Negotiating the Contract
Get Legal Advice
I am not a lawyer, and I would definitely recommend talking with a lawyer before signing any contract, especially if a lot of money is involved. Even if you have to pay some money to the lawyer, it could easily save you quite a lot of money down the road. Especially if the contract talks about the publisher or agent holding a lot of rights.
There are a lot of free legal options out there. There are also free general business advice options with local chambers of commerce or with the SCORE system.
Talk to friends and family. See if a friend of a friend can take a look at it. Even a sanity check is better than nothing.
Talk with the other authors who have signed with this person! Get a sense of what you are in for. Is the publisher going to tear apart your beloved work? Is the agent going to vanish for weeks at a time on vacation? The more you’re prepared for what is to come, the more you can make a decision on whether this is best for you.
Also be prepared that some publishers have a take-it-or-leave-it mindset. I have hit several publishers like that. If you didn’t want to sign their contract as-is, they had hundreds of other authors eager to sign up. They weren’t interested in bending.
At that point you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it to you to cave on your issues. But at least you’ll know what the situation is and be prepared for it.
Traditional Publishing - main page
Overview of Traditional Publishing
How Copyright Works
Working With A Literary Agent
... My Concerns about Agents
Finding a Publisher
... Writer's Market
Writing a Query Letter
... Query Letter Tips
... Query Letter Issues to Avoid
Getting To a Contract Offer
Negotiating the Contract
Working With the Publisher or Agent
... Publishers and Editing
Submitting to Magazines
Tips for Submitting Short Stories
What Does It Cost to Ghostwrite a Book?
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Getting Your Book Published
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