Do I contact the publisher of a book I found my writing in?

August 11, 2006 9:20 AM

So my writing is in a book-filter. I found out a couple of months ago that a piece of writing I did for a fairly popular website was republished in its humor collection.

I was never notified, because the email address they had for me hasn't been active for several years. So what now? Do I contact them? I'm not asking for money or anything like that -- I have no idea if contributors were paid or not -- but do they need my current contact information? If nothing else, I'd like my bio info in the back if possible.

posted by sugarfish to Writing & Language (12 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh, and of course I don't want to sound like some random person, because I don't know how to prove it was me that wrote it, but I really don't see any way for someone to know that I wasn't notified, so why would anyone but me be contacting them, you know? I remember fairly well the editing that the piece went through.
posted by sugarfish at 9:23 AM on August 11, 2006

Can I ask what site and what book (if you want to email rather than post it, my address is in my profile)? I ask because I have sort of a guess what site and what collection you're talking about, and if I'm right, I think you're owed some money.

Even if I'm wrong, I vote for contacting them just on general principle.
posted by COBRA! at 9:34 AM on August 11, 2006

You should at least be able to get some free copies of the book. If this is a major publisher, you could threaten a lawsuit and demand some money. You have the upper hand in this situation.
posted by mattbucher at 9:38 AM on August 11, 2006

You have the upper hand in this situation

Not necessarily-- it depends on the terms of service for the site. Either way, though, you lose nothing by contacting them.
posted by dersins at 9:51 AM on August 11, 2006

Definitely contact them, though keep in mind that getting your bio in the back requires resetting type for part of the book and then having new printing plates made for that section, which is an expensive proposition that publishers aren't likely to take unless they feel like they have to. It will likely be based on how hard you push and whether they feel they are legally exposed. And that's all assuming that the book goes to press again, which it may not. (All the foregoing is moot, of course, if it's a print-on-demand book.)
posted by camcgee at 10:50 AM on August 11, 2006

sugarfish: I suspect I know what site/humor collection to which you're referring, as well. If I'm correct, you are in fact owed some money ($50?), a place among the author bios, and a contributor's copy -- exactly what someone very close to me (not a professional writer) received for his contribution to the same book. Email me if you'd like to confirm the publication, but I'd definitely get in contact with them about it. It's too late about the author bio, unless they do another edition -- but not for the money or the copy.
posted by penchant at 11:22 AM on August 11, 2006

Pretty hard to get in touch with writers unless they have a public website for themselves usually. I bet the publisher would be very happy to be able to pay you and get you the copy.
posted by shownomercy at 11:37 AM on August 11, 2006

Contact them. No question.
posted by markcholden at 1:28 PM on August 11, 2006

Do you still have the pre-edited version? Because they might still have that, too, and it would be the ultimate proof if it matches up.
posted by easternblot at 6:32 PM on August 11, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'm going to contact them. Oh, and it's the McSweeneys humor collection.
posted by sugarfish at 6:40 AM on August 14, 2006

Awesome. I'm not sure which Knopf editor acquired that book, but a list of all their email addresses can be found here.
posted by mattbucher at 9:54 AM on August 14, 2006

Yep, that's it.
posted by penchant at 10:28 AM on August 14, 2006