After The Contract, What?

I promised to tell you a bit about what happens after signing a contract to have a book published. First, though, let me tell you that the actual signing of a contract may come a month or two after you get that phone call telling you that a publisher wants to buy your book. That time is taken up with negotiating all sorts of things: advances and royalties, deadline for manuscript completion (if it's non-fiction) or editing (if it's a finished novel), author's copies, foreign rights, and the list goes on. And during those weeks, you really can't tell people you've signed a contract...because you haven't. You may think you're engaged, but you don't have the ring yet, and certainly nothing has been done that can't be undone in the twinkling of an eye. Only when the contract is signed do you move on to the next phase, which includes calling or emailing everyone you know to tell them the good news.

First, there's the matter of a cover. Publishers vary in the amount of input they want from an author in the final choice of a cover, but the art department needs to know the major plot points, the physical characteristics of the lead characters, and other information that helps them put together cover art. You can't have a blue-eyed blonde heroine on the cover and a dark-eyed brunette described in chapter one. Who gives them this information? You, dear author.

Then there's back-cover matter. That's the "tease" that will hopefully get the potential reader to pick up the book and flip through it. And again, writing that is your job. You probably did much of this when preparing your proposal, but it has to be polished until it shines before it makes the back cover of the book. And while you're at it, put your modesty aside and write a five- or six-line author bio for the back cover as well. (This may go on the end-flap of the dust jacket if it's a hard-cover book). Oh, and you'll need a picture. A good one, definitely high-definition and in a jpg or gif file format. Don't have a good photo to use? You may need the services of a professional photographer.

Who do you think writes those nice reviews on the book store sites? The early ones are written by folks called "influencers" who read advance copies of the book (called ARC's or advance readers' copies) and--if they like it--tell others about it via their blogs, websites, reviews, and word-of-mouth. And the list of those people? It doesn't just materialize, and although your publisher can help, you're expected to play a large part in compiling that list. Hope you were thinking about it all along. And don't forget endorsers, the people who give you snippets of praise--again, if they like the book--that find their way onto back covers, ads, and bookmarks. You'll need to line these folks up, as well.

One of my favorite scenes from The Muppet Movie was when Orson Wells gives the order for the Muppets to be signed to "the standard rich and famous contract." I didn't expect to become either rich or famous when I began writing, and it's a good thing. Writers write, by and large, because they feel called to do it. But writing doesn't do much for anyone except the author unless someone reads what's been written. And, believe it or not, even after the signing of the contract, there's a lot more work to be done by the author before anyone who's not being paid to do so reads those words.

There's more, but I think that's enough for now. Again, note that you can click on the tab on the right side of this page and enter your email address to be put on the extremely confidential, top-secret, never-spammed list of people who'll receive my newsletters in the future. Oh, and if you encounter any problems, let me know. Running a website and a blog is another thing an author is expected to do.