Elizabeth Rose on Parade

 

One of the best things about writing is the people you meet and befriend along the journey. Today, I’m thrilled to  welcome writerly friend and all-round dynamo, Jaquelyn Muller!!! Jaq 71

When she isn’t doing booky stuff, Jaquelyn’s highly active imagination morphs into over ambitious Christmas decorations, that never quite look like the picture, grand plans for her small but rather barren vegetable garden, nerdy project ideas for her daughters’ homework and innovative cooking techniques for vegetarian food, (seriously mum, who puts lentils in bolognaise?).

 

What was your inspiration for ELIZABETH ROSE ON PARADE? (more…)

ASK THE BEAN COUNTER

Hello Mr X aka The Bean Counter. Thank you for agreeing to be part of the A New Friend for Marmalade blog and answering some questions about the financial side of publishing.

Could you please tell us a little bit about your background.

Hi Alison, Thank you for asking me.

Congratulations on  A New Friend for Marmalade, it is a lovely book and a very fitting follow up to A Year with Marmalade. I have worked as an Accountant for 30 Years and in the publishing sector for the last 25. 

Can you give a brief description of what a book contract is and what the author is contracting to do?

When you enter into a contract with a Publisher you are giving them the right to publish your work in the manner, and for the time period, as specified in that contract. In return they are committing to pay you certain amounts of money calculated  as per the terms of that contract

Can you give a quick explanation of the difference between royalties calculated on nett receipts and RRP – Recommended Retail Price?

Royalty calculated on nett receipts means that you are paid a percentage of what the publisher sells the book for. For example if the publisher sells a book to a bookshop for $1.00 and your agreement is 7.5% of net receipts you will be paid 7.5c.

This can vary greatly as the price the publisher sells the books for will depend on who the customer is and how many copies they are buying. They may sell to a mass market chain at a low cost so your royalty paid per book will be low but they might sell a large quantity.

A royalty calculated on a percentage of a RRP is a royalty that is calculated as a straight percentage of the Recommended Retail Price of the book. This type of royalty is usually stepped. For example if a book sells above a certain price they  may pay 10% of RRP then below a certain price it will drop to 5% of RRP.  

 Some contracts are a combination of both with a percentage receipts up to a certain sell price and then a percentage of RRP above that.

Often export sales are a percentage of Receipts.   

Are there any situations when it is better to have royalties based on net receipts?

This is hard to answer as it varies from book to book and also it is very hard to predict where the majority of sales will come from for any book. The best thing is to try and find out as much as you can from the Publisher about the sales plans for the book, see what they are willing to offer you and consider if that will give you a good return for the work that you have put into that project.  

What is an advance?

An advance is a payment made to the author usually before the book is published. It gives the author some income while they wait for their first royalty payment.  When royalties are payable  they are deducted from the advance until the advance has been all earnt out. Once the royalties you have accrued get larger than the advance you will eligible to receive royalty payments from the publisher. .

 How is it decided how much an advance should be?

This also varies greatly. Some Publishers calculate it at 50% of the total royalties that could be paid on that book for the first print run.

How are royalties worked out?

Each publisher has a different system but often the Finance Department gets information from the sales software and then process that data to calculate royalties payable

How often do authors get paid royalties?

This can vary with each contract but the standard is twice a year. They are usually paid at the end of September for sales in the period January to June and at the end of March for the period July to December of the previous year. Never be afraid of chasing your Publisher for payment if they are overdue as they are often tardy with payments and a nudge might help you get paid a bit quicker.

What should authors watch out for in their royalty statements?

Make sure that the correct calculation rates have been used. Also if you know of any special sales for example export sales that  have been made, make sure they have been included at the correct rate.

Should authors contact finance sections when they are confused by their royalties?

Certainly. If they have any queries they should contact the Publisher and ask for clarification. The relationship between an author and publisher needs to be transparent and both understand and trust each other.

Are there any clauses that you suggest authors should put in their contracts? e.g. reversion of rights/sliding scale of royalties?

Again this depends on the  author and any special requirements they may need. The area that you need to make sure is covered adequately in any contract is how the publisher will pay you for any electronic format of your book. This needs to cover current e-book formats but should also be broad enough to cover formats that may not exist currently

Please don’t feel obliged to answer this, but what’s better in your opinion for a mythical author – sales in mass market or sales for a higher royalty in the independent book shops?

I think a good spread is desirable. You might not get as much royalty for a mass market sale but it may be a larger quantity and it may reach readers that never go into bookshop. With less and less bookshops around publishers need sales to the big mass market discount stores to survive.

I often hear people in publishing talking about margins when selling books. What exactly are the margins?

The margin is the amount that the publisher makes on a book after he pays all his costs. He will often accept a smaller margin if he is selling a larger quantity. If a book cost a publisher 70c and they sell it for $1.00 then they have a margin of 30%

 Most publishers now need to have overseas sales to survive. How does this affect the royalty rates of the author?

Often the author’s royalty rate is a lower percentage of receipts for export sales. Often the publisher will sell a larger quantity of a book overseas but will have to sell them at a lower price so the amount that he or she makes per book is less than a local sale so the amount they will pay an author is also usually less.

Thank you so much for your time Mr X aka The Bean Counter. I hope this proves useful for my fellow creators.

Alison

   

 

Let’s Play Author Tag!

I’ve been tagged by the amazing Sally Murphy to be part of this author blog chain. Sally really is amazing. img_2277She obviously has several clones as she is a mum of six, wife, daughter, teacher, speaker, web site manager, reviewer, story teller, PhD Candidate and author. She admits that when she does see a gap, she quickly plugs it with another project. This woman is unstoppable!  She also finds time to be extremely supportive of other writers and good fun. Her latest books include the very moving and inspiring book set during World War 1, Do not forget AustraliaDoNotForgetAustralia-225x300

Sally also runs the very popular Aussiereviews website where she reviews as many Australian books as she can find time to read.

To find more about the Sally Murphy, visit her site at http://sallymurphy.com.au

 

Q1: What am I working on?

I’m just emerging from a long period of commissioned work, so it’s a bit scary out there. Currently, I’ve got a picture book looking for a home, and I’m about to start work on either a series of sf stories, a historical   or a paranomal YA. And part of me is itching to write another choose your own adventure style series. I’m waiting to see which one takes off first.

Q2: How does my work differ from others in its genre?

The Littlest bushranger_FRONT COVERI suppose my work must reflect my own self and experiences, which makes it different to other writers’ works. When I write a picture book, I like to use as few words as I can to allow plenty of room for the illustrator to weave his or her magic. Many of my books have the theme of tolerance, which I never realised until I looked back at them. I think many writers have a recurring theme, if they look for one.

Q3: Why do I write what I write?

Maybe because I’m trying to make sense of my world? I love to write in a variety of genres, but I also love to read in a variety of genres. I have very eclectic tastes. My mind roams around the shadowy, convoluted tunnels of my brain until I have an image of a character or a situation. Or sometimes inspiration can arise from a fragment of conservation. I heard a man once proclaim, “I pride myself on my sense of smell”, and I know one day that will pop up in something.

Takama's TyrannyOne of the best things about writing the Ranger in Danger series with Sean Willmore, was that I was given the opportunity “to make a difference”. Children all around the world are reading the books and becoming aware of the role that wildlife rangers play in preserving nature. I also realised how much fun it is to write a “baddy” when each book in the series featured a different villain.

Q4: How does my writing process work?

I love to write in many genres so it’s a process of starting several projects at once, and seeing which one engrosses me and takes off. I spend a great deal of time working out my project in my head, and then tend to write it down very fast. I’m very disciplined when I have commissioned work and just attack it!

A friend for MarmaladeWhen I wrote A New Friend for Marmalade, it was like revisiting an old friend. I knew my characters, Ella, Maddy and Marmalade from A Year with Marmalade. I spent time daydreaming, that looked suspiciously like sitting on a chair drinking tea, and the new character Toby emerged who was based on my imagining of what my Labrador, Toby, would have been like if he had been a boy.

Now it’s time for me to play chasey! I tag:

Chris Bell

Chris Bell sml

Gotcha Chris! One of the unexpected pleasures of being a writer is meeting other writers who are part of your tribe. Whether you’re celebrating or commiserating, Chris Bell is excellent company.

Most days you can find her burrowed in history books and websites, occasionally forgetting she’s supposed to be writing while she journeys back to life a century or two ago. Currently she is working on YA historical novel set in convict Tasmania. She has written over thirty published books for children, including picture story, chapter and YA. Her contemporary YA novel, Jumping Through Hoops, won the CYA Published Author Prize 2011 and was longlisted in the international 2012 Mslexia Writing for Children Competition. Next month, she’s excited to be heading to Katoomba to take up a Varuna Retreat Fellowship to work on her YA novel.

www.chrisbell.com.au      From Hook to Book

Candice Lemon-Scott

Candice B&W bio

Tagged you, Candice! I met Australian author Candice Lemon-Scott in Qld, and discovered we had so much in common it’s ridiculous. And now she’s running one of my fave bookshops, Big B at Burleigh Heads. She has published four books for children and has a space adventure series Jake in Space (love the title) due for publication later in 2014. Her debut novel for adults Unloched received a commendation in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Candice has a Bachelor of Communication / Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing and Editing). She has a media background and writes non-fiction as well as fiction, and she’s passionate about literacy and mostly writes fast-paced stories for reluctant boy readers. Candice is a literacy champion for the Literacy Villages program and a Books in Homes role model.

http://candicelemonscott.com/

Jaquelyn Muller

Jaq 71You can run but you can’t hide, Jaq! Jaquelyn Muller can do anything, but escape me. She writes a fabulous book, then publishes it, then markets it and ends up wheeling and dealing in China! Apart from a habit of suffering uncontrollable fits of laughter for no apparent reason and doing a rather average job of growing vegetables (an embarrassing admission for a vegetarian) (ME: Maybe they’re too scared to grow because they know you’ll gobble tem up), Jaquelyn released her first early childhood picture book, ‘I Love You 5 Lollipops’, in May 2013. Sold locally and internationally, it was included in the New Title Showcase of the Shanghai Children’s International Book Fair in November 2013.

The follow up in the series titled, ‘Elizabeth Rose on Parade’ will be released in September 2014. Jaquelyn is the mother to two girls and the owner of the overindulged diva cavoodle, Millicent Olivia Muller (aka, Millie the worst best dog in the world).Collaborating in creative relationships is one of Jaquelyn’s favourite things about writing for children. Whether working with other authors, illustrators or discussing story ideas with children, she believes in the deep level of trust in handing over your creative vision and asking others to invest their time in it. Jaquelyn is an author champion for the Let’s Read national early literacy campaign and is a member of SCBWI, the ASA and CBCA Vic.

www.jmullerbooks.com    linkedin.com/in/jaquelynmuller
Facebook  facebook.com/ILoveYou5Lollipops

International Book Giving Day

February 14th is International Book Giving Day, so the intrepid companion Molly and I wrapped up The Littlest Bushranger and then went on a search in the local park for somebody to give it to where we found the gorgeous Izzy. Next year, why don’t you give somebody a book?

For details of International Book Giving Day, check out http://bookgivingday.com/

International book giving day

It’s a blog tour with Kevin Burgemeestre

Today, super talented illustrator of over 60 books, Kevin Burgemeestre,Kev visits to tell us about his debut YA novel Kate.

Kate is struggling to deal with her best friend leaving, a school bully and with the death of her mother. She believes that life is hard. (more…)

A list of onomatopoeia words

Here is my list of onomatopoeia words I’ve collected. These words sound like the objects they name or the sounds those objects make. They can really liven up your writing and they’re fun to use. I would love some more suggestions.

A

  • achoo
  • ahem
  • agh

(more…)

Art Imitates Life Whether You Mean It To Or Not

How many of you find that your life creeps into everything you write?

When I first started writing, I always maintained that I would never write anything autobiographical. I wanted to make up new exciting things. However, I now realise that in every book I write there is a little bit of me.
Fridays are doomed featured the choking incident of my English teacher who twisted her beads when stressed and we were obviously a very stressful class. In Adventures at Camp Cheer, Ravi hid his teddy in the bottom of his sleeping bag so nobody would make fun of him, ditto my son. Every single book features something I’ve plundered from my family or friends.

In the Ranger in Danger series, I shared my irrational fear of snakes with one character, the tendency to gag at the whiff of vomit with another character and gave the characteristics of people that irritate me to the villains.
My beloved cat Charlotte was the model, albeit with a sex change, for Marmalade in A Year with Marmalade. When I was in Year 2 at school, a best friend moved away forever, but in this book I had her return and everybody lived happily ever after.
The Littlest bushranger_FRONT COVERIn my latest book, The Littlest Bushranger, Jack is left home when his sister starts school. Until I thought about what inspired this book, I had totally forgotten the year of my life when I was left behind while my three slightly older friends/neighbours started school. After kindergarten, I would play happily by myself until they could join me after school. I made being at home sound much more exciting than school, because I regularly rode a stage coach, fought dragons and made tomato soup from the rusty lid of the incinerator.
Currently, I’m writing a novel about a serial murderer, the Eastern suburbs, a nutty psychiatrist, and an overbearing mother who runs for President of Australia. It’s definitely not autobiographical, but then again …

Published in Booktopia Blog