Self-Publishing: Dealing with the Unethical

If you’re an editor or ghostwriter, it’s essential to have a detailed agreement when working with clients.

These agreements protect both the writer and the client. And they provide details as to what can be expected from both parties.

Agreements are in place to inform and protect the parties involved.

The agreements are just as important when self-publishing and dealing with writers, illustrators, book designers and formatters, and anyone else in the path to publication.

Ethical people honor agreements.

A recent bad experience working with an illustrator.

Most of my clients don’t know what to do once their manuscript is complete, so I offer publication services.

I don’t advertise this service because it’s a service to help my clients.

That aside, always, always, always have an agreement.

Even if you’ve worked with the illustrator before, you still absolutely need an agreement for each new project you work on together.

Include when the project is to be complete, in what increments will you receive work, and what happens if the illustrator takes too long or doesn’t produce quality work.

I learned this the hard way.

I recently took on a project to ghostwrite a picture book for a client, and to bring the manuscript through to publication.

In addition to the ghostwriting, the project included hiring an illustrator, managing and reviewing the illustrations and the final product, creating the marketing content, and uploading the print-ready files to be distributed.

I used an illustrator I had used in the past, so wasn’t concerned about a new agreement.

We emailed and the illustrator said the illustrations would be done within 1 to 1 ½ months. She was to create the interior illustrations, design and format the book, do the book covers, and upload the print-ready files to Amazon and Ingram Spark.

The client had an important event in two months and needed the book completed and ready for sale by then.

The illustrator was paid ½ down to start the project. This is a usual practice.

A Long Story Short

Progression didn’t go as planned; I had to keep contacting the illustrator to get work done. There were the excuses: COVID, family emergency, etc.

After two months, the illustrator still didn’t have all the interior illustrations done, and a couple that were done needed editing because the illustrator apparently didn’t read my notes or the manuscript carefully.

After 2 ½ months, there were finally 12 colored illustrations, but again, a couple still needed editing.

The book was still not done and the client was disgusted. It was time to terminate the project with the illustrator.

It was an obvious decision.

The interior illustrations were incomplete. The covers weren’t started. The formatting and design wasn’t started. The uploading was probably 2-3 weeks away.

The Unexpected

The illustrator, who I had referred clients to in the past, emailed to let me know that she did the work and needed the balance of the money.

She also emailed me to tell me it was the client’s fault for the delays.

I explained the delays were all her fault and she didn’t fulfill the project.

The money given to the illustrator is lost. The client had no intention of using any of the illustrations once the project was terminated, so another illustrator was hired to start from scratch.

As the facilitator of the project, the loss is mine, both in money and in reputation.

The client trusted me to get the job done – I did not get it done on time.

Then Came the Threats

The illustrator emailed me, but being busy, her email wasn’t a priority on my end. And there wasn’t really anything else to discuss.

She was paid for the work she did do. And I lost money.

That should have been the end of it.

But it wasn’t.

When I didn’t respond, the threats came.

“YOU ARE NOT EVEN BOTHERED TO REPLY MY EMAILS.

IF YOUR CLIENT IS NOT PAYING MY FINAL PAYMENT THEN PLEASE TELL HER EITHER I WILL SELL THIS STORY TO ANY OTHER AUTHOR OR I WILL UPLOAD THIS BOOK BY MY OWN AS AN AUTHOR ON KDP TO COMPENSATE MY LOSS” (The caps are hers.)

I explained that if she did that, I would have to contact Amazon to let them know what was going on. I also told her to stop threatening me.

She emailed me again:

“There are so many channels from where i can get this book published :-)” (The smiley face is hers.)

Her last email to me:

“I will also let everyone that you are not giving my fees and stolen my color illustrations for the story.”

I emailed back a final time and let her know that the client would not be using her illustrations in any capacity.

The sad point…

When dealing with unethical individuals, I don’t think an agreement will do anything, but it’s still better to have one than not.

If you’re dealing with someone who is ethical, who is a professional, an agreement will matter and hold its weight.

Unfortunately, most business is done online so it can be a challenge to know who you’re working with. My advice is to be especially careful of services from developing countries.

I’m not mentioning this illustrator’s name, but I will warn writing friends about her.

I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, editor, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.

You can contact me at: kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. Or, you can give me a call at 834---347---6700.  (Please leave a message - I'll get back to you as soon as I can.)

Or, if you’d rather do-it-yourself, check out my book, How to Write a Children’s Fiction Book.

NEED HELP SELF-PUBLISHING? CHECK OUT WRITERS ON THE MOVE PRESS.