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 Contract questions

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LynnG13




Number of posts : 2
Registration date : 2010-05-05

Contract questions Empty
PostSubject: Contract questions   Contract questions EmptyWed May 05, 2010 5:55 pm

Hi,

This is my first post here. Forgive me if this has been addressed before, but I could not find a Search function here...

I am a new author and I have been sent a contract (publishing agreement) from my publisher for a book I have just written. The book is highly controversial and I had planned to self-publish it until I was approached by this publisher to publish the book for me. The publisher is very supportive of my book and has shown a lot of interest in publishing and marketing the book for me at no cost to me. The publisher is also fairly new to the industry and has just recently switched from a self-publishing business to a traditional publisher. Given the nature of the book, I have chosen to use an alias instead of my real name.

I have concerns about the contract they sent me because the contract does not specify the base or retail price, or the percentage of royalties paid to me. There doesn't seem to be any detailed descriptions of what services will be provided to me to assist in marketing my book. Am I wrong to expect these things to be stipulated in the contract? The publisher says the royalties contract is a separate contact that will come after retail price and royalties are negotiated.

I am a professional graphic designer who specializes in book design, so I am using my own services for the cover and the interior of the book. I already know the book will be 272 pages, and have told the publisher this. Couldn't they determine the price and royalties based on this info alone, or are there other things to consider in determining price?

The publisher also expects to retains the copyright to the book. I want to know if I can still retain the copyright to the book even though I am using an alias. Is that legal, or would I have to put my real name with the copyright info on the copyright page? Is it OK to give the rights to the publisher? What do I actually give up?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Lynn
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dkchristi
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dkchristi


Number of posts : 8594
Registration date : 2008-12-29
Location : Florida

Contract questions Empty
PostSubject: Re: Contract questions   Contract questions EmptyWed May 05, 2010 6:56 pm

You obviously have concerns about the contract. Listen to your instincts. Many authors have difficulty questioning a contract because they are so grateful to get a publisher. Make sure all the questions you have are answered in writing. Publishing is notoriously one-sided in favor of the publisher. Protect yourself.
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Shelagh
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Shelagh


Number of posts : 12662
Registration date : 2008-01-11
Location : UK

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PostSubject: Re: Contract questions   Contract questions EmptyThu May 06, 2010 12:49 am

Hi Lynn,

You have raised a few alarm bells. A contract from one of the top houses might not be all that a first-time author was hoping for while, at the same time, providing an opening for a new author that would be hard to resist. That said, an unsatisfactory contract from a new publisher is less enticing and, if you signed it, might lead to disappointment.
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LynnG13




Number of posts : 2
Registration date : 2010-05-05

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PostSubject: Re: Contract questions   Contract questions EmptyThu May 06, 2010 9:48 am

Thank you, ladies, for your well thought out responses. I appreciate your feedback. The publisher and I have been talking and he says that it would not hurt his feelings if I went elsewhere. He understands my concerns. I am now considering trying to find another publisher. Since I am very new to this, I am not sure how to go about that. This site looks like a great place to start, though!

Thank you!
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LC
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LC


Number of posts : 5044
Registration date : 2009-03-28

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PostSubject: Re: Contract questions   Contract questions EmptyThu May 06, 2010 3:04 pm

Hi Lynn, to find a legit publisher:

Go to a library or bookstore, find books that are in your genre, and see who published them. Query them. Or,

Get a copy of Writer's Market and browse for publishers in your genre.

Fiction writers may need an agent; many start that search at agentquery.com.

You'll need to write a great query letter (fiction) or proposal (non-fiction), and there are plenty of books with good instruction for that.

I agree that the publisher you described sounds sketchy. Best to leave it alone.
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