Translating Geek Into English

I’ve heard from many, many people that say they would like to write a book. And yet, most don’t know about the logistics of that process (specifically with respect to technical non-fiction; fiction has its own process). In this post, part five of my What It Means To Be A Writer series, I’ll walk through the actual writing process, from looking at a blank computer screen to there being a physical thing in the reader’s hands.

So you’ve decided to try writing a book: you’ve come up with the idea, sold it to a publisher, and perhaps used an agent in the process. The next step is to negotiate the contract. For those entirely new to the process, and even to those that have been around the proverbial writing block a few times, contract negotiating can be intimidating. If you’re using an agent, the agent will take care of this for you. If not, it’s up to you.

When I took a class on getting published (many years ago), the instructor informed us that you can negotiate contracts offered by publishers. Great! Just one hitch: most people don’t know what to negotiate! In this post, I’ll explain exactly that.