Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
Decades back, I had a neighbor who was an architectural consultant and building contractor. (He had his degree in architecture, but the regulations in the state of Pennsylvania required you to work for an accredited architectural firm as an associate for seven years before you could hang out your own shingle. He chose not to, and became a GC instead.)
He recounted an issue he had. He was working for a Quaker group on a project. The group's custom was that they all got together and collectively discussed issues and came to a consensus. When you are doing construction, there may not be time for that gathering. The GC needs an answer now. His wife ran into a member of the group at the supermarket, who asked "Does your husband beat you?" "No! He's a pussycat! Why do you ask?" "He's so nasty to us!" Frustration will do that to you...
I told him there was a simple solution. Next time he worked with a group like that, one of his contract stipulations was that the group designate one of their number as his contact, with the authority to make decisions on behalf of the group, to handle precisely those cases where they couldn't all get together to talk about it first. If they wouldn't agree to that, he would not take the job.
If I were you and had to deal with co-authors, I'd do something similar. "One of you gets to be my point of contact. I don't care how you choose which of you it is - cut cards, draw straws, rock-paper-scissors - but pick one!"
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Dennis
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Yes, we actually do that. While we don't get a lot of co-authors, thank heavens, we do seem to get a lot of "book shepherds" or "publishing consultants" and their customers. In fact, I have a scenario right now in which we quoted and billed (and were paid by) the publishing consultant; the author and the publishing consultant have now parted ways and the author wishes to continue with us.
We'd already had an edit done on his book; the author went through and completely rewrote it and the two parted company over "editorial differences." (Oy vey, as they say). So, now, we'll deal with the author.
But Book Shepherds and PC's that come to us get a discounted rate. Magically, they'll disappear, halfway through, leaving us with the "needs handholding client" at the aforementioned discounted rate. I'm still working on terms in our T&C to deal with that sort of stunt.
Man, if it's not one thing, it's
another.
Hitch