...don't even ignore 'em.
-- Samuel Goldwyn

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Aid and comfort, Publishing Division


If you aspire to be a published writer, sooner or later you must at least think about the business side of the business. This is a frustrating experience. If you find a light-emitting crack in the industry's razor-wire-topped wall, you tend to press yourself to it. I found one today, thanks to MediaBistro's GalleyCat blog. It's The Publishing Contrarian, tended by Lynne Scanlon, Publisher, Editor, Author (or as she abbreviates, P.E.A.). Her most recent post, on taking a flat fee for your book rather than an advance-against-royalties (a practice called "work-for-hire" in the writer game), has set off a puff of smoke above the NY publishing scene--nothing like thesmokinggun's James Frey fry, but worthy of stoking. I have become an instant fan of Ms. Scanlon, hereby declare her a fellow Dehyper, and will read her further heresies with gusto. Once again, you'll find her here.

Afterthought: This post now seems overwritten. Blame it on irrational exuberance.

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