Clancy the Tie-in Slayer

There's a great interview on SlayerLit with Lisa Clancy, the editor of the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER tie-ins. It's well worth a read if you're interested in the tie-in biz and how it works.

Inside Amazon's Kindle Worlds Program

There have been lots of questions and concerns among professional tie-in writers -- the authors who write books based on TV shows, movies, games, etc -- about Amazon’s new Kindle Worlds program. So the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers approached Amazon's Philip Patrick, Director, Business Development and Publisher of Kindle Worlds, to see if he’d be willing to answer some questions from our members and, to our delight, he was. Here are some of the questions and his replies:

Q: I have a mid-list career (and growing) as a cozy mystery writer, and as an indie publisher. Work in tie-ins has become harder to find and less lucrative over the last couple years, and I've mostly stepped back from the field.  Initially I dismissed Kindle Worlds as a bad bet. But now I am rethinking that. Do you see this program as a way to expand the troubled tie-in market for authors and to create more opportunities for franchise holders?

 Philip Patrick: We see Kindle Worlds as another option for all writers and readers, and a great opportunity for professional writers to explore the stories and Worlds they feel passionate about. Licensors have an opportunity to deeply engage with their enthusiastic fans, and earn new revenues from the Worlds they created. Our job is to create the best possible experience for writers, readers, and World licensors.

Q: There's lots of fanfiction out there and the vast majority is awful. What kind of curation is Kindle Worlds going to do, not so much for adherence to franchise rules but in terms of writing quality?

 PP: Part of our mission at Kindle Worlds and Amazon Publishing is to act as a laboratory and develop new ways for writers to be creative, to connect with readers, and to earn money. In the case of Kindle Worlds, we don’t see ourselves as curators, because part of our job is to open up these Worlds to writers and readers who feel passionately about their characters and stories. Ultimately our customers will decide which writers and stories they enjoy through their reviews, but the quality is already coming through: Kindle Worlds stories have received great reviews – more than 840 customer reviews, in total – averaging around 4.3 stars. The prospect of selling a book and having it get reviewed by passionate fans makes a writer better, we think.

Q: What other properties does KW expect to acquire? Can you talk about what type of properties they are interested in and what makes them appropriate for KW? PP: It all comes down to great storytelling, compelling characters, and vibrant geographies that writers are excited to explore. Some Worlds are going to be more current than others, of course, but there are many iconic works and characters that Kindle Worlds writers are going to love.

 Q: What is the criteria and process for selecting worlds/franchises/properties, how are the owners compensated, etc? Can authors contact Amazon about licensing their books and short fiction for Kindle Worlds? Basically, what opportunities exist for authors on the licensing side of KW?

  PP: We are always looking for new Worlds from authors and other licensors, and because royalties are split three ways – between the licensor, the writer, and the publisher – there is incentive and opportunity for all three.

 Q: KW allows authors to keep their copyrights. Yet the effect of the agreement is work-for-hire.  Can you explain your thinking?

  PP: Kindle Worlds differs from works-for-hire in that our authors retain 35% of net revenue of their books’ sales. We like to think of our royalties as an incentive to write really good stuff, so it sells well for a long time. Authors get to contribute to a World and make an on-going profit off their original works in that World, which is really cool, a win-win for the author and the World.  An author grants us an exclusive license to the story and all of the original elements the author includes in that story.  We then allow the original World licensor and other Kindle Worlds authors to use those new elements.  That seems fair to us and it’s why we have the rights set up as we do. If a writer doesn’t want to make that concession, we understand and we have a lot of ways they can publish their own original work on Amazon.

 Q: The audio royalty seems low, as does the sublicense royalty.  Can this be negotiated on an individual basis?

  PP: No, we don’t negotiate individual terms. We feel the royalty rates are very competitive.

 Q: With the price of the work to be set by Amazon and with the royalty rate set at 35%, what incentive is there for a writer to write stories longer than 10,000 words?  If a longer story is going to get the same rate as a shorter work, it would seem to make the most sense for a writer to write more short works than one longer one (e.g., 5x 10k word stories rather than 1x 50k story).  Can you address this seeming inequality of payment?

  PP: The current standard author’s royalty rate for works of at least 10,000 words is 35% of net revenue, while shorter works (between 5,000 to 10,000 words) pay authors a digital royalty of 20% of net revenue.  Kindle Worlds is an option and a choice for authors – we think many will quite like the choice.

 Q: KW reserves the right not to publish submitted works. Could you provide some information as to what happens during the review and approval process?  What happens after a writer hits the submit button?  Does Amazon review the story, does the IP holder review the story? Are there editorial changes to be made or is the story simply approved or denied without editorial changes to be made?

  PP: Every Licensor sets Content Guidelines for their Worlds. Once a writer submits his or her story, we review it to ensure that it follows those Content Guidelines for its World. The pre-publication review process typically takes a day or two. If we have questions during the review, we reach out to the author to figure out answers.  But there is no storyline approval a writer has to go through. This is an open playing field with some boundaries (the Content Guidelines), but if a writer writes within those Guidelines, then we very much expect to publish the writer’s story.

 Q:What are the top three mistakes writers are making when submitting stories to KW and what can writers, professional and amateur, do to make the KW process easier on themselves from submission to approval?

  PP: Great question. My biggest piece of advice would be to follow the Content Guidelines and really focus on a story that will appeal to a World’s core fan base. As you all know, that takes some work to do. But it is worth it.

 Q: Will Amazon promote works by established authors differently than works by "fans"?  Would KW let readers know our credits so they can take that into account when deciding whether to make a purchase?  If so, how do we let KW "editors" know during the submission process that we are pros with published books, also available on Amazon, to our credit?

  PP: Every story will ultimately stand on its own merits, particularly the stories our customers respond to with positive reviews and recommendations. Amazon highlights all of an author’s works through their author pages, both previously published novels and Kindle Worlds titles.

 Q: Say an author wants to write a Quantum Leap novel (expired show) or Person of Interest (a current Warner Brothers Television show). Can an author work with KW to obtain a license to write in that universe?

  PP: We know that a lot of IAMTW members have long and deep relationships with both current and expired properties and we’re happy to receive suggestions. Our feedback email on site is checked on a regular basis and that is a great way to reach us.

 Q: How does the editorial staff handle creative control specifically related to the individual property? An example: I write a Vampire Diaries novel where I kill everyone off. Readers complain that I don't have the voice right, I clearly have never watched the show, etc. Do readers have a say in whether a KW book remains in print? Will KW ask an author to do a rewrite in response to reader reviews?

  PP: One creative challenge in Kindle Worlds is that incredibly passionate and knowledgeable fans are typically among the first readers. If a story misses the mark, those fans will voice their response through customer reviews. How a writer responds to customer reviews is really up to him or her. We wouldn’t put a book out of print or demand re-writes based on customer reviews alone. The Kindle Worlds platform is flexible enough, though, for a writer to rework and republish their story based on customer feedback. That’s a unique feature of digital publishing overall: a writer can modify his or her work almost in real time, as they receive critical feedback. We’d gladly accept a new version of a book if a writer wanted to make changes after customer reviews came rolling in.

 Q: At the moment the requirement to have a US bank account is a barrier for non-US writers to become involved with Kindle Worlds. Are any plans to relax this or provide another route.

  PP: Yes, we are working to make the platform more accessible globally.

 Q: Do publishers and license holders (Universal, Paramount, etc.) see this program as a real threat to the tie-in publishing world as it exists now? Are they unlikely to allow KW fiction if an existing book line (for example, Monk, Star Trek, Leverage, Supernatural, etc.) already exists? The argument against KW could be "why would a reader buy a $7.99 Supernatural book if they can get the KW stories for significantly less?"

  PP: This is a new option and a choice for those licensors. Kindle Worlds may not be attractive for everyone, and that’s fine.  But the response so far has been very encouraging, and we continue to receive useful feedback from all of our partners: licensors, writers, and fans.

 Q: On the author side, are the publishers pressuring franchise holders NOT to do business with KW because they are concerned fewer pro authors will work for them, with the restriction and tiny royalties/advances, when they can get a bigger royalty writing for KW?

  PP: You’d have to talk to them.

 Q: Is one of the things holding back KW from acquiring more name-brand franchises (Star Trek, Superman, X-Files, Twilight Zone, Dr. Who, etc.) that franchise holders are worried that allowing non-pro, cheaper Kindle World’s fiction will diminish the value, financially and creatively, of their properties?

  PP: First, I’d say we are thrilled with the Kindle Worlds we’ve launched to date, and very excited about what we have coming up. This is a new business and a complex one at that, so we’ve always expected it would take some time to develop. That said, we are constantly adding new World Licensors and will be announcing new Worlds in the coming weeks and months.

 Q: How likely are we to see vintage TV (WIld Wild West, Remington Steele, Mannix, Lost in Space, Knightrider, Hart to Hart, Stargate, Farscape, etc) and movie properties (Dirty Harry, Independence Day, High Noon, Bill & Ted, Breakfast Club, etc) included in Kindle Worlds? The franchises on KW now don't seem to be the ones likely to draw lots of passionate readers or writers.

 PP :Those are all great suggestions; we are actively exploring many different properties, so stay tuned on that front. I’d challenge the idea, however, that the Worlds we have don’t draw passionate readers or writers. Since June, we’ve published more than 250 Kindle Worlds titles, and they’ve earned hundreds of positive reviews, with an overall review average around 4.3. We’re thrilled with the response to date.

 Q: Where does Amazon hope to see the KW program a year from now?

  PP: The response so far has been very encouraging. We are thrilled with writers who have been publishing with us and the readers who have been buying their stories. And we’re excited to continue to add new Worlds for writers and more stories for readers.

Crispin is a Grandmaster

Alien, Zorro, Star Wars, Star Trek, V, and Pirates of the Caribbean—what connection do these diverse and wildly successful franchises share?

Acclaimed bestselling author Ann C. Crispin.

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers is thrilled to name Ms. Crispin the 2013 Grandmaster, the highest honor awarded by the organization.  The annual award, also known as the Faust, recognizes her achievements writing novels and short stories based on movies and television shows.  A supremely talented writer and generous mentor, Ms. Crispin has authored twenty-four novels and several short stories.  She teaches writing workshops and seminars and co‑founded Writer Beware, an invaluable blog and online resource which has exposed countless scams that prey on writers.

In addition to her tie-in work, Ms. Crispin created the wonderful StarBridge series aimed at young adult readers.  She also collaborated with the legendary Andre Norton on two novels in the Witch World series.

The award will be presented at a ceremony in July at Comic-Con in San Diego, where the IAMTW will also be presenting the Scribe Awards, honoring the best tie-ins of the year.

IAMTW (www.iamtw.org) is a professional organization for authors of books based on TV shows, movies, and games. The organization is dedicated educating the public about our field, enhancing the professional status of our members, and to providing a forum for tie-in writers to share information, support one another, and discuss issues relating to our industry.

Scribe Award Nominees Announced

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2013 Scribe Awards for excellence in media tie-in writing. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at Comic-Con in July.

ORIGINAL NOVEL NOMINEES
Star Trek Rings of Time Greg Cox
Star Trek The Persistence of Memory David Mack
Pathfinder City of the Fallen Sky Tim Pratt
Dungeons and Dragons Online Skein of Shadow Marsheila Rockwell
Darksiders The Abomination Vault Ari Marmell
Mike Hammer Lady, Go Die! Mikey Spillane/Max Collins
Tannhäuser Rising Sun, Falling Shadows Robert Jeschonek

ADAPTED NOVEL NOMINEES
Batman The Dark Knight Rises Stacia Deutsch
Clockwork Angels Kevin Anderson
Batman The Dark Knight Rises Greg Cox
Poptropica Astroknights Island Tracey West

AUDIO NOMINEES
Dark Shadows The Eternal Actress Nev Fountain
Dark Shadows Dress Me in Dark Dreams Marty Ross
Doctor Who Companion Chronicles Project Nirvana Cavan Scott

Scribe Award nominees announced!

Here are the nominees for the Scribe Awards for excellence in tie-in fiction for the calendar year 2012. The winners will be announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego in July.

Original Novel 

Star Trek: Rings of Time by Greg Cox 

Tannhäuser: Rising Sun, Falling Shadows by Robert T. Jeschonek 

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Cold Equations Book 1: The Persistence of Memory by David Mack 

Darksiders: The Abomination Vault by Ari Marmell 

Pathfinder: City of the Fallen Sky by Tim Pratt 

Dungeons and Dragons Online: Skein of Shadows by Marsheila Rockwell 

Mike Hammer: Lady, Go Die! by Mickey Spillane & Max Collins 

Adapted Novel 

Clockwork Angels by Kevin J. Anderson 

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises by Greg Cox 

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (YA novelization) by Stacia Deutsch 

Poptropica: Astroknights Island by Tracey West 

Audio 

Dark Shadows: The Eternal Actress by Nev Fountain 

Dark Shadows: Dress Me in Dark Dreams by Marty Ross 

Doctor Who: Companion Chronicles: Project Nirvana by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Scribe Award Winners Announced

Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson was honored as this year’s Grandmaster at the International Association of Media Tie-In Writer’s annual Scribe Awards ceremony, held Friday night at Comic-Con in San Diego.

Anderson was honored for remarkable achievements in the tie-in field, which include more than one hundred novels, adding up to over 20 million books in print in thirty languages. His work includes the Star Wars "Jedi Academy" books, three internationally bestselling X-Files novels, the Superman novels The Last Days of Krypton and Enemies & Allies, many novelizations (Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, etc.) and, of course, the ten globally bestselling DUNE novels he has co-authored with Brian Herbert.

Receiving the honor was, for Anderson, “like receiving a standing ovation for something that was already fun in the first place, and I am very honored to be recognized by my colleagues in this particularly challenging line of writing."

He wasn’t alone accepting honors on Friday. The Scribe Awards, recognizing excellence in the field of media tie-in writing for Best Original Novel in Speculative and General Fiction genres, Best Adaptation, Best Young Adult novels and Best Audio performance, were also awarded at the event, which included a lively panel discussion with the winners and nominees.


Cowboys & Aliens by Joan D. Vinge was the winner for Best Adaptation, Dungeons & Dragons – Forgotten Realms: Brimstone Angels by Erin M. Evans took the prize for Best Speculative Original Novel, Mike Hammer: Kiss Her Goodbye by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane won for Best Original Novel, and Thunderbirds: Extreme Hazard by Joan Marie Verba was honored for Best Young Adult Novel. Mike Hammer: Encore for Murder by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane won the Best Audio award.

Collins was “blown away” by his double win this year, but was particularly pleased that “the work I've been doing to bring Mickey Spillane's unpublished, unfinished material to fruition has earned this kind of recognition."

The IAMTW (I Am a Tie-In Writer) is dedicated to enhancing the professional and public image of tie-in writers...to working with the media to review tie-in novels and publicize their authors...to educating people about who we are and what we do....and to providing a forum for tie-in writers to share information, support one another, and discuss issues relating to their field.

2012 Scribe Award Nominees

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (www.iamtw.org) co-founders Lee Goldberg & Max Allan Collins are pleased to announce the 2012 nominees for the Scribe Award, honoring excellence in media tie-in writing, and the naming of author Kevin J. Anderson as this year's Grandmaster for his lifetime achievement in the field. Anderson is the author of more than one hundred novels, adding up to over 20 million books in print in thirty languages. His work includes the STAR WARS "Jedi Academy" books, three internationally bestselling X-FILES hardcovers, the Superman novels THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON and ENEMIES & ALLIES, many novelizations (SKY CAPTAIN & THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, etc.) and, of course, the ten globally bestselling DUNE novels he has co-authored with Brian Herbert. He has won or been nominated for numerous prestigious honors, including the Nebula Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and a New York Times Notable Book prize...and now he can add IAMTW Grandmaster to the list of his extraordinary achievements. The awards will be given at a ceremony in July at this year's Comic-Con convention in San Diego. GRANDMASTER: KEVIN J. ANDERSON GENERAL FICTION / BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL: ROYAL PAINS: FIRST DO NO HARM by D.P. Lyle MIKE HAMMER: KISS HER GOODBYE by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane BURN NOTICE: THE BAD BEAT by Tod Goldberg SPECULATIVE FICTION/BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL STAR WARS: KNIGHT ERRANT by John Jackson Miller DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – FORGOTTEN REALMS: BRIMSTONE ANGELS by Erin M. Evans SUPERNATURAL: COYOTE’S KISS by Christa Faust DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: THE SHARD AXE by Marshiela Rockwell PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM by A.C. Crispin BEST ADAPTATION GENERAL OR SPECULATIVE CONAN THE BARBARIAN by Michael Stackpole CRYSIS LEGION by Peter Watts TRANSFORMERS: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by Peter David COWBOYS & ALIENS by Joan D. Vinge BEST YOUNG ADULT ME & MY MONSTERS: MONSTER MANNERS by Rory Growler (Ian Pike) THE SMURFS movie tie-in by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon THUNDERBIRDS: EXTREME HAZARD by Joan Marie Verba BEST AUDIO MIKE HAMMER: ENCORE FOR MURDER by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane DARK SHADOWS: THE LOST GIRL by D. Lynn Smith HIGHLANDER: ALL THE KINGS HORSES by Scott Andrews DOCTOR WHO: THE MANY DEATHS OF JO GRANT by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright

How To Enter the 2013 Scribe Awards

The IAMTW will present awards (explained below) for books published in 2012. We will also honor one "Grandmaster" for career achievement in the field. 

 

   BEST NOVEL (All Genres and Ages) 

A licensed, original novel using pre-existing characters or worlds from a movie, television series, computer game, play, or an existing series of novels (i.e., new novels extending a literary franchise, i.e. DUNE, James Bond, etc.) 

 

   BEST ADAPTATION (All Genres & Ages) 

A licensed novelization based on an existing screenplay, whether a feature film, episodic teleplay, computer game, script, or play. 

 

   BEST AUDIO (All Genres) 

A licensed audio play, not a staged reading of published work, using characters or worlds from a movie, television series, computer game, play or an existing series of novels. 

 

   GRANDMASTER (For Career Achievement) 
 

How The Scribes Are Judged 

The judging committees are made up of five of your peers from within the organization, writers who know the unique obstacles and restrictions that tie-in writers face, because they are tie-in writers themselves. The judges will read all the submissions in their category and select both the nominees and the winners. 

Rules for Submission

• Authors can submit multiple titles, but only ONE BOOK PER CATEGORY/ONE CATEGORY PER BOOK (i.e. you can't submit the same book in two different categories or multiple titles in one category. Authors who've done several books in any one category need to pick the one title that seems strongest and submit only that).
• Only authors can submit their books for consideration but we encourage you to have your editors/publishers send the actual books on your behalf so you don't have to raid your author's copies or pay the postage.
• Judges can submit their work, but obviously not in the categories they are judging.
• The book must be a licensed work published for the first time between Jan 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2012. Only books with a copyright date of 2012 will be eligible for consideration. Entrants with books published in late December 2012 are required to get copies of eligible work into the hands of the category judges no later than January 15, 2013 to allow adequate time to review the titles. Galleys are acceptable.
• For Audio Books, the entries must be full-cast radio-style plays, not readings of short stories or novels. They must be first released on CD or MP-3 and not first broadcast on radio (if, after released, the audio was picked up and aired, that is considered a secondary market). Audio entries must be forty minutes or more in length. Audio entries mustbeat a 2012 copyright.
• All entrants MUST include a cover letter with each book or audio. The cover letter must include the following information: the Category you are entering, Title of the Book, Name of the Author, Publication Date, Editor & Publisher, and email & "snailmail" addresses and phone numbers for the author and editor.
• A copy of all submissions—the book or, in the case of audio books, the CD or MP-3 as marketed, and cover letter—should be sent to each judge in the category you are entering and to the IAMTW. Please send an email totieinwriters@gmail.com for the list of judges and their mailing addresses. IAMTW members can find the list in the MEMBERS ONLY section of this site.
• A list of all the books submitted will be posted on the IAMTW site and updated regularly. The nominees will be announced, to entrants and the media, in March 2013. The Scribes will be awarded in July 2013 at Comicon in San Diego.

Submissions Open for Audio Scribes

Our apologies for the delay in putting the Audio Scribes category together. Because this category was assembled late in the year, we are extending the entry deadline to March 1st for this category only. Official language for guidelines for Audio submissions has not been developed, but programs fit the following general guidlines: Audio entries represent full-cast radio-style plays, not readings of short stories or novels, of licensed tie-ins based on games, television shows, movies, etc. Audio entries are first published on CD or MP-3 and not first broadcast on radio. If, after publication, the audio was picked up and aired, that is considered a secondary market. Audio entries must be forty minutes or more in length. Please send published version (i.e., the audio on CD or MP-3 as marketed). If that is not possible, include with your copies of the audio information on publishing. Audio entries must bear a 2011 copyright. Contact the IAMTW at tieinwriters@gmail.com for a list of judges to send your entries to.

IAMTW Suspends Annual Dues for 2012

These are tough financial times...and writers, particularly those in the tie-in field, are hurting. 

We want to do our small part to help out.

The International Association of Media Tie-in Writers is suspending annual dues for current and new members effective immediately and on through 2012...dues will be re-instated on January 1, 2013.

That doesn't mean we'll be shutting down and riding out the economic storm...quite the opposite. 

We'll continue to introduce our members to tie-in editors and licensing execs with our quarterly mailing of member credits and contact info...we'll continue to put out TIED-IN, our newsletter about tie-in writing...we'll continue to give out the Scribe awards for excellence in media tie-in writing...and we'll continue to moderate our highly popular private discussion board for media tie-in professionals.

And over the next month or two, we will also be renovating our website, freshening up our Facebook presence, and adding an audio category to our Scribe Awards.

We hope this will not only help our current members but also draw some new professional tie-in writers into the fold.