Sittin’ On The Porch With Kelly – Author Maralee (Marty) Wofford – Sorting Through Advice #amwriting #amreading

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Kelly Abell

We need a blanket with our coffee on the porch this morning, but it looks to be shaping up into a fine day. Today we are talking about Maralee’s journey and how she learned to sort through advice that is always willingly offered to writers. Let’s listen:

Thank you for allowing me to be part of your blog.  I love helping new writers whenever I get the chance.  After asking myself what is the one thing I wish I had been told when I was just starting my writing career I think it would be, “Listen to other writers, editors, teachers, your family and your friends, then write your own story.”  

I’m not saying that you should ignore the advice of others.  What I am saying is that the book (or short story or poem, etc.) you wish to write must come from your own heart, and your own personal experiences.  I’ve found that if I talk about a story I’m writing, people have the tendency to want to “help” me with it by sharing their own ideas.  In such cases it’s not unusual for them to become annoyed with me if I don’t include their ideas in my work. 

When your project is completed is a good time to look it over, applying the knowledge you have gained from all of your advisors.  Look for places where their advice will improve your work.  I suggest that you read it over several times, always with the question in mind, “How can I make the story better?”  

Keep in mind that when you first finish your piece, it is always a first draft.  In other words, you are far from finished with it.  Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.  Then rewrite again, this time doing it as you read the book aloud to yourself.  This is an absolute must, the importance of which I cannot emphasize enough.  This is when your writing will become your very best work.  And you never, ever want to send out anything but your best work. Never look at doing rewrites as a chore.  But rather, that as a means of honing your craft.  

Being the know it all that I suspect I am, I would love to share more of my writing experiences with your readers.  I have written a series of “How to Write” articles on my blog at http://www.maraleelowder.com/Blog.html and invite anyone who is interested in the subject to visit me there.

That’s good food for thought, Maralee. It’s been a pleasure to have you on the porch today. To find out more about Maralee and her books, please visit the Porch Guests Page.

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Sittin’ On The Porch With Kelly – Author S. Evan Townsend – Just Keep Writing #amwriting

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Kelly Abell

This morning I’m sitting on the porch (much warmer today, thank goodness) drinking Arnold Palmers (leave a comment if you know what those are) with Author S. Evan Townsend. We’re discussing what he’s learned along his writing journey. Let’s listen in:

Over the years I’ve been writing I’ve learned a lot about, well, writing. No just the mechanics of it, the grammar, spelling, avoiding -ly words, and show don’t tell, but how to actually write.

 

 You will talk to people and they say “Oh, I’ve always wanted to write. I have this story idea . . .” At which point I say “And what have you written?” The answer is nearly invariably “Nothing.” Then I don’t think they want to be a writer, they just want to dream about being a writer.

 

 If you are going to be a writer, then you have to do one simple thing: write. “But it’s no good,” you worry. Doesn’t matter: write. Your first draft will be crap. Doesn’t matter, write it. You can’t improve your first draft if you don’t have a first draft written.

 

I’ve been known to say (a lot) “Just keep writing.” Different writers have different styles or methods. Some make it up as they go along (called “pantsers” or “discovery writers”). Some plot out every detail before they start typing a word (“plotters”). Some combine the two. It doesn’t matter how you write. It matters that you write.

 

 So just keep writing and fix it later.

 

 For example, in my latest novel, Gods of Strife, I introduced a new female character. This is what I wrote the first time:

 

“I’d often heard the cliché ‘face of an angel’ but in this case it appeared literally true.”

 

 And I hated it. But I didn’t sit there for hours trying to get it right in the first draft. I didn’t let it cause writer’s block. I simply left it like that and kept going and wrote the rest of the novel.

 

But it gnawed at me. In the second draft phase, I changed it to:

 

“Her features were china-doll delicate, as if she would shatter if touched without care.  Fair skin almost the color of freshly-fallen snow seemed flawless, without a mark or freckle.”

 

Much better! And if I hadn’t written that first awful version, I wouldn’t have this version.

But I still wasn’t satisfied. During another self-edit I finally changed it to:

 

“Her features were china-doll delicate, as if she would shatter when first touched without care.  Fair skin almost the color of freshly-fallen snow seemed flawless, without a mark or freckle.”

 

I changed “if touched” to “when first touched.” And I really like that description, now.

 

The point being, I wouldn’t have had that lovely description, I wouldn’t have had a book, I wouldn’t have had anything if I had let my own bad writing stop me.

 

So just keep writing.

Thank you, Sheldon! That is the best advice I’ve heard in a long time. I couldn’t agree with you more. I think I’d add having patience to that as well.  Take your time and get it right!

Thanks for joining me this fine day. You can find out more about Sheldon on my Porch Guests page.

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Sittin’ On The Porch With Kelly – Author Jack Strandburg – Setting up a Macro in Microsoft Word to Target Weak Words

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Kelly Abell

Good Morning. I wish I could say that we were sitting on the porch today, but BRRR. So this morning I’m joined in my warm kitchen by Author/Editor Jack Strandburg. He offers some fantastic advice about targeting those useless words to make your manuscript read more smoothly. You don’t want to miss this chat session. Take it away, Jack.

I have two goals for this session today, Kelly.

One, I provide examples of how certain words, when eliminated or revised, will greatly improve the readability of a manuscript. This exercise applies to all forms of writing; novels, short stories, non-fiction, article, blogs, and essays.

Second, I provide step-by-step instructions for creating a macro in Word to highlight these words and reformat as you choose.

All authors have their own approaches to revision. Some read every word and sentence aloud in a slow and methodical fashion in hopes of hearing something they believe needs revision. I approach my revision in stages, most of which I’m sure you’ve read about before and likely tried yourself.

  1. Show, don’t Tell. (Don’t say your character was mad, say “his face turned red.”
  2. Make sure your characters come alive.
  3. Replace weaker verbs with stronger verbs. (Hurl v. Throw, Slam v. Shut, etc.
  4. Watch for overwriting. (Don’t show your character getting in the car, taking out his keys, putting them in the ignition, starting his car, backing out of the driveway, etc., unless there is a good reason. Instead say, “twenty minutes later, John pulled into the grocery store parking lot.”)
  5. Be specific. Rather than say “Joe left home to attend college in California,” say, “Joe left his home in Kansas to study business at UCLA.” This provides a lot of information with three additional words.

Certainly there are many other tips to revision but in the interest of space and getting to the point of the blog, I mention only the above.

My first stage to revision is to target words known to weaken writing. A partial list with examples is at the end of the blog, but the first order of business is the instructions to create the macro in Microsoft Word to highlight these words.

For purposes of explanation, the below example finds all occurrences of a word and reformats in bold and increases the font size to 14. You can reformat any way you choose. The example assumes Word 2010 version, so earlier versions might be slightly different in the use of menus.

  1. Under ‘View’ – Click the arrow under ‘Macros’
  2. Click ‘Record Macro’ command. Assign a name to the macro, for example, “searchword.” (Note: Word 2010 provides options to assign the macro to a button or the keyboard, but for now we will skip that option.) Under ‘Store macros in: – make sure it reads All document(normal.dotm). The macro will be available to all current and future documents on your computer.
  3. Click ‘OK.’
  4. The ‘Record Macro’ is activated. Perform the commands as you would manually as follows.
  5. Press Ctrl-H to activate ‘Replace’ command.
  6. In the ‘Find What’ and ‘Replace With’ boxes, type the word you want to find and replace. For purposes of instruction, type ‘that’ in each box.
  7. Click the ‘More>>’
  8. Under the Replace section, click ‘Format à Font’. This produces a popup box where you will select a Font Size of 14 with a Font Style of ‘Bold.’ The new format will appear under the box labeled, ‘Replace with.’
  9. Click ‘OK’
  10. Click ‘Replace All’
  11. Click ‘OK’ to popup box indicating how many replacements were made
  12. To add more words to the find and replace list, repeats steps d) and e).
  13. After last word in list click ‘Close’ button
  14. Click the arrow under ‘Macros’
  15. Click the ‘Stop Recording’ command (you are ready to go!)
  16. To test the macro, type a sentence or phrase containing ‘that’ and any other words you included in the list.
  17. To run the macro, click ‘View’ à arrow under ‘Macro’ à ‘View Macros’; Select the macro and click ‘Run’. If the macro was created successfully, the words on the list will appear in bold, font size 14.

The following is the list of the words many writers believe weaken prose and can be eliminated or modified, with examples hopefully supporting that contention. Of course, not all writers will agree, but creative writing is not an exact science. One word of caution: Use discretion on dialogue because I have found applying this approach often makes the character sound “robotic.”

You can set up a macro to target all the below words (and other words you might come up with), or split them in several macros. I have six macros myself because I find the document can become “busy” with bold oversized font.

About

Almost

Around

Began – if something begins, it’s already happening. It began to rain. à It was raining.

Begin – see example for began

Start/Started – see example for began

Rather

Pretty – She was pretty close to tears. à She was close to tears.

Kind of – see example for pretty

Sort of – He was sort of a jerk à He acted like a jerk.

Adverbs (verbs ending in “ly”) – “You’re not nice,” Jane said angrily. à “You’re despicable.”

Blonde/Blond – Blond is an adjective used to describe. Ex: “She has blond hair.” Blonde is a noun. Ex: “She’s a tall blonde.” (The “e” is rarely used when referring to men.)

Gave/Give/Take/Took – Eliminate when used in combination with a verb. Ex: He took a look à He looked. He gave a shot at . . . à He tried . . .

In order to/In order that à Eliminate.

Had/Has/Have/Was/Were – Reflects a passive voice and usually can eliminate or rewrite with stronger verbs – Ex: The soup was stirred by Jane à Jane stirred the soup. The reason Jane wanted to make soup was that her skills were rusty. à Waning skills drove Jane to make soup. There were many vegetables in the pot of soup à The pot of soup contained many vegetables. Jane had been sure her soup would taste good à Jane knew her soup would taste good. 

Where appropriate, often condensing a sentence results in a more powerful sentence: I was going to see what George had to say about it à I wanted George’s opinion. 

There are more words on the list but the above are the major ones. 

A general rule: Don’t over edit. I found not every instance requires elimination or rewrite. Normally if applying the revision using this word search approach does not result in a better reading sentences, leave it alone.

Thanks, Jack. This is all very good advice and I learned a great deal this morning.  If you want to find out more about Jack go to my Porch Guests Page.

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Sittin’ On The Porch With Kelly – Author Rocky Rochford -The Truth about Writing

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Kelly Abell

Today I’m sitting on the porch with author Rocky Rochford. The sun is shining and we’re  enjoying a beautiful day. Rocky is sharing with me some important truths about writing.

There’s no denying it, those of us who write, many of us dreamed and still dream of success. To become “that author” who penned the next international best seller of our generation, or the writer who authored the next work to change the decade’s most popular genre, but let’s be honest, it is a one in a one hundred thousand shot.

However just because the odds are against us as an individual, as a group, the odds begin to favor us, especially when you bear in mind that there are over 7 billion people on the planet right now, which with the stated odds, allows for 10000 success stories. The writing scene is just like music, sure there are thousands of acts, soaring the skies all over the world, but there are millions of acts who are still down on earth, but if you’re starting to think this is a “You shouldn’t bother wasting your time with trying to write a book” speech, well you’re dead wrong, this is just the opposite.

Writing, like music, like open heart surgery and many other things that are worth doing, is hard. It requires focus, drive and a lot of time and patience. There will be those dark moments when you’re getting rejection after rejection. Harsh critiques and even just general abuse some time. Writing isn’t an easy ride, and instant success isn’t a guarantee, but if you start this adventure with all of this in mind, then the game becomes a whole lot easier to play.

So here’s a few tips and techniques for starting out writers, and those still in the game and not yet gotten anywhere.

Don’t quite your day job:

There is no guarantee that you will find immediate success, so if you’re thinking about jacking in your job, so you have more time to write, don’t, it really isn’t worth it.

Writing your First Book tip:

A lot of writers would say look at what is popular in today’s market, to see what everyone else is doing and write that. The problem with this is not everyone wants to write the same as everyone else, we all have a story to tell and a lot of the time, it’s not the same as what is popular, so don’t go with the flow, go with what you know.

Putting yourself into it:

A lot of new writers struggle to finish their first book, because most of the time the book they’re writing, isn’t the book they always wanted to do, but the book they believe everyone would read. Passion is everything in this business, it’s not just words that sell a story, but the heart and soul behind it. A reader will always pick a book they can feel the author in, over a book they can’t feel the author’s presence. Plus when you are writing what you want and what you feel, then the work pretty much just writes itself.

Name is Everything:

It’s no coincidence that most of the best sellers out in today’ market, are all either authors signed with the top publishing companies, or celebrities, whom are either worldly loved, or are just in our faces every day, at the tip of our tongue and it is because today’s world is all about the name. You could be an unknown writer, overflowing with talent and still, people will buy the celebrities book over yours. So if you can get an agent, or a contract with a publisher, do your research first and see which names are popping up and are popular right now.

Be a Team-player:

You are not alone, there are many like you out there, trying to make their name and their mark in the world. Forming a friendship, or joining a club of fellow writers, is a good way to get ahead as you can review each other’s works, critique each other and even promote. The more of you who work together, the more visible you will become to the public. It’s not just in person you can back each other up either, there’s social media sites such as: Facebook and Twitter, but also services like Thunderclap and Headtalker campaigns, which can also help promote your works.

Adopt a “Never Say Die” Attitude:

As with many careers, this is one path that requires a thick skin and a listening ear to any and all advice you are given, especially from editors and publishers,

You are your own Enemy:

The last thing to know about writing, is that you can become too involved with your work. Our writings are precious to us, so when a negative review comes along, yes it will sting, but even a negative can be turned to a positive, no matter how bad it is and also a writer can be too attached to their own work, which blinds them to advise that is aimed to better their work, and not meant as a “put-down.” Also, the only person stopping you from finishing your manuscript, getting it out there, or making it the best it can be, is YOU. Because at the end of the day, it is your work and your creation, without you to see it though, you may just be denying the world a future classic.

And now you know all of that, now you are really ready to get the show on the road. To one and all, all and one, I wish you the best of luck with everything, from one writer to another.

Thanks for joining me on the porch today, Rocky. You make some very valid points we can all learn from.  Find out more about Rocky on my Porch Guests Page.

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Movie Rights and Problems with Hollywood #amwriting

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Kelly Abell

I read this article this morning and thought my readers may find it interesting. I am such a fangirl of Tess Gerritisen, and I too wondered about her book Gravity and the movie of the same name that was released recently.

It’s a good education.

Gravity Lawsuit Blog Article by Tess Gerritsen

After you read it, let’s discuss.

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Sittin’ On The Porch With Kelly – Author Margaret Millmore Takes On Her Great Nemesis…MARKETING

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Kelly Abell

It’s a little chilly this morning on the porch, but I can’t even complain as I know my brothers and sisters in New England would scoff and laugh me off the porch! My heart goes out to all of you suffering from this winter weather.  Hug your loved ones close and stay warm.

Well…I’ve got my sweater on, and I’m joined today by the fabulous and funny Margaret Millmore. She’s making me spit my tea, which is very unlady like of me, but I think you’ll enjoy what she has to say. Let’s listen…

Margaret:

When Kelly invited me to sit on the porch for a spell, I was excited, I mean who wouldn’t be? Have you seen the view from her porch? It’s gorgeous! And she offers tea! But then she said, “I want your blog post to be something that will help aspiring writers. Not just a promotional post. Something you’ve learned about writing, publishing or marketing would be great.” I cringed and almost ran from the porch, but alas, the view, the tea… resistance was futile…

I’m horrible when it comes to that free-for-all writing stuff. I like questions. Send me a list of questions and ask me to answer as many as I want and I’ll send you honest responses. Anything else is pure insanity…thus the cringing and the urge to run…

But alas, that porch swing and that tea inspired me and I hope it inspires others too! So I thought: what have I learned? Well, that turns out to be a great deal, way too much to write about in one sitting, so I decided I’d concentrate on my nemesis: marketing!

Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, you need to market yourself, and unless you’re familiar with the marketing basics, it’s an almost impossible task. When my first book was published, the publisher provided some guidelines and ideas on what they expected in regard to an on-line presence and my marketing contribution as an author. I knew virtually nothing about this (I didn’t even have a Facebook account) and for the most part, I flopped around like a fish out of water. I spent an enormous amount of time researching websites that provided free promotional opportunities and blog-sites that did author interviews. I signed up everywhere—I had so many passwords and sites that I belonged to, that I had to eventually create a spreadsheet (which I didn’t get around to doing until my fifth book came out… I was a disorganized mess…). I loaded my book onto the sites and hoped for the best. I signed up with Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and about a billion other sites. In all honesty, it was a full time job for those first few months after publication, and I’m not sure it did much of anything, except keeping me from working on my next book.

But I eventually learned some things that have been very helpful. First and foremost, make that spreadsheet with the site names and passwords; this will help a great deal in keeping things organized. I would also make a file for each of your books that include the sites you’ve loaded your book information on, the sites you’ve queried for reviews and any other pertinent marketing you did for that particular novel, such as blog posts and interviews. Doing this will not only give you a list of future sites to query, but it will allow you to review what worked and what didn’t, so when you’re ready to market your next book, it will save you time.

There are many authors out there that will tell you not to spend any money on advertizing, I don’t necessarily disagree, but I also don’t completely agree either. If you can manage a small budget ($25 – $100) there are quite a few sites that offer promotion for $10 to $25 a pop, then there are others like Goodreads, which allow you to set your own budget. If you do plan on paying for advertizing, be sure to research the site thoroughly to be sure their target audiences are the kind of readers who would be interested in what you’ve written. Also check their “follower” stats and spend a little time in author chat rooms asking if anyone has used that particular site before and what their experience was (since there are almost as many author chat rooms as there are book sites, I typically type something into my preferred search engine, like “has anyone used such and such book site before”, this usually garners more focused responses).

If you don’t have any money to spend, that’s okay too. There are a lot of sites that offer free exposure and you should definitely take advantage of those regardless.

I can’t really tell you if what I’m doing now is the right way of doing things, but I can tell you that I’m much more organized, and that in itself is a goldmine, because it allows me concentrate on writing and that’s what it’s all about in the end!

Wow Margaret, you offer some great advice! To add to his discussion, readers, why don’t you list some of your favorite marketing sites in the comments to help us all out!  Thank you so much for being here today, Margaret. You were an absolute delight.  To find our more about Margaret and her books, visit my Porch Guests page.

I can’t really tell you if what I’m doing now is the right way of doing things, but I can tell you that I’m much more organized and that in itself is a goldmine, because it allows me concentrate on writing and that’s what it’s all about in the end!

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Writing Tip #10 – Busting Through Writer’s Block #amwriting

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Kelly Abell

Ever have one of those times where you are sitting there staring at the computer screen and your mind is as blank as the page in front of you? Maybe you woke up with a “rockin’” story in your mind and you got the beginning and you have that fabulous ending, but now what? You stare and stare and nothing spews forth from the well. OR how about this? You are on a deadline and the story just won’t flow. You’ve got to get that last chapter to your agent or editor and you’re completely stuck. How do you break through that wall?

There are a gazillion websites out there that offer help with breaking through writer’s block. I’ll give you a few hints that help me and then I encourage you to explore the World Wide Web. There are a lot of different methods, some even a little strange, that get the job done.

When I’m faced with a mind as blank as my screen I have to get up and walk away. I think what I end up doing is thinking too hard about the story. I go for a walk with my wonderful little dog and talk it out with her. I let my mind wander and think about all the possibilities of where my characters could go with the storyline. She politely listens and gives me her wonderful puppy dog smile and we get exercise in the process. The neighbors think I’m half nuts so I’ve started wearing my Bluetooth headset so it looks like I’m on the phone! :tongue:

What the break does is free the tunnel vision. Many times I think I’m trapped in the one direction I want the story to go and I’m not allowing myself to be open to all the possibilities of where it could go. Don’t limit yourself. Let your thoughts wander and think about your characters. How would they react in a certain situation, and then shake them up a bit. Surprise your readers and go in a different direction.

A lot of times I will talk to my husband or my kids. I’ll tell them my story and tell them I’m blocked and ask for their suggestions. It’s amazing how helpful they are. I’ve gotten total plot shifts from my husband and sometimes I even say to him, “Maybe you should be the writer!” Writers need a support system. If you don’t have a trusted writing buddy, find one. They can get you through more than just writer’s block.

The most important thing you can do as a writer is give yourself permission to pause. Take a break from the keyboard and the hard creative work and go have some fun. Do something new and exciting. Try an activity that you’ve never done before. Just go out and observe the world. Take in the colors, sights and sounds of all that’s around you.

Please share with my readers what you do to bust through writer’s block!

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Sittin’ On The Porch With Kelly – Author Susanne Matthews – It All Comes Down to Promotions and Reviews

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Kelly Abell

It’s a little breezy and rainy on the porch today so we’re sitting under the covered portion sipping our tea. I’m joined today by Author Susanne Matthews and we’re discussing her writing and how she handles promoting her work and getting her books reviewed.

Let’s listen:

Kelly, thanks for having me here today. I’ve been an official author since April 24, 2013, when my first novel, Fire Angel, was released. Since then, I have written and sold twelve other novels, under my own name or under the name Misty Matthews, which is a pen name for the co-writing team of Misty Cail and myself.  Co-writing books is a very different process from writing them on my own and presents a variety of challenges, but I enjoy working with Misty and learning from her as she learns from me.

Recently, someone asked me what the hardest part of being an author was. I sat back and thought about it and several quick replies came to me, but the one I blurted out is by far the most frustrating because it’s the one over which I have the least control.  The hardest thing about being an author? It’s the promotion. How can I get my name out there and get people to want to read my books?

Everyone who aspires to be an author wants to write a bestseller. We all have dreams of being famous and having our books chosen for promotion by Oprah or some other talk show host. We fantasize about appearing on television to discuss our latest book, and of course, the dream to beat all dreams, we bask in the imaginary glory of seeing our books immortalized on the silver screen.

The reality is that, while we may write incredible books that everyone who reads just loves, we have the devil’s own time getting the word out there. I am not an expert on social media, and promoting and publicizing my books leaves me intimidated. It also takes an incredible amount of time, time which could be spent working on new books—writing, editing, polishing. Lately there are some new kids on the block—Head Talkers and Thunderclaps.  I’ve also managed to learn a bit about Watt Pad, but the bottom line is, I don’t know how to get the word out there. I blog, I tweet, I Facebook, and I have a website, but I feel as if I’m bombarding the same people all the time.

To effectively use Twitter, apparently one is supposed to talk about one’s life, and Facebook is expecting you to do the same, but I’m afraid about posting that kind of stuff. Photographs, once posted, could end up anywhere. Is there a right and wrong way to do that? How much do you post? Does anyone really care if I lost two pounds and gained it right back?

When I finish a book, I decide where I want to send it. Some stories are a better fit for some publishers than others. Having been burned twice by unscrupulous publishers, I am leery about where to send my books. Currently, I work with four well-established and trustworthy publishers: Crimson, Secret Cravings, Solstice, and Anaiah Press. The books I send to each of them vary, but in the end, all the books end up on Amazon and/or other retail distribution sites.  I also publish books myself through Amazon and Kindle, but those are books I had out before.

So how do I promote myself? I send out copies for reviews and hope I get some. I blog on my own website, invite other authors to blog on mine so I can blog on theirs like I have today. I join Facebook groups like Mid-Week Tease, Hump Day Hook, and Clever Quickie Mondays and Author and Reader groups where I share author posts in exchange for their sharing mine. I promote Book of the Day, so others will promote me. Does it work? I honestly don’t know. I’m still relatively unknown, waiting for the one book that will propel me to the top of the bestseller list. Maybe it’ll be this one, or maybe the next. I’ll just keep writing until I reach the stars.  Comment on this post for your chance to win an e-copy of  The Price of Honor.    

Thanks so much Susanne for sharing your perspective on promotion and getting reviews. I’ve certainly learned a lot.  Remember to post a comment if you’d like a chance to win a copy of Susanne’s book. Find out more about her on my Porch Guests page.

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Dissecting A Publishing Contract – Part 4 of 4 – What is the Non-Competing Works Clause in a Publishing Contract? #amwriting

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Kelly Abell

Before I share the final post for this series, I’d like to take a moment to express my gratitude to Kathryn for sharing her knowledge with all my readers. It’s been an enlightening series. At the end of this post I’ll include links to all the previous posts, just in case you missed them. Please feel free to ask Kathryn questions and post your comments below.

What is the Non-Competing Works Clause in a Publishing Contract?  

In the third post of this series “Dissecting a Publishing Contract,” we examined some of the general terms in a publishing contract — What are Some of the General Terms in a Publishing Contract?

This week, in the fourth and final post of this series, we’re going to take a look at the non-compete provisions found in many traditional publishing contracts.

Non-compete provisions have significant legal and economic ramifications that extend beyond the book or books which are the subject of the contract. Non-compete provisions are particularly odious and should be considered carefully before you agree to them.

Here’s the text of a non-compete provision from an actual publishing contract [the contract language is in black, my comments are in blue and not part of the contract]:

Non-Competing Works.

The Author will not, without written consent of the Publisher which shall not be reasonably withheld, perform services which result in a competing book with another publisher, and will not publish or furnish to any other publisher any Work of similar character on the same subject matter as the Work that would, in the reasonable opinion of the Publisher, be likely to interfere with or injure the sale of the Work. 

Let’s take this clause apart phrase by phrase and re-order it so it makes a little more sense:

  1. “The Author will not . . . perform services which result in a competing book with another publisher.”

What you need to know:

  • The first problematic issue in this phrase is “perform services.” Writing a book is not performing services, but co-authoring, or writing an introduction, editing, providing a blurb for, critiquing or even beta reading for another author could be considered performing services. Consider whether you wish to be precluded from engaging in these services for your colleagues because of a provision in a seemingly unrelated publishing contract.
  • The second issue in this phrase is: what is a “competing book?” In this contract, the term is undefined and when left open can only be the source of trouble down the road.
  • If you are writing non-fiction and the book that is the subject of the contract is about your area of expertise, any other book in your area of expertise will be considered a competing book. If you are an artist, for example, renowned for creating, and perhaps teaching, art in a certain style, this clause could keep you from writing any other books on the style of art on which your life’s body of work has been based. You could also be precluded from even creating workbooks, or templates, for your students.
  • For fiction writers, a competing book could be one in the same genre or even one that comes out at the same time as the book under contract. Some publishers take the position that a competing book is one that uses the same characters in a sequel as the published book.

2. “The Author will not . . . publish or furnish to any other publisher any Work of similar character on the same subject matter.”

What you need to know:

  • Notice that this part of the clause refers to a “Work,” not a book. Most publishers are going to take the position that “Work” is broader than the category “books” and includes books. “Work” may also include blog posts, short stories, and nonfiction articles. In this rapidly evolving world of digital multimedia, “Work” could also mean video content, podcasts, even PowerPoint presentations.
  • “[A]ny other publisher” is not limited to traditional publishing companies. It also means you, as a self-publisher, or a colleague with respect to a guest post on their blog, for instance.
  • If you write in a particular genre, this part of the clause could prevent you from writing another novel in your genre. This would preclude you from writing in the same genre even using a pen name.

3.  “. . . without written consent of the Publisher which shall not be reasonably withheld . . .”

What you need to know:

  • When authors raise the oppressive nature of the non-competing works clause with the publisher before they sign the contract, the representative of the publisher with whom the author is working often points to this phrase and says, “It’s never a problem. We’re not unreasonable and always give permission for other works.” If that’s the case, then the clause should come out of the contract.
  • Imagine having to request the written permission of your publisher every time you wanted to write a blog post on the same subject matter as your book.
  • Worse still, imagine having to ask for permission every time you want to write something that will make money for you. A publisher should not be in the position of controlling your income arbitrarily with this clause.

4.  “. . . that would, in the reasonable opinion of the Publisher, be likely to interfere with or injure the sale of the Work . . .”

What you need to know:

  • This part of the Non-Competing Work clause inextricably binds your income-producing future to the whims of the publisher. It is the publisher’s opinion whether your proposed western romance will injure the sale of your sci-fi thriller in which the protagonist has a love interest, for example.
  • You cannot count on a publisher to be reasonable. Here’s a story from an author whose (then) Big 6 publisher thought that she breached the non-competing works clause of her contract by self-publishing a collection of short stories (some of which the publisher had already rejected!): Sleeping with the Enemy: A Cautionary Tale. In short, they terminated her contract and demanded the return of her $20,000 advance.

As a rule, I am not fond of the Non-Competing Works provisions in publishing contracts. The clause discussed in this post is just an example of one such provision. These provisions come in a variety of flavors, most of which unreasonably restrict a writer’s ability to make a living. With very limited exceptions, I recommend against signing contracts that contain these clauses.

I’m always interested seeing terms different publishers include in their contracts. The industry is changing rapidly and publishing houses are struggling to keep up. Their contracts tend to lag behind industry trends.

If you have a contract term that you would like explained, leave a comment. Or if you would like to keep it private, send me an email kgoldman “at” charmcitylegal.com. I’d be happy to give you my best answer.

Just a reminder, while I am a lawyer, this post is not legal advice on any specific contract. I believe legal information for writers should be affordable and accessible. This post is an attempt to educate you as to what the terms of a contract mean so you can decide whether you should negotiate for something different. Remember, nothing is standard.

GoldmanReduced

Kathryn Goldman is a lawyer who protects writers, artists, filmmakers, and businesses from having their work and art ripped off. Since she’s a lawyer, she has to mention that she’s not *your* lawyer (so this article isn’t technically legal advice, just educational), but you’re still invited to download her Digital Artists Rip-Off Protection Report. You can also follow her on Twitter @KathrynGoldman

Thanks again, Kathryn! These posts have helped me better understand a publishing contract and all that goes along with it. I’ll look forward to having you come sit on the porch with me sometime in the future.

In case you missed Kathryn’s previous articles, here are the links:

 Dissecting a Publishing Contract – Part 1

Dissecting a Publishing Contract – Part 2

Dissecting a Publishing Contract – Part 3

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Sittin’ On The Porch With Kelly – Author Gail Cauble Gurley – How Her Past Influences Her Writing

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Kelly Abell

Hello there. After a week off I am back on the porch with another southern lady who enjoys sweet tea just as much as I do. I’m joined by North Carolina native Author Gail Cauble Gurley and today she’s sharing with me how much her past and sense of home has influenced her writing. There are some meaningful moments here that I think we all can learn from.  Let’s listen:

As a North Carolina native, I have always been amazed, intrigued and even disappointed at times in our weather. The sun is shining brightly today on a blue-skied winter day but looks are deceiving. The air is sharp and even the slightest of breezes rustling outside nips at one’s ears and nose and fingers. The large front porch where I basically grew up beckons me so I wrap myself in a quilt and head to the porch swing, empty but inviting. Many of my ideas are found and my memories dwell on this porch. It is the birthplace of FEARLESS HEART and contains legends I heard and people I knew growing up in small town USA. It was only after I was grown that I realized I had been a daughter of poverty. Love abounded in my family: love of each other, love of education, love of country, love of God and all that is right and proper in the world. What we lacked in worldly goods and monetary means was more than compensated for by the deep love shared.
Even as a child, writing was second nature to me and I enjoyed so much escaping onto the pages of a piece of paper. The computer entered my life much later and freed me to record my thoughts more quickly than writing with a pencil on a piece of notebook paper or a typewriter with an eraser. I was intimidated and frightened by this new technology but learned to embrace at least a portion of it. Thus, I was able to capture my recollections of times past. The words flowed easily as my heart recalled a special, gentler time, despite the hardships created by lack of worldly goods.
Sunday lunches after church in my grandmother’s kitchen; long summer afternoons on the large front porch visiting with aunts and uncles and cousins by the dozens; playing croquet in the side yard under the huge Chinaberry tree; capturing lightning bugs and placing them in jars with holes in the lids; and lying on our backs, studying the stars above as the day reluctantly ended. In the coldness of winter, playing in Grandmother’s bedroom under the large quilt rack holding the latest quilt she pieced together to ward off the long, dark nights; laying on the worn wool rug in the living room listening to stories of my long-gone grandfather and his mischievous sense of humor; hiding behind the kitchen stove while a pig raised in the summer was slaughtered for sausage and ham and ribs; staring at the bounty in the pantry from the summer garden and fruit trees; and anxiously awaiting the large paper bags filled with oranges, red apples, pecans and English walnuts, small boxes of raisins and chocolate covered marshmallow Santas at the annual church Christmas pageant.
Our lives were simple but fulfilling. We were tucked in at night by hard working parents, taken to church every Sunday, dressed in homemade dresses created at Mother’s sewing machine, loaded into the used car and taken to the local drive-in theater most Saturday nights and on road trips through our county, counting cows in the pastures along the way.
As I began to write FEARLESS HEART, my heart warmed and the words flowed effortlessly. I had left my home many years earlier thinking I could find something better elsewhere. There was no anger or animosity, just the desire to experience something else. I learned much about myself during the process of FEARLESS HEART. It pulled me back to my roots and caused me to realize just how empty I was without the comfort of my heritage. My restlessness to return home was answered in an unbelievable, nearly miraculous manner when my husband and I were able to purchase the home of my grandmother. Built in 1907 by my grandfather, it left the family in 2004. We were able to purchase it in 2011, spent a year making major renovations and moved into this much loved home in 2012. I was home. Much had changed but much remained the same. As soon as I stepped onto the expansive front porch, I was home. When the front door opened and I stepped inside, I was home. As I worked in the kitchen, I was home. The large backyard. The pasture in the back. The walls, the ceilings, the floors all welcomed me home.
Many doors have opened to me in my lifetime. There have been disappointments and tragedies but the gifts and love have vastly overshadowed the negative influences in my life. Writing FEARLESS HEART has taught me that I have the strength inside to face obstacles and overcome negatives so as to move forward. I have been blessed with a deep ability to remember the past and also the wisdom not to let any harsh memories jade my writing or my beliefs. If it hasn’t killed me, it has made me stronger!
Writing touches my soul and allows me to reach into the souls of others. It is my gift to myself and to my world. Even if no one had ever read FEARLESS HEART, it was still a great blessing to me personally and has fulfilled my mission and purpose.

Wow, Gail. That’s a wonderful reminder of how much our past is a part of us. Sometimes whether we want it there or not. It is however, a wonderful place from which to draw not only story ideas, but character references and emotions. Our past is part of what makes us who we are and embracing it into our writing is a wonderful way to had depth.

Thanks for joining me today, Gail. You can find out more about Gail on my Porch Guests Page.

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