From the Archive – What NOT to Do
Sometimes I’m amazed anyone becomes a writer any more. There are so many things to learn that generally comes down to “What Not to Do” that tend to come up only after the new writer commits the wrong. This past week I had a writer do something “wrong” and involved me in this. Yeah, this would be a pretty high up “What Not to Do”.
Lesson One: Pick your battles carefully.
Just before Christmas I found out a new small press publisher has closed their doors indefinitely. I have a story in their first (and only) anthology. They had a lot of potential but life and the economy got in the way. Instead of getting further and further in the hole, they shut down. However, they still promise to pay their writers for the anthology — even though it’s going to be very, very late.
One author was quite upset by this and became vocal. Now, I’m not happy with the delay or the loss of a potentially cool publisher, but stuff happens. And it’s only been a few months. Talk to me again six months or a year from now, my tune may change. But for now, I’m giving people the benefit of the doubt.
Lesson Two: Pick your allies even more carefully.
If the above author had had his moment of hubris and let it go, life would be good. However, he didn’t. He approached me, completely unsolicited, to aid him in his “battle” with the publisher. The only thing he knew of me was that we both had stories on the publisher’s website as “bait” to buy the anthology. He sent me a copy of the email he sent to the publisher which was written while angry and was in his own words, “unprofessional”. And yet, he wanted me to write a similar email to the publisher.
Um… no. One, I don’t send unprofessional emails to publishers. Are you crazy? This is my industry. And two, what this guy didn’t know was that I personally know — and like — both the editor of the anthology and the publisher. That would probably be a good thing to know.
Lesson Three: Never send an email/letter/text or leave a message in anger.
This should be common sense, and yet it happens all the time. We’ve all done it. I will probably do it again in the future, but not to a publisher. Not after only a relatively short time when they’ve already admitted fault. It’s not like they’ve said, “It’s in the mail.” That does tick me off. However, if I’m dealing with a publisher on a matter like this, I have at least one other person read the email AND let it sit.
Lesson Four: Never assume just because YOU are angry, everyone else is too.
Again, I’m not thrilled the press is closing and still owes money, but I’m not ticked off or even annoyed, really. They have provision for keeping the anthology available for sale. They’re not making unrealistic promises. There were extenuating circumstances. I’m all for “benefit of the doubt” for an amount of time.
Lesson Five: Golden Rule. Dude. Golden Rule.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Or “don’t be a jerk”. By getting other people involved in his fight, the only thing that happened was have more than one or two people think this guy’s a jerk. I sent the email to the publisher with a note that said I had no intention of following this guy’s lead.
This guy’s on my radar now as someone I don’t want to work with in the future if I ever edit an anthology of my own. I know he’s on the publisher’s radar, too. And this person hasn’t quite figured out that writers, editors, and publishers talk. We talk. Both good and bad, we talk. A lot.
There can be some leeway for “newbie” mistakes, but some mistakes are easier to live down than others. This one, well, this one is going to haunt him for a while.
Is it okay to go after a publisher for non-payment? Absolutely. Are there times and places for that? Absolutely. This wasn’t the time or the way. His mistake? He got others involved, and he went about it way too soon. And it’s going to cost him in the long run. Take this into account when you’re considering “What Not to Do”.