I'm not sure this is an ethical issue but it's along those lines.

I'm currently well into development of a novel and I'm being helped mightily by a close friend. He's not actually doing any writing but he's been a great help in shaping and forming the plot and characters and we review everything I write together, making changes and amending between us.

The question is, at what point does someone like this move from being a 'thanks to' on the fly sheet to being a co-author? Do they have to physically write some element of the book or can co-authors be 'silent' in this regard?

Obviously, if I do all the writing and the original story idea was mine then I still feel that the quoted author should be me alone but at the same time a simple 'thanks to' doesn't seem enough for the work he's put in.

Obviously, again, this is all worrying over nothing until the publishing deal is signed (!) but I think we'd both like to have some idea of what might happen if and when that occurs.

Jon

Hmm, not sure about that.

Is he someone you completely trust, because I just had a thought that, say the book was a mega success and you got paid loads of money, he could try to claim some of it as he put a lot of work into the book too.

I agree a mere 'thanks' doesn't seem quite enough, but if he was classed as a co-author, he'd definitely be paid as well as yourself.

Ah, I've just found something, which says in the case of joint authorship the first written agreement should be between the authors themselves, setting out the proportions in which any money earned by the book will be split, specifying how the author's responsibilities are to be shared, and especially, laying down the procedure to be adopted should the authors ever find themselves in dispute. The terms of any publishing agreement which they sign - each having an identical copy - should reflect their joint understanding. The total earnings should not be less than would be paid to a single author, and they should both have normal rights of consultation.

Why don't you have a chat with him, and ask how he sees himself with regards to the book? He might be assuming that because of all the work he's put in, that he is a co-author, but then again he might not. It's best to get this cleared up before you approach any agents/publishers.

Hope this helps,

katerina

I think you're the author. Every book has a huge amount of input from others. Be them experts in their field who you've used while researching, friends, family, editors, readers (who would expect you to react to their feedback and suggestions) librarians etc, etc. I think that a great big thanks to is all that's required (and a few pints at the watering hole). It's your call of course. And I'm assuming your friend's doing it as a freind and because he's your friend, not for his own personal gain.

I'll be interested to see where this goes though.

All the best,

Nik.

Katerina and Nik have answered this. If your friend expects some return for the contributions made then this must be written in contract form between the two of you. Above all do not leave it to a 'gentleman's agreement'.

I assume that your name as the Author will be the only name to appear on the book with perhaps an acknowledgements to your friend within the book.

I am amused by the number of so-called autobiographies 'written' by famous names, Celebrities and flash-in-the-pan crooks and Bimbos, where the Authors have been 'ghost-writers' and the subject of the book may have contributed just a few words.

Len

Thanks for the replies guys and gals.

I'm pretty certain that the way it's going to go is probably going to solve the issue. While he's putting a lot of thought into the development of the plot it will be me that writes it and in fairness at present we've only used a small fraction of the ideas that could be claimed to be his alone. In the vast majority of our discussions, he's 'merely' a sounding board that shapes my own thought processes (while 'merely' is very valuable in that context).

He's doing it as a friend, and out of interest in all things literary - he's a poet himself - but, as with all these things money, even a relatively small amount, can change relationships.

The next step is to get it written and get interest from publishers (oh, only that then), by then we'll all have a clearer idea of his level of involvement and input to the 'finished' work.

As mentioned by Nik, this must be a common situation - in fact I wonder if any book is written without any help from at least one person - so I could be worrying over nothing.

Of course, I literally am worrying over nothing until the damn thing's written and published

Jon

I'd say you would be wise to bring it up with your agent when you get one and see if they think you should get your friend to sign a disclaimer to any rights on your book. Imagine if you sold a million copies :-) He might want something out of it.... I know he's a good friend but still, you never know do you what changes people.

He's a poet: is there any chance you could use some of his work in your book? I'm thinking of works like Dorothy L Sayers' where there's a quotation at the beginning of each chapter, but there are lots of novels that include just one poem at the beginning. I don't think it would be that intrusive, provided the subject matter was relevant: people that read poetry would read it and those that don't would skip straight to your prose.
If you think it would work, it could be a neat solution to your dilemma. It would help your friend get his work to a new audience and give you something to go on re: money/contracts - there must be a precedent set for payment for this type of contribution. Although it might just be copyright I guess.
I have friends read my stuff, and some of them suggest ideas/subject matter, but I know that if one of them ended up putting a lot of time and effort into a novel of mine, I'd want to do more than dedicate the book to them/thank them. You're absolutely right that you shouldn't be worrying about it now, but if you make money out of this project, give him a cut.

Not really relevant to you Jon, by the sounds of it, but i was just reading an article on why a book might be published under a pseudonym, and one reason is if the book has more than one author.

Casey