• 7. The Small Print: How To Understand Publishing Contracts

  • Sep 29 2024
  • Length: 33 mins
  • Podcast

7. The Small Print: How To Understand Publishing Contracts

  • Summary


    • Signing a contract can be a cause for celebration, but there may be regrets later.
    • As a publisher you often only return to them when something has gone wrong and you need to get out of the contract.
    • The contract is a legal document, but connection and communication are what make the author-publisher relationship work.
    • There is often a power imbalance.
    • Rights in contracts; what is the publisher being assigned by the writer; ANZ rights, English-speaking rights, Commonwealth rights.
    • Format rights, book, ebook, audiobook, extracts, film and TV and translation rights. The different sizes of books, and hardback and softback.
    • Many companies now create their own audiobooks, but others sell those rights on.
    • Length of contracts, some have finiste terms, most remain whilst a book is in print.
    • Sunset clauses.
    • Royalties are usually 10% of RRP, but that can be altered for books that sell in big numbers, these are called rises.
    • Pros and cons of advances, and how often advances are earned out. Why we prefer lower or no advances.
    • Beware of contracts from companies that help writers self publish. Can be grossly unfair.
    • Discussion about ebook royalties, usually 25% of net receipts.
    • Royalties stay at 10% of RRP even when bookshops do deep discounts.
    • Bulk book orders sometimes paid at 25% of net receipts; the pros of being entrepreneurial as a publisher.




    Buy Going Under

    In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

    In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

    In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

    Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

    Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.



    Jane Curry Links

    • Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
    • Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
    • www.instagram.com/venturapress__



    Seana Smith Links

    • Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
    • Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com


    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS


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