“Sometimes, the thing you most wish for is not to be touched.” The quote above comes from the musical Into the Woods and offers a caution that doesn’t apply only to fairy tales . . . it’s important advice for publishing too. It took me ten years, and five full-length manuscripts, to find an agent (and get…
Tag: publishing contracts
How to Obtain a Reversion of Publishing Rights (At Least, How to Try)
While wearing my publishing lawyer hat, authors often ask me about how to terminate an old (or unprofitable) publishing contract and obtain a reversion of their rights to the relevant works. Obtaining a reversion of rights can be tricky, and is always dependent on the terms of the contract (and/or the author’s relationship with the publisher). Normally, the contract…
How to Spot (& Avoid) “Pay to Play” Publishing Contracts
In recent months, I’ve seen a resurgence of some terrible publishing “offers” that business-savvy authors need to recognize . . . and avoid. Although these “deals” are legal if an author signs them, every time I see one of these contracts, I’m reminded of my law school contracts professor’s favorite saying: “You can make as good a deal, or AS…
Beware of Hidden Dangers in Short-Form Publishing Contracts
Authors have a lot to watch out for when reading a publishing contract, but one of the most common dangers is actually invisible: the protections typically missing from short-form contracts. Standard publishing contracts run 10-30 pages, in little type, with wording that ranges from “difficult” to “possibly penned in Hieroglyphs.” Most authors don’t know how to approach the dense legalese,…
Understanding Your Ebook Rights
With a new year upon us, my #PubLaw for Writers guest posts here at the RMFW blog will focus on helping authors understand and protect their legal rights. Today, we’re kicking it off with a little more about ebook rights–what they are, and how they function in a publishing contract. Ebook Rights are Normally Addressed in a Contract’s “Grant…