Happy Friday, everyone! I thought I’d toss out an open thread for you to ask me questions and also to let me know what topics or questions you’d like me to write about in more detail. All writing and creativity and publishing and book-related (and possibly other, if I know anything about it) stuff is fair game.
And since I know it’s been a week of scary, stressful news (my thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and all those directly impacted), here’s a quote borrowed from Terri Windling’s wonderful Myth and Moor:
"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places -- and there are so many -- where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction."
- Howard Zinn
It’s easy when you’re a creative person to fall into the trap of facing the page or whatever you’re doing and finding it feels less important in the face of things like actual war. But creating is a hopeful act, and creative work is one of the things that helps us survive — both as creators and people who read and watch and listen. Stories bring us other journeys, other emotions. And that is important. As is how we behave in our own little corners of the world. Thanks to all of you for being part of mine.
Here’s a Phoebe helpfully standing on the Match Made in Hell books. What a kittyspokesmodel!
Now, what do you want to know? Leave a comment to ask or tell. And please feel free to share and recommend Shaken & Stirred to your friends. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend.
p.s. I'll start us off with what I'm reading at the moment -- I just started Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman which is a vampire love story and really beautiful so far. And then I'm moving to an art crime book for research (for a novel, not for crime).
This is just lovely. My question is this. What art are you taking in--reading, listening, watching--that is providing comfort or solace in this scary time?
My question is about the business if publishing. Do you consult a lawyer before signing a contract? Is there something no one really talks about when people talk about writing as a busines?
Hmmm -- I don't consult a lawyer for publishing contracts, but I do have friends who consult them. Usually that's either because they use a lawyer instead of an agent (for various reasons) or if they're mostly a Hollywood writer and use an entertainment attorney. Finding an attorney who is used to publishing terminology can be a challenge. The reason I don't use one is because I have both a literary agent for YA and kids books and another for my books for adults, and they do the work of negotiating and vetting my publishing contracts. They are specialists in publishing contracts and terminology, and part of their job is looking out for their clients' best interests.
That said, I do highly recommend READING your contracts, because it's important to know what you're signing and ask if you don't understand something. But for the most part, they have done all the heavy lifting by the time I see a contract and I just read and sign it.
-- Is there something no one really talks about when people talk about writing as a business?
This question is much harder, and one I'll have to think on. I think there are lots and lots of things that you don't think to ask about and don't get talked about a lot outside of in-person conversations once you are writing for a living (or part of a living). The amount of time it can take to get paid, although we do all whine about that so... ;) And so much of your strategy as an author is unique to you and your work... Definitely there could be more talk about estate planning, because it can be a huge mess if you don't do it. But who wants to discuss death??? ;) And there's lots of other nitty gritty things like taxes and such.
Thanks for your answers! There just seems to be such an emphasis on writing, not the business of writing. I have a novel that is huge and unfinished. It's not a concern. If I am writing something for free, (in this case a comic book) should the publisher still create a contract to protect my IP?
Not legal advice, as the drinking game goes, but... Absolutely 1000 percent YES. What if a movie studio is suddenly interested? What if it becomes a runaway hit? Especially if they are not paying you up front, the terms should be in your favor for any profits. You should have a very good share in proceeds, spelled out on paper. ALWAYS have a written contract to protect your interests; the publisher who balks at giving you one is not to be trusted. One thing you can do is find people in that world to see if the terms are good or bad or normal, because publishers will absolutely give you boilerplate that is not in your best interest. Even without an agent, you can strike certain terms, negotiate, etc. before you sign.
(BTW not to imply that people who work for publishers are bad -- they are lovely! But it is also their job to make money for the publisher and think about the publisher's interests, not yours. And comics has lots of unique quirks of its own. Good luck!)
I am still bummed we never got another fantastic Young Lois Lane book from you :-( If you can, can you tell us if you were going to have Lois discover Clark's secret? What would have been your plans for our intrepid journalist and her beau? I just loved her and them so much!
Thank you! I would love to see those books turned into graphic novels and do have a proposal for book four, so who knows? Maybe someday. I wrote a snippet that takes place after book three that sets up what would happen in it as an extra. Lois would travel to Smallville and, yes, she would learn about all of Clark's secrets and protect them. Hopefully, this will be a little treat: https://www.gwendabond.com/bondgirl/2020/04/extra-extra-a-little-lois-clark-extra-to-benefit-creators4comics.html
Thank you soooo much!! I read the snippet shortly after you posted it (and many thanks to you who wrote it and the person who let you share it with the rest of us!!) And I adore it so much! I really hope you get to write that fourth book because your Lois Lane voice was what I have always visualized and it was so awesome seeing her being introduced to young readers in such a positive and inspiring femalr focused series! Maybe some day...!!!
How did you get started writing IP? Is it somethine...anyone could do, provided they had strong samples? I've seen a lot of talk about in in Twitter, but I'm still not clear. And what was the process of pitching to Audible like? What did it entail?
And are Sally, Izzy, and Puck good dogs??! Of course they are, but give them a pet for me.
Honestly...I lucked into it. The truth is there are a LOT of different ways IP comes about and I've had just about the easiest journey (I'm sorry! don't hate me!). The real thing I think a lot of people don't realize is that for the most part the main requirement for IP (especially for larger properties) is previous publication credits. Which makes sense once you know that two of the requirements for IP are being able to deliver and to deliver fast. IP deadlines are kinda nuts, because generally speaking the publication timeline is going to be much, much faster than usual. So the absolute best thing you can do if you want to write IP is write your original stories first, and then--if publishing traditionally--make sure your agent knows you'd like to. Definitely put things you'd like to write for out into places like twitter, because a lot of IP editors absolutely DO pay attention. I know a few people who've been approached after saying they wanted to write for a certain property. I have a much longer essay on my IP journey and what I've learned writing it here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/toy-stories/
I'm gonna do the second question in another comment, so this one isn't book length!
The way Youngbloods came about is kind of funny. So, of course, Kami (Garcia) and Sam (Humphries) and I became BFFs doing Creators 4 Comics together. When it was over, we really wanted an excuse to still be constantly in touch with each other via text and zoom. First, we were going to do a podcast (which we still might! we have a name and concept and topics and everything). Then, we talked about writing something together -- I had heard that Audible was buying a lot of things for their Audible Originals line, so we decided we'd come up with an idea for a novella. Cut to our very first zoom call brainstorming when we landed on the idea of doing a family story: "Succession but with a family of demons" was the short pitch version of Youngbloods. We knew immediately we'd need a series of novellas. So we put together a proposal package that outlined each of three novella-length books in broad strokes, the cast of characters, the rules of the world, and a bio for each of us. We didn't actually write a sample, which normally you would, but I think that's probably down to how many credits we had between us. We WOULD have written a few chapters, if asked at any point. Then we showed it to our agents, and Kami's agent took the lead because she had an editor contact at Audible -- our fabulous editor Rose -- and she and her team dug the project and voila. We just finished the second novella and turned it in, then on to the third. It's been a BLAST writing these together.
p.s. I'll start us off with what I'm reading at the moment -- I just started Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman which is a vampire love story and really beautiful so far. And then I'm moving to an art crime book for research (for a novel, not for crime).
This is just lovely. My question is this. What art are you taking in--reading, listening, watching--that is providing comfort or solace in this scary time?
Ghosts! And lots of romance novels!
Also yelling at Love is Blind. Which I'm about to go do. (Somebody Somewhere on HBO Max is also a big hug of show.)
Of course I live with you, so this is for the benefit of other readers. As for myself, I'm playing a lot of tabletop RPGs via virtual tables.
YOU ARE? I'm shocked to hear this, Logan Shatterstone! ;p
My question is about the business if publishing. Do you consult a lawyer before signing a contract? Is there something no one really talks about when people talk about writing as a busines?
Hmmm -- I don't consult a lawyer for publishing contracts, but I do have friends who consult them. Usually that's either because they use a lawyer instead of an agent (for various reasons) or if they're mostly a Hollywood writer and use an entertainment attorney. Finding an attorney who is used to publishing terminology can be a challenge. The reason I don't use one is because I have both a literary agent for YA and kids books and another for my books for adults, and they do the work of negotiating and vetting my publishing contracts. They are specialists in publishing contracts and terminology, and part of their job is looking out for their clients' best interests.
That said, I do highly recommend READING your contracts, because it's important to know what you're signing and ask if you don't understand something. But for the most part, they have done all the heavy lifting by the time I see a contract and I just read and sign it.
-- Is there something no one really talks about when people talk about writing as a business?
This question is much harder, and one I'll have to think on. I think there are lots and lots of things that you don't think to ask about and don't get talked about a lot outside of in-person conversations once you are writing for a living (or part of a living). The amount of time it can take to get paid, although we do all whine about that so... ;) And so much of your strategy as an author is unique to you and your work... Definitely there could be more talk about estate planning, because it can be a huge mess if you don't do it. But who wants to discuss death??? ;) And there's lots of other nitty gritty things like taxes and such.
Thanks for your answers! There just seems to be such an emphasis on writing, not the business of writing. I have a novel that is huge and unfinished. It's not a concern. If I am writing something for free, (in this case a comic book) should the publisher still create a contract to protect my IP?
Not legal advice, as the drinking game goes, but... Absolutely 1000 percent YES. What if a movie studio is suddenly interested? What if it becomes a runaway hit? Especially if they are not paying you up front, the terms should be in your favor for any profits. You should have a very good share in proceeds, spelled out on paper. ALWAYS have a written contract to protect your interests; the publisher who balks at giving you one is not to be trusted. One thing you can do is find people in that world to see if the terms are good or bad or normal, because publishers will absolutely give you boilerplate that is not in your best interest. Even without an agent, you can strike certain terms, negotiate, etc. before you sign.
(BTW not to imply that people who work for publishers are bad -- they are lovely! But it is also their job to make money for the publisher and think about the publisher's interests, not yours. And comics has lots of unique quirks of its own. Good luck!)
My question is HI PHOEBE CAN I PET PHOEBE?
Phoebe loves pats, so she says DEFINITELY YES.
Yay!!
I am still bummed we never got another fantastic Young Lois Lane book from you :-( If you can, can you tell us if you were going to have Lois discover Clark's secret? What would have been your plans for our intrepid journalist and her beau? I just loved her and them so much!
Thank you! I would love to see those books turned into graphic novels and do have a proposal for book four, so who knows? Maybe someday. I wrote a snippet that takes place after book three that sets up what would happen in it as an extra. Lois would travel to Smallville and, yes, she would learn about all of Clark's secrets and protect them. Hopefully, this will be a little treat: https://www.gwendabond.com/bondgirl/2020/04/extra-extra-a-little-lois-clark-extra-to-benefit-creators4comics.html
Thank you soooo much!! I read the snippet shortly after you posted it (and many thanks to you who wrote it and the person who let you share it with the rest of us!!) And I adore it so much! I really hope you get to write that fourth book because your Lois Lane voice was what I have always visualized and it was so awesome seeing her being introduced to young readers in such a positive and inspiring femalr focused series! Maybe some day...!!!
How did you get started writing IP? Is it somethine...anyone could do, provided they had strong samples? I've seen a lot of talk about in in Twitter, but I'm still not clear. And what was the process of pitching to Audible like? What did it entail?
And are Sally, Izzy, and Puck good dogs??! Of course they are, but give them a pet for me.
Honestly...I lucked into it. The truth is there are a LOT of different ways IP comes about and I've had just about the easiest journey (I'm sorry! don't hate me!). The real thing I think a lot of people don't realize is that for the most part the main requirement for IP (especially for larger properties) is previous publication credits. Which makes sense once you know that two of the requirements for IP are being able to deliver and to deliver fast. IP deadlines are kinda nuts, because generally speaking the publication timeline is going to be much, much faster than usual. So the absolute best thing you can do if you want to write IP is write your original stories first, and then--if publishing traditionally--make sure your agent knows you'd like to. Definitely put things you'd like to write for out into places like twitter, because a lot of IP editors absolutely DO pay attention. I know a few people who've been approached after saying they wanted to write for a certain property. I have a much longer essay on my IP journey and what I've learned writing it here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/toy-stories/
I'm gonna do the second question in another comment, so this one isn't book length!
The way Youngbloods came about is kind of funny. So, of course, Kami (Garcia) and Sam (Humphries) and I became BFFs doing Creators 4 Comics together. When it was over, we really wanted an excuse to still be constantly in touch with each other via text and zoom. First, we were going to do a podcast (which we still might! we have a name and concept and topics and everything). Then, we talked about writing something together -- I had heard that Audible was buying a lot of things for their Audible Originals line, so we decided we'd come up with an idea for a novella. Cut to our very first zoom call brainstorming when we landed on the idea of doing a family story: "Succession but with a family of demons" was the short pitch version of Youngbloods. We knew immediately we'd need a series of novellas. So we put together a proposal package that outlined each of three novella-length books in broad strokes, the cast of characters, the rules of the world, and a bio for each of us. We didn't actually write a sample, which normally you would, but I think that's probably down to how many credits we had between us. We WOULD have written a few chapters, if asked at any point. Then we showed it to our agents, and Kami's agent took the lead because she had an editor contact at Audible -- our fabulous editor Rose -- and she and her team dug the project and voila. We just finished the second novella and turned it in, then on to the third. It's been a BLAST writing these together.
I have told them all they are very good dogs!