Here’s what I know…

….if someone does a job for you and you get your share of the payment then it’s not unreasonable for the other person – subcontractor, writer, whatever - to get their share. Contracts are like that. We’ll take this much and give you X in return once a month or quarter as the case may be. It’s all about honour and commitment and good business principles. You can lie your arse off and tell me cheques get sent every month on the same day to every single person, without fear or favour or nationality, but you know what? If I don’t get said cheque within a certain time period, and I hear others living in the same country as the cheque sender have not got theirs and it’s time for the next cheque to come out, well then I tend to think liar, liar, pants on fire. Publishing is a business. It’s as simple as that. You may set yourself up as demi-goddesses and expect to rest on dusty, rat eaten laurels of when you were at the top of your game but all the pretence in the world is not going to cover cash flow problems. So – pony up and pay or admit you’re in deep shite and that you can’t pay your authors. That’s what I know…

Read the bloody contract....

Have I got your attention? Excellent. Contracts - specifically book contracts. I'm quite fascinated by the fact that a lot of writers don’t seem to read them properly or they just remember the bits they want to. Yes, yes, it's all selective reading and controlled by moods but it often fascinates me how many writers feel clauses do not apply to them because, well...they just don't. They apply to ‘everyone else’ or I cannot 'see that clause' or ‘your contract must be different to mine.’ Bollocks. Unless you are a well known writer and have a team of lawyers writing your contracts then 99% of the time you are going to get a standard contract that every writer for that publisher gets. Yes, sure you may be able to negotiate royalties but the rest is pretty much set in stone - so sticking your head in the sand and refusing to see clauses is just going to get you in trouble. You don’t like the contract from the publisher? Then don’t write for them. It is your right to place your work where you feel it fits best and offers the best return for your effort.

The romance writing world is a hard, tough, non-pretty business. Don’t make it any worse by electing to do dumb arsed things that go against your contract or common business practice. Not sure of a clause? Ask an expert. Don't assume...we all know where that gets you. But, as always the bottom line is it's up to the writer. Read and question - or act in haste and regret it. Am I perfect? Hell no - but I read my bloody contracts.

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