On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA September - October 2017 | Page 9

sometimes delivered in by deadpan voice and
an irresponsible attitude on returning phone
calls or answering e-mails. The sad fact is that
some publishers do adopt this approach.
The good news is, however, that authors have
a chance, even with difficult publishers,
to get help with their contract questions
and revisions in the form of some behavioral
approaches, which, although requiring time to
develop, can be effective. Always ask. Even if you
are told that changes cannot be made, ask that
the editor (or the person in charge)
to please consider them anyway
Don’t pull rank, but try to determine if there
is someone else who might be able to answer
your questions. “Would you mind if I spoke to
Ms. Smith about the royalty question?” Within a
publishing house, a second (and different) opin-
ion concerning your book or article is sometimes
possible, even if you’ve already been told your
request can not be considered.
There is nothing untoward in having your
attorney make a call to the publisher. If a bully
publisher threatens to cancel the entire project
unless you sign the contract now and e-mail it
in PDF form in one hour, you might reasonably
ask if this is the publisher you want for your book
and in such a case, your lawyer can help. Most
publishers are happy to talk to the lawyers of
writers because they understand that a discus-
sion of the contract can lead to positive results.
Imagine, for example, if a lawyer suggests a
well-written alternative to the compensation
paragraph. He would be doing the publisher a
favor.
I know from experience that some publishers
will not agree to alter their form contracts, but
these publishers are in a minority. In many cases,
I have been able to discuss and obtain changes
where the final authority within a publisher is
not with the editor, but with the publisher’s
legal counsel or other officer Although my work
with the GWA does not include engaging in full-
blow