Are you an unagented novelist at the start of your career?
Do you find contracts bewildering?
Have you written a book and don’t know what to do with it?
I have worked in the Intellectual Property (IP) and licensing sector for over a decade. I’m also a novelist and creative writing mentor. Over the years I’ve answered a lot of questions from traditionally published writers who are at the start of their careers.
A lot of writers find the business of licensing IP confusing and contracts impenetrable. Often, even when they seek legal advice, they aren’t given a context in which to interpret this advice.
This easy-to-read guide will give you the tools you need to take charge of your author career.
You will learn:
Chapter 1: Becoming a professional Writer
- What are you writing now?
- Balancing craft and money
- Think of your writing as a business
Chapter 2: Intellectual Property
- What is IP?
- Copyright
- What does this actually mean for your author business?
- What is NOT covered by copyright?
- Fair use
- Other people’s copyright
- Works in the public domain
- Trademarks
Chapter 3: Slicing up IP - Your work is more than the one thing you wrote
Chapter 4: Contracts
- Reading contracts - notes for the bewildered
- Common sections you’d expect to see in a publisher contract
- How do authors get paid?
- Tax
Chapter 5: Publishing Pathways
Chapter 6: Traditional publishers
- The ‘big five’
- Small publishers
- Ubound - part publisher, part crowdfunding platform
- What does a publisher do for you?
- Who is involved
- Things to consider when you’re talking to a publisher
- So, should you sign that publishing contract that you’ve been offered?
- Red flags
- Manage your expectations
Chapter 7: Vanity publishers
- Paying for production services
- Book Production companies
- Red flags
Chapter 8: Self publishing aka Independent (‘indie’) publishing
- Manage your expectations
- Red Flags
Chapter 9: Working with an agent
- What does an agent do for you?
- Do you need an agent?
- Manage your expectations
- Red flags
- The very basics of submitting to agents
Chapter 10: Branding and Pen names
- What is a brand?
- Pen name(s) are part of your brand
- Advantages of having a pen name
- Disadvantages of having a pen name
- Pen names on social media
- When do you not use your pen name?
Chapter 11: Self promotion
- Websites
- Social Media
- Useful skills to learn for a professional author
Chapter 12: Alternative sources of income (until you have your big hit)
- Talks and seminars
- Bonus money from your existing books
Chapter 13: It’ll be okay, keep writing
Chapter 14: Resource list
- Author organisations
- Places to Research Foreign Rights
- Useful books
- Useful Podcasts and Websites
- Design resources
- Social media scheduling tools
- Newsletter providers
- IP resources