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Writers, always read your contract thoroughly. If there is something you don’t understand, seek out someone in the industry/genre and ask if they can help you. Here are some recent red flags I’ve seen (from other writers’ small press contracts who asked me to take a look for them
1. Lifetime exclusive rights. This is you signing your work over...forever. It’s no longer yours.
2. Lifetime exclusive rights for film, TV, plays, people chatting on the side of the street (okay, that last one was an exaggeration).
2. Lifetime exclusive rights for film, TV, plays, people chatting on the side of the street (okay, that last one was an exaggeration).
3. A non-compete clause. Especially when they don’t really define what that means and get to tell you what you can and cannot publish and with whom...forever (no, that isn’t an exaggeration).
4. A “first dibs” clause. Seriously, fuck that. Unless you signed a multi-book deal with the publisher, they don’t have any say where you publish your work.
5. Shitty royalty rates. Check out what the better known publishers are offering. If a publisher is offering a tiny fraction of that, you’re getting nothing. Okay, maybe you’ll get to buy a single meal at Burger King...eventually. But don’t bring any friends.
6. A small publisher who has a clause that says you must be ready to travel at a moment’s notice. And if they don’t mention that they’re paying for those trips, it’s likely you who will pay...big time.
And no, I'm not an expert.
