Author selling story I edited...without posting to Lit

[lovecraft68]

Yep. And I would have given that opinion if the topic had come up. I'm all for protecting the editors too when they are being dumped on.

That's an interesting 360 because lately most of what you have to say about the VE editors is that they are unqualified(because we all know there are only 2 people here qualified to edit), useless, the program should be abolished and only writers should help other writers.

Waffle much?

But like I say the editors should not be named for the simple reason that for every legit claim there will be ten spiteful ones, I'll say the same for the authors,names will be named out of pure malice other than truth.

I approached a lit editor about an off lit project. We discussed price, came to an agreement, they edited it and it is published. I did right by that person and I'm aware that some would not and that's too bad.

But these boards are screwed up enough without them turning into editor/author witch hunts.

Although it would be very interesting if I posted of a certain bad editing experience here. Very interesting.

 

[sr71plt]

It's always entertaining to see what you have to tell me about what I think, LC. Apples and oranges. Whatever I think about anyone's qualifications to edit here has nothing to do with the writer's obligation to hold up his/her end of a deal they've made.

Of course, someone who works in a warehouse might not be able to keep up with the nuance of that. You do still just work in a warehouse, don't you? You gushed at us last year at this time that you were quitting your job and writing for profit full time. But then you got quiet about that, and it seemed to have gone away.

It wouldn't take many uncounterable issues of bad behavior from either side to be covered here by name before everyone else became a whole lot more communicative and responsible.

 

[CambriaRose]

Would you want input? To be listed on the published work?

.

Personally now that I've pretty much had that happen to me without my knowledge, I can say I would have rather gotten a note saying 'hey I know you edited this for me, but it is going to be published in a book instead' and told I would be cited in the print because I was kind enough to edit it for free for the author. If the author wanted to give me a little money for my help, I wouldn't complain. In fact, I think that is the right thing to do in that situation.

I would have been less angry about my situation if she would have been honest about it. I don't think she even cited me as an editor, though I am not going to buy her book just to find out.

If one of my current author's told me they were going to try publishing, I would be happy for them. We all are aspiring authors (or published already in some cases), why not be happy for them going after their dream?

Just be honest about it!

 

[CambriaRose]

And to those of you bickering on the thread, could you take it to your PM's please. There are those of us who don't particularly care about your constant battle of whether or not to oust editors/authors. It's a forum on the internet, you aren't doing anything but making yourself look like an idiot.

Thank you.

 

[sr71plt]

Personally now that I've pretty much had that happen to me without my knowledge,

No, it's not the same. In the latest example, the deal was that it be edited for Literotica. It was and appeared on Literotica. Editors don't have any ownership rights of a work beyond the original deal. If you want a hand in where the work lives beyond Literotica, that has to be part of your deal in editing. As you defined your case (and changed the description as we went along), you edited a story to appear on Literotica and it didn't appear on Literotica. It appeared in a paid publication outside of Literotica instead (not in addition). Those aren't the same two instances.

And A Literotica thread you start doesn't belong to you either. If you want to keep the thread from going where it goes with those who post to it, you're the one who needs to use PMs instead of a forum thread.

 

[sr71plt]

On the one-shot author walk off, though, I suggest you just let it go. You haven't been contracted to edit War and Peace for $5,000 and then were stiffed.

If you'd gone through a professional editorial program, you would have been told you'd be stiffed by up to 25 percent of your work--and by mainstream publishers.

You're overdoing your ownership of someone else's intellectual property.

 

[CambriaRose]

On the one-shot author walk off, though, I suggest you just let it go.

Never said I wasn't just letting it go. I was answering the other person's question. I can state my opinion as much as you can state yours.

On an unrelated note I saw you wrote a story about Hayden. Are you from Hayden or did you just randomly choose it? If so, do I know who you are...it is an awfully small town and I know quite a few people there- like half the town.

 

[sr71plt]

I write a lot about the Hayden area--mostly north from there, up toward Savery in Wyoming, in the shadow of Hahn's Peak. Extended family has ranches near Slater. I only visit. I have a novel serialized here on Lit. set on the family ranches, Wolf Creek (It's mostly not GM). My grandmother (loosely the protagonist) ran a celebrity dude ranch there.

 

[CambriaRose]

I write a lot about the Hayden area--mostly north from there, up toward Savery in Wyoming, in the shadow of Hahn's Peak. Extended family has ranches near Slater. I only visit. I have a novel serialized here on Lit. set on the family ranches, Wolf Creek (It's mostly not GM). My grandmother (loosely the protagonist) ran a celebrity dude ranch there.

I just wondered because not many people would write about northwest Colorado. They should though, there are a lot of outlaw cabins and such around here that make for a great story setting. I've been through Slater several times actually, ha. I spent a 4th of July with a wacko up there on their family ranch a few years ago.

 

[sr71plt]

I've been through Slater several times actually, ha. I spent a 4th of July with a wacko up there on their family ranch a few years ago.

So, maybe we met after all.

 

[DeYaKen]

Is there anything I can do about someone who had me edit their story in 2011, then I found out tonight that it was never posted it on here at all. It is published in a book, not on Literotica. That seems to be a violation of Lit's rules for contacting VE's and not only that, but I think it is highly unfair I edited part of it and got nothing in return, while she got free editing instead of steep editing fees!

I agree with you it does seem highly unfair but I doubt you can do anything about it. Even if lit removed said author they can always start again under another name. If you know their real name you could name and shame, but you'd have to be careful. Lit would probably take your post down for fear of libel proceedings.

I can assure you we are not all like that. One reason that I've never tried to sell any of my work. I'd have to remember who edited it and negotiate a deal.

Just out of curiosity what percentage would contributors feel was fair.

 

[lovecraft68]

In the Ah there are frequently threads where an author discovers the story they placed here has been lifted and posted somewhere else without their permission.

Occasionally one has even been found that someone took and put for sale. It's wrong of course, but the general consensus ends up being that when you post something here for free you are essentially putting it up for grabs and even a copyright is not really going to help.

This situation is different yet the same. You're editing for free and everything here is, for lack of a better term, an honor system. Some people just do not have any honor or common decency.

Because of the time period I feel in this case the person changed their mind or was convinced to change their mind about posting for free and eventually published it. Could be it never occurred to them to give you a nod or offer some money.

If the anthology is "general erotica" odds are they are not making much over there anyway and you can tell that by their amazon ranking for the book.

End of the day just as author's are told "if you don't like it don;t post work here for free" the same can be said for editors. Something like this is a risk you're taking

As for the site doing anything about it? Laurel's comment about this being "uncool" is about what you will get.

There is also a rule here that an author cannot start a series here for free then continue it for sale to try to push people to buy it to read the ending.

That is rampant here and also never enforced, so don;t hold your breath on action being taken here.

You have to decide if you want to keep taking that risk.

 

[LadyVer]

Occasionally one has even been found that someone took and put for sale. It's wrong of course, but the general consensus ends up being that when you post something here for free you are essentially putting it up for grabs and even a copyright is not really going to help.

This situation is different yet the same. You're editing for free and everything here is, for lack of a better term, an honor system. Some people just do not have any honor or common decency.

There isn't much honor in either stealing a story, whether it's free or otherwise, and in thinking a story edited for free is an easy way to avoid paying a self-publishing expense. I think most Lit authors who self-publish though are honorable when dealing with their editors.

DeYaKen: It's my understanding that basing an editing rate on percentages of an author's sales is uncommon. Usually, the editing rate is based on word count, or page count (250 words per page), or hourly rate.

 

[CambriaRose]

So, maybe we met after all.

Only if you are related to said wacko lol

 

[DeYaKen]

DeYaKen: It's my understanding that basing an editing rate on percentages of an author's sales is uncommon. Usually, the editing rate is based on word count, or page count (250 words per page), or hourly rate.

I understand that. some editors charge per hour. What I was getting at was the situation where an author is convinced to publish elsewhere after the editing was done and maybe the story already published here. A lump sum payment might discourage self publishing, especially if it were a first attempt, but a percentage of royalties makes it more attractive to the author, and gives the editor some recognition of the fact that the author values their contribution.

If you've already done the job for nothing, a percentage is a bonus.

 

[LadyVer]

I understand that. some editors charge per hour. What I was getting at was the situation where an author is convinced to publish elsewhere after the editing was done and maybe the story already published here. A lump sum payment might discourage self publishing, especially if it were a first attempt, but a percentage of royalties makes it more attractive to the author, and gives the editor some recognition of the fact that the author values their contribution.

If you've already done the job for nothing, a percentage is a bonus.

I understand what you're saying, although I think an author would be crazy to agree to a percentage of royalties to an editor.

 

[lovecraft68]

I agree with you it does seem highly unfair but I doubt you can do anything about it. Even if lit removed said author they can always start again under another name. If you know their real name you could name and shame, but you'd have to be careful. Lit would probably take your post down for fear of libel proceedings.

I can assure you we are not all like that. One reason that I've never tried to sell any of my work. I'd have to remember who edited it and negotiate a deal.

Just out of curiosity what percentage would contributors feel was fair.

I don't pay percentage. I send the project and ask the person how much they want to charge. Sometimes I meet the price sometimes I haggle, but eventually we agree.

Only 3 of my published works were edited by anyone affiliated with lit and they were all paid an agreed amount up front.

On one of them I would have gotten off cheaper on a percentage of sales

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

Some years ago Macro7 wrote a number of stories on here based on his invented planet of Praxton. I think one or two are still here, but he went on to sell ebooks and eventually printed books on the same base universe, and including large sections from here. His work was edited by a VE on here, and they made an agreement which both were happy with.

That's how it should be done.

 

[JonB1969]

Is there anything I can do about someone who had me edit their story in 2011, then I found out tonight that it was never posted it on here at all. It is published in a book, not on Literotica. That seems to be a violation of Lit's rules for contacting VE's and not only that, but I think it is highly unfair I edited part of it and got nothing in return, while she got free editing instead of steep editing fees!

After three years? Sorry. Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it.

The only thing you're pissed about is that someone conned you into doing a service for free that you feel should (over) charge for. We get pissed when someone does something that you yourself would do, but the person affected by it is you. If you discovered a mother lode of volunteer editors that would do the work for free if only you lied a little, vs having to pay someone, what would you do?

However, this person may come back and try it all over again, unless they have been coming on here often. Remember their member handle?

 

[trace_ekies]

... when you post something here for free you are essentially putting it up for grabs and even a copyright is not really going to help...

Ya pays your money and ya takes your chance. (Except on Lit you don't pay your money - you just take your chance.)

... Laurel's comment about this being "uncool" is about what you will get...