Thursdays tips are a new feature I’m doing…basically aimed at the newly published/contracted. I’ll be compiling the posts and publishing them somewhere for download once I’m done with the articles.
No Agent?
In epublishing, it’s not uncommon to get a contract offer without an agent. In epublishing, it’s not uncommon to sign and write without using an agent. I don’t use an agent on my epublishing contracts and I’m comfortable enough with the lingo to navigate those waters on my own.
However…if you’ve just been offered a contract by an epublisher, no matter how big they are, how well established, how well known, please, please, please, have a contract attorney review the contract first.
I do know that my epubs have a ‘customized’ contract for me and each time I turn in a new work, this same contract is used. You can ask if this is something that can be done so you don’t need to worry about paying that fee each time you sign a contract, but trust me, it’s better to pay a contract attorney than to not pay it and then spend years wishing you had.
In traditional publishing, it’s not as usual to get a contract offer without having an agent. Many publishers do require an agent submit the work, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get an offer.
My first offer from a traditional publisher came without me submitting a work, and I didn’t have an agent. I was still just writing for my epubs and was contacted by an editor about writing a novella for an anthology. This has happened for other authors, so it does and can happen.
But…there’s no way I’m going to navigate the waters of traditional publishing without an agent on my side.
Why?
v There’s more money involved
v There are more markets involved
v There are usually more books involved
v There is more legalese involved
v The contracts tend to be more complicated
With things like First Right of Refusal, Option on Next Work, etc, etc, etc, etc… I’m not signing those contracts without having an agent on my side.
The agent is there to push for my best interest.
She’s not affiliated with the publisher, she’s not working for the publisher, she’s there to help me, to fight for my best interests.
JA Konrath stated pretty much the same thing. While he’s been doing a lot more ePublishing, he still has an agent to negotiate rights, screen rights, etc. It makes complete sense since you consider as writers, we’re supposed to be WRITING. 🙂
Sage advice, Shiloh. I would even consider signing a contract without either having an IP or contract lawyer or a lit agent look at it first.