The Writing Workshop

Publishing News Snapshots: Inherited Comic Collection Worth Millions, Nebula Awards Announced, and RL Stine Publishes a New Story via Twitter

Here's some publishing news mini-bites for you!

RL Stine is the beloved children's horror author, most recognized for his Goosebumps series. (I fondly remember reading The Haunted Mask in elementary school and promptly having nightmares when I fell asleep during library free reading.) He has just published a brand new story, line-by-line, through his Twitter account. The story has been collected by io9 and can be read at the link. I think it's great that established authors are getting into new technologies. And good for Stine for having fun with his work. Sometimes authors forget that we do this because we love it.

Speaking of loving it, the 2011 Nebula Award nominees were announced this week. The Nebula Awards are considered one of the top prizes for fantasy and science fiction writing. The awards offer prizes in terms of length: novel, novella, novelette, and short story. (Frankly, the word "novelette" sounds so made-up it's not even funny.) There is also a prize for screenwriting, which pits children's movie Hugo against both Captain America: The First Avenger and a Neil Gaiman-written episode of Doctor Who. Love it!

And finally, we have the story of one Michael Rorrer, whose great aunt promised him his great uncle's comic book collection when she died. Little did Rorrer (or his aunt, I'm assuming) know that the collection was worth nearly 2 million dollars, thanks to some very rare golden age issues. Most important to the collection's value are those first appearances of DC icons Batman (Detective Comics #27) and Superman (Action Comics #1). Interestingly, it is believed that the value of these issues would be much lower if so many golden age comic books weren't destroyed when anti-comic book fever hit America in the 50's, thanks to pumped up Congressional hearings (think of the similar hearings about bad music in the 80's). You can read about them in David Hadju's wonderful The Ten-Cent Plague.

Get Published!: The Legality (and Perils) of Work for Hire

Work for hire is a legal term for a type of freelance work. In general, work for hire is done when a person does not actually work full-time for the company and only has a contract for a specific project, that is normally accomplished within a set timeframe. Work for hire is quite common in the publishing industry, most notably in the magazine, newspaper, and comic book fields, and also in the broader writing industries of TV, songwriting, and movies.

The main issue of work for hire is that it comes in direct contention with American copyright law and often causes lawsuits and disagreements between creators. In copyright law, the creator of something owns that creative property and any money created from it, unless bound by other contracts. In work for hire, the company that pays for the work owns the creative property.

Here's a few examples of why it can be a problem from the comic book industry:

• Marvel Comics' character Ghost Rider (pictured) was created by Gary Friedrich (with another writer and artist). He sued Marvel for money from the films. Marvel, now a division of Disney, countersued, and won, and the court ruled he had to pay back the money he was making from doing sketches as "the creator of Ghost Rider" - about $17,000.  The main problem? Ghost Rider is a re-working of an older character, now called the Phantom Rider, created by other people, and Friedrich was hired as work for hire - meaning he has no legal right to Ghost Rider at all.
• Comic book founding father Jack Kirby, alongside Stan Lee and others, created some of the most iconic of the Marvel superheroes. His heirs want a piece of the pie, since, under standard copyright law, Kirby's copyrights on the characters would have lasted for seventy years after his death. But Kirby never owned those characters in the first place, since they were created work for hire.
• Ditto the heirs of Superman's creators in a fight with DC Comics.
• And finally, just this week, The Walking Dead (now a popular TV show)'s original artist, Tony Moore, has sued The Walking Dead's creator and writer Robert Kirkman, his childhood friend, for more money.

It may seem like I'm coming down on the side of the companies here. Which is strange for those of who you read my blog regularly, since I'm very much a pro-creator person. But the reality of each of these is this is what the is.

I don't really like it. Work for hire, overall, is kind of evil. When I write a book review for a magazine, as opposed to the ones I write on the PFS Book Club, I am not allowed to reuse without express permission, and that permission is rarely granted. I can use them for my portfolio, but that's it. The company owns the whole thing.

But there are times you sign away your rights because you need to make money or you want something from whoever you're working for. A character can't appear in DC Comics without them owning them - so if you want to write Batman, you pay that price. Likewise, you want to write for a TV show, any jokes you write aren't yours - they belong to the show. There are several new publishing ventures which do a work for hire basis, where you create a novel from an editor's idea. Hopefully, you get paid accordingly for these things. If not, walk away.

The main lesson to take from these, especially from the heirs of the Superman creators and Jack Kirby, is that you must know what your legal rights are and what they are not. I feel bad for Kirby's heirs, but in the end, just because it sucks, doesn't mean it's unlawful. Kirby and the other original comic book creators didn't know better - most of them were quite young in fact and copyright law was just as hard to understand then as it is now - but that's the law and it's on the side of the companies.

Ignorance of the law isn't an excuse and doesn't stand up in court. Know who you're dealing with, what they want, and what the price you'll pay is. This will save you much heartache later on.

The Five Best San Diego Comic Con Twists (So Far)

In San Diego this weekend, one of the most important media events of the year is happening. Once upon a time, it was a small little comic book convention called the San Diego Comic Con. When TV and movies realized that comic books were becoming the hottest properties around, Hollywood invaded and the giant celebrity/media/publishing force that is SDCC was born. I've never gotten to go, but I do miss my Chicago Comic Con days, though. I used to force my father to go with me - he liked looking at all the cosplayers, people dressed up in costumes like their favorite characters.

Here's my top 5 moments so far:

1. A woman dressed as Batgirl, with her daughter dressed as Spoiler, harrasses every DC comic panel she can for their lack of female characters in central roles and a lack of female creators. With the DC reboot having 52 new series launching, there are only 2 noted female creators so far. Of the new series, the vast majority of them are staring men. Sadly, the woman was mostly laughed at by the editorial panels - proving once again that DC Comics has no idea what they're doing when it comes to diversity.
2. Fables creator Bill Willingham announced a new series in his Fables universe: Fairest. After the success of the mini-series starring Fables favorite princess/spy/shoe store owner Cinderella, Fairest will star several of the female Fables princesses in an anthology-style ongoing, starting with Cindy and Sleeping Beauty. The first arc will be drawn by fan-favorite Phil Jimenez, known most for his work on Wonder Woman.
3. SDCC is also known for its swag: there are many toy, comic book, and film memorbilia exclusives only available at the convention. It's also known for its great deals. The best, and most hilarious, offering this year has to come from comic book publisher IDW, who offered a great swap: trade in any book in the Twilight series and get a free copy of their award-winning 30 Days of Night, a vampire horror story about a town so far north that night lasts a whole month during winter. How awesomely evil is that?
4. Archie Comics announced that the mini-series starring Riverdale's first out gay teen, Kevin Keller, has been selling so well, he's going to be getting an ongoing. Keller's mini-series has brought a lot of attention to the publisher, who has said that despite publishing "children's comics", only 7 subscriptions have been canceled due to Kevin's coming out. And in a story placed in the future? Kevin will get married.
5. There was a suprise guest at the Spider-Man panel on Saturday, wherein a giant fan of Spider-Man, dressed as the hero, ran to the microphone to give a heartfelt speech about his love for the character. It was an ultimate act of dorkiness, but that's only fitting: the guy under the mask was The Amazing Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield.

Writing Craft: To Write Better, Read More

Over at the PFS Book Club today, I talked about critical reading - the act of reading as analysis to foster deeper understanding of a work. I then realized that writers need to be aware of their most important job as writers: to be readers.

When I speak to my students, as a professor of English, I often ask my students if they like to read. Most of them say no, but a few of them fess up to liking Harry Potter or Twilight. (Read this great article about JK Rowling saving reading for a whole generation in the WSJ.) But as I continue to ask them questions, you begin to realize they do enjoy reading - they surf the web, read the news, or read a magazine. It's just that don't like reading books (takes too long, most of them say).

Writers, unfortunately, don't have this option. And wannabe writers who don't realize this are never going to make it very far in publishing if they don't read. One of the main reasons for this is that you need to know how a book works. It's not just words on a page, but rather hundreds of years of collective experimentation that have developed our narrative structures, ones that people know how to follow and enjoy.

Writers who don't read also won't understand the current marketplace. The writers need to see the books that people actually like. I'm currently reviewing a memoir for a freelance assignment, but the book's not really a memoir in the modern sense of the word - it's an autobiography. And because of that, the book had to be self-published. Autobiographies aren't published anymore, because they don't sell.

You've got to do your homework if you want to succeed. And that homework is reading.

Also, avoid reading only a certain type of book. I know it may be your favorite, and it might even be the only one you enjoy, but your writing won't improve that way. You must force yourself to pick up other books, other styles, other authors, because your writing mind can stitch together what you like (or hate) about other books into your own work.

The best writing comes from those who can take influences from all over the map and transform them into something new. If you're only reading one type of book, then there's a good chance your work will feel generic and stale.

What it comes down to is this: being a writer is impossible without reading. This is also due to the fact that you'll need to read your own work before submitting it. Trust me, just because you write the last line in your 1,000 page novel doesn't mean it's done. If you don't read other books, you won't be able to tell if your own book is ready to sit on a shelf next to the real deal.

Writing Prompt: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

The origin of Spider-Man helped create a new type of superhero: instead of being just merely powerful, these poor saps had horrible lives. Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider and then tried to use his new powers to get some money, failing to stop a mugging when he easily he could have. The mugger then went on to kill Peter's Uncle Ben, his adoptive father. Spider-Man, ever after, believed in "With great power, comes great responsbility" and used his powers to help people.

Creating a didactic story (a story in which a lesson about life or morality is learned by the characters and is supposed to be absorbed by the readers) without sounding preachy is incredibly hard to do. And that's why we're going to try!

Write a didactic story.

Notice that in the Spider-Man origin, a story that's been barely altered when it appears in cartoons or movies but was originally written and published in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, that Spider-Man has to truly suffer something horrible to learn his lesson: the death of his father figure.

To avoid the preachy moral lessons, you still have to write a good story. Don't be afraid of destroying your character's body and soul before you build them back up again to create a better person. No deus ex machina will work here.

DC Comics to Reboot Entire Line, Offer Same-Day Digital Release

DC Comics, a division of Time Warner, shocked the comic-book loving world this week by announcing that they were cancelling their entire line of comic books and starting over with #1 issues. Comic Book Resources has the initial announcement, as well as the follow-up given later that day.

The first big piece of information is that not only will all titles be renumbered, but that the universe-wide change will be aimed at getting younger readers. DC editors have remarked that they will be retooling the origins of many of the DC cast, instead of going with current continuity, a move that is likely to piss off current fans.

In a rather shocking twist, Jim Lee, the same man responsible for the generally abhorred rebooted Marvel universe called Heroes Reborn in the mid-90's and current DC editorial honcho, will be designing some of the costumes, including for the beleagured Wonder Woman, whose new TV outfit recently inspired fan outrage (and pilot that wasn't picked up for production).

Furthermore, the line will consist of 52 titles (nearly the same as before), but several fan favorites have been redone, including the removal of Gail Simone from Birds of Prey, a title which may no longer feature the friendship of former Batgirl Oracle and the martial artist Black Canary. Today, ten of the issues' first issue covers and creative teams were announced, including the pictured Justice League International by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti.

Interestingly, I have to say it appears that not all of the DC universe has been pared down - this cover not only has Guy Gardner, the second-string Earth Green Lantern and not the upcoming movie version, but what appears to be Donna Troy, Wonder Woman's sister/magical twin and woman of more origins than any character ever to exist. 

But the biggest part of the announcement for book publishing professionals is the same day digital release. Just as ebooks are continually gaining momentum (look for continual news about ebooks outselling their traditional book counterparts in the next year), digital comic books are thriving on full-color devices like the Nook and iPad. If the Kindle or Kobo delivers a full-color e-reader model anytime soon, expect these numbers to simply grow more.

As a publishing professional, I think this is an interesting turn for DC, who has taken a big risk by potentially alienating their core fanbase in favor of gaining younger readers, a notoriously hard market to grab. It could fail miserably, just as other reboots have. I'm sure DC is hoping, though, for a reinvention not unlike the last successful reboot they had with Crisis on Infinite Earths, in the 1980's.

As a fan, though, I am skeptical. I like DC books, and while I am curious to see the new creative teams, I am worried about some of the titles I do thoroughly enjoy, including the aforementioned Birds of Prey, and my current favorites, Batgirl and Secret Six. If the main characters' histories are rebooted, what happens to their secondary characters, since Batgirl is the epitome of a legacy character - Stephanie Brown was the the third Robin's girlfriend, the daughter of a D-list Bat-villain, and a Robin herself before becoming Batgirl. Also, what happens to the long-awaited and history-making Batwoman, which should have been the first starring turn by a lesbian heroine at either of the Big Two? Kate Kane will seek revenge on you, DC editorial, if those gorgeous JH Williams III pages never see print.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Here's more analysis of the situation by my favorite comic blog, ComicAlliance.

Get Published!: eHarlequin & Submitting to Places That Want You

It's the harsh reality of being a writer that unless you're a celebrity (not even in your own field but the Hollywood-type), it's really difficult to get anything published. And that includes getting the attention of literary magazines and online journals, too.

In today's publishing world, sometimes it's important to go where new writers are actually wanted. When applying to literary agents, you'll often find that they don't want to talk to you, unless you've already been published by someone else or unless they talk to you first. This is what they mean by "No unsolicited submissions". (And yes, they really mean no. Just cause it's good doesn't mean they care.) And even when you do submit to the ones who accept submissions, it's often a six month process before you even get a polite rejection notice in the mail.

So, for now, if you're at the beginning of your writing career, go to places where they actually want you. Last week, I suggested a writing a romance short story, and here's why: romance sells bigger and better than any other genre.

One of the world's largest and most profitable independent publishers is Harlequin. Harlequin is of course known for its series of grocery story romances - from their sweetly told cowboy stories to the erotic danger of their Harlequin Blaze line (Raunchy!). Harlequin broke the genre mold  by generating lines of books that were similar in style and tone, so that readers knew exactly what type of book they were getting under each banner.

And of all the publishers, I still think Harlequin made the best transition ever into e-publishing. They took their old branding and recommitted it online, allowing that each series now produces new stories monthly or even weekly in ebook form! (I heard a rumor that one line is nearly daily and that's just insane, since they wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't profitable. But I don't watch Harlequin's publishing schedule close enough to know if there's truth to this rumor.)

So what is the point of all this? In essence, go where the money is, because a publisher who publishes that much material needs to be constantly buying. Also, Harlequin will take submissions directly from their authors - there's no need for an agent. As far as commercial fiction goes, they're probably the largest publisher to do this. This will save you lots of time and money.

If you're as good of a writer as you think are, you should be able to write a wonderful romance story. They're formulaic, and Harlequin's submission guides will tell you exactly what you need to know. Read several of their books first to get a feel and then give it a go. You might even enjoy it.

You could be a published author, published by one of the most respected publishers in the biz, by next fall (or even earlier) if you do it right. And you have a far better shot of this than ever getting published in Atlantic Magazine or even The Kenyon Review.

Writing Prompt: The Romance Novel

This prompt is basically for anyone who is not a romance writer.

Write a short story in the style of a romance novel.

If you don't know how, you can travel to Harlequin's website, where they have a nice list of submission guidelines for their imprints. Remember that the goal here is epic romance, but romances aren't the generic, repetitive missives they used to be.

You can choose from paranormal romance, teen romance, historial romance, contemporary romance, spy romance, or even erotica! The only main characteristic that really defines romance in today's publishing world is that they tend to be written in the third person, follow only one main character, and the main character and the main love interest get together in a satisfactory way in the end. No Romeo and Juliet here, people.