Publishing Basics: Hold on to Your Rights

Know your rights and keep control of your work.

Don’t let skeevy publishers get away with your hard-earned dough! (Source)

If you are the creator of a piece of work, you hold all the rights. Those rights only leave your control if you’ve taken official and formal steps to completely surrender those rights. This is not just for work submitted to big publishers, either, but is also important when it comes to small magazines, fan zines, etc., where normal contracts might not exist.

If you don’t understand what something in a contract means, don’t give it away. You are the guardian of your intellectual property, so be a responsible guardian. It can feel odd to stand up for yourself, but it’s vital that you do!

Contracts are not always all or nothing, usually you’ll negotiate, and negotiation is expected. If you’re unsure about some aspect of a contract, ask the person who’s trying to buy your license, “can you clarify that for me?” You’ll learn loads about the publisher from how they answer your questions. And, then you can take that answer to your agent, to a knowledgeable friend, to an IP lawyer, or the broader arts community. Basically, never sign a contract until you understand it, and preferably have solicited 3rd party feedback on it.

My main advice is: if you enter a creative field, get an agent (especially if you write long form…