• FAQ, Frequently Asked Questions autopost (2/2)

    From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Wed Sep 26 16:12:00 2018
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Fri Oct 5 15:49:00 2018
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Fri Oct 19 10:06:00 2018
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat Nov 3 14:24:00 2018
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Thu Nov 15 14:40:00 2018
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat Dec 1 15:49:00 2018
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat Dec 15 13:20:00 2018
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jan 1 17:34:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jan 15 04:48:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat Feb 2 03:29:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Fri Mar 1 18:22:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Wed Apr 3 08:57:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sun May 12 12:08:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jul 4 13:43:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 12 08:18:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Mon Sep 9 08:23:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    ---
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Fri Oct 4 22:57:00 2019
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    --
    This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jan 4 04:43:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Mon Mar 1 22:25:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat Apr 3 15:48:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jun 22 22:47:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jul 17 12:35:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Fri Aug 27 17:40:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Wed Sep 1 01:32:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat Oct 2 14:26:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Wed Nov 3 16:52:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Thu Dec 2 17:43:00 2021
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jan 17 22:51:00 2022
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Thu Mar 10 16:00:00 2022
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Mon Apr 11 04:57:00 2022
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From A. Tina Hall@21:1/5 to All on Sat May 7 09:41:00 2022
    [continued from previous message]

    part of the book. Three chapters is an estimate, if you write
    exceptionally long or exceptionally short chapters, you will need to
    adjust. Try to send about the first 10 000 words.

    There is no set format for a synopsis or an outline. The basic idea is
    that the editor has read the first bit of the book, and has an idea of
    your style, and your ability to grab the reader, and now they want to
    know if the rest of the book is likely to live up to that promise.
    Structure it in a manner that suits your story, explain the basic plot
    twists, and character growth, and anything else relevant. The
    synopsis/outline should cover the entire book, including the portion you
    are submitting.

    Use a full sized envelope so that you do not need to fold anything. (Manuscripts with creases are harder to read.) Do not use an envelope
    with little metal tabs, because they are hard on fingers and get caught
    in mail sorting machines.

    If at all possible, address the submission to a specific editor that you
    know is interested in this kind of book. Include an SASE, and a brief
    cover letter which includes the title and wordage of the book, and any
    relevant experience (see query letters above). If the portion and
    outline are being sent because of a positive response to a query letter,
    say so in the cover letter, (if the positive response was not a recent
    one, say when it was,) and put the magic words "solicited material" on
    the envelope.Do not send the portion and outline to two editors at once
    unless they have both indicated that they don't mind. (see above)

    Editors will take from two weeks to a year to respond. If you haven't
    heard from an editor in four months it is generally allowable to send a
    self addressed stamped postcard saying "I sent you my manuscript 4
    months ago and haven't heard from you since. Did you A) never get it?,
    B) send it back already, or C) are still looking at it. Some editors
    don't mind you phoning them; check their writer's guidelines to see. If
    there is no reply to the postcard and the second postcard sent a month
    or two later, you may wish to withdraw your submission. This is done by
    sending a polite letter to the editor in question saying that you are withdrawing your submission, and the title of the book and the date you
    sent it to them. Don't get snide or angry, you may someday want to send
    this editor a different manuscript. Once the submission has been
    withdrawn (or is rejected) you may send the portion and outline to a
    different publisher.


    6. Send the complete manuscript.

    This is just like sending a portion and outline, except that it tends to
    be bulkier. You can send it in a manuscript box, or in an oversized
    envelope with cardboard stiffeners to prevent crumpled corners and
    unwanted folding. (Elastic bands to hold everything together are
    optional, if the envelope is a good enough fit they shouldn't be
    needed.) If you want the manuscript returned, you need to include
    another oversized self addressed stamped envelope (this is handy, even
    if you are using a manuscript box.) If the manuscript is disposable,
    include an ordinary sized SASE for the editor's response. Do not
    over-wrap the manuscript. Editors really hate having to search for a
    pair of scissors to cut through layers of packing tape and so forth.


    7. What if they say yes?

    The editor will probably ask for the name of your agent. Getting an
    agent to negotiate your contracts for you is considered a good idea.
    (More on agents below.)

    The editor will probably also ask for revisions. Unless everything on
    that list is something you agree wholeheartedly about, you should
    discuss these with your editor. You make the changes that you and your
    editor have agreed upon. And then send in a copy (or two or three) of
    the revised manuscript. Publishers may also print ARCs (Advance Reader
    Copies) at this point which are sent to reviewers and bookstores.

    When sending in the final manuscript it can be useful to include a style
    sheet -- this indicates the variations that you were attempting to stick
    to, 'grey' rather than 'gray', or whatever. It may also include a list
    of foreign and invented words, proper names, nicknames etc. List these
    in alphabetical order for ease of use.

    Depending on the contract you may have a chance to review the
    copy-edited draft. This is where you get to use "STET" or 'let it
    stand', and you may use it so much that you will want a stamp.

    The last step is the proofs, sometimes still called galley proofs. These
    are your last chance to correct errors so make sure you can meet the
    deadline.

    It can take up to two years from having the editor say yes, before you
    actually get to see your book in print.


    Advances

    An advance is the upfront money you get from selling a book. The amount
    of advance received varies widely based on how famous an author is, how
    much the editor liked the manuscript, and so forth. It is difficult to
    give a "likely amount": simply assume it won't be enough to pay you back
    for the time and effort that you put into the book in the first place.

    Advances are only one of the three kinds of money it is possible to make
    from selling books. After your book is published, it will begin to earn royalties. The more copies are bought, the more royalties it earns.
    After it has earned sufficient royalties to cover the cost of the
    advance (if it ever does,) then you will start receiving royalty
    payments. Odd bits of money may occasionally appear from the sale of "subsidiary rights." Added all together it is still unlikely that the
    money will add up to enough to pay you back for the time and effort that
    you put into the book. Writers are one of the most notoriously underpaid segments of the workforce.


    Agents

    The job of the agent is to negotiate your contracts. Agents will also
    market books for you (but not your short stories, you have to market
    those yourself) but that is not their primary purpose. Therefore you do
    not need to have an agent to sell a book. In fact it is demonstratively
    easier to get an agent after you have already sold at least one book.

    There are, however, some markets that are closed to unagented authors.

    If you want to get an agent before you have sold any books, the
    technique is very similar to the one described in the section on the
    submission process, simply replace the word "editor" with agent.

    If you have just sold a book, you will probably want an agent in a
    hurry, so you can try the sped up version, where you call all the agents
    on your list, explain to them that you have just sold a book, what the
    book was about and who you sold it to. This will hopefully get several interested responses.

    The Association of Authors' Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/
    has a searchable database of member agents. Its UK counterpart is the Association of Authors' Agents http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/. Another
    useful listing of agents is at http://www.agentquery.com/.

    WARNING! Beware of any agent who asks you for money. Agents are supposed
    to take a proportion (usually 10-15%) of the money you get from the
    publisher, and by getting you better contracts, they actually end up
    paying for themselves. Any agent who asks you for money upfront may be a
    scam artist. (see Section 7 <#warningand "Writers Beware" at http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/).


    9. What legal issues should I be aware of?


    Your copyright

    As a general rule, as soon as you record a work in any medium, you own
    the copyright on that work. You do not need to register the copyright or
    to mark the copyright on the manuscript in order to be protected by
    copyright law. These rules (Berne Convention) took effect in the USA
    about 1978 and in most of the rest of the world much earlier.

    However, in order to sue for damages in the USA, you do need to register
    the copyright. Unless you are self-publishing, your editor should do
    this for you.


    Other authors' copyright

    Works written before a certain year (which varies according to country
    of publication) are considered out of copyright and can be freely quoted.

    Under "Fair Use" provisions, it is usually acceptable to quote a small
    part of a work that is still in copyright, as long as it is quoted
    accurately and correctly cited. "Fair Use" provisions are rather vague
    about how much can be quoted; it's best to err on the side of caution.

    To quote from very short works such as poems and songs, however, it is
    usually necessary to get permission. This is because even a few words
    can make up a large percentage of a poem or song. Some copyright holders
    will be happy to grant permission; many may charge a smaller or greater
    fee; sometimes the fee is not affordable.

    In any case, it is the author's responsibility to follow copyright law
    and to obtain any necessary permissions.

    This FAQ is not an intellectual properties lawyer, nor are the posters
    on rasfc. You can find some official information on copyright law at:

    * Australia: http://www.copyright.org.au/
    * Canada: http://strategis. gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html
    <http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.html>
    * European Union: http://www.eblida.org/ ecup/lex/lex.htm#national
    <http://www.eblida.org/ecup/lex/lex.htm#national>
    * New Zealand:
    http://www.med.govt.nz/buslt/int_prop/info-sheets/copyright-prot.html
    * USA: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ circ1.html
    <http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


    Trademarks

    Copyright law doesn't protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.
    It is possible to protect these as a trademark, which involves paying
    fees. For most authors it's simply not worth it.

    If you're writing a story and want to mention in passing someone else's trademark, it's probably not a big deal. If you wanted to use a
    trademark in any way that might even conceivably be confusing (for
    example, calling your story "Star Wars", your spaceship "Death Star", or
    your character "Luke Skywalker") you would probably have problems. There
    may also be problems if you use the trademark in a derogatory way.

    In any problematic case, it is safest to either invent your own names or
    obtain permission to use the trademark; and it is always safest to get
    real information from an official website (belonging to the appropriate country) or even advice from an intellectual properties lawyer.


    Assignment of rights

    When a work is accepted for publication, the author is selling some
    particular rights to the publisher. Typically these will be first
    publication rights, meaning that the publisher has the right to be the
    first person to publish that work. "Serial rights" are to do with
    publication in a magazine or other periodical; "electronic rights" are
    to do with publication via the internet.

    Other rights include foreign rights, audio rights, dramatic rights,
    reprint rights, movie rights, among others. Publishers' contracts may
    ask for more rights than is strictly necessary; agents can in these
    cases be invaluable in knowing what clauses should be cut out before
    being signed.

    Some more information about contracts and electronic rights is available
    at http://www.sfwa.org/contracts /contracts.htm <http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/contracts.htm>


    10. Additional resources


    Writers' resources

    * http://www.sfwa.org/ writing/worldbuilding1.htm
    <http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm- Patricia
    Wrede's world-building questions
    * Naming resources
    o http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - the Medieval Names Archive
    (for names and naming practices before 1600, mostly but not
    entirely European)
    o http://tekeli.li/onomastikon/ - the Onomastikon (fine for
    most writerly purposes but occasionally a bit iffy if
    authenticity is a major concern)
    o http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~ jrk/conlang.html
    <http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html- Richard
    Kennaway's Constructed Languages List (for imaginary languages)


    Netiquette

    A good up-to-date resource is "Playing nice on usenet" at http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ unice.htm <http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm>.

    Lost in Usenet at http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ is a thorough and more traditionally oriented resource.


    Appendix A: Newsgroup Charter

    (Note that the following is included primarily for context and historic interest. Where the charter disagrees with sections of the FAQ above,
    the sections above are more representative of current preference and
    custom, and should take precedence.)

    Before discussing the newsgroup, one must define 'sf', for which I refer
    to the original CFV for the group that created the rec.arts.sf.*
    hierarchy: "Both science fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast
    blurred mass of material in between." This charter mirrors the position
    of the HWA: Horror is an emotion, not a genre. If the Horror takes place
    in a speculative fiction book, it can be discussed in an sf newsgroup.
    The rec.arts.sf.composition newsgroup would include, but not be limited
    to the following types of discussion:

    * General writing questions, to be answered from the sf perspective.
    This includes market research, submission format and discussions
    on the process of writing itself, as it connects with the writing
    of sf.
    * Discussion of the process of writing speculative fiction between
    professionals, aspiring writers or the merely interested.
    * Discussion of the methods and processes of worldbuilding, the
    creation of new, alternate or historically-based worlds in which
    speculative fiction is often set.

    This newsgroup is not meant to replace or significantly overlap other
    groups. As such, topics that are on-topic and useful in other groups
    should be kept to those groups. That would include, but not be limited
    to the following exclusions:

    * Discussion connected to writing, but not specifically to sf, nor
    with an important sf slant should be posted in misc.writing.
    * Discussion about the science used in speculative fiction should be
    posted to rec.arts.sf.science.
    * Discussion of existing written work should be left to
    rec.arts.sf.written.

    As well, the charter specifically excludes the posting of work unless
    that posting is specifically related to a topic that is being discussed,
    and is used in that context, and quoted briefly. Posting of work to be
    read and/or critiqued is excluded from the charter of this newsgroup,
    for a number of reasons. For those who wish to avail themselves of the
    group's resources, a specially marked header, "CRIT: " will be used to
    post short requests for critiquing or reading, with all followups
    directed to email, the poster's web page, rec.arts.prose, or any other
    valid forum, rather than the newsgroup.

    As for advertising, overt advertising is excluded from the group,
    particularly off-topic overt advertising (the kind that doesn't care
    what this charter says anyway). Tactful, brief, infrequently posted
    references to information that can be found elsewhere will be tolerated,
    but advertisers must tread that fine line carefully if they wish to
    avoid flamage from ad-hating regulars.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)