Monthly Archives: April 2012

I Miss My Anxiety…But My Aim Is Improving.

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Susan Spann

Authors often suffer from anxiety. Some consider it an problem and try to banish it from their lives. More experienced writers name it, buy it a sparkly collar, and let it sleep on the end of the bed. They know … Continue reading →

Posted in Scribbling | 5 Comments

Z is for Fail (and a little bit Win)

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Susan Spann

As usual, I set out on the A to Z Blogging Challenge with high hopes and higher expectations. 24 posts. 24 letters. 24 chances to win. And – also as usual – we get to Z and I discover I … Continue reading →

Posted in Running Amok | Comments Off

Editing … BRB

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Susan Spann

Spent the afternoon integrating my editor’s awesome comments into CLAWS OF THE CAT. In lieu of a real blog post I’ll let my cat, Oobie, give you her thoughts on the subject: (And yes, the star is there to redact … Continue reading →

Posted in Running Amok | 6 Comments

Taxes, and Why Authors Care About Them

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Susan Spann

Most people in the United States work as employees of someone else. This is true of writers also – many of us do something other than write full time. For those of us who qualify as self-employed, business owners, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Publishing Law | Comments Off

S is for Shameless Self-Promotion

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Susan Spann

Although I’m sticking to the A-to-Z format, today’s ‘S’ post coincides with the Historical Novel Society’s announcement of my forthcoming Shinobi Mystery series. The announcement is here, along with a fantastic quote from Toni Plummer, my editor at Thomas Dunne … Continue reading →

Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion | 7 Comments

Monday Bonus Post: In Which I Reveal Myself as a Blonde

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Susan Spann

(If you’re looking for my A to Z post, it’s right below this one!) Two days ago I was in the local Starbucks with my son (as always, we’ll call him Tesla) getting coffee. While waiting for the barista to … Continue reading →

Posted in Running Amok | Comments Off

R is for Royalties

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Susan Spann

In publishing, “Royalties” is the term for the author’s share of sales (or  profits on sales) of the author’s work. The percentage the author receives is called the royalty rate or royalty percentage. Royalty terms vary widely, but here are … Continue reading →

Posted in #PubLaw, Contracts, Publishing Law | 3 Comments

Q is for Query … in Letter Form, of Course

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Susan Spann

A query letter is the vehicle authors use to attract the attention of agents (and sometimes editors). Good queries have three components: a hook (or “pitch” or “logline”), a description of the novel (or other work) for which the author … Continue reading →

Posted in Publishing Law | 4 Comments

An Interview with Tammy Salyer

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Susan Spann

Please help me welcome friend and fellow author Tammy Salyer, author of the recently-released novel Contract of Defiance and short-story collection On Hearts on Scorpions. I met Tammy at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold Conference in 2010, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Author Interviews | 5 Comments

#PubLaw on Publication (P…P…P)

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Susan Spann

In publishing and copyright, the word “publication” has special meaning. U.S. Copyright law gives special rights and protections to the creators of covered creative works. The rights apply to published and unpublished works of authorship, but additional legal protections kick … Continue reading →

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