As A.S. wrote Pushkin: "Inspiration is not for sale, but you can sell the manuscript." Therefore, today, when sometimes any manuscript translated into a full-fledged publication is sold, the shelves and stands of bookstores literally burst with a variety of literary and literary works. Romance, mystical thrillers, famously twisted detectives and adventures, science fiction and fantasy, educational literature. Time will tell whether the new authors were worth the pen at all.
Instruction manual
1
Please note: some publishers, offering the author to conclude a contract, insist on the execution of the contract-order. But if you have already created an imperishable masterpiece (or at least an ordinary study guide), it is better not to issue a contract-order. Any talent fades in the face of responsibility for hurriedly written, according to the schedule approved by the publisher.
2
Even if you used a pseudonym that was proposed to you by the publisher when writing your work, the rights to use it under the contract are not transferred.
3
If the publisher offers you to draw up an “Agreement of Intent” (implying that you will not cooperate with competitors), specify the wording: you undertake to submit your work to this publisher in the first place.
4
The general contract should be called the “Contract for the publication of an author's work” or “The author's contract for the publication of a work”. That is, under this agreement you will only have to transfer the property rights to the work, that is, the right to publish.
5
If you want to get 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 penalties for late with a miserable advance payment (it happens that for 100 rubles, "for show", as the publishers assure).
6
Author remuneration can be made in one of three options:
- a fixed amount (independent of the circulation of the publication);
- royalties (royalties);
- combined system.
7
Agree on the size of the circulation of the publication 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 in the market, the rating of the publisher itself, etc. are taken into account. The circulation should not be less than 5 thousand copies.
eight
Specify the dates for the entry into force of the contract and the terms for the transfer of property rights. If the rights are transferred exclusively, don’t agree to take too long, because if the publisher for some reason does not publish your work, you can offer it to another publisher.
