Publishing rights: no big deal?

A member of the network posted a new discussion on the network forum about broken publishing contracts:

http://publishedauthors.ning.com/forum/topics/broken-publishing-contracts

The post was made sixteen hours ago and not one of 860 members has replied to the topic.

Twenty-six hours ago, I started a topic about the reversion of rights, which only received one reply (from Don Harpe):

http://www.publishedauthors.org/publishers-f5/reversion-of-rights-t2037.htm

Are publishing rights no big deal?

These are important issues, but not those authors want to plough through. Reading these topics is not like reading a novel. They are not "page turners, although one wants to get to the end of the pages as quickly as possible.

From experience, recently involved in selling the rights to a book, the organization purchasing these will have the rights to change the book without consulting us, and all we will have is our names as "original creators" and a check paid for these rights.

I had a business partner and we had an in-depth contract. One time we had a huge disagreement, but had put in no provision for getting out of the partnership, couldn't figure it out, and mutually decided to write a new contract that did address these issues, and then went on being partners for five more years.

Authors really do need to address these issues, like them or not.

Carol

I think you are right Carol that on the one hand authors do not want to plow through them, but they must in order to keep or regain control over their work. It is a very big deal, Shelagh and I think that writer's who ignore the issue do so at their own peril. It's partly that this is the icky stuff - not related to the creative processes of writing, but instead a part of the business side of being a writer. It is something we all need to learn and be conscious of in order to get what we want out of the business, and it doesn't help that the laws are different from one region to another.

Shelagh wrote:

The post was made sixteen hours ago and not one of 860 members has replied to the topic.

Shelagh, is that board busy in general? I personally only check this fourm, and even got confused during the registration process, when I signed up for the ning board thinking it was this one. If it's not a busy board, that's probably why she hasn't received a response. Or none of the people have actually experienced that situation.

Anyhow, I wonder what her contract looks like. My contracts (I have them with three different houses) all state what happens if I'm unable or unwilling to do future editions. I've never had a lawyer review them (what a trusting soul, eh?), but my interpretation is that it's not the publisher's option to just yank my ability to do future editions. I may be wrong. Hope I don't find out.

Hi LC,

When I set up the network, I spent a great deal of time setting up new discussions and keeping topics alive. There are 860 members on the network and over 300 members on this forum (I am the only moderator on the forum) and I set up groups on LinkedIn (over 600 members) and Goodreads (over 400 members). I also set up the Children's Fiction Group on LibraryThing (over 900 members). With so much to do, I can't spend the time I once did and new members don't join in the discussions without encouragement.

However, they do complain. I receive complaints and requests for help on a daily basis. The fact that the topic received no replies is indicative of how many members of networks join for what they can get out of being a member, and they are not really interested in their fellow authors.

Since the retaining of rights is something that writers complain about and is seen as an important issue that affects all authors, then I find it odd that authors don't want to discuss the issue -- they just want to complain about it. This seems amateurish behaviour to me and not very professional.

I guess my problem is that I don't take the time to really sit and read the info. I speed read and then if I don't understand it, I procrastinate until I have to address the issue, if I ever have to. Then I have someone try to explain it to me. All the legal stuff really bogs me down. *sigh* I know, bad me.

Shelagh wrote:

However, they do complain. I receive complaints and requests for help on a daily basis. The fact that the topic received no replies is indicative of how many members of networks join for what they can get out of being a member, and they are not really interested in their fellow authors.

So what else is new, lol.

I've been reading/posting on message boards for 20 years. On the busiest ones, it's not unusual to see in the stat box: "30 registered users currently online, 500 guests."

My guess is that most people are just uncomfortable posting. They prefer to read.

... and they aspire to become published authors?

Sorry Shelagh, I have been gone for a couple of days and am just trying to play catch-up. However, with this forum, I seldom go to the other one. I guess I didn't realize it was even there!

Shelagh,
It is not always a lack of interest, or a person wanting to "take" rather than "give", but the time one can devote to such participation. I have stopped joining new forums primarily due to the time element. If I can't actively participate, it makes little sense to belong and be considered a "taker".
I am most active on this forum and that is becoming less frequent. To read every post takes time. Some may feel they are snubbed if there is no response. It's often a matter of relevance. Sometimes I will make a post to acknowledge that I'm here or that I read something, but that doesn't occur with every post. If I don't have something to contribute, why make the post?

Thanks for the heads up, Abe. I didn't realise that I'd said take rather than give. Maybe it is time for me to take a little time off too.

On these topics, most important to look at might be how many views a topic has rather than how many posts. It is difficult to add to this information. And sometimes I think I give too much, and speak when I have no idea what I am talking about.

Shelagh, take the time off. We'll all take good care of this place.

Carol

I'm a little lost on this. I did post, although late, on the subject on another thread here. Like Abe, I find the time element a challenge so I rarely get to this forum's main site. Don't go too far away, Shelagh. We'd really miss you.

I have been reading both posts with great interest. I didn't feel I had the credentials to post.

Ann

zadaconnaway wrote:

Sorry Shelagh, I have been gone for a couple of days and am just trying to play catch-up. However, with this forum, I seldom go to the other one. I guess I didn't realize it was even there!

... but you and Sue did make it over to the discussion and left comments. The fact that neither of you could help didn't matter. Barbara was just pleased to share with someone else and expressed her appreciation. That should have made you all feel good. My thanks to you and Sue for making the effort. A little kindness goes a long way.

As soon as I saw your post about it here, I checked into the other two posts. Had it not been for your post pointing it out, I might not have made it over to the other forum, and it might have been a day or two before I saw the other one on this forum.

When I am trying to get caught up, I sometimes miss something because I must pick and choose what I read and what I respond to. As Abe and Dick point out, it is often a matter of how much time I have to spend.

I read Helen's first chapter, but then missed the dangling participle discussion because I didn't continue. I should (I hate to use that word) have commented on her chapter, which was very good, but got distracted by life.

Sometimes that happens.

Carol

I'm sure she will see your post here, Carol. Comments are always appreciated, I know.

I try to have things sent to my inbox so that I can at least see them and post to them if I have the time. Seems I miss a lot that way. I don't have the time to go to every site everyday or sometimes even every week.

My life seems to parallel Abe's and Dick's as my thoughts were the same
as theirs. As with Zada, if I hadn't seen it posted here I would never
have known.

Thanks for the thanks, Shelagh, but I don't really deserve them. If it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have seen her post and replied. I went there as soon as I saw your post here. I do try to help those that I am aware of.

It's not so much that the subjects don't matter, it's that they are two among thousands of things that matter. We have to prioritize. Those of us who have gone the POD route don't have much to offer about the ins and outs of contracts with mainstream publishers. Should we get an offer, then we'll look more closely. Right now, for me, it's a moot point.


Malcolm