J. A. Konrath Quotes

Writing a book is not a crime.

Their argument, and I think it's a correct one, is that they'll make more money from the trades and the hardcovers if nobody messes with the creative team.

Because we self-published 'Draculas,' we control the rights. Not just for now, but forever.

Don't sign your publishing away.

Once you work with a studio on a film, the studio is sort of like this enormous clam that just opens, takes everything and then closes, and no one enters again. They own it all.

I don't sign contracts for my books.

When a record co. finds a guy now, they want to own everything. They want to own the rights to market that person's particular name. They want a piece of the action all the way through.

I know dozens of authors who have had a lot of books published by New York, and they won't ever take another Big 6 contract since they've gotten a taste of the freedom, control, and money self-publishing offers.

As soon as I finish a book, I sell the paperback rights to different publishers and that's where I recoup my money.

I have represented people in book deals.

Because we do not sell photographs, we have no royalties on books, posters, postcards.

Barnes & Noble is able to publish price-reduced non-copyrighted works not so much because it saves the 10 percent to 15 percent of revenue that would go to the gruel-eating authors, but because it saves the 50 percent that would go to the publishers.

Unfortunately writers take a very small part of the profit on their books, and I think in the e-book world there is a real danger they will take even less, unless they are vigilant and robust about protecting their own interests.

You'd be naive if you think you are going to retain any control once you option a character to TV.

Films always make everyone else rich save the author.

I have no problem selling books to media franchises and we do it all the time. The author must understand that he/she is a writer for hire and has no control over copyright or over editorial changes made to the text.

But here's the thing: what you do as a screenwriter is you sell your copyright. As a novelist, as a poet, as a playwright, you maintain your copyright.

What people forget is that every movie that gets made keeps making money for somebody FOREVER.

It's hard for new artists to keep hold of what they own.

I know most publishers probably don't let their authors write on Wattpad all the time, but mine are pretty open about it.

Only I hold the right to all my songs.

If we don't give the authors of music, film, literature, and journalism a way to control the distribution of their goods, the quality of all of these creative efforts will decline.

One of California's largest exports for royalties is creative content.

I think if you contribute to a job, and it's repeated and repeated, and sold over the world, and the producers are making millions, you should benefit from it.

If you have sold the film rights to somebody, take your money and leave. If the producers need you, they will call you. But you have to be careful about who you are selling your book to, and ensure that it is not tampered with.