Passive Guy at his wonderful blog www.thepassivevoice.com has a great article called “How to Read a Book Contract–Contempt.”
A must read for anyone thinking of going into a contract with a traditional publisher. After a hundred plus book contracts for my own work over the years, I can tell you for a fact he is spot on the money.
My advice: Simple. Do not go into a negotiation with a traditional publisher over a contract without an IP lawyer on your side. Critical these days. Flat critical.
Bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith has written more than one hundred popular novels and well over two hundred published short stories. His novels include the science fiction novel Laying the Music to Rest and the thriller The Hunted as D.W. Smith. With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. He writes under many pen names and has also ghosted for a number of top bestselling writers.
Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.
Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books. He is now an executive editor for Fiction River.
WMG Publishing Inc. is now my major publisher of all my coming novels, collections, and short stories.
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$2.99 electronic and $4.99 trade paper editions available.
Just click on the image for more information and links.
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$2.99 electronic and $4.99 trade paper editions available.
Just click on the image for more information and links.
Thanks for pointing out the article! It’s a good one. And an IP lawyer. Got it.
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
Thanks, Dean. The agency agreements are plain scary to most newbies. Frankly what I worry for newbies (or even those oldies buried in myths) is they fear the agent will “drop” them if they refuse to sign these agreements. They fail to see themselves as the controlling entity in the business relationship.
For book contracts in my experience a major publisher contract is different than say a short story contract, or most small press contracts (epub mostly these days), or work for hire contracts (in fairness the WFH I’ve seen was a few years ago since I don’t do WFH anymore so these may now need closer scrutiny these days). I agree an IP attorney is a good investment. Speaking with some published authors they depend on their agents for legal advice on contracts. I think this is a mistake, especially as anyone can print up business cards and be an agent.
When I’m invited to speak at writer events (one upcoming in April) I always refer to PG’s site (and you and Kris) as a good source of business information. Thanks for sharing another great link and keeping us all up to date with changes in the industry.