Write Now Editing

Publishing Contracts: Too Good to be True

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Publishing is a long game.

It takes years to master the writing craft, write and revise a publishable manuscript, and build a solid platform. And that’s just the work you need to do before you publish. After you sign that contract or start the self-publishing process you need to focus on marketing and advertising while working on your next book!

It’s tempting to take short cuts to publication (who wants to wait years?), but consider those options carefully.

Recently in a Facebook group, an author won a contest where the “prize” was to have the first chapter of her story published in an anthology–all the winners would have their first chapters included.

This author could only see what she wanted to see: she would be a published, award-winning author. All I could see were red flags.

  • Who would ever want to read a book full of ONLY first chapters?
  • The contest rules gave the contest coordinators universal rights to the content, meaning they would own the first chapter.
  • Once any part of a manuscript is published, it’s considered published, so she couldn’t pitch the whole novel to traditional publishers without disclosing part of it had been previously published.

I’m not an attorney or agent, but my understanding of the industry is that her book would essentially be unpublishable with the rights of that chapter belonging to someone else. She would never be able to include those award-winning words in her book.

Thankfully, she asked many other authors for their advice. Some gave bad advice (go for it!), but there were enough of us with experience to tell her to run away.

This “contest” certainly seemed like a faster way to becoming a published author, but it could have destroyed her chances to publish that manuscript. As is the case with most things in life, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Have you come across any publishing news or opportunities that seem too good to be true?

If you ever have questions, please reach out! If I don’t have the answer, I know plenty of people who do.

Not sure if something’s a writing scam, here are some warning signs:
Self-Publisher Beware! http://writenowedits.com/2019/07/self-publisher-beware-by-susan-k-stewart/

Writing Tips from Rebecca Price Janney

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What is your favorite craft book?

I read more of those when I was first starting out, but as an established author of 26 books, I gravitate toward the inspirational, as opposed to the theoretical. My favorites would be Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, Reeve Lindbergh’s Under a Wing, and, in general, the works of George MacDonald and Catherine Marshall. I also have benefited from Karen Chase’s marketing book, Brand Author.

What is your favorite (or most anticipated) writers conference?
AWSA Conference

What’s your favorite other source (YouTube, podcast, etc.) for writing tips/info?
My publisher, Elk Lake, regularly leads its authors to all kinds of helpful resources from a variety of sources. I am currently enjoying Robin Dykstra’s videos.

Who is your writing mentor/inspiration? Why?
C.S. Lewis—his multi-faceted genres encourage me to step outside my comfort zones to write what’s on my heart at any given season. Jan Karon—I love the way she writes about the sacredness of the every day, always with a winsome hope grounded in the gospel.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received? Why was it bad?
“Just the facts, ma’am.’ For my first years as a writer, I avoided descriptive elements because my editor (who did much more good than harm) was a bare-bones kind of person. Also right up there was, “Stick to one genre.” I hate being typecast as an author when I can slip between genres and audiences.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
“Read good writing.” By immersing myself in the writing of excellent storytellers, I have become better at my own writing.

What would you say is the best writing tip for new authors?
Manage your distractions. Stay focused. The world is too much with us, sucking our creativity dry. I read that David McCullough writes in a shed without a phone or computer because he wants to stay focused on the writing before him. I haven’t mastered that exactly, but I do try to limit the amount of time I spend on emails and social media. Click bait is the worst.

What is your best self-editing tip or advice?
No one ever “arrives” as a writer. Everyone needs a good editor to come beside us and help us hone, hone, hone. There is always some improvement or discovery ahead. Come humbly before God each time you sit down to write. This is his gift, to be used according to his good purposes, inspired by him.

Please share your most encouraging tip for frustrated/discouraged writers.
Always stay connected to the Source of all creativity. If you’re certain God has called you to this work, don’t let anything get in the way, including yourself.

Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release. 
Easton at Sunset, the sixth and final book in my award-winning Easton Series with Elk Lake Publishing. This is a split-fiction novel in which the two main characters, bound by their ancestry, live in the 18th century and today. The novels were originally inspired by Jan Karon’s Mitford Series.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I love speaking about American history almost as much as writing about it. Thanks for the opportunity to share some of my writing journey!

REBECCA PRICE JANNEY is a historian and multi-award-winning author of twenty-six books, including her beloved Easton Series. Books three and four, Easton at the Crossroads and Easton at the Pass, captured 2019 and 2020 Golden Scroll Awards for Historical Novel of the Year, along with her other winning novels Sweet, Sweet Spirit: One Woman’s Spiritual Journey to the Asbury College Revival, and Morning Glory.

She began writing professionally at the age of fourteen and by the following year was covering the Philadelphia Phillies. With her love of American history, she earned degrees in that subject from Lafayette College and Princeton Seminary, and a doctorate from Biblical Seminary. Rebecca is a popular speaker and appears regularly on radio shows and her podcast, “American Stories.” She is the Regent (President) of the Bethlehem, PA Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and resides with her husband, son, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley where her ancestors have lived since the 1740s.

Find her online at www.rebeccapricejanney.com, “American Stories” with Rebecca Price Janney on Spotify, Facebook, LinkedIn, MeWe, or Instagram.

10 Easy Ways to Succeed at Freelancing: #4, Get Dressed

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I don’t understand the psychology behind this, but I know from experience that one easy way to increase your success as a freelance writer (editor, designer, etc.) is to get up and get dressed. (I’m not the only person who thinks this either—check out these articles in The Guardian, Freelancer FAQs, and Ms Career Girl).

You don’t need to get up every day at 6 a.m., take a shower, and put on a suit, though. I don’t think what you wear is as important as the act of getting dressed:

When you take the time to change out of pajamas and into work clothes, it triggers something that let’s you know it’s time to work.

What Should I Wear: Wear something comfortable, but also something you’re okay being seen in. My rule of thumb is this—if I had an unexpected Zoom call, would my outfit be appropriate? I have a closet full of tops that are as comfortable as cotton t-shirts but not as casual. If I had to appear in a Zoom meeting, they’d be fine (but they’re also comfortable enough to nap it).

And for pants…I live in leggings. They’re comfortable, but they also give me that “dressed for work” mental feeling. Sometimes I swap one pair of leggings (that I slept in) for another pair (to work in). No one ever sees them, but mentally I’m prepared to work.

When Should I Get Dressed: One of the joys of freelancing is setting your own schedule. If you’re a morning person, you can work in the morning (so you should get dressed in the morning). But you can work any time you want.

Just like it doesn’t matter what you wear, it doesn’t matter when you get dressed—just make sure you do it before you sit down to work. Flip that mental switch.

That’s it. There’s nothing overly complicated about this step, which is why it’s on a list of easy ways to succeed.

Check back in next month for another tip. Until then, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and signup for my newsletter for more writing, editing, and publishing tips throughout the month.

10 Easy Ways to Succeed at Freelancing: #1, Write It Down

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If you want your freelance editing or writing business to succeed, you need to establish some best practices. I’m going to share ten freelance best practices with you throughout the year, and today we’re starting with a lesson I should already know but keep forgetting:

Write it down.

Go ahead and grab some paper and pen.

Write. It. Down.

Why Should I Write It Down?

I don’t care you young you are. I don’t care how many state capitols, phone numbers, or X-men plot lines you have memorized—if you don’t write down important information, you will forget it.

The publishing industry can move at a snail’s pace, so it’s not uncommon to contact an author or editor, then not hear from that person for months. Are you sure you’re going to remember what you talked about?

I always think that I will. I never do. That’s let to me forgetting about once-discussed but not-confirmed projects; when the author reaches out to schedule the project, I have to search through my email to figure out what’s going on.

One time, I offered a client a discounted editing rate. Another client with a similar name contacted me a few weeks later. I wrote my contract for the second client with the first client’s discount, so I ended up doing both projects at reduced rates.

Sigh.

Don’t let this happen to you!

What Should I Write Down?

I’m glad you asked. Here are just a few things:

  • Name, contact info, and the best way to reach them
  • You contact’s time zone!
  • What you discussed AND your impression (if you felt excited/uncomfortable/uncertain, etc. write it down)
  • RATES! (If any rates were discussed, note it.)
  • Confirmed deadlines
  • Proposed deadlines
  • Any special arrangements or considerations

Not sure if you need to write something down? Write it down anyway. Your clients will appreciate it, and so will you.

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How I Write: Ginny Dent Brant

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Writing a book is hard enough. Writing a book while battling cancer? I can’t even imagine!

Ginny Dent Brant doesn’t have to imagine–she did it. And she published it. And she’s won awards for it.

Today, she’s sharing tips and wisdom from her experiences as a nonfiction and cancer survivor.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Please tell us what you write. How/why did you pick your genre?
I write memoirs and Christian living books. I enjoy writing about real people. I’ve also written over 50 articles that are interviews with Christians about their faith. Some of those articles have made it to The Baptist Press, Townhall, and The Christian Post. My most popular articles were my tributes to Chuck Colson (carried by 15 different newspapers/magazines), Billy Graham, Robertson McQuilkin, and Dr. Avery Willis after they passed.

What’s the most difficult part of writing? How do you work through those challenges?
I wrestled with God over writing a book about my cancer journey. While meeting with the hospital chaplain about the dilemma of dealing with cancer, he told me, “Consider this a gift from God for you to help other people. You’re a writer and a speaker—think of all the people you could help.”

My response, “No way. I don’t want this gift.” But the more I researched, the more I felt compelled to share with others what I’d learned. It was difficult to do the hard work while with dealing with the side effects of treatments and medications.

In my first book, Finding True Freedom, the difficult part was deciding which intimate details to share and getting the okay from family members. A memoir about your own family can be like walking through a field with landmines.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?
Unleash Your God-given Healing required two years of research, one year of writing, one year of editing and polishing, and 18 months of promoting it. I’m still doing podcasts and interviews.

Which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?
This recent book Unleash Your God-Given Healing was harder because it is loaded with footnotes to medical research. My editor made me type out every name noted in the research articles instead of using “et al”. I was also asked to recheck all of the footnotes several times, note the last date I checked the websites, and verify all the difficult to spell names!  Oh my! Memoirs that require a lot of footnoting can be difficult to write, and they also require the most of the writer including fiction techniques.

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?
I’ve attended the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s conference four times. They have a wonderful faculty, and many experts have poured their lives into me. It’s also a great place to make connections with other writers, publishers and agents. It’s only 90 minutes from my home.

If you’re self-published, why did you decide to go that route? If you’re traditionally published, why did you decide to go that route?
My first book was traditionally published. For this second book, I knew that Christian publishers do not usually publish books on health and wellness. I knew a “cancer book” would be difficult to get published. I remember going to writer’s conferences and seeing acquisition editors with signs saying, “I’ve heard enough cancer stories.”

I then submitted to eight publishers I had connections with. I heard from three immediately who did not publish health books. In a few weeks, I heard back from three other interested publishers who wanted to see more. One suggested I get a doctor to write commentary in each chapter. I took their advice. Three of these publishers took my book up the ladder. It got close with two publishers, but all of them wanted the doctor commentator to be the co-author.  I could not provide that. My book is from the patient’s perspective. It’s not about what the doctors do. It’s about the role the patient can play in their own prognosis. All the publishers said, “This book needs to be published.” That was reassuring.

At that time, I made the decision to self-publish. I went with Westbow Press because they’re the self-publishing arm of Thomas Nelson (Harper Collins). If my book sold well, they would begin distributing it. As of two weeks ago, Harper Collins is both distributing and promoting my book. After winning three awards (Golden Scrolls First, Selah Award Second, and Director’s Choice Award Second for Non-fiction overall), Westbow Press recognized my book with the Lighthouse Recognition Award.

Congratulations! What advice do you have for new authors?
Chuck Colson was the cover endorser for my first book. He advised me to start in the middle of a crisis. I did that in both books. He also advised me to use a theme from beginning to end to tie my story together.

In Finding True Freedom, the theme was dance. My father taught me to dance, he met my mother at a dance, and from a young age, we danced to the same tune, When I gave my life to Christ, we began spinning in different directions. My father tried to block my path, but God moved in his heart, and he became everything he forbid me to be including a missionary. In the end, we were dancing to the same beat with our heavenly Father.

The theme tied throughout my Unleash Your God–Given Healing book was an analogy to the Wizard of Oz. The analogy begins when my doctor shows me the MRI that looks like a tornado has invaded my body. Like Dorothy, I desperately want to get back home to a normal life. When discussing the eight steps, each one has a shared truth from God’s Word and a tie to the Wizard of Oz. For example, in the chapter on hydration, how ironic that Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch of the West with a bucket of water!

I would advise any authors to take Chuck Colson’s advice.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?
I was under cancer treatment during most of the process. I was actually making mistakes I’d normally not make due to brain fog. I asked five friends to go behind me and look for errors and recommendations. Two were English majors, two were nurses, and one was a cancer patient. They caught many mistakes. Mistakes are part of the process. I even found ten mistakes after my first book was published. Although mistakes are normal, you must do everything you can to catch them.

I couldn’t agree more. Thank you so much for joining me today!

Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer. It was written with commentary by an oncologist, and was recently given a Golden Scrolls Award and named a Selah Award Finalist.

Cancer prevention and wellness blog at www.ginnybrant.com 
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/ginny.d.brant/
Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/ginnydentbrant/

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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