Thursday, September 14, 2006

Q & A 85


So will people who's work your using to make money from be compensated?

To create a blog under the pretext of providing advice out of the goodness of your heart and then turning into profit for yourself is unethical.

Shame on you.

Whoa pal. Show me anywhere in any post in the history of this blog where Evil Editor gave the pretext that he was providing advice. Go read How Evil Editor's Blog Works, you'll see EE's sole purpose is to entertain. The advice comes from the minions in their comments. I will, however, break tradition and give you some advice:

1. Change "who's work your using" to "whose work you're using."
2. Delete the word "from."
3. Between "turning" and "into" place "it" or "that."
4. Change "unethical" to "unlikely."

No charge for the editorial service.

Of course, if you are volunteering to provide the costs of printing, binding, cover design, editing, ISBN number, barcode, interior artwork, and shipping, you are welcome to all of the profits, which you may use to pay the 200 contributors their royalties. Let's see, an author generally gets about six percent of the cover price, which would be sixty cents if the book costs $10. Now we divide that 180 ways, as we have about 180 contributors. So everyone gets a third of a cent. If we sell three hundred copies, everyone gets a dollar. How many of you can imagine Evil Editor writing 180 checks for $1.00, placing them in envelopes, addressing them, and stamping them at .42 each (more for the Canadian, British, Australian etc. contributors)?

I don't see a lot of hands raised.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like this guy just received a reality check, signed by EE.

As one of the willing and aware potential contributors to this not for profit anthology, I also resent the implication that I'm dumb as a bag of hammers for "falling for it."

Anonymous said...

You mean I am not going to get rich from EE publishing my not-ready-for-prime-time first 150 words that have already been changed??

I'm shocked. Truly.

Word Veri: jhukhnd
(a good name for the dweeb who thinks he or she needs to leap to any minion's defense)

merper said...

Don't lie EE. I've already heard about the movie deal you signed with Paramount for the book.

PS. That would actually be a really funny movie - series of sketches rather. You should look into it

KV said...

Hmmm --

Does this person expect our little beginnings book to become a best seller?

I rather thought EE was being overly generous in offering to put our words into book form. Whoever wrote this obviously is not true to the spirit of being a part of this project.

Doesn't sound like any of the minions who have commented here in the past, does it?


Kathy

kaolin fire said...

I'm happy to volunteer for cover design if nobody more qualified (or more enthusiastic, or more entertaining) steps in. I do some freelance work in that field with an ebook company. I'd also be happy to contribute some interior artwork, if it came to that. And hey, the longer this project takes, the better I'd be. ;)

Hmm. I really need to update my portfolio.

Anonymous said...

Evil Editor is asking people to sign a contract. It's not like he's putting things on the blog then says "oops I forgot to mention this gets published."

It's all on a voluntary basis.

Stacia said...

Aaaw, and here I thought this was going to be my big break...

Anonymous said...

Who is he EE? Just tell me where he lives. I'll personally go kick his ass. -JTC

P.S. If the dumbass happens to be reading this -let's dance, mf!

Anonymous said...

Just for more reality checks - I have stories in several print anthologies and another one in the works. Just for the record, I never receive compensation for these. If there are profits - a big *if* with anthologies - they go to charities. But usually, they almost cover costs.

What they do provide me is additional print outlets for stories, especially reprints. I write only short stories (sorry - you won't see my queries or first pages as I don't write in the novel form) so I usually place my work in magazines. But I love having a little something on the bookshelf with my name in it somewhere, so I happily contribute when invited.

I am delighted to be a part of EE's endeavor. This is the funniest and most entertaining site I know of, and I am so thrilled to be a part of Novel Twists.

We are a lucky bunch, minions. I can't wait to put *this* credit on my website!

Inkmandoo said...

In the spirit of any publicity is good publicity, any byline is a good byline - especially in a real book. It will be real won't it?

Maybe if it sells well EE will up the ante to 1/3 cent per word! Fifty cents each.

Or maybe the minions can chip in $.50 to defray costs.

hydtff? What rejections get you.

RainSplats said...

EE's profits will come later. EE will wait for the minion to become a famous published author. Then EE will force the author to buy back his rights or suffer the humiliation of having his first 150 crappy words reprinted for the whole world to see.

Blackmail--it's tax free!

writtenwyrdd said...

I cannot see how the guy thinks we are being exploited by you, EE, considering you asked for permissions.

Anonymous said...

In case I offended anyone's sensibilities my previous post was meant to be an over-the-top humorous response to what I considered an over-the-top humorous Q&A.

Was that actually a serious question (read acusation)? -JTC

Anonymous said...

Kick his ass, Seabass!

Anonymous said...

When someone asked me if I was getting any money out of this, I told them I was getting the same money I would if I had won a poetry contest and had my poem published in a collection. When they asked how much that was, I just laughed.

I wrote about a hundred words. I rattled them off in about a minute and a half while my kids were screaming at each other in the next room. I did a quick skim and edit, and pushed a button. Just getting the contract printed, signed, witnessed, scanned and sent was an ordeal. You could compensate me for that if you like, but as far as my continuation goes, I'll take the possible pub credit and be thankful.

Even if the book takes off and makes a million bucks, I'm still getting something out of it. I can say my work was published in a best-selling anthology.

Anonymous said...

If you sent me a cheque for .42 American to Canada, I'd have enough money for a bucket of KFC for the whole family!

Anonymous said...

Oops, I meant a dollar. Gimme a break, it's Friday night.

Nikki said...

"So will people who's work your using to make money from be compensated?"


Did someone really write this sentence? I loved it!