SummerRayne Posted December 24, 2007 Report Posted December 24, 2007 For example, I'll use J.K Rowling since she is so popular you would have to have lived under a rock since 1986 to not know who she is. If you were the creator of Harry Potter and say a Christian book publisher wanted to publish the story would you change Hogwarts to a Christian school and Voldemort to a Lucifer type character? Quote
madlodger Posted December 24, 2007 Report Posted December 24, 2007 The name J.K. Rowling sounds faintly familiar... I would not publish with religion promoting publishers of any kind. However, if a Harlequin type of publisher asked for it, I would make Hogwarts into a sex-slave training school, dress Harry and Draco into tight leather skirts and make Voldy into a pirate, obsessed with world domination :DDD Quote
Guest Zyx Posted December 24, 2007 Report Posted December 24, 2007 I'd do it, but were talking about millions, and I'd publish the correct version online for free Quote
Ginevra Posted December 25, 2007 Report Posted December 25, 2007 First, I wouldn't shop my work out to a publisher that is so badly mismatched. As a pagan, I'd be highly unlikely to go anywhere near a Christian publishing company, and they'd probably want nothing to do with me. But, as the customer, a publisher has every right to ask me to make changes. I can make them if they aren't too unpalatable. If they are, then this is probably the wrong publisher for this work. And If I've got enough of a reputation to be offered that kind of money, I can walk without too much worry. Professional writers who do it for a living often spend years writing to formula in order to get that paycheck. Once you make it big, if you do, then you have the luxury of thumbing your nose at "suggestions" and insisting on publishing your work as is and damn the consequences. Anyway, I consider reader suggestions and my Beta's input as "customer input" and take them very seriously with my fan fics. It often depends on just how big a change they are asking for whether or not I use them. I consider that part of the craft of writing and why I value venues like AFF and Live Journal where I do get feedback. Twisting your work until it is unrecognizeable is selling out. Making a few changes to make a work more saleable for yourself and the publisher is not. Quote
DarkCabaret Posted December 25, 2007 Report Posted December 25, 2007 If you want to publish my work but want me to change something it's going to cost MAJOR CASH! Obviously if I've written my book or whatever, I'm happy with it and it's how I want it to be. If you don't like either kiss my butt or pay an obscene amount of money for it to be changed, you're choice Quote
SummerRayne Posted December 25, 2007 Author Report Posted December 25, 2007 I didn't mean for everyone to tank the J.K example so literally. lol It was just so you would get the idea of what I was asking about. Quote
SummerRayne Posted December 25, 2007 Author Report Posted December 25, 2007 ...as the customer, a publisher has every right to ask me to make changes. I can make them if they aren't too unpalatable. If they are, then this is probably the wrong publisher for this work. I absolutely agree here, Ginevra. Quote
Guest Knorg Posted December 25, 2007 Report Posted December 25, 2007 I'm not that good of a writer Quote
Shinju Posted December 27, 2007 Report Posted December 27, 2007 I like money. Anything I can do to make more of it would be great. Quote
SummerRayne Posted December 27, 2007 Author Report Posted December 27, 2007 (edited) I like money. Anything I can do to make more of it would be great. LOL!!!! Edited December 27, 2007 by SummerRayne Quote
Kanashii Posted December 28, 2007 Report Posted December 28, 2007 Well as Ginevra has said, first of all a writer is going to match up with an agent or publishing house who has similar tastes. If you are writing BDSM erotica you are not going to submit your work to say a publisher that mostly publishes childrens work. Since I have had a few stories published, you do always do a dance with your editor and publisher. They want some changes made, you change a few things or give and take here and there. Rarely will an agent or publisher just TAKE a manuscript sight unseen and publish it as is. There is always alot of editing, or minor changes. Sometimes you even have to make big changes...(Nothing so drastic as the JK Rowling example you gave) but I have had an editor who wanted to drop a major character because they didn't feel it felt the flow of the story or what not... Like any other JOB, it's a dance you do. If you cannot handle changing anything and you do not trust your agent/editor/publisher than it is best to stick to writing strictly for fun and not profit. Quote
Becca Star Posted January 30, 2008 Report Posted January 30, 2008 I feel a little dirty saying it... but Ireally think that if the price was right I would compromise my original idea and story just to try and make it big... My Pride is yelling me right now but survival is cheering me on... The hardest part about becoming a professional author, in my opinion any way. is getting your work in the door... If someone is willing to pay you to change a few of yours things or characters, sometmes you jsut have to do it, no matter how much it kills you inside... Think of it this way... Now that you have a book deal and money coming in, you can fund all your other works and be an independent author... And later on when another publishing company comes along or even the same one and notices how well you're doing, you'll be picked up... YAY! Any way... that's how I look at it... Quote
Recommended Posts