Negotiating a contract
If you’re lucky enough to be offered a book deal, you will more than
likely be presented with a contract to peruse and sign. Unless you have
a background in law, there may be aspects of a contract that you’re
unsure about. If you have managed to secure the services of an agent,
it is part of their job to deal with this. If you don’t have an agent
and have, for example, been offered a deal by a small independent
publisher, there are other ways to deciphering the legal jargon and
make sure you’re getting a good deal.
The Society of Authors helps writers with the
business side of writing, and their services include the confidential
vetting of individual contracts.
It’s a membership organisation, and you can join for a fee of £85 (or £60 if you’re under 35) if:
• You have had a full-length work published or
• You have had a dozen articles/stories/poems etc, published in different places (eg, magazines)
However, if you are not in the above position, all is not lost because
you can become an associate member for a year, so long as you have had
an offer of publication and/or have received a contract for this to
take place.
Alternatively, the Society of Authors also has a range of publications
for non-members to obtain, including one on publishing contracts (which
currently costs £10).
Their other publications also cover such legal issues as copyright
& moral rights, permissions and libel, so you might find it useful
to browse their website. These range in price from £1 to £10, but are
of course free if you’re a member.
