As we discussed previously, property rights in book publishing is one important consideration in finding the path that best meets your goals.
In all forms of art—painting, woodwork, sculpture, writing—ownership exists. At many levels. A painter paints a picture. Owns the picture. Sells the picture. A sculptor molds a bust. Owns the bust. Sells the bust.
Ownership changes but the picture does not. The bust does not.
In the Traditional sense, authors sell their work to publishing houses for an advance on royalties. Those publishers then, owning the material, can do whatever they want with your writing—cut paragraphs, chapters, change the title even.
Imagine crafting a beautiful landscape only to have someone paint over it.
The good news is many custom self publishing options currently offer non-exclusive contracts now. The non-exclusive part keeps authors the driver’s seat and preserves the essence and origination of the writing. It’s your work, thoughts, ideas, and stories, after all.
Have fun and keep writing!
Sincerely,
Karl Schroeder
“I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done” – Steven Wright
