BLOG.POLISHEDPUBLISHINGGROUP.COM: Recent Comments

Comment on Canadian Book Publishers: Time for a Change!

Robert J Bannon — 2012-01-18T04:39:02Z

Kim,

You are right on the mark with your comments. If we as Canadian authors want to play in the big leagues, then we need to play by "big league" rules. There is no honour in poverty and the sooner we realize that we have the talent to compete, without the artificial grants, the sooner we can start to enjoy the monetary benefits of a free society. The unbelievable anachronism, known as the Canadian publishing and book retailing industry, have done little to encourage emerging writers but have held all of the marketing and distribution power and are now experiencing their just desserts. We don't need government money or control to write and market our work - we need them to get out of the way, level the playing field and let us do our jobs.
Keep up the fight Kim.

Comment on How to Price a Paperback Book

Kim S — 2011-09-12T19:43:29Z

Hi John,

When I clicked on your link above, I got an error message rather than an article, so I'm not sure who Outskirts Press is. Are they a traditional (trade) publisher? If so, then that royalty rate sounds about right. Here's an article that describes the realities of traditional publishing versus vanity publishing versus supported self publishing...

http://blog.polishedpublishinggroup.com/2010/07/07/why-canadian-authors-should-publish-through-ppg.aspx

Kind regards,
Kim S.

Comment on How to Price a Paperback Book

John J Hohn — 2011-09-12T17:13:02Z

I wish that I had read this posting over a year ago when my book came out. I objected to pricing with my publisher again and again but finally needed to move the book to get any return at all out of my effort. See the astonishing response from Outskirts Press on my web site. It reveals perhaps more than the author Kelly Schuknecht of Outskirts may have intended with regard to this company's philosophy on how they handle first time authors and who their pricing policy works again the writer. Imagine trying to make any kind of cost recovery on $.36 a book with the publisher charging $8.21 a volume. High way robbery. Thanks. John J. Hohn

Complete exchange between Schuknecht and me can be seen at http://jjhohn.com/deadly-portfolio/outskirts-pres…cy-astonishing/

Comment on Book Sales & Marketing: Setting Realistic Expectations for New Authors

Marie — 2011-09-08T16:27:07Z

I thought this was AWESOME... if you want some help in the "Hollywood" side on what happens after giving a network or filming company rights to film... I can help ya there.
Thank you for putting this out there, it was VERY informative not too mention ACCURATE.

Comment on Book Sales & Marketing: Setting Realistic Expectations for New Authors

Sherry Bakhtian — 2011-06-24T15:16:25Z

Great article and helpful as I am about to self-publish my first book. Thanks!

Comment on Self-Publishing versus Supported Self-Publishing

Deborah H Bateman — 2011-06-23T00:45:40Z

Thanks for sharing this article. I am in the process of publishing my first ebook. You brought up some things that I had not considered. Thanks again!

Comment on Copyright Simplified

Kim S — 2011-05-25T00:16:01Z

Re: "While this may be true with artists whose work you commission, it may not apply to art or photographs the author has obtained from other sources. If something is in the public domain, like the Mona Lisa, it may be enough to credit the artist-- but when you are using photographs, under U.S. law, the copyright belongs to the photographer-- or his or her heirs..."

Agreed. And we cover this in our author contract to make sure they understand this and obtain all the necessary permissions for whatever artwork they're using. The onus is on them, as self-publishing authors who retain 100% copyright ownership of their books, to ensure they have dotted their "i"s and crossed their "t"s in this regard.

I’m on the run here … but I will have a closer look at your reply later tonight or tomorrow and may write more comments then.

Thanks again for your thoughts. Hope you're enjoying your evening. :)

Comment on Copyright Simplified

Ellen M. Kozak — 2011-05-24T23:51:26Z

Kim,
While this may be true with artists whose work you commission, it may not apply to art or photographs the author has obtained from other sources. If something is in the public domain, like the Mona Lisa, it may be enough to credit the artist-- but when you are using photographs, under U.S. law, the copyright belongs to the photographer-- or his or her heirs. But even more is involved-- persons depicted in the photos may have a right of privacy, which you do not have the right to invade by publishing a photo of them.

Another complication may occur when you want to quote song lyrics in a manuscript. If the song is protected by copyright, it may be an infringement to use those lyrics without permission.

In the U.S., works of the Federal government are in the public domain and may be used-- but works of state or municipal governments are not automatically in the public domain-- and a public domain work that illegally uses a copyrighted work may still subject you to infringement penalties. And in Canada, government works are protected by crown copyright (one of the differences between U.S. and Canadian law).

Do not assume that you have permission to use someone else's work unless you know it is in the public domain or know that the copyright holder (who may not be the artist) has transferred the appropriate rights to you.

Oh-- one more thing: it is possible, using an appropriate written agreement, to license rights without transferring ownership of the entire copyright. Copyrights are infinitely divisible. So you can transfer English language print book rights in North America for a limited period of three years, for example, and retain all the rest of the rights. At the end of three years, that grant terminates. French rights are not transferred by that assignment, nor are electronic book rights (or magazine rights). And South American English language book rights can still be sold.

So it is all in the negotiation of the contract, and in what it grants in the end.

Comment on Copyright Simplified

Ellen M. Kozak — 2011-05-24T23:33:39Z

This is only partly true: sometimes a publisher may put its name on a collective work, while the authors of the individual pieces may retain their separate copyrights; sometimes a publisher may claim the copyright (the bundle of rights in a work) while allowing the author to retain some of those rights; sometimes the publisher will allow the writer to retain the copyright while requiring the assignment of virtually all of the rights in a work. And sometimes rights granted can lapse or will be reverted.

It is all in understanding the contract-- and just because you, as a writer, work with words, does not mean that you understand the implication of those words to a lawyer.

Do keep in mind, however, that this is not a job for your cousin the real estate lawyer. Publishing and copyright and related intellectual property fields are not subjects with which most lawyers are familiar. As with medicine, you need to go to the right practitioner.

Comment on Copyright Simplified

Kim S — 2011-05-24T20:35:10Z

Hi Ellen,

First and foremost, thank you for agreeing to post a reply on our blog. I know our writers will greatly appreciate hearing from a seasoned lawyer regarding copyright.

This blog entry was intended to be exactly what the title implies: "copyright simplified ." If there is one thing I want all authors to take away from this blog entry, it is, "KEEP YOUR RIGHTS!" Make sure you read your publishing contracts so you understand what you're keeping and what you're signing away. (And be wary of contracts filled with a bunch of confusing legalese that is difficult to understand.)

Last but not least, in direct reference to Ellen's line that reads "...while copyright does in fact encompass all the rights an author has in an original work of authorship (watch that originality requirement--using the works of others, even as illustrations, may require rights assignments from them!)..." PPG's contracts ensure that the full book—from all cover artwork to the entire interior—belongs to the paying author in the end. 100% copyright ownership of the whole end product stays with the author. This is indicated in our author contract, and it is also indicated in our vendor contracts with our designers. PPG will only employ artists who agree with this policy and are willing to let the copyright of the cover go to the rightful owner—the paying author. For an explanation as to why we have this policy, please refer to our blog entry titled Who Owns the Artwork?

Again, thank you for sharing your expertise with our readers, Ellen. While I strongly disagree with your stance as to which route authors should automatically check out first, I do appreciate your willingness to help our readers better understand copyright law.

Warm regards,
Kim S.