I thought the topic is one I should bring up.
Every adult should have a will. A will not only ensures your wishes are known, but makes it much easier for those left behind to deal with the many demanding tasks involved with closing an estate that can otherwise feel overwhelming in the midst of their grief. Worse, without a will, family members may disagree over basic decisions, creating unnecessary conflict.
As a writer, there are additional questions/responsibilities that arise. Who has control over your writing? Who has authority to approve reprints, sign with publishers? Who gets the royalties? If you have incomplete manuscripts, should those be destroyed as too personal or too incomplete, or should someone try to get those published? What happens to your author social media? Again, you cannot assume that everyone knows your wishes. Even if you have discussed what you’d like with someone, they need it in writing so it isn’t challenged.
Even if you have a will with a designated executor, is that person knowledgeable about the literary world / publishing? Can they find their way through editors, agents, publishers / self-publishing, marketing, and so on, all while avoiding scammers? So, one may want to consider appointing a knowledgeable literary executor (in addition to the regular one) willing to take this one.
I am not a lawyer, I’m not providing legal advice, and I’m not interested in being anyone’s literary executor. I’m just a writer / editor talking about my own experiences to get authors to consider adding “make a will” to their to-do list.
