FNASR and Copyright

Greetings;
Let’s consider contracts—those elusive pieces of paper every aspiring writer hopes one day to possess. Once offered, a writer’s dream of becoming an author will flourish with fulfillment in a rush of happily ever after. If you are shaking your head and thinking, it sounds like some fantasy story, good for you. Now let’s deal with the real stuff. You’ve written a great story; “…everyone says so!” (that everyone had better include more than family members and friends.) The first sentence contains a unique hook like, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” or “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of…ouch!”
Your first paragraph is so well written, it has caught an editor’s interest, (always alert for a unique twist.) who passed it along to the panel of “judges” at the publishing office, and now the ‘important” everyones have agreed; YOU have written a great story.
The next step is a letter of acceptance from the publishing company. Oh happy day! For a little while. Now your job demands you operate in a new dimension called “Business,” for when that contract arrives, you must carefully read every word. Publishing IS a business and the contract’s wording is not set in print for a writer’s benefit. When I received my first contract, I was so excited UNTIL I read it. If I signed it, the company would then “…own all rights, title, and interest including reproduction, copyright, and any media production…” The company also insisted on the right, should the publisher become ill (what?) of holding the manuscript for eighteen months without doing anything with it. I would no longer own any part of the book because the publisher insisted on “World Rights.” In summary, my thoughts, my words, my BOOK would no longer be mine. It broke my creative heart to do so, but I refused the contract.
I understand your fervent desire (been there.) to reach readers as soon as possible, but focusing only on the present is dangerous; you may be giving away more than you realize in order to see your name in print.
I read of one author, who signed an “all rights” book contract. When the publishing company suddenly closed its doors for good, there were ten-thousand of her books in a warehouse. She attempted to retrieve them, but to no avail because she had no legal claim even though she was the author.
So, what should a writer do to protect one’s property? First, unless there are specific circumstances agreed upon by you and the publisher, stand firm for “first North American serial rights.” (FNASR) It means the publisher can only sell your books in North America. If the book is well received by the public, the publisher must seek permission from you to sell on other continents, and compensate accordingly. Once your book is published for the first time, all rights will return to you, the author.
Some publishers will set a time limit for publishing stating that if it isn’t published in a certain period of time, they have the right to rescind the contract. For example, it might be a period of three years while your book is being held. In the meantime, no other publisher will see it. It’s important to insert a “kill fee” clause, which means if your work isn’t published in a certain amount of time (one year or so.) you can take back your manuscript without a penalty and be compensated for it.
Magazine publishing is another story. They often don’t sign contracts for a specific work. HIGHLIGHTS does demand “World Rights,” so the author of a short story or poem must decide what is more important, seeing it in print in a prestigious children’s magazine or losing all rights. My thoughts are, if you have no plans to include that piece of work in a book of stories or poems, and can let it go without feeling like you’re giving away your baby, do it. Being published in such a magazine looks good on your resume.
I believe having a contract is a good thing because it let’s the author know what is expected of the publisher and the author, and sets in print what will happen in the future if it does or doesn’t sell. If it isn’t specifically spelled out, please don’t sign your name. You’ll be thankful later.
Copyright law provides the author with the right to turn one’s own story into a novel, TV script, audio book, screenplay, etc. and to license it for merchandising. When you give up your copyright, you relinquish that power. The publisher even has the right to give your work to another writer to develop it into something else, and all with no compensation for you! Again, don’t give away rights unless you are sure what is being taken. I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, but fore-warned is fore-armed for your security.
Finally, when a contract arrives and all parties are satisfied, sign your name and shout (once you’re out of the office.) I did it!
Be well and have a great week. Linda

Greetings;
During the last two weeks, I’ve critiqued seven stories, written by two children and five adults, who have asked for assistance in enhancing their writing skills. As I progressed through each body of work, common errors emerged, and I want to share them with you for future reference when writing your own stories.
1-A prime rule is DOUBLE SPACE your work, whether sending it snail mail or as an E-mail attachment. If it arrives at an editor’s desk single-spaced, it won’t be read. (Recent exception: Some writing contests are now requiring submissions be sent WITHIN the body of an E-mail, and those are single-spaced.)
2-A new paragraph is needed each time another person speaks, and when there are scene or time changes.
3-Frequent use of telling words. Eg. “Jamie wore a pink dress to the party because pink is her favorite color.” Showing: “Everything in Jamie’s closet is pink.”
If one is writing a journal, it’s usually a telling: piece without dialogue, but in a manuscript it’s important to include dialogue. (breathes life into the story.) A few telling (inactive) (boring) verbs include: came, went, looked, saw, walked, got, placed, spoke, etc. Work with your action verbs, which create images of real-life emotions in the reader’s mind: screamed, scurried, raced, rambled, meandered, stared, slammed, etc.
4- Keep adverbs to a minimum; they should precede your verb because its job is only to “ad” to the “verb.” The following sentence with an adverb placed after the verb, sounds awkward when spoken. “The bird flew into the sky gracefully,” should read, (if one must use an adverb.) “The bird gracefully soared into the sky.” (notice, the inactive verb, “flew”, has been replaced with an action verb “soared” providing a more stimulating mind picture.
5-Each new paragraph should work to move your story plot forward. Even when using flashback, it should provide the reader with insight into a present character and/or scene.
6-If a story begins in present tense, keep it in present tense. When editing, check each paragraph to ensure the tense is constant. Always read your work aloud for continuity.
7-Common error with new writers: When referring to my mom, my dad, my dog, etc., NO capital is used. When written as a title, it IS capitalized. Eg. Mom, Dad, Scruffy, etc. “When my dad presented my mom with Scruffy, Mom cried and hugged Dad.”
8- When listing a series of events or objects, keep the number to THREE so it doesn’t become a boring read. Eg. “She changed clothes, grabbed her bike, sped toward town, stopped at the grocery store, bought the sugar she needed, and raced back home before it was too late to help.” (I don’t know about you, but I felt like I was reading a whole story in one sentence; the most important part, “…before she was too late to help.” drowned in that sea of words.) Try re-wording your series into two sentences for greater effect. Eg. “She changed clothes, grabbed her bike, and sped toward town. After she bought the needed sugar, she raced for home praying it wasn’t too late to help.” Now, as a reader, I want to know what will happen if she is too late to help–a great hook.
9- End each chapter leaving the reader wondering what is coming next. Eg. “Jenny’s fear that someone, somehow, was already in danger would soon be realized.”
10- When only two people are speaking, there is no need for “he said…” “she said…”
NOTE: Conversations need a new paragraph EACH time the speaking person changes. They’re listed together here only because of the blog rule to save space.
Eg. “Jake, why are you taking so long?” “I’m coming!” “Hurry, please. We’ll miss the show.” “Shutting off my computer, Mom. I’ll be right there.”
11-When writing a portion of someone’s words, use only three dots. Eg. “Heath announced, “…life isn’t always what you’d wished it would be.” or “I can’t keep doing this…” when the speaker trails off without an end to his or her sentence.
Finally, thanks for tuning in. I hope the listed information will help you with your stories. It’s been a joy for me to read our new and young writers’ thoughts. Creativity is alive and flourishing. Until next Wednesday, be well and enjoy our summer. Linda

Greetings;
I recently read an article written by Michael Davis, a noted mystery/romance author, who reported on the results of a study he researched on selling his books over a four-month period. He rated the study in categories he’d used to promote his work with ratings from one to one-hundred, and decided any score over fifty was effective in terms of time expended finding scores below fifty were of little to no help. These are his results as recorded in The Florida Writer, volume five.
100 points, Special Recognition (Author of the Year, and similar)
90 points, Reviews
70 points, Site participation and contests
50 points, Shared linking
Then came those under 50 points. (I found these especially interesting.)
30-35 points, Interviews, Special Chats, Video Trailers, Bookmarkers
25 points Blogs
5 points, Facebook, Mypage, Twitter, etc.
Writing friends, who frequently scan the pages of noted authors, often comment, “…he hardly ever notes anything on his page,” or “…she hasn’t been on in months.” Perhaps they’re too busy working at being successful.
A few of New York Times Best Seller authors’ comments on the importance of Facebook, and Twitter: Teri Gerrison: “…one more thing to worry about and they suck time from our schedules…”
Gilstrap: “I have accounts in both (Twitter and Facebook) but I confess that I don’t really get it.” He participates in a group blog on Fridays stating, “…shameless promotion gets tiresome after a while.”
Balducci: “…I don’t spend a lot of time on either.”
Those best-selling authors are expressing opinions I share that marketers, who insist such methods are invaluable for selling one’s books, may be of questionable value, and are usurping time we could be WRITING.
John Manhold, noted textbook publisher, adds”…to be moderately successful in today’s market, one must have a sizeable group of READERS with whom to share a common interest.” He feels that without it, publishing and selling novels is simply a crapshoot. Mr.Mahold hopes that, as with his student writers, we “everyday” writers will continue to write for “the pure enjoyment and sense of accomplishment that the activity brings, and accept any monetary recompense as a most pleasant and additional result.”
Perhaps so. Of course there’s still the fact that to be published, one must have something written well to send out, and that manuscript must be unique, concise, not boring, and have a great ending. Writing is a serious business. If one is spending hours sitting at the computer without writing a word, valuable time is wasted that might be used to create a saleable piece of work. I might suggest leaving some Facebook and Twitter pages left un-opened for perhaps a week, and spend that time on the job of writing. At least, think about it.
Until next Wednesday, be well and enjoy the summer. Linda

Greetings;
A writer friend has asked for personal comments on the Orient-Express, so I’ll share information with fellow writers, who might dream of one day visiting far-away places. (everyone needs a dream when life is hectic.) The first trip from Paris to Istanbul in 1883 paved the way for current excursions. Although now divided into separate journeys, each ride is, nevertheless, a nostalgic expedition into the past. Each traveler decides how many nights to spend on the train; availability of stops, season traveling, and cost are all considerations. In today’s jet world and pressured society, there is much old-world appeal for a trip on a legendary steam train, which meanders through countryside and mountain as if all outside pressures of humanity are on hold. No phones, televisions, or noisy hair dryers are heard; only rhythmic sounds of engine over train tracks to lull one into reverie of days long past. (A writer’s haven.)
The Orient Express threads its way to majestic destinations of Venice, Vienna, (Vienna destination isn’t always available,) Budapest, Prague, Istanbul, (once Constantinople.) Dresden, and ancient Krakow. Each passenger makes arrangements (plan on six months to a year.) for which destinations to include. Single and double (for two people) compartments on the Venice Simplon-Orient Express measure about five-by-seven feet with bunk beds, (the Royal Scotsman-Orient Express, featuring the best of Scotland, maintains side-by-side beds.) Beds are concealed during the day by a luxurious day-couch. Connecting rooms can be booked for extra space.
If embarking in London, one rides day coaches of the British Pullman or the over-night carriages of the Wagon-lits Sleeper train. The channel crossing is operated on most departures by Eurotunnel shuttle service, hostesses assist with immigration and customs, and food is served in grand style.
The “chunnel” time is approximately thirty minutes; Luggage on the trains is restricted to one carry-on and a garment bag (fine-dining clothes) per person with one large piece of luggage per person forwarded to each hotel stop, reserved by the company for its passengers. (We stayed one overnight at the Ca’ Sagredo, (five-star hotels) in Venice, two over-nights at The Bristol Hotel in Vienna (Wien), and our last night at The Goring Hotel in Windsor set beside Buckingham Palace. As promised, our large suitcases were waiting in each hotel room when we arrived. A train representative met us at each station, escorted us to our hotels, and was present in the morning to return us to the train. Experts.
When boarding or re-joining the train after a hotel stay, immaculately uniformed staff members, attired in gold and cobalt blue, stand at attention in front of the massive maroon and cream-colored train as our group is ushered into separate cabins for the over-night journey. A glass of chilled champagne awaits. We spent the first over-night traveling from Venice to Vienna with each elegant meal over-seen by Master Chef de Cuisine, Christian Bodiguel-a truly class presentation at EVERY seating.
Men’s wear for dinner called for tuxedos or dress jackets and ties. There is no such thing as being over-dressed for women with eveningwear including elegant floor or street-length attire. Glamour and romance live on, accompanied in the lounge by a masterful pianist–memories to last a lifetime. If interested in the various trains of the Orient-Express, there is a toll free number, 800 524 2420 and an e-mail address www.orient-express.com The US office is located in Charlestown, SC. Happy dreams for the future. Linda

Greetings;
Because one knows the meaning of a particular word, that doesn’t mean it’s always appropriate to use it. While working in maternity, it would have sounded foolish for me to bring a newborn baby to its mother saying, “Here’s your neonate.” On that note, I think what writers write is even more important than what is said, because readers can’t “see” the writers, and in most cases don’t know them at all. Only words are there to note whether the writer “knows” what he or she is writing about. Readers, who frequently come upon unfamiliar words or discrepancies in the text, simply stop reading, and no serious writer wants to lose a reader.
So what does one do to maintain an audience? Use language, which “fits” the readers’ age group and culture, for whether it’s basic language, slang, or three-syllable words, our job as writers is to make it a good read. We’ve all had to listen to “learned” (or so they believe.) people, who frequently use three or four-syllable words in their conversations or speeches, with the same result as reading a boring book. Whatever the reasoning, we listeners and readers begin to drift away from the “plot” of the story. In like manner, writers will lose their reading audience by including too many rambling or inappropriate choices of words. When that happens, we’ve failed in our job to maintain our reader’s interest through to the end of the book.
I find some writers, who have decided to work in the teen genre, think it’s enough to read articles from magazines like Seventeen or watch teen TV shows to get the “feel” of teens, but I don’t agree. I think it’s “voice” that needs to be heard, and by the time those magazines are printed and shows are aired, a whole new voice may have emerged. The secret is to focus on perennial teen issues like problems with parents, friends, teachers, and especially, the teen girl or boy, who doesn’t even know the main character’s name at first. We can each draw from teen experiences, whether they were “loved” or “hated,” but the language must be current. In addition, when writing for young people, the writer can’t assume the reader will have patience to plod through several pages to get to the real plot. Action (the hook) must emerge within the first paragraph. I’m currently critiquing a book written by a ten-year-old boy, and it’s good. Riley Bleau begins his story on slavery with, “I heard the ships approaching. Everyone in the village scattered.” The reader is immediately drawn into scene and what is happening-a great hook.
So how does one write for a particular audience and remain current? First, decide what audience you want to target. If it’s children, the age group is most important because words used for a five-year-old child (if you want to succeed.) will differ from those used for a teenager. How do you learn about the differences? Take pad and pen (a computer is more noticeable and can disrupt the group’s normal speech, used only when adults are absent.) Search out a place where five-year-olds or teenagers congregate. Sit nearby without being obvious–park bench, restaurant booth, mall–and write down their words, manner delivered (body movements, tone of voice.) and conversation topics. Then, equipped with the “real” language of that age group, you’ll be ready to write a believable story.
I love Stephen King’s assessment of writing that once the facts are in place, “…a writer writes with the door shut and edits with the door open.” Find your “space”, shut the door, and begin.
Until next Wednesday, keep your brain pencil sharpened and be well. Linda