Writer Beware

Latest Posts

Call For Change: Current and Former New Leaf Literary & Media Authors Speak Out

JUN 2, 2023June 2, 20236 COMMENTS

If you're on Twitter, you may have seen the controversy that erupted several weeks ago when reports emerged that New Leaf Literary & Media had abruptly terminated representation--via email--for more than two dozen clients of an agent who had departed the agency that same day.

Conflicting reports added to the confusion: about the agent's departure (the agency described it as "amicable", but the agent subsequently indicated it wasn't voluntary) and about the status of the dropped authors (the agency described some of the dropped authors as "inactive", when in fact several had projects in progress). Publishers Weekly covered the controversy in an article (whose accuracy has been disputed), as did Publisher's Lunch. Concerned about the agency's apparent lack of a coherent succession plan, the Authors Guild met with New Leaf leadership to "discuss the agency’s plan to manage the transition for authors impacted by the shakeup."

On a more positive note, multiple agents invited submissions from the dropped authors.

CONTRACTS

Termination Fees in Publishing Contracts: Not Just Bad for Authors

Header image: "Contract" printed on concrete, with crack running through the middle (credit: Lane V. Erickson at Shutterstock.com)

MAY 26, 2023February 1, 20244 COMMENTS

(A version of this post was first published in 2016.)

I'm often contacted by writers who are looking for an evaluation of a book or magazine contract they've just been offered (I'm not a lawyer--something I always mention upfront--but I do know a lot about publishing contracts, and am always willing to offer feedback).

Although they've often already spotted problematic language, nearly always there are also problem clauses that they've missed. One red flag clause that frequently flies below writers' radar: fees for early contract termination.

CONTRACTS

Editing Clauses in Publishing Contracts: What to Watch For

Header image: sharp red pencil on bright yellow background (credit: GR Stocks / Shutterstock.com)

MAY 19, 2023July 26, 20247 COMMENTS

Editing clauses are one of those publishing contract areas where there should be a balance between the publisher’s interests and the writer’s.

Publishers need a certain amount of latitude to edit a manuscript to prepare it for publication. They also need to have the right of final approval–they don’t want to be forced to publish a manuscript that the author can’t or won’t revise to their satisfaction.

Writers, on the other hand, need assurance that they will be a partner in the editing process, and that their work won’t be changed in major ways without their permission.

BOOK MARKETING SCAMS

Guest Post: The Book Marketing Scam That Went the Extra Mile

Screenshot of fake response from "Martha Teichner" claiming to have worked with SBRC: "I got 3K sales and the reviews were brilliant"

APR 28, 2023November 22, 202577 COMMENTS

In the super-crowded world of publishing, authors must fight for readership and exposure. That makes marketing and promotion a top concern--which makes for fertile ground for scammers.

PR scams are among the most common of the many solicitation scams that target writers. Often appearing to be reasonably priced, they promise services like social media posts, reader reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, blog posts and interviews, and similar low-cost-to-provide, low effort methods that sound impressive but in reality are next to useless for book promotion--even if the services are delivered, which often is not the case.

At best, this kind of "marketing" is a waste of money. At worst, the scammer will simply take the money and run...like the scammer that's the subject of today's guest blog post from author Alina Adams. This scammer went the extra mile to cook up an appearance of authenticity...but as you'll see, Alina wasn't fooled.

LITERARY AGENT SCAMS

Anatomy of a Fake Literary Agency Scam: Acquisitions NY / Bennett Media & Marketing

APR 21, 2023May 30, 202443 COMMENTS

Among the most common scams targeting self-published and small press authors these days are fake literary agency scams.

These are slightly different from the agent/agency impersonation scams I've written a number of posts about, in that they don't appropriate the identities of real people (most of the time). But that doesn't mean they're not equally deceptive.

They work like this.

CONTRACTS

Rights vs. Copyright: Untangling the Confusion

Header image: pile of copyright symbols on multicolored Post-it notes (StepanPopov @ Shutterstock.com)

APR 14, 2023February 1, 202416 COMMENTS

Copyright, literally, is “the right to copy.” It guarantees the authors of creative works–including books, artworks, films, recordings, and photographs–the exclusive right to allow others to copy and distribute the work, by whatever means and in whatever media currently exist. It also prohibits copying and distributing without the author’s permission, and includes moral rights: the right of attribution (the right to be named as the creator of the work) and the right of integrity (the right to control changes to the work).

In countries that are signatory to the Berne Convention,, the international source for copyright law (including the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, and many other countries), you own copyright, automatically, as soon your work is fixed in tangible form–i.e., the minute you write the words. Your ownership extends beyond your death--between 50 and 70 years, depending on which country you're in.

Contained within copyright is the entire bundle of rights that authors can grant to others or utilize themselves. For book authors, that includes primary rights (the right to publish in print and digital formats) and subsidiary rights (the right to make translations and audio recordings and films, to create serializations or abridgements or derivative works…the list goes on, and continues to expand as technology makes different forms of publication and distribution possible).