Never, Ever Release Any Of Your Rights To Anyone

By Author: Bob McElwain
Total Articles: 14
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One of the grandest scams on the Web, which goes largely
unnoticed, is for a web-based bookseller or publisher to require
some rights to your work in exchange for the service to be
provided. Many demand the electronic rights, for example.

Don't do it!

Never, ever release any of your rights. Here's why.

The Writer's Goal

Winning the writing game means becoming an established
author, one who sells a new book every year or two. One who
earns enough to live comfortably from his or her writing alone.

The first step toward achieving this goal is to be published
by a major house in the real world. That is, offline. Most will
not even consider your book if you've muddied the water by
releasing or selling any rights to it.

Sure, there are exceptions. Some have self-published, then
later made a deal with a major house. And the stories make grand
reading. But there are not a lot of them.

The Better Plan

If you are serious about writing, grab a copy of "Writer's
Market," then read and follow ...
... the rules. While many publishers
buy an occasional manuscript directly from an author, your best
bet is to find an agent and leave the manner of presentation to
publishers in capable hands. (An agent is worth his or her
weight in gold in helping you decipher a contract!)

It will probably take some time to find an agent. Begin
another tale while doing so. And once you find one, while
waiting further and hoping for great news, continue writing. If
the agent you found can't make it happen, look for another. But
keep writing.

Again, there are success stories of those who bypassed
agents and went directly to a publisher. But unless you're one
heck of a salesperson and really in tune with what each
publisher is looking for, leave it all to an agent, and do what
you do best. Namely, write.

How Rights Released Can Bite

Bingo. You've made a sale. A good house, too. You and your
agent are jumping with joy. Hey, you're on your way!

But wait one. A few years back, electronic rights were
negotiable, and often retained by the author. So you released
these rights, or part of them, to gain some exposure on the Web.
But now your publisher-to-be wants them. What for?

Books by major authors are selling in electronic formats.
The entire publishing industry is closely tuned in to this
rapidly changing part of the book arena.

Okay, back to the what your publisher-to-be wants. Will they
go through the legal hassles and pay the costs to recover those
rights you handed out? Or will they just grab another title from
the in-stack? If you were in their position, what would you do?

The bottom line? You have just lost a shot at the big time.
You get to start over with a new book. And you'll probably have
to hunt up another agent as well.

Why Risk it?

Don't sell or release any of your rights to any of your work
until absolutely convinced it is not salable to a major print
publisher. Then, and only then, should you consider taking it to
the Web and seeing what you can make happen.

A Case In Point

I finished "They Who Betray" (available on this site) in
late 1991. I gave up trying to sell it in 1994. Even earlier, it
was obvious major houses were no longer interested in this kind
of tale. The manuscript has been dozing on various computer
disks ever since.

While I'd love to have sold it to Pocket Book, I wasn't able
to. So off to the Web I have gone. I'm excited about the
possibilities. While fame and glory is unlikely to be obtained,
lots of people will find they like the tale. And that will be a
win for me, any way you look at it.

But I would never have made this move had I believed there
was even a chance of selling it to a major house. If you're
serious about your writing career, you'll follow the same path.
Head for the Web as the last resort, never as the starting
point.

One Exception

All who climb a mountain do not hunger to become a noted
mountaineer. And all who write a book, do not yearn to be an
established author. So if you wrote a book for the fun of it,
and now want to share it with family and friends, jump right
into the Web bit.

Check out services available or self-publish on your own.
Either way, go for it.

Play By The Rules

But if you're serious about writing and dream of becoming an
established author, take the conservative, conventional route.
This gives you the greatest opportunity for success.

Yes, I know. The competition is fierce. But there's a bit of
this on the Web as well. The last numbers I saw suggest there
are over 100,000 titles available on the Internet.

To sell effectively through any website, you'll need a heck
of a book. Then you'll have to somehow find your way beyond all
those "Buy-Me!" pleas associated with each and every one of
those 100,000+ titles.

Can it be done? Sure. But it's not easy. Certainly it's not
easier than gaining the confidence of an agent who can sell your
work to a major publishing house.
________________________

About the Author Bob McElwain
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