Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

If you don’t know what a QR code is, scroll down to the end of this post to take a peek. QR (which stands for “quick response”) codes are ubiquitous–on food packaging, on clothing tags, in ads, etc. The codes might provide recipes that use the food item you’ve just purchased or ways to tie the scarf you’re considering buying or a video about the car pictured in an ad.

I’ll suggest some ways authors can use QR codes in a minute, but first I’ll explain how they work. (If you already know, just move on down to the numbered items.) The codes are two-dimensional, which means they can carry much more information than the one-dimensional bar code. QRs are designed to be used with smartphones by scanning the code with the phone’s camera. The phone’s software interprets the information and takes the user to a spot  on the Internet.

Android phones have built in QR code readers, but other smartphone users can download an app for their phones to read the codes. CBA Retailers + Resource Magazine in its November 2011 issue, indicated that 40% of all mobile phones in the U.S. are smartphones, and by 2015 more smartphones will be owned than other mobile phones. The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that the majority of  Americans research online items they’re considering purchasing. InsightExpress’s study reveals that 82% of shoppers already use their phones in some way before purchasing.

For all these reasons, it makes sense for authors to think about how they might use QR codes. Here are a few suggestions to get your creativity going:

1. On your business card. When you hand someone your business card, you could be handing them quick and efficient access to your website. You don’t need to put your web address on your card, which the user would have to type in (correctly, which is a challenge for some of us). Or you could send someone to your blog, if you want to show off your writing.

2. On your proposals. Picture a publishing committee meeting. There’s the conference room, the conference table, the decisionmakers–and lots of laptops. As the editor presents your project, everyone’s fingers are flying on keyboards. Your website is checked out; your presence on Twitter; what’s going on for you on Facebook; a quick trip to Amazon to check out your previous books and where they stand in the rankings.

Now picture this: You put a QR code on your proposal that takes the reader to your website; or you have a (short!) video of you speaking that shows off how adept you are in front of an audience or a video during you give your pitch for the project being considered. That way the committee gets to meet not only your project but also you.

3. To reach your readers. Ask your publisher to put a QR code in your book that leads the reader to a brief video of you introducing the book (and yourself). Or a QR code to an online readers’ discussion guide.

4. To sell other books. Add a QR code to a bookmark that contains all of your titles or all of the books in a series. Since reviews often help a reader to decide to buy a book, why not establish a page of reviews (or segments of reviews, to keep it short) on your website and create a code to take readers there.

The possibilities are almost limitless. And creating codes is easy. Just google “QR code,” and you’ll be taken to a variety of sites from which you can create the codes.

What ways can you think of  to use a QR code?

And, now, just for fun, here’s a QR code that takes you to a photo of our agency staff, including our newest addition, Rachelle Gardner.

P.S. For those of you used to the rhythms of our blog posts, you’ll expect to read more from me tomorrow and Friday. But we’re trying a new rhythm of three blogs from one writer followed by two blogs from another contributor.  So tomorrow and Friday you’ll meet up with Wendy Lawton here. We’re experimenting with this new arrangement for several weeks, and we’d love to hear what you think of the change as it rolls out. Plus we’ve added Rachelle Gardner to the writing schedule as well, starting on Feb. 13; so she’s a new voice on our blog that we know you’re gonna love.

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Pretty much everyone just wants to be liked, right? Why, we’ve all taken to heart one sentence from Sally Fields’ earnest Academy-Award acceptance speech: “You like me, you really like me.”

But authors seem especially prone to need to know that they’re not only liked but also respected by the publishing industry. Which points to one of the reasons authors forgo the option of self-publishing. They want to be able to say, “My publisher likes me, really likes me.”

But I was reminded of how compelling that need is when I read a recent Wall Street Journal article about Darcie Chan, who crafted a hit, self-published novel. The Mill River Recluse is her debut novel and has sold more than 400,000 copies–in seven months. According to the WSJ article, she’s receiving offers from foreign imprints, movie studios and audio-book publishers–without having  sold a single physical copy of her book. And that’s the big rub for Chan.

Ms. Chan craves for one event to occur in her writing career that so far has eluded her: She wants a traditional publisher to produce a book–a physical book–Chan has written. Despite six film studios inquiring about movie rights and two foreign publishers bidding on the book, Chan “is holding off on such deals, for fear they might sabotage a potential contract with a domestic publisher,” according to WSJ.

“I have people writing me begging me for a hard copy,” she says, “book clubs and libraries calling me, and I don’t have a hard copy to provide for them.”

Chan is working on her second novel and hopes a traditional publisher will phone one day to say, “We like you, we really like you.”

As I read about Chan, I experienced a raft of responses. Here’s a short list:

• Obviously, this intense longing for a publisher to produce a physical book isn’t just about having a hard copy. It’s much more about Chan’s desire to have the traditional publishing experience. She wants a professional editor to work with her on her book and for her book to be available in bookstores and libraries. Yes, she could create a physical book, but it wouldn’t be the same, would it?
• Chan recognizes that a traditional publisher brings to bear certain elements the author can’t provide: Distribution to retail venues, placement in libraries, a marketing plan, an editorial eye, and a team of publishing professionals all focused on how to make her book a success.
• The desire for “legitimacy” can blind a person to the shortcomings of going the traditional route. I’m sure several traditionally-published authors reading this blog post are groaning over how much they wish they could say their book had sold 400,000 copies.
• Other self-published authors are gloating over how much money they’re making and how many fans they have. They feel plenty affirmed by their readers.
• But, really, Darcie Chan is like all of us, including me–she has a set idea of how to know if she’s really liked–and she hasn’t experienced that yet.

What’s your response to Chan’s saga?

Now, here’s the hard part, thinking about how this applies to you.

• What is the most affirming event that could occur for you, as a writer? To win a certain award (aka Sally Fields)? To sell a certain number of copies of your book? To get a multi-book contract? To hit a best-seller list (would any list do, or would it have to a specific list)?
• What might you sacrifice to achieve your goal? Might you, like Chan, put film options and audio versions on hold so as not to hurt your chances of making your goal? (Be honest!)
• How do you handle the disappointments this heartbreaking industry has handed you?
• How do you keep belief in your abilities going strong?

Location: Books & Such Midwest Office, Illinois

A killer title for your book can make the difference between an editor taking a serious look at your proposal or not at all. It’s the all-important first impression. If your title can capture agent and editor attention, the perception is that the first pages of your manuscript might deliver on the title’s promise. Here are a few suggestions to help you zero in on a great title.

• Promise Something (for nonfiction projects)
  
  • One Month to Live: 30 Days to a No-Regrets Life
  • One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
• Intriguing One or Two Words
  • Moneyball (about how the Oakland Athletics built a successful team with one of the smallest payrolls in baseball). Michael Lewis brilliantly combined the subject of the book (the Oakland Athletics) with the specific topic (building a lucrative team from minimal resources) using a familiar game idea for the title.
  • Blink (how instincts work in your mind) – Malcolm Gladwell found a perfect word that describes how instantaneously our gut-level hunches come to mind and the importance of paying attention to them.
• A Potent Phrase or Place
  • The Devil in the White City (how an architect and a serial killer were linked by the World’s Fair of 1893). A powerful descriptor of the psychopath in contrast to Chicago, the city filled with new hope, employment, and preparations for the World’s Fair.
• Adapt a Familiar Phrase or Scripture
  • In the Still of the Night (about the strange death of Ronda Reynolds and her mother’s tireless search for the truth). True-crime author Ann Rule paints the picture of what really happened on the night Ronda Reynolds supposedly committed suicide.
  • Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God. Mark Batterson used a familiar phrase, “wild goose chase” that also has another meaning. Wild Goose is his name for the Holy Spirit, and the name hints at mystery…and adventure. Perfect.
• Incongruous Words or Phrases
  • Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. Francis Chan contrasted the “crazy” thought that the God of the universe loves us with a relentless love in a powerful, two-word title.
  • In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. How we think we’ve been in the wrong places at the wrong times might actually have been the right places at the right times according to God’s positioning. Mark Batterson thought of a great word picture to describe this contrast.
•  A Key Phrase from within the Story
  • Pearl in the Sand (the fictional story of Rahab). The phrase doesn’t appear until the last part of the story. But in so doing, the reader not only finally understands where the title came from but also gains deeper meaning into the imagery of finding a beautiful pearl in commonplace sandy surroundings.

In what ways do these tips and examples prompt ideas for your WIP? What additional tips can you offer that have been successful for you in coming up with killer titles? Or tell us what titles you’ve seen that you consider stellar.

Location: Books & Such Midwest Office, Illinois

As we concentrate on positive outlooks, this week, let’s tackle our persistence barometer. Some people just seem to have a sunny disposition no matter what life throws at them. For the rest of us, especially those with a melancholy temperament, it can require a lot of effort. We have the assurance: Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). But acting on it takes persistence.

You can employ some practical exercises to help check yourself when you encounter discouragement over a rejection letter or your book’s low sales numbers. First, appropriate the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.

• You have been waiting . . . forever . . . for a reply from an agent or editor. Being ready with a little self-talk to recall all the positive evaluations from your critique partners might be enough to balance negative news and counter the impending gloom.

• Be prepared to have a positive perspective. Don’t assume the only reason you haven’t received a response from an agent or editor is because your proposal was quickly dismissed. It could be that she is giving it a thorough review with the intent of offering constructive feedback. There are a number of those proposals on my desk right now.

It is realistic to expect you’ll have disappointments. In her book Bird by Bird, veteran author Anne Lamott describes an experience with her editor, who rejected one of Anne’s manuscripts three times. But Anne persisted in taking his feedback and returning to him with revisions until he finally accepted it.

If you receive a rejection from an editor without any comments, it is okay to request feedback. I know some editors don’t initially offer their reaction because they feel their opinion is subjective and another editor might love your manuscript. And editors can’t give feedback on every rejected project; they’d never accomplish everything else on their massive to-do lists; so graciously accept an “I can’t” response.

If you do receive feedback, look at it as constructive criticism not as a critical review. It is also possible that the rejection has nothing to do with the quality of your work, but only that the publishing house already had contracted a book similar to yours.

A persistent faith plus persistent improving of your craft will yield a positive outlook that your dreams of being a successful author will become reality. I have a Post-It note on my computer monitor that’s a definition of dreams Cynthia Herron wrote in a comment to a recent blog: “Dreams (are) something beyond the scope of the tangible but completely possible with the One who moves mountains.”

What do you do to stay positive about your writing and your publishing dreams?

Blogger: Wendy Lawton

Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office, CA

If you keep up with the conversation on publishing you’ve probably already heard that the sky is falling and traditional publishing stands smack in the middle of the fallout zone.

We’ve all read the commentary. Traditional publishing will crumble by the next decade. Literary agents will follow. Soon brick-and-mortar bookstores will be as hard to find as blacksmith shops. Forget slush piles, publishing committees, acquisition editors and gatekeepers. Because of do-it-yourself publishing and direct-to-reader distribution the doors of the once tightly closed enclave of publishing have been thrown wide open. According to the doomsday prophets, those who’ve been inside the enclave– publishers, agents, contracted authors, publicists– are all living on borrowed time. Our days are numbered.

Doomsday prophecies are historically unreliable. Before we draw the curtain on a venerable industry let’s look at what we know to be true and what we recognize as hyperbole. This week I’m going to indulge in a few predictions of my own. Today we’ll talk generally about the change in publishing. Tomorrow we’ll explore what that may mean for traditional publishers. Wednesday, I’ll look at my own profession and predict what the changes may mean for literary agents. On Thursday we’ll talk about what these changes mean for writers and on Friday we’ll look at traditional bookstores and the distribution chain.

So is the sky falling?

No. It’s not even wobbling. Change is happening– profound change– but change can be a good thing. John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

In part, here’s what we do know:

• With the advent of do-it-yourself ebooks ANYone can publish ANYthing and make it available to readers through a number of distribution services. The DIY ebook evangelists are positively gleeful about this new open access. One commentator–Richard Smith, an advocate for open access in the science arena– wrote a piece comparing traditional publishers to slave owners and open access proponents to abolitionists. That kind of over the top attitude seems to have grown out of deep frustration over the difficulty of getting an agent and/or getting a traditional book contract. It’s not so different from the excitement of would-be filmmakers and actors to the access afforded by sites like YouTube.
• Traditional publishers are embracing the ebook revolution as well with great success. Sales for many traditionally published authors are growing because of ebooks.
• Agents’ roles are changing. Those who were primarily dealmakers are having to rethink their way of doing business. Career management and holistic book management are becoming more important than ever.
• Some agents have become ebook publishers as well as literary agents, raising the question of potential conflict of interest.
• New businesses are springing up, like small ebook-only publishers, ebook formatters, freelance editing services that cater to DIY authors and ebook graphic design services
• Amazon grows bigger with every passing month, moving from their early years as an innovative online bookstore to the premiere ebook distribution service to a self-publishing (both ebook and print book ) press to their newest incarnation, an aggressive full service publisher who pays advances and works with agents (effectively competing for authors with the very publishers who were once their valued vendors).
• Many traditionally published authors are anxious to jump on the DIY ebook opportunities with out-of-print books or books specifically written for ebooks. This has caused a number of wrinkles–some small, others potentially fatal to traditional careers. Some have had some financial success with this but many can’t seem to figure out how to drive readers to these books.
• The sheer avalanche of ebooks books and the unevenness of quality is creating confusion among readers.

Those are just a few of the changes. Several have likened this change in the world of publishing to the cataclysmic Industrial Revolution. It turned everything upside down but fortunes were made. The likes of the Rockefellers, Astors, Goulds, Carnegies and Vanderbilts all came out of that transformative period. This week we’ll explore some of the changes and I’ll stick my neck out with some predictions.

I’d love for you to chime in as well. Are you up for any predictions?  What changes have I missed? What’s the best thing about this revolution? What worries you the most?

Location: Monterey, Calif., planning our Books & Such clients’ retreat

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how important it is for an author to understand the culture of a publishing house or the culture of a literary agency. What do I mean by culture?

I’m not talking about Beethoven or a fine wine. I’m talking about what distinguishes one publisher from another or one literary agency from another. It’s not that entity’s business plan or even its employees that form the culture. It’s who that company is.

People who happily work at one publishing house would languish in a pool of despond at another. Agents who function as a unit in one agency would be odd man out  in a different agency. The culture of a company is what makes the difference.

As I think about various publishing houses I’ve worked with, I can identify their culture, even though it never has been explained to me. One publisher has a culture of disrespect for authors. Phone calls aren’t returned, authors languish in need of attention, contracted manuscripts aren’t read on a timely basis, employees are indifferent to authors’ opinions of titles and covers. What makes this a culture isn’t that one or two employees behave this way, but almost every employee does. And they enjoy working in the environment that publisher has created; it works for them. They’re a laid back and relaxed group of people.

Another publisher has a culture that I would describe as not only respectful to authors but also as seeing the authors as family members. Once you’re published by this publisher, the employees feel a significant responsibility to see your material sell well. If it doesn’t, the employees contemplate what they could do differently to make the material work–recover the project, retitle it, let it rest for a season and then come back at selling it again. As is true for the other publisher, the employees here tend to stay for many years, happy in their jobs and the expectations the publisher has of them.

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BREAKING NEWS. After writing this post, I learned that HarperCollins has purchased Thomas Nelson Publishing, causing the potential for huge culture clash between its three Christian divisions: Zondervan, Thomas Nelson and HarperOne. See my comment below.

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Literary agencies have cultures as well. One agency might label itself as the “premiere” agency, basing its identity on the number of best-sellers it has represented. Its culture is to sell each project for the highest dollar that can be squeezed out of a publisher and then to move on to another publisher if those significant advances aren’t earned back. The idea is to make as much money for the author and for the agency on every project without thought to the long-term affect.

Another agency might concentrate on the long haul for each client and be more invested in building a career by working toward increased advances that both the publisher and the author believe are highly likely to earn out. That results in a win-win situation, with the author staying at the same publishing house for a long time and living off of both advances and royalties rather than just advances.

See what I mean? An editor could work happily at one publishing house and be in a slough of depression at another if the culture doesn’t match. And an agent could work productively at one agency and be viewed as a failure at the other because the agent’s work style doesn’t match the agency’s culture.

What does that mean for you as a writer? When you consider publishing houses and agents you submit your work to, ask yourself what kind of culture do you want to be a part of. There is no one right answer. Some writers long to be with an agency that is considered a “shark.” Others want to be in an agency that takes a longer view of a writer’s career.

For the record, Books &  Such is the latter type  of agency. We’re all about career planning, wanting each book to earn back its advance, and creating a family environment among our clients. As a matter of fact, today I’m in Monterey working with the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa event coordinator and Wendy Lawton to map out our bi-annual retreat for our clients. Our “culture” is to bring our clients together so they get to know each other, learn from each  other, and help one another to figure out how to map a way forward in the increasingly complex jungle of publishing. Many other agencies would never bring their clients together; that isn’t their culture. The agents in those agencies tend to be competitive rather than collaborative, and they want to see that same spirit reflected in their clients.

Over the years of working at various publishers, I  learned what type of culture suited me and what type imprisoned me. When I went to job interviews, I figured out what kinds of questions to ask that helped me to understand that employer’s culture. I didn’t always read the signs correctly, but I learned from my mistakes as well as from the choices that put me in happy places.

Here are some of the questions I asked (altered slighted to apply to writers) that could help you to determine the culture of a publishing house or an agency:

• Do you see your workplace as hierarchial, collegial, or highly individualistic?
• When the staff have meetings, what form do those meetings take–give-and-take; dispensing information from key sources; or reporting on results?
• How do you involve authors in decisions on their projects such as titles, covers and marketing?
• In what ways do you plan with authors to help them to grow their careers?
• When an author publishes with you, do you view the contract as we’ll-see-how-this-goes-and-then-decide-what-to-do, or do you look for authors you think could publish with you long-term?

You’ve probably had some culture shock experiences of your own. If so, what did you learn to look for in future relationships?

If you’re looking to form those publishing relationships, what questions have you found insightful to ask?

Location: Books & Such Midwest Office, IL

It’s Friday, the sun is shining in my window here in the Midwest, and I’m counting our blessings. Today’s post will focus on the exciting possibilities in our brave, new publishing world.

I turned a corner this week. I’ve been a hold-out, one of those lovers of holding a printed book in my hand, reluctant to switch over to the techie method of reading. After all, it just doesn’t feel the same to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and my . . . electronic reader.

Then came a momentary pause for reflection. In researching for this week’s blogs, I was reminded of the Industrial Revolution. Even though it began out of the urgent need for economic development and independence, I wondered how much push-back to change occurred as manufacturing shifted from handmade production to machine and factory production. Thanks to creative industrial visionaries and inventors who pressed on to meet the needs of the day, America’s economy grew, and our country no longer had to rely on Britain for goods and supplies. Today we continue to be the grateful economic beneficiaries.

It’s time for hold-outs everywhere to embrace e-publishing. It’s a great time for authors! Here are a few of the exciting opportunities. Chime in with more as you think of them.

• You are no longer at the mercy of traditional publishers’ acceptance or rejection of your books.
• Nonfiction authors don’t have to wait until their platform can compete with big name authors, but they can be published now. A successful e-book or two can be the very thing that propels a platform’s growth.
• If an e-book sells well and garners lots of buzz, it may attract a traditional publisher to offer a print contract.
• Published authors have a means to re-release out-of-print backlist titles. (Lots of buzz about this one and its pros and cons!)
• Although priced lower than the price point of a print version, the impressive growth of e-book sales measured against diminishing print sales may result in greater royalty earnings.
• Quick e-book translation services are popping up, creating the opportunity for your e-book to be readily available worldwide, which then creates…
• Opportunity for broader ministry reach for the Christian message woven in your book.

Note: I’d be remiss if I didn’t caution you to choose an e-book publisher wisely. Do your homework. Thoroughly research the publisher and don’t simply trust their testimonials. Understand the implications of the contract’s wording.

And don’t view e-publishing as the ultimate solution to your publishing and financial woes. A book that didn’t capture a publisher’s attention might  have been inherently flawed and won’t captivate e-book readers either.

If you don’t have an agent to handle this process for you, it’s worth the expense up front to have a lawyer, experienced with publishing contracts, review it and advise you before you sign.

In no way do I mean to diminish the importance of traditional publishers. But while we wait for them to adjust their business models, published and unpublished authors have exciting e-publishing opportunities available to you.

Which of the opportunities listed are most interesting and applicable to you right now?

How does your outlook toward e-book publishing change as you consider the opportunities?

Can you think of additional opportunities and potential? What are the disadvantages?

Location: Books & Such Midwest Office: IL

The continuous evolution of e-book publishing and its surrounding causes and effects warrant occasional updates. What do the latest shifts mean for authors and publishers? Here are two newsworthy comments:

• As of its post on May 2011, Amazon now sells more e-books than print books, according to Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO. They were hoping for this but never expected it to happen in less than four years.
• Steve Haber, president of Sony’s digital reading unit, predicted in 2007 that it would take ten years for e-books to outsell paper books. Last year he said, “Three years ago, I said within ten years but I realized that was wrong – it’s within five.” I’ve seen several other quotes that corroborate his revised estimate.

When charting new waters, it’s to be expected that there will be some reluctance, maybe even distrust, and that certainly  has been true with e-books. For example, authors generally are disappointed in the 25 percent royalty rate that has become the standard in the industry for e-book sales. Perceptions are that publishers are unfairly claiming the bulk of savings in creating e-books rather than print books.

But wait, the publishers see the situation differently. Brian Murray, CEO of Harper Collins, is quoted on TheBookseller.com: “When we looked at our print royalties, we saw they averaged about 16%-18% so we knew we could afford to pay a higher royalty rate [for e-books]. That was almost a 40 percent increase in the royalty rate. There is a lot we can do to give readers additional value, such as enhanced e-books. Because they sell for a higher price that is, in turn, going to raise the pay for authors.”

A lot of authors would argue with Mr. Murray’s perspective, and publishers are under pressure by agents to increase the e-book royalty rates. It’s all a roller coaster.

Rachel Kent posted an important series of blogs last week about putting the C (Christian) back in CBA. As Christian publishers: 1) observe the effect Amazon Publishing may cause for ABA publishers (which I wrote about in yesterday’s post); 2) respond to the competition with independent e-book publishers (55 such publishers listed in a Google search but surely more than that exist); and 3) uphold Christian ethics, I trust they will be motivated to make deals that are a win-win for both parties. Christian publishers are rushing to find a model that will keep them profitable through several waves of change taking place simultaneously, while also attracting—and retaining—authors. We look forward to that happening. They are the guardians that ensure the Christian message is told.

The thing that remains the same is the content. While the delivery method continues to evolve, great writing will always be in demand. Keep growing and writing great books, and you will have increasing options to get them out to readers.

How do you feel about the 25 percent royalty rate for e-book sales?

Have you signed a contract that has a higher or lower rate? (Don’t give the name of the publisher or disclose any contractual terms that are proprietary!)

In your dreams, do you still see your next published book in a print version?

Location: Books & Such Midwest Office, IL

With the multitude of self-publishing, print-on-demand, and new publisher options available, writers need to be alert when pursuing these options on their own. With each new “invention” comes new ways of doing business. Some provide a good opportunity for authors; some could be potentially dangerous.

I recently researched a new, general market niche publisher that appeared to be a good fit for a client’s book and submitted the proposal. Two months later, after not receiving a reply, I followed up. Apparently in the intervening months, the business model had been refined, shall we say. The reply came from a different person who directed that all proposals be submitted via a link on their website, which he provided, because authors were now required to consent to their submissions agreement.

An experienced eye could see that the new submission process itself was questionable. But the agreement set off alarm bells. Included in the complex legalese of one of the clauses was wording that suggested the publisher would have creative rights to use the author’s idea as their own. Add to that, the pleasant wording on the link proclaimed that this agreement extended itself to proposals submitted before the existence of the agreement. Huh?

There may or may not have been a deliberate attempt to look through submissions to use the ideas in ways the proposals’ authors never intended. I’m not making a judgment or accusation. But the wording certainly opened the door to the possibility. The agreement, together with the dubious submission process, was enough reason for me to reply in clear and broad legalese, disallowing use of my client’s creative idea and withdrawing the proposal from the publisher’s consideration.

Further, note that the initial link and following screens were directed specifically to authors, not agents. Was this to pull in trusting writers? Who knows. But beware of what you may be getting into when going it alone. More now than in years past, it takes an experienced eye to pick up on subtleties of complex wording, business models, and practices.

Acquiring an agent is a wise career move. Choosing a self-publisher with a clearly worded contract, fair and balanced for both parties, is essential. If you hire an attorney to review the contract before signing it, be sure he or she is experienced with publishing contracts and the publishing industry in general.

At what point in this scenario do you think you would have become wary? Do you think you are familiar enough with legal language that you would have picked up on the cause for concern in this agreement? Would you have questioned that the submission link was addressed to authors, not authors and agents?

Have you experienced or heard of other questionable practices in publishing that seem devised to take advantage of the unwary?