I Still Have Most Of My Organs, Actually

[ursulav]

So there’s this publishing horror story making the rounds the last few days-the saga of Mandy DeGeit, who submitted a short story to a small press that did anthologies and discovered that it was published with a whole lot of changes, including animal abuse, which she never saw, never okayed, and never had an inkling of until the bizillion copies

Comments

small request?

[frieliegh]

please don't delete it? I want to send a few people here, and I'd hate to send them and have them find the scorched earth of a fireballed thread. =( If someone really annoys you, maybe let them know "YOU are why this thread is now locked." and lock it?

Re: small request?

[ursulav]

Nah, I'd just kill the comment thread attached, not the piece and not the main body of comments. Direct people without fear!

[hyperchinchilla]

'The plural of “anecdote” is not “data” '

This phrase needs to go viral, and be added to the FAQ of every Internet message board ever created. Hell, I'd buy the tshirt, and I don't wear tshirts.

[ursulav]

*laugh* I claim no credit for it--I think it's been floating around for awhile.

[ursulav]

I have always said that the editor is the person who keeps you from embarrassing yourself in front of the reader. (I remember the very first manuscript I had edited, and the number of times the eye color of the main character changed. I still blush a little over that.)

[bunnyjadwiga]

I've always wanted an editor, of the sort that professional writers always talk about.

[gabyrippling]

As a law student, I'd like to express how important it is to have a lawyer look over and explain terms in a contract like "edit" and what damages or remedy one might be entitled to in this sort of situation, especially for fledglings. Because I'm almost certain that Ms. DeGeit has some remedy she could utilize beyond just cutting off her business with the publisher (probably the publisher losing exclusive rights, which is probably why he immediately gave them up, knowing he was in the wrong but loath to actually admit it; but she could be entitled to an injunction of the work in its entirety in the right court...). I know a lot of people think lawyers are horrible bloodsuckers who just waste people's time and money, but it's these situations that lawyers are there to prepare one against. An ounce of prevention and all. And there are some good non-profits that specialize in artists - I don't know about the Canadian market, but in NYC there's Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (which I understand has been emulated in many states). Just

[ursulav]

My agent, as part of "How She Earns That 15% That She Totally Totally Deserves And Seriously, I'd Pay Her More But Other Agents Would Consider That Dubious," keeps a contract lawyer on hand who vets all our contracts.

Of course, it still means I'm trusting my agent to agree to a good contract, but if you can't trust the agent, you're in trouble anyhow!

[gabyrippling]

Yeah, generally agents are the ones in contact with good contract lawyers because they have the relevant connections (since artists generally don't have the time or means to vet a good lawyer). Having an agent you trust is very important. But I was more just talking about for fledglings who don't even have proper agents yet. Ideally that's the first step, but it seems like Ms. DeGeit didn't have one which was unfortunate, obviously. At the very least they can act as a safety net and second opinion (and ideally, they work as an excellent ultra-extension of yourself the way I've read yours does).

(PS: I'm a lurker, but I love your blog. As a strongly arts-interested law student with heavy nerd leanings, it's always a pleasure)

[orv]

After watching Dana's past struggles with Plan 9 Publishing, my one bit of cautionary advice about small presses is when you hear "we haven't shipped because we're having trouble with our suppliers" mentally fill in "we're broke and haven't paid our suppliers for three months, so they're not giving us any more stock."