Monthly Meeting: October 2024 - Author Mari Mancusi - Writing for the Mouse and More
Created November 03, 2024 by Laurent Sewell
Our October meeting featured author Mari Manscusi, who presented “Writing for the Mouse & More.” As an award-winning Disney work-for-hire author, Mari detailed the pros and cons of writing for media companies (also known as IP and media tie-in writing) and how authors can take best advantage of the many opportunities available.
Mari Mancusi is author of 36 books including SALLY’S LAMENT, a media tie-in book, newly published by Disney Publishing Group and part of the New York Times best-selling “A Twisted Tale” series. Her first traditionally published book by Disney-Hyperion is titled THE CAMELOT CODE. And her first Disney work-for-hire book is the YA novel DANGEROUS SECRETS, a prequel to Frozen II, in which she wrote a backstory to the lyrics “conceal don’t feel.”
Meeting Highlights/Topics Discussed:
Types of work-for-hire (ie. publishers, partnerships, book packagers)
Basics to know:
- Writers do NOT hold the copyright to their work-for-hire stories
- Concepts are typically assigned to the writer, rather than the writer pitching concepts
- Editorial freedom varies widely
- IP holders regulate approval processes
- Signing deals/payment structures (ie. flat fees; revenue splits; royalties)
Auditions in brief:
- First, you are given a prompt
- Then, you write a synopsis or a few chapters
- You get paid approximately $0 to $500 for the audition
- And then, they own everything you wrote
- From there, you might get an assignment
- Even if you don’t get hired right away, they might come back to you in future for a project
- How publisher directives can span from specific to nebulous
- How work may be associated with multiple properties that you must satisfy, take instruction from, or obtain approval from—such as publishers, media companies, packaging partners, and specific franchises
Media Tie-in work:
- This is work from franchises, including prequels, sequels, adaptations, etc.
- Note that the characters MUST stay true to the original IP
- One example Mari wrote: THE OFFICIAL WEDNESDAY COOKBOOK
- Pros and Cons of writing IP books:
- Pros: you get to create new lore; you have a built in fan base
- Cons: you MUST stick to your outline; you may have to deal with unhappy fans
Work-for-hire caveat:
- Even if your book sells for millions, or a movie is made from your book, you still only get paid the same flat fee of, say, $10,000, since you do not own the copyright to the story
Follow the link to learn more about Mari Manscusi and her work.