Julie's Web Journal: You should not be this desperate to get published

You should not be this desperate to get published

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Tuesday, January 18, 2011

There's an ad on Craigslist for an SF novel collaborator. Oh, let us count the ways this is wrong.

There is no immediate compensation...

Still, you must be willing to invest your time for something that may not pay off. Who cares if the rent gets paid?

...you will receive a 25% profit share.

Profit determined how?

If interested, please send a photograph of yourself...

Only hot babes need apply.

I've lost track of the number of people (some out of the blue, some well-meaning people I know) have asked me to collaborate on a book and "we'll split the profits." Get a clue folks. If writing a book and reaping the profits were that easy I'd be writing this from a cabana on the beach.

If you hire someone to mow the lawn, you pay them. You don't tell the barista at the coffee shop you'll pay when your paycheck hits the bank.

The sad thing is, some aspiring writer with stars in their eyes will answer this ad and work their tails off for only a promise of cash. Write a book yourself. The odds of publication are just as good and you'll get to keep all of the "profits."

(Via io9)

Tags: Writing
Filed under: Writing

Comments are closed

Julie's Web Journal

Est. 2002