My book is a big nonfiction book, for which I've done, well, let's leave it at "decades" of research. I am 99.9% done with the research and am deep into the manuscript phase.
However, that remaining 0.01% of the research involves filing FOIA requests all over the place, using an expert FOIA attorney who is not cheap. I'm guessing it's going to cost me about $3000 to do (this includes a FOIA lawsuit... long story... it's the way one gets something done fast w/ the govt; if you file a "request" it could take 3 years... I need to be finished in months).
Anyway, the assumption seems to be that I, the author, have to pay this. I doubt my agent has ever had a client who was going around filing FOIA lawsuits. But the question is, would it be even remotely worthwhile to see if the publisher would foot that bill? If I don't ask, I have to pay, and it comes out of the advance, and that is, well, sub-optimal. I sure wish I could get the publisher to do it, and not ding my advance in the process. Am I dreaming?
I thought maybe an agent out there has dealt with a nonfiction author before and might have seen something like this pop up, where the nonfiction author does all kinds of wild and crazy things to get the story, the way journalists do at newspapers.
[And before anyone asks, yes, if you follow the message here, it begs the question, why didn't I file the FOIA years ago, and just file requests not lawsuit? Well, it took years of research to find out interesting stories that would require a FOIA. Horse before the cart.]
However, that remaining 0.01% of the research involves filing FOIA requests all over the place, using an expert FOIA attorney who is not cheap. I'm guessing it's going to cost me about $3000 to do (this includes a FOIA lawsuit... long story... it's the way one gets something done fast w/ the govt; if you file a "request" it could take 3 years... I need to be finished in months).
Anyway, the assumption seems to be that I, the author, have to pay this. I doubt my agent has ever had a client who was going around filing FOIA lawsuits. But the question is, would it be even remotely worthwhile to see if the publisher would foot that bill? If I don't ask, I have to pay, and it comes out of the advance, and that is, well, sub-optimal. I sure wish I could get the publisher to do it, and not ding my advance in the process. Am I dreaming?
I thought maybe an agent out there has dealt with a nonfiction author before and might have seen something like this pop up, where the nonfiction author does all kinds of wild and crazy things to get the story, the way journalists do at newspapers.
[And before anyone asks, yes, if you follow the message here, it begs the question, why didn't I file the FOIA years ago, and just file requests not lawsuit? Well, it took years of research to find out interesting stories that would require a FOIA. Horse before the cart.]
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