Don't Sign Dumb Contracts
Yesterday we were talking about agents, and some of the horrible contracts they've started to try to get their writers to sign. If you really want more detail on how bad some of these contracts are, and how dishonest and underhanded some of the methods to sneak in unfavorable terms are, look no further than Kristine Kathryn Rusch's post on the subject.
Of course, the contracts publishers themselves offer are just as bad as ever, too.
So how do you recognize a bad contract when you see one? Passive Guy has a few things to look out for, and wants to remind you that the power is in your hands:
Every contract is negotiable, so negotiate what you don't like. "This is our standard contract" is the oldest scam in the world. Standard contracts are for banks who print them by the million. Publishers and agents may want "standard contracts," but they probably also want world peace. You don't have to accept their standard contracts. If a publisher or agent is interested enough in your book to want a contract with you, they'll be willing to change some things. Negotiation is the process by which each side to a potential contract discovers how much they want the contract.
Authors are in a terrible psychic spot in negotiating their first contract with an agent or publisher. They sent out a million queries before they got an agent. Ten publishers turned down their manuscript before one became interested. Authors are inclined to think, "I'll sign anything. Just don't tell me no again." Don't get into that mode.
