Proof is in the Putting

This is the fourth in a series: Manuscript to Book Metamorphosis. Scroll down to read the previous posts if you haven't already: Proposals form the Heart (9/23/09), After the Proposal: the Wedding (9/30/09), and Signing in Blood (10/7/09).

During the 4-12 months of editing and rewrites, your manuscript will be marinating in the minds of your publisher's marketing and editorial teams. They will decide whether to change your title for better marketing (don't be shocked - it often happens!), and cook up some concepts for cover design. You'll be included in the idea-bouncing process, but understand that the final decisions are theirs, not yours. Most publishers are gracious and listen intently to what you have to say, but when you signed that contract, you relinquished final say to their years of expertise.

You will likely be asked to seek endorsements for your book (the biggest names possible in your genre). Agents can be very helpful in obtaining these blurbs - they have connections you don't and a host of other clients who would be delighted to get the free publicity. These will be included inside or on the front or back cover of your book, again your publisher's decision.

Early on, the sales team will receive sample chapters and probably your proposal as well so they have a good feel for the type of book they'll be pitching. They prepare a Sales Sheet for their sales force to begin promoting your book to industry buyers. They'll shift into fast gear several months before the release date.

Back to putting the proof to bed. When you and your content editor are finishing polishing your manuscript to the best of your ability, it proceeds to a copy editor, who corrects grammar, typos, footnotes, quote permissions and punctuation. A completed copy will be sent to you for your input.

After final proofing, it's sent to typesetting, where the layout is finalized. A completed "galley" is sent to you, where you peruse every jot and tittle for one last time. This is your last chance to catch any slippery errors that might have slid by.

Then HOORAY - on to the printer!

Stay tuned next week for the final installment of this series: Planning for a Golden Anniversary

Signing in Blood

This entry is third in a series called Manuscript to Book Metamorphosis (be sure to scroll down and read the previous two posts if you haven't already: Proposals from the Heart and After the Proposal, Marriage).

So you've finally made it to that over-the-rainbow place where your book dream is actually coming true; your manuscript has been accepted by a publisher! Yay! (pause for cheers here)

Believe it or not, the real work is just beginning!

First you or your agent (if you're fortunate enough to have one) will receive a contract which should be reviewed with a good, strong magnifying glass. Included will be such items as your royalty (ranges from 6% to 16% for first books) and your advance.

Contrary to popular belief, an advance is not free money; it's exactly what it says it is - an advance of the royalties the publisher expects you to make in book sales during the first 6 months. This choice morsel (although it's never as juicy as you hope it will be) is simply to allow you to eat during the 1-2 years before you book actually hits bookstores (one of mine took nearly 3 years). You won't receive further royalties until you "earn out" your advance. If by chance you don't earn out your advance, some publishers require the author to pay back the difference (check your contract for fine print).

Many authors (including myself) opt for a relatively small advance, which they usually sink right back into book promotion/marketing, to avoid the acid burn of worrying about earning out the advance. The advance is usually paid in halves; half upon signing the contract and the other half when they receive the completed manuscript.

Other items included in the contract are the due date and length of the manuscript, release date,
rights (electronic, domestic and foreign), revision requirements, author copies (you receive complimentary copies, usually anywhere from 10 to 50; some negotiate for more), and a myriad of other details that your agent should discuss with you. Make sure you understand everything.

Many points are negotiable and this process can last several days to several weeks. Remember, it's like buying a car - the first offer will likely be low and negotiating is actually expected. After ping-ponging a few times until points are agreed upon, the final contract is drawn up by the publisher, signed by both parties, and a copy is returned to you. The advance check will follow within a matter of weeks.

You are then put in touch with your assigned editor and begin to hash out your editing schedule and rewrites. You will be given a written and verbal synopsis of the process and expectations and then you buckle your seat belt and hit the gas on revising your manuscript.

Your editor will be hands-on at this point and will become intimately involved in your work. This will chafe at times. Sort of like a boody rash. You may differ in opinions, but choose your battles. Bear in mind he/she has been in the biz longer than you have and likely has a broader perspective of what sells and what doesn't (that means success for you in the long run).

A measure of author angst is usually involved at this stage as you hold your breath to see how your beautiful "baby" will be dissected. Sometimes an arm is detached, a foot is grafted onto a tummy, or the head is turned around backwards. But you must believe that the result will be better and even stronger than before.

This back-and-forth process between you and your editor will continue until your manuscript is spit-shined and polished to a blinding gleam. Just like your pearly whites as you smile at the incredible almost-finished product.

Stay tuned next week for the fourth stage: Proof is in the Putting

Book Contracts

So you've finished editing and polishing your book manuscript. Now you're ready to submit to a publisher (or an agent). What can you anticipate in terms of contracts?

A traditional book contract offered by a publisher includes, among other pertinent things, a date of completion, word count, rights (copyright, publishing and selling rights, editing, subsidiary etc.), royalties, advance, author copies, publicity, and noncompete rules (varies with publishing houses, but basically they want to have your undivided attention on their book, and not spreading yourself out too thin writing and marketing other books).

This type of publishing agreement offers royalties, or a percentage of payment on each book sold, e.g. a 10% royalty would net the author $1.00 on each $10.00 book sold. A hike in royalty may be offered after a certain amount of copies are sold, for example: "up to and including 15,000 copies sold=12% of net sales; over 15,000 copies sold=15% of net sales."

An advance is like an advance on your allowance as a kid. It's not free money; it's advancing your earned royalties ahead of time so you can eat during the 1-2 years average time from signing the contract until your book comes out. Average advances for first time books are $3,000 - $10,000. The sum offered is based on the amount of book sales the publisher anticipates within the first crucial 4 months after the book's release. If the advance is not earned out, the author is often required to repay the advance payment, which is why many authors choose to accept low advances.

To give you an example of how this works, my newest release, Mom Needs Chocolate, has sold almost 7,000 copies since its release four months ago and I have yet to earn out my advance. It will be a red letter day for me when I cross that invisible "success" line and begin receiving royalties.

The other type of book contract is "work for hire." This is the type of contract you will be offered for manuscripts used as part of a compilation (like a devotional by different authors), and sometimes for a complete book of your own work that is included in a collective series (books of a series written by different authors). A lump sum is paid up front and no royalties or advances are offered.

The benefits of work for hire books are that you, as an author, don't have to sweat blood over book sales - you've already received your payment and are not dependent on royalties. Also, you have your name on a quality book out there that will help build your reputation and promote your future books.

The downside is that you have no say whatsoever in work for hire book covers, content, style, or marketing, and the copyright doesn't belong to you. Plus the stigma within the industry is that work for hire books, like self-published books, are not as prestigious as traditional press contracts.

I've found that accepting work for hire book contracts occasionally is beneficial, as long as I don't use up my creativity and energies solely on books ultimately belonging to someone else.