Lessons From the Rocky Launch of Amtrak’s Writing Residency Program

Like most writers, I got super excited when I heard about Amtrak’s program for authors.

The much-lauded Amtrak Residency program came to fruition when writer Alexander Chee mentioned in an interview that he liked to write on a train and commented, “I wish Amtrak had residencies for writers.”

Soon, the quote sparked a discussion on Twitter. Amtrak got wind of it and introduced an official program on March 8.

A program for writers to write in peace and get free train rides? How awesome! Writers around the country praised Amtrak for their support of writers. (I myself was one of them.)

I urged all writers to apply. I had planned to submit an application myself until someone on Facebook asked whether I had heard about the “rights controversy” with the Amtrak Residency program.

 

Upon a closer look at the application submission form it looks like their Terms of Use aren’t so friendly to authors.

The Terms of Use from Section 6 are cut and pasted below:

 

 

Also, a closer look at the prize the “Round-trip train travel will be provided on an Amtrak long-distance route. Each resident will be given a private sleeper car, equipped with a desk, a bed and a window to watch the American countryside roll by for inspiration. Routes will be determined based on availability” which doesn’t necessarily mean all expenses paid. Sounds like you ride to a destination and ride back, and the train ride is free.

Getting Around the Rights Issue

Some contract-savvy writers like Jeffrey A. Carver are aware of the rights issue and leverage the program for all it’s worth by submitting excerpts of their already published novels. If their work gets chosen, they see it as a way to promote and market already-published works.

In a BiblioCrunch blog comment he wrote, “I think if you’re careful about what you submit (i.e., material you don’t mind if they publish world-wide and forever), there’s no reason not to apply. I included a fair-use length excerpt of a published novel of mine, and if they want to use the excerpt to publicize my novel for me, I’m good with that. I’m also fine with their using my short paragraphs composed to say why I’d like to be selected. You just have to take care about what you choose to upload.”

Still, I don’t know how I feel about that. Amtrak could easily amend their terms and show that they truly support authors. They could also prove that it’s not just a social media play to get folks talking about something other than their notoriously slow or delayed trains on social media.

I, for one, won’t be applying after all. I’d rather just pay for my own ticket (worth about a few hundred dollars) and just keep the rights to my work. A fellow author suggested that I create a version of the program and let authors keep their rights.

So, I did. It’s here: #BiblioCrunchResidency.

In my initial excitement I had forgotten the advice I always give to authors: Make sure you know what you’re submitting to or sign up for. Before submitting your work anywhere or uploading your book anywhere make sure they are author-friendly. Unless you accidentally don’t want to give away the rights to your book, always read the Terms of Use — always.

Miral Sattar is the CEO of BiblioCrunch, an award-winning author services marketplace that matches authors with quality, award-winning professionals to get new books to market. She has worked in the media industry for 11 years, most recently at TIME where she launched several digital initiatives. Her writing has been featured in PBS, TIME, CNN, NY Daily News, among other media publications. She has a MS in Publishing (Digital + Print Media) from NYU and a BS from Columbia University in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. You can follow Miral on Twitter @miralsattar.