Sunday, October 1, 2017

Hit by a Bus by Rolynn Anderson

A sad event prompts this blog entry.  A friend of mine, an author, Paul Alan Fahey, died recently.  He'd been plagued by bouts of cancer over the years, but unstoppable liver cancer took hold of him and he died six days after the diagnosis.  It goes without saying that I will miss him.  The thing is, he died before he got his book affairs in order, and now his husband Bob, is not only dealing with grief, but with the confusion over Paul's literary legacy.

In a blog I wrote some time ago, I talked about my adding a author's codicil to my will.  I took the time to arrange for beneficiaries and laid out their responsibilities.

But Bob's anxieties made me realize authors need much more detailed information all in one place, to help our survivors should we get hit by a bus.  Here's my first draft of all the detail I think my husband (or my brother, my other designated beneficiary) would need to carry on my work.  Of course this is missing URLs and Passwords and some contact e-mails, but I thought you could take a look at this (and lift it for yourself if it looks like something you could use).    As uncomfortable as this might be, it's the survivors who need to evaluate this document (ease of use) as we develop it.  They need to understand what the jargon/abbreviations, etc. mean.  

What am I missing that should be included?  Any comments on organization overall?  How many of you have already accomplished this task?

ROLYNN ANDERSON’S AUTHOR INFORMATION (updated 9.25.17)
NOVEL
(date published)
URLS: AMAZON and/or SMASHWORDS (Kobo, iTunes, B&N) and/or Wild Rose Press
?
PASSWORDS
CONTRACTS & CONTACTS & COMMENTS
LAST RESORT (2011)
Wild Rose Press (URL goes here)
Amazon (URL)


One year contract w/ Wild Rose Press (see copy in safe folder)
FADEOUT (2012)
Amazon
Smashwords


Indie
SWOON (2012)
Amazon
Smashwords


Indie
FAINT (2015)
Amazon
Smashwords


Indie
LIE CATCHERS (2014)
Amazon Encore Exclusive


Five year contract w/ Wild Rose Press and Amazon Encore Exclusive (see copy in safe folder)
FEAR LAND (2015)
Amazon
Smashwords


Indie
BAD LIES (2017)
Amazon KENP


See Rolynn’s KDP
CEZANNE’S GHOST (2017)
Amazon KENP



See Rolynn’s KDP
FIRE IS NICE (2018)




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17 comments:

Diane Burton said...

Excellent post, Rolynn. We need to be prepared so our spouse or designated trustee knows how to handle our affairs. All of our affairs. Several years ago, our daughter was told by her financial adviser to list regular payees (mortgage, car loan, utilities, etc.) with due dates and how paid (e.g., auto from checking account) plus a list of income--how received, when, etc. Since daughter is our designated trustee should we both get hit by a bus, I put together a spreadsheet with all the info and update it every time we go on a trip, along with a letter to both son & daughter that includes phone numbers of our financial adviser, lawyer, location of bank (safe deposit box), passwords, etc. Hubs can use it if I go first, since I take care of all the financial duties. Like a good Girl Scout, I try to be prepared. Having taken care of my mother's estate when she passed (Hubs took care of his mother's and his aunt's), we both know the value in having all our ducks in a row. One thing I haven't done is add a codicil to my will about my books. Good idea. Thanks for the reminder that we need to prepare to make it easier for our survivors. Nobody likes to talk about end of life, but we never know when it will come. A topic for another time, I suppose, is a medical directive and designated advocate.

Rolynn Anderson said...

Well done, Diane! If you want a copy of a literary codicil, let me know. I got it online. I want to say I left out a few important left hand column items: Barnes and Nobel, Bowker,and iTunes. I have another list of other important URLs and passwords, and I attached this list to it, with more detail, so that my beneficiary could continue selling my books and learn about where I'd paid for fees, etc. Yes, keeping both lists updated will be a challenge. Ducks in a row, is right!

Jannine Gallant said...

Oh boy. I'd better not get hit by a bus! Right now I think our trust is empty since I didn't put the house back in it after the last time we refinanced a few years ago. Bank accounts and cars have changed... We no longer use the financial adviser who is supposed to administer everything. I really have meant to take care of this stuff. As for my books, nothing is in order. I honestly can't see my husband dealing with any of that. My older daughter (20) would be perfectly capable, but currently she's on a mission to get into a good med school and doesn't have the time. My mom could certainly deal, but she's probably hoping right now she doesn't outlast me! Obviously I need to make a few decisions... I think the only thing missing from your outline (I assume you have contact info like emails/phone numbers for your contacts on the real copy) is what you want them to do with each book. Do you want them to let the rights revert back to the estate at the end of contracts or stay with the publisher? If the publisher gives back rights to the estate after a death, do you want them to self-publish those books to keep them out there? That might be info to ask a publisher ahead of time. Also, having info for several author friends (each in different areas of your public writer life) to contact who can notify the rest of us that you were hit by a bus might be good. I can't think of anything else. Obviously I should practice what I preach!

Vonnie Davis, Author said...

I'm having a rough time having Calvin do his advance medical directive we got from the chaplain in the hospital. To be honest, I haven't done mine either. Who knew there was so much to organize? Yet it needs to be done for our legacy to carry on.

Jannine Gallant said...

I thought of one more thing. Works in progress. If it's already contracted, what happens to your manuscript if you haven't finished it yet? If it's nearly done or is in the editing stages with a publisher, who will wrap it up for you? Will your publisher even publish it at this point? If you're self-published, do you want someone to finish your book so your estate can publish it? I'm not talking about a book you just started, but one that's nearly written. Would you want your editor or a trusted author friend to complete it for you. Do you have thorough notes on your plans for the last chapters of your book? Something else to think about...

Rolynn Anderson said...

Jannine, these are all GREAT POINTS. The literary codicil doesn't cover what to do with my books that are contracted with a publisher, so I need to do that. An unfinished work? I better think about that, too. When we put our heads together, watch out!

Rolynn Anderson said...

Vonnie, you've got a lot on your plate right now. Don't mean to add more anxiety. But we wrote these books to please people for many generations...you'll still have readers chuckling over your books in the year 3000...I'm sure of it :-)

Leah St. James said...

What terrific advice. I remember you writing about this before, Rolynn, but of course have never done anything about it. While my husband knows a lot about what I'm doing, it would be so helpful to have everything in that one place. Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet. I can't think of a thing to add.

Alison Henderson said...

I'm so behind the curve on this. OG and I haven't even updated our wills since we moved to California! I had thought if I get old or sick, I'd just take my books down and be done with it. There's not enough money involved to be worth making my grieving spouse or child deal with it. But hit by a bus? Yikes! I'm definitely not ready for something sudden, which can happen to any of us at any time. At least my books are concentrated in only two places, and I've shown OG my little book of passwords.

Rolynn Anderson said...

You're welcome, Leah. Since I'm a control freak, this may be one more way for me to manage the future :-) Look at all the authors discovered after their deaths. Someone must have kept their books out there! My husband kind of grinches at this whole thing, but I have a brother who is a non-fiction writer who would elbow in an help, I think.

Rolynn Anderson said...

Alison, the prospect isn't pretty, but my friend Paul died within a week in a morphine haze. He wasn't able to help organize his affairs at all. Jannine has suggested some narrative to go along with this list of important information, and you've given me another idea. For our books to carry on, we need to show what a beneficiary might do to insure the books are active...even at a minimal level. I'm smiling while I think of OG staring at your little book of passwords, wondering what to do with them!

Brenda Whiteside said...

I really needed this post. Big confession here...we don't even have a will. We have an only son so there's no dispute over who gets what, but what trouble would he have with state laws, etc. I have no idea. Okay, this is going on my calendar for next month.

Rolynn Anderson said...

Brenda, it took me 16 years to get a literary codicil written to attach to our rewritten will. You're lucky, actually, because most of us have had to rewrite our wills because they became outdated. Yours will be fresh and timely. Mush on...you'll feel good about doing it...when it's finished :-)

Madeleine McDonald said...

This is such a good idea. Two schoolfriends and I - ladies of a certain vintage - have been exchanging ideas about information to leave in the same envelope as our wills, and between us we have made a long, long list. After reading your post, I'm going to add a page about my books. The more information we can write down in advance, the less work for our nearest and dearest at a difficult time.

Rolynn Anderson said...

Thanks, Madeleine. You know, some people leave lettesr or videos or audio recordings for people to remember them by. We have our books, all bound up and pretty...for people to witness our voices for years to come. Worthy of preservation. Makes me feel good to know that.

Alicia Dean said...

This looks great. And, it's an excellent idea. It would make things so much easier on your publishers and your loved ones.

Rolynn Anderson said...

Thanks, Alicia. The look on my friend Bob's face...confusion about Paul's finances, made me do this. We should leave this world a calm and peaceful place, better for our being here. This is one small way to do that.