As A. S. Pushkin: "Inspiration is not for sale, but you can sell a manuscript." Therefore, today, when sometimes any manuscript is sold, turned into a full-fledged publication, the shelves and stands of bookstores are literally bursting with a variety of literary and near-literary works. Romance novels, mystical thrillers, dashingly twisted detective stories and adventures, science fiction and fantasy, educational literature. Time will tell whether the newly-minted authors should have taken up the pen at all.
Instructions
Step 1
Please note: some publishers, offering the author to conclude a contract, insist on the execution of an order contract. But if you have already created an imperishable masterpiece (or at least an ordinary textbook), it is better not to issue a contract-order. Any talent fades in the face of responsibility for writing in a hurry, according to the schedule approved by the publisher.
Step 2
Even if you used a certain pseudonym when writing your work, which was offered to you by the publisher, the rights to use it are not transferred under the contract.
Step 3
If a publisher invites you to draw up a "Letter of Intent" (meaning that you will not cooperate with competitors), clarify the wording: you agree to submit your work to this publisher in the first place.
Step 4
The general agreement should be called "Agreement on the publication of an author's work" or "Author's agreement on the publication of a work". That is, under this agreement, you will have to transfer only the property rights to the work, that is, the right to publish.
Step 5
If you want to receive some amount in advance (in the case of a contract-order), take only a full advance payment (at least 20% of the total amount of the contract) so that if you do not meet the deadline, you do not have to pay late fees from a tiny amount advance payment (it happens that for 100 rubles, "for show", as the publishers assure).
Step 6
Copyright remuneration can be issued in one of three ways:
- a fixed amount (not depending on the circulation of the publication);
- royalties (royalties);
- combined system.
Step 7
Agree on the size of the circulation of your work, which would be adequate to both your expectations and the expectations of the publisher from sales. In addition, the recognition of the author, the popularity of such works on the market, the rating of the publisher itself, etc. are taken into account. The circulation should not be less than 5 thousand copies.
Step 8
Specify the terms of entry into force of the contract and the timing of the transfer of property rights. If the rights are transferred exclusively, do not agree to too long terms, because if the publisher for some reason does not publish your work, you can offer it to another publisher.
