Writer Beware!

Alison Culliford

British authors are increasingly aware that their rights are not being properly defended and that publishers are not fulfilling their most fundamental duties. Proper defence must surely begin with the authors themselves. Alison Culliford takes a look across the Atlantic to discover an interesting development in the United States.

“Mustn’t grumble,” we are accustomed to saying, but isn’t it about time this wartime attitude had its day? Our US cousins are, as we know, brought up with the right to complain, and British authors could take a leaf from their book at this time when publishers are doing less and less to help authors and expecting us to take on what were their traditional obligations: to sell and promote our books. Americans are also quick to user the power of the net to put things right. Take the Writer Beware site from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA): this organization has created a site and a blog to expose scams and pitfalls that target writers. It is by no means restricted to genre or country and more and more writers are whistle-blowing on it to warn their colleagues of people, companies and practices to avoid. For instance: agents who charge reading fees; publishers who pay royalties on net profit; publishers who make writers responsible for getting their own books into bookstores, or who don’t fulfill their contractual obligations. Have a look: www.sfwa.org. There is stuff to be learnt, and you may feel like contributing. Anyone published in America should also consider joining the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), who give free legal advice on US contracts – you don’t have to be a US resident to join.