting books with a high illustrative quality. Steve's
comment was so well received because I felt exactly the same way
and was already planning on sending the manuscript to Green Tiger
after my consultation.
I rewrote the story and sent it off. After 6 months with no
response I called. The publisher told me they would make a
decision within a week. Three weeks later I received the
manuscript and a nice rejection letter saying "if we hadn't liked
it so much we wouldn't have kept it for so long." I was very
depressed as I had been sure Green Tiger would buy the book.
About a month later, I received another letter from Green Tiger
asking if the book was still available because they would be
interested in publishing it. You can imagine how happy I was. And
to top it off, Green Tiger made the book the theme of their booth
at that year's ABA conference.
What is the SCBWI? And how does one join?
-----------------------------------------
The SCBWI is the Society of Children's Book Writers and
Illustrators. It is the largest writing group in the world. I
think the organization has a lot to offer - especially for the
beginning writer. It publishes a bi-monthly bulletin, many
informative publications (on agents, specialized markets, etc.)
and the Market Survey which lists the major U.S. Trade publishers
and the types of books they are looking for. SCBWI also holds a
very good conference in Los Angeles every August.
The Society is comprised of regions which help you get in touch
with local writers and illustrators. That's something I think is
important because writing can be a lonely job and finding a good
support group is important.
You can join SCBWI by printing out an application on the SCBWI
Website at www.scbwi.org. For more information, send an email to
info@scbwi.org. You'll receive an automated response with
everything you need to know about joining.
Have you found the Internet useful to you as a writer? If so, how?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Immensely. First of all, it was the inspiration for my Cyber.kdz
series. So it was useful to my career in that obvious way. And
because the series has to do with the Net, I spend a lot of time
on it - researching potential stories, chatting with kids to see
what they are interested in, seeing what technology is new and
cool. But I also use the Net for my other books. For example,
when I needed to show the illustrator of _Buoy, Home at Sea_
(Raul Colon) how an outboard engine looks on the back of a small
sailboat, I was able to find a photograph on a boating Web site
and email the URL. Fast and easy.
The best part of the Net is Email because it connects me to so
many people. It makes communicating with editors and agents so
easy. And it keeps me in touch with writer friends all over the
world. I also answer a lot of email questions from members of
SCBWI. Email can be difficult, too. I get over 10,000 emails a
year and it is hard to stay on top of them.
Many of those emails are from fans of my books. Right now I
answer every email, but not necessarily on the same day (or
week). Many Cyber.kdz readers are online and they like to ask
about the Kids, if they can join Cyber.kdz and if I'll help them
learn to program.
I also maintain my two Web sites on the Net. "Bruce Balan's
Office" (http://cyber.kdz.com/balan) was the first Web site
created by a North American children's book author. It's great to
have a site that I can point teachers, librarians, and reviewers
to where they can get background or school visit information
quickly and easily. I occasionally am contacted by a school or
conference coordinator. But I developed the site as a place to
provide more information for my readers as opposed to drawing in
new readers (which is difficult to do on the Web as it is so
huge).
Cyber.kdz.com (http://cyber.kdz.com) was designed to give
Cyber.kdz readers something more: background information, games,
news, etc. I also put the first few chapters of each book up
there (including the next book in the series before it is
released).
I've gotten great response from both sites but I know that would
not have been the case if I hadn't had the help of my friend, Maj
Cole. She is a superb artist and, because of her, the sites have
fantastic graphics.
Because of my Web sites, I recently was contacted by an old
friend of mine named Saviour Pirotta. Saviour and I were
flatmates in England in 1985. He had published a play for
children and talked of publishing a children's book. I had always
been interested in writing for kids and we formed our own
critique group - just the two of us. We wrote, read and hung out
in children's books stores and encouraged each other. After I
moved back to the U.S., we lost touch with each other. Then, a
few months ago, I got an email from him. Just days after he got
himself online, he found my site and contacted me. He is a
children's book writer as well (with over 30 books) and now we
are communicating again. That just wouldn't have happened without
the Net.
What advice do you have for someone going to their first writer's
conference?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ask questions. Most conference schedules allow a question and
answer period after each speaker. If you want to know something,
get up to that microphone and ask it. This accomplishes three
things:
1. It's the best way to learn the things you really want to
know.
2. It gives you an opening for further discussion with the
presenter at a later time (you can always thank her or him for
the useful answer).
3. It introduces you to other people at the conference. Often
people will approach you and say "Gee, thanks for asking that."
And, though it is hard for many people, don't be shy. Making
friends is the best thing about conferences as far as I'm
concerned. Remember that most attendees are probably just
starting out in their writing careers. Talk to people, invite
them to join you for lunch. Get a group together for dinner. Have
fun.
Do you spend a lot of time promoting your books?
------------------------------------------------
Absolutely. Especially, this past year with the release of my
"Cyber.kdz" series. In fact, during the last 4 months of 1997 I
did hardly anything but promotion. A series has a limited time
frame to capture the market and it was clear that I needed to
focus on giving "Cyber.kdz" all the help I could. I even hired
Raab Associates, who have done an excellent job with publicity.
I spend a great deal of time doing interviews (radio, print,
online), sending out review copies, working on my Web sites,
finding new links for the sites, answering fan email, speaking at
schools and conferences, writing articles and making contacts. It
can be exhausting and, frankly, frustrating. When you write, at
the end of the day you usually have something to show for it - a
few manuscript pages, a picture book revision - something. But
when you do publicity, you often don't see any direct results for
a very long time. The world seems like a big black hole that will
suck in all of the energy you can give it. I start worrying about
not having written anything new. However, I am starting to see
some results from my efforts and hope that translates into
increased sales for the series.
Most authors I know feel the same way about publicity and the
effort it takes. They aren't sure whether to spend more time
promoting the books that are released, or writing new ones.
However you split your time, I think it is important to spend at
least some of it on promotion.
(I'm pleased to say that _Buoy, Home at Sea_, my new book with
Bantam, due for release in May, is getting a great deal of
attention from the publisher. In addition to my own efforts,
Bantam is doing a wonderful job promoting the book and I'm
excited about its prospects and very grateful for the support.)
Is there anything you feel authors should be fighting for in
their contracts?
------------------------------------------------------------
If an author feels they have a good chance selling subsidiary
rights on their own, they should try to retain them. If you don't
know what to do with the rights, you might as well let the
publisher try to sell them. However, grant the rights to the
publisher for a limited period of time so that they revert to you
if the publisher does not sell them after, say, 24 months.
Also, I think it is very important to get rid of the electronic
rights clause that includes rights to technologies not yet
invented. I think it is disgraceful to make someone sell rights
that don't even exist. The publishers were surprised by
multimedia and the Internet and are now trying to cover all bases
for the future. We need to let them know that they cannot do that
at our expense.
I'd like to see more authors ask for their books to be printed
with soy-based inks on recycled paper. I have been unsuccessful
so far but it is worth asking. Change comes slowly, but if enough
authors request this, the publisher could be more open to it in
the future.
Copyright (c) 1998 Debbie Ridpath Ohi.
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