Friday, January 18, 2013

Devil is in the Details - Publishing Contracts

About two weeks ago, I received a publishing offer for my book, Maker of Angels. I was thrilled! My first impulse was to sign the deal and schedule a celebratory pizza feast for my family, friends and any nameless strangers who might like to join the party. What did I do?

Three fist pumps, a couple quick posts and private emails to share my anticipated good fortune. Then, I got to work.

I read every word of the document—every stinking word! Funny how legal clauses are boring until your future might be made or broken by some obscure provision. I discovered typos and disturbing questions about some of the provisions, but how do you question a contract offer for which you’ve been desperately hoping?

Will they think I’m a pain-in-the-rear, a Prima Dona author and withdraw the deal? If they do that, I rationalized, I’m better off without them.

Devil is in the details!
I hit the “send” button on my email list of questions and crossed my fingers, but I didn’t wait for answers. There was still more work to be done. An old adage in business is that a company can promise you anything as long as they can go bankrupt and get out of the deal. For this reason, the history of the publishing company is important. Are they financially substantial? Do they have any bad reports in industry watchdogs like Predators and Editors?
 
This company checked out okay. I even interviewed one of their newer authors to see what her experience was like. She gave a good report.

Everything seemed to be adding up. Nevertheless, doubts nagged at me. I studied their website for hours. Pricing of e-books seemed high, particularly for my anticipated genre. And, their POD book pricing was typical—way over the usual market price for comparable trade paperbacks. Contractual language only allowed for a “limited” run of traditionally printed books and while they claimed to have lots of distribution outlets, they could not provide Barnes & Noble for widespread marketing. I worried that my books might be overpriced and poorly distributed.
 
Meanwhile, contract changes arrived by email. The company impressed me with their willingness to negotiate, but one concern really bothered me. Charging authors a fee for services. When I mentioned that it felt like a vanity press, the owner of the company argued it was reasonable and not even a “fee,” calling it some convoluted refundable deposit or some nonsense like that.

Now, I’ll admit, I’m a simple man. But, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck . . . it’s a duck!

The company owner came across as aloof, and defended their publishing concept of charging authors for publishing. Her company policy of over-pricing books so they can offer false economy by showing big discounts was pure gimmickry to me. Do they think readers are stupid? My philosophy is to charge a fair price, one that is competitive in the genre’s market, and then deliver a superior product, i.e. quality story-telling. Word of mouth will generate high sales volume as readers have a good experience and tell others about it. My philosophy and theirs clashed. I declined their offer.

How does my experience impact you? I hope my excitement and subsequent disappointment may save you from misfortune. If you get a publishing offer, enjoy the thrill, but do not sign it right away. Vet the company, read the contract, and trust your intuition instead of following your heart. If you aren’t capable of analyzing the contract yourself, hire a literary attorney. It is cheap insurance. And, if the deal doesn't "feel" right, don't do it.
 
Ultimately, before you jump into the deep water of a publishing deal, do that important homework. After all, the devil is in the details!

21 comments:

  1. Is this the deal you told us you rejected and then there is another one for a contract you did sign? Or is this the one we all congratulated you for? I'm a bit confused. Are you under contract or not? That niggling question out of the way, this is a great cautionary tale for authors. We all know that the contracts are not written to benefit us. The deal is to find the one where we're not screwed over. Over the decades of publishing my non-fiction, I read many a contract. I cannot believe there are contract lawyers who choose that line of work! How more boring a job could there be??? LOL Thanks for another great take on the world via Dean's view.

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    1. Thank you for commenting, Sharon. When I posted about this contract, I indicated that I got an offer, but I did not sign it right away. It looked good at first blush, including both publishing and a publicist deal, and, on the surface, it was my dream come true. Thank God I vetted the deal.

      I posted my story because a lot of hopeful authors might have jumped at the arrangement and gotten snookered into paying a publisher money to see their name "in lights." It's a shame that there are sleazy publishers out there who will take advantage of hopeful writers. My story serves as a warning--the wolves are out there, dressed in sheep's wool.

      Thank you again, for your thoughts...Dean.

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  2. Thanks for sharing, Dean. There are a lot of writers out there who will sign the first contract that comes their way without reading it, feeling that a bad contract is probably still better than no contract at all. No so, as your experience shows. Well done for being thorough and not accepting second-best for something you worked long and hard to perfect.

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    1. Thank you for your support, Zoe. Self-publishing is a better way to go than paying some vanity press for an inferior product. This blog is a cautionary tale for frustrated, or desperate, aspiring authors. As a 35-year businessman, I read contracts and assess deals for a living and that company may have duped a less experienced person. Because I care about fellow writers, I posted the story of my own embarrassing almost-mistake.

      Thanks again for your post...Dean

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  3. They were trying to violate the most fundamental rule: Money flows FROM the publisher TO the author, and NEVER the other way around. Any contract that can't even follow THAT basic law? Toss it in the trash.

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    1. Ryk, agreed! This particular company has a sneaky way of disguising the payment. They even argued that it was not a payment, rather a some kind of returnable deposit that the author must earn back through sales...slick gimmick that a lot of new authors-to-be might fall for.

      I hope everyone who reads this blog will memorize your advice..."Money flows FROM the publisher TO the author, and NEVER the other way around."

      Thanks Ryk...Dean

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    2. That's the way I was told it by my author-mentor, Eric Flint, and by others online. It's the most basic rule to tell a real publisher from a not-real one, and one of the reasons I avoid a lot of the online "publishers". "If you're not giving me an advance for my work, you obviously don't have confidence either in the ability of my work to sell, or your ability to sell it. Either way, why should I give my stuff to you?"

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  4. Ouch, Dean! I can only imagine how difficult this decision was for you to make, but I applaud you for doing your due diligence! It's one of the reasons I consider you a mentor in the business side of this crazy, nutty business!

    In my experience, one door closes and another one opens. I remember years ago when I didn't get a job that I was perfect for! It made no sense and I was crushed. I got a job shortly after and that's where I met my husband! Retrospect is always beautifully 20/20! You're in that in-between time right now, but I have complete faith that the door is getting ready to crack for you quite soon!

    Peace, my strong friend! Thank you for opening up so that others can be warned and spared.

    Juliann

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Juliann. I share your belief in doors opening and closing. I also try to find a silver lining in every black cloud. The benefit in this cloud was the lesson I could share with my friends...Dean

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  5. Thanks so much for posting this Dean, so many of us need more people like you with experience and insight to question things sometimes. I'm glad you made the choice you did.

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    1. My pleasure, Allan. Feel free to enjoy my pain and suffering any time. LOL

      Seriously, many thanks for your thoughts...Dean

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  6. Thanks so much for the posting. First time authors, and novices at reading contracts might get duped. Your experience and expertise, which you are so willing to share, is deeply appreciated!

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    1. Sharon, the nice thing about experience is that it is always available for hire. Literary attornies can prevent major mistakes at relatively small cost. If an aspiring author does not have the contract savvy to analyse terms, then the next best approach is to pay a lit professional for advice.

      Thank you for your comments...Dean

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  7. What a crazy roller coaster ride! I'm glad things worked out well in the end but I'm sorry it wasn't better news!! Thanks for sharing and I'm sure the right publisher is on it's way...they're just taking their sweet old time about it :)

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    1. "Roller coaster ride?" Hmmm...I was thinking it was more like a proctoscopy exam! LOL

      Seriously, writing is easy. Waiting for publishing is much more difficult.

      Thank you, Julia, for your comments...Dean

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  8. Sorry to learn the deal didn't work out, but you're right in going only with what you're comfortable with and is in your best interest as an author.

    One can vet a publisher prior to sending a mansucript, but spending hours researching to minor details, one would hardly ever get a work out there. But like you, with my first publication offer for a novel (I did lesser so with short stories), I studied the contract, carefully negotiated, checked prices and reputation, etc. I even ordered a print copy of one of the publisher's titles to see first hand what I might expect in layout, editing, content and the like. I didn't interview an author, though, but it still worked out for the good, I think.

    That right publisher is out there for this work and your others! Hang in there!

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    1. Thank you for your thoughts on this issue, Terry. I'm hoping everyone's comments will provide our fellow writers with lots of ideas to use when they begin their own vetting of agents and publishers.

      Your insights are always priceless...Dean

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  9. Good advice. I probably would have taken the bait. Thank you for the warning!

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    1. Hi Michele,

      There are wolves in sheep's clothing ready to pounce on desperately hopeful writers. I was fooled, too, initially. Made a stupid public post about this "great contract" I was offered, getting my friends and family excited. Then, after doing my homework, I accepted the truth and acted accordingly. It was embarrassing and deeply disappointing. My goal with this blog is to help others avoid such traps.

      Thank you for posting...Dean

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