So let the mouthing off begin...I decided since most of the symbolic pics I found for my topic come in twos, I should honor my verbosity with two icons to my mouthing -offery too. (Yes I KNOW I know that is NOT really a word, but this is MY blog, and MY mouthing off, so I am going to take some license here when it feels right, and that just feels right.) Above is my typical, well known symbol of "Mouthing Off". I have been using him for about two years now and find him very likable and descriptive, don't you?
Now this guy, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, this MOUTH, is wider and has more teeth, since my boy overhead doesn't seem to have any, and I thought this topic needed to be able to get some teeth chomping into it...as you will see momentarily, it was an excellant addition...And that brings me to the topic.NDA's. I decided to do a GOOGLE search on the topic since some publishers, for reasons I have yet to fathom, have their authors sign NDAs. We'll get to that shortly. First, since I am an excellent researcher, I wanted to see what would pop up if I did a GOOGLE search if I typed in those three letters into the GOOGLE Search Engine. let's start with that. Would you believe there is a government agency with the alphabet soup acronym of NDA?
Yep, and it's the National Defense Academy. I'm not really sure what their function is, since I was only interested in their acronym, but looking at this picture, what do you think their function might be? 
Does this help? Hey, it's a year younger than me! That means, depending on what month of the year it came into being, it is either fifty-seven years young, or a creaking fifty-eight. Either way, as an NDA, I don't think it would do much for the publishing world as it relates to authors...but then who knows what percolates in the minds of some publishers. Moving on...
...welcome to the National Data Agency of the United States of America, another NDA that rose to the top in my Google Search. Another OFFICIAL government entity with the same NDA acronym. Hmmmm, I'm beginning to see a theme here, and it looks pretty serious...don't you think?
OOOPS! Spoke too soon. Welcome to the National Dart Association, also known as NDA. Boy, this acronym DOES get around. So professional darters are NDA'ers. Does that mean some publishers want their authors to take up dart tossing? Could be an intriguing way of getting past writer's block, I suppose.
Might be even more fun though to take it up in NASSAU. I mean if I am going to get into darts, at least let me take it up where I get to play in a tropic land and drink Mai Tai's made by brawny guys in pirate shirts open to their navels...and NASSAU DARTS ASSOCATION does keep the NDA them alive and me heart-a-kicking, Matey.
But back to reality, sigh. NDA brought me to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for DEAF People; (Blame Google because they brought me here...right letters slightly skewed)...again NDA. As a former Special Ed teacher I applaud anyone urging others to learn how to communicate with the deaf...so the publishers having their authors sign NDA's means they want their authors to join the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for DEAF People...Right? Kudos are in store for them, right?
And they have signed them up at the NATIONAL DEAF ACADEMY...ah...now I get it...to accomplish this right?
They would not require their authors to join the NATIONAL DANCE ALLIANCE...or...
...the National Dance Academy...since not all authors are physically abled, would they?
Even though the idea of joining the National Demolition Association makes me laugh and I almost wish this was the right NDA, I cannot picture the likes of some of today's Best Selling Authors manning the controls on the wrecking ball, demolishing the old to make room for the new. I just don't think there is enough room for all the publishers to sign all their authors up to THIS NDA...unfortunately that brings me to the one I fear is the RIGHT one...the one APPLE tried for it's iPod manufacturing, but had to acknowledge didn't work...and I have to say...if a company as HUGE as Apple couldn't make NDA's work, why would small publishing companies think they could make them work, or that they were good things?
After I finished my research, I decided to test my supposition that this debacle was the true NDA. I did an impromptu survey and sent out a query to several publishers. Tell, me, I queried, your opinion of having your authors sign an NDA. The majority, I am pleased to say, responded that no such elephant was required, but some, sadly, do require this pachyderm. 
I went into Predators and Editors and discovered that most of those that do are listed in Predators and Editors as NOT RECOMMENDED or STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED. That makes me wonder...WHY NDA, NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS are needed.?What trade secrets exist that THESE publishers keep their authors from sharing?
What comes to mind? BEWARE THE SECRETS YOU THE AUTHOR MUST KEEP. THEY ARE NEVER IN YOUR FAVOR!
3 comments:
What a wonderful post. Sarcasm done with humor. Love it. I asked myself the same thing...what secrets does my last publisher have that drove her to take down the author's loop when two publishing questions were asked. Yes, I asked them, and I guess you can say that, I single-handed and armed only with rightful curiosity, cause the fall of the great wall of communication at said publisher. I didn't realize I had so much power. :)
Wonderful post, Lin. I often wonder that myself. Makes no sense to me. Even as an editor for a publisher, I wasn't asked to sign anything like that.
good one, Lin
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