What Makes an ‘Author’?

I read a book the other day that was a compilation of quotes and photos. The dustcover flap boasted that this was the ‘author’s’ first book.

This got me wondering, does one become an author by compiling photos by others along with quotes from others? In this case, the ‘author’ didn’t actually write anything. There was no foreword, introduction or afterword. They wrote nothing. Not one word. (Oh, I exaggerate, she dedicated the book to her dog. She wrote a sentence.)

My question is, is this person really an author? What do you have to do to be an author? And what is an author?

Over on dictionary.com, they define ‘author’ much as I do:

a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.

In the case of the book of quotes, I would argue that this lady was in fact, a compiler and not an author.

What do you think?

Fantastic Chat with Literary Agent Jamie Brenner

Last night literary agent Jamie Brenner replied to close to 40 questions over on AQ. There were 60 members from all across the world popping in and out of the chat. Whew! It was a busy place.

And what did I learn? A brief synopsis is anywhere from two paragraphs to two pages. Women’s Fiction can be considered to cover Chick Lit, Hen Lit, Granny Lit and the like. Agents don’t really like writers who’ve gone and self-published, they prefer a ‘fresh’ face and a ‘true’ debut writer. There are tons of great nuggets including word count and specific writing tips over in the transcripts. You will have to be a member to read them, but seeing as membership is free, what is there to lose?

There is a chat with author Tommy Newberry over on The Knight Agency website tonight.  I think I’ll check that one out too.

Enjoy!

Rights and Copyrights

I was reading Publishers Lunch email today and got a little ticked off.

You see, Stephenie Meyer, a writer of a beloved series, had someone post a draft of her upcoming novel on the Internet, spoiling her project. If that doesn’t piss you off, well then I guess whatever, stop reading and go steal some music or something. Seriously, who would do that? How would they even benefit from that? It’s malicious. Plus, they could get their ass sued big time. (And I kind of hope they do just as an example to all those keyboard collar thieves.)

You might recognize this popular one.

Basically, what happened is someone was trusted with a copy of the draft (it is part of a series) and they posted it on the Internet or did something that allowed someone else to post it. It has been copied and sent all over the place. It cannot be retrieved. Meyer is putting the project on hold. I mean what is the point? A less-than-perfect version has been released. Fans have read it. Who is going to pay for it should it be published? Now her story and her name have been tarnished. How embarrassing would it be to have something that is half-written released for all to read (and critique)? She’s not going to benefit financially, just get her hard work trod upon, her time wasted. It’s like a model going out in a fashion show with only half the designers stitches done on the outfit. Which, actually could kind of work seeing as most runway stuff is a little odd. So, bad example, but I think you know what I’m getting at.

To place this in light of today’s Internet world where everyone is like, “Hey, I didn’t steal it. It was just sitting there waiting for me to download it for free.” Right. And that windshield bug juice sitting out by the gas pumps is just sitting there waiting for you to take it. They wouldn’t put it there if they didn’t want people to take it. What we are seeing on the Internet is displaced responsibility and moral justification. Compile that with the attitude of: ”Why would I pay for it when it is right there for free?” Well, because somewhere there is some poor soul trying to make a living from this thing that has been stolen, reproduced and left for the taking without regard for their rights, that’s why.

I have a highly educated acquaintance and the other day we were talking about movies. I was trying to convince her that renting through Zip.ca is the way to go. But she wasn’t ‘buying’ it because she and her equally-educated husband download any movies they want to watch off the Internet–for free. She doesn’t think it is wrong because the movie companies make enough money as it is. I asked her about the writers. What about them? They don’t get paid much. She changed the subject to how her husband does it, not her. So I asked about opening your computer up to viruses. Apparently they just overhauled their computer. (Virus, I suspect.) What about her kids? What lesson is she teaching them either directly or indirectly? Stealing is okay if it is on the Internet and someone else took the first step?

To get back to Stephenie Meyer, what about her right to earn a living off of her hard work? What about her rights to protect her original work? Just because it is sitting out there, it doesn’t mean we have to take it. I know, I know social groups and displaced responsibility because of all the others doing it or not doing it and the moral justification that stems from that. Well, isn’t it be time we did something? Isn’t it time we acted like an individual with our own set of morals and values when faced with a crowd of folks eager to ‘shut it off’? Maybe we should all go read that draft (now on Meyer’s website) and send her our warm compliments and the $10.99 we would have spent to buy the novel had it not been spoiled.

What do you think?

Patience

It always comes back to patience, doesn’t it?

In Jackson Pearce’s chat the other night, she touched on patience. Patience to wait before sending out your ms–make sure it is good as it can be. Listen to your crit partners. Make those changes. Wait. Look at them again, then send. Look for those pitfalls. Fix them. Keep listening to the feedback, keep distancing yourself from your work.

Keep plugging!

Join us for the agent chat with Michael Bourret tonight. 8pm eastern.

Upcoming Chat with Author Jackson Pearce

Another chat has been scheduled over on AQ (Agent Query).

So if you’re hanging out eating a bag ‘o’ chips on Friday night and mindlessly flipping through videos on YouTube, pop over to AQ and chat with writer Jackson Pearce. Her YA book As You Wish will be published by Harper Collins in December of 2009.

If you’d like to pick her brain on how to make it or even just to hear what it is like to be awaiting the release of her hard work, join AQ (it is free) and stop by the chat this Friday at 7:30 pm Eastern.

On a related note, I popped over to Debutantes: Feast of Awesome and added my two cents on who I think would win in a fight of Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girls) vs. Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice). Honestly, I think it would be a draw. If you want to hear why, pop over and read the comments. It’s a pile of fun.

 Blair Vs. Elizabeth 

Speaking of fun, I finally got a chance to sit down with a mocha and two hours to myself to bang away at my keyboard. I was adding a scene in and it was SO MUCH FUN!! I love to write. I’d almost forgotten the rush of drafting out a new scene. It was hard trying to get my two characters to fight with each other. They kept wanting to make amends. Maybe the fight scene wasn’t a good idea. I’ll send it to my crit partner once it simmers for a little longer–we’ll see what the flavours are like in a day or two.

God, I love writing.