Small Press Looking For Suggestions on Contracts for New Authors
Posted by
Cozy Cat Press is very new and very small; we specialize in cozy mysteries. So far we have published only two books--mine and my co-founder's. We are now starting to receive submissions--some of which we would like to publish, but we are uncertain as to what type of contract and/or contact provisions we should offer. We really can't afford to offer advances (at least not large ones). We will be hard pressed merely to be able to afford getting one (let alone two) books ready for publication, printed, and promoted, but we could probably do so in the next year or so. My arrangement with my co-founder is that she pays for all of her book's production costs and keeps 100% of the profits. I don't know if such an arrangement would be appealing to other authors. We are open to creative solutions and trying to brainstorm ideas that would be beneficial to both CCP and to potential CCP authors. Any thoughts? Patricia Rockwell Cozy Cat Press www.cozycatpress.com
0
Replies
  • Dear Linda, Tried contacting you but I don't think your email is going through (at least not at my end). I'd really like to hear about the way your company structures your three-level contract for authors. Please, would you send the information to me at: [email protected] Thanks! Patricia
  • Dear Zetta, Thank you for this suggestion. I have printed the sample contract from EPIC and will be studying it carefully. Patricia Rockwell
  • Patricia, Send me your email address and I'll share some info. I operate a super small publishing company (TreasureLine Publishing) that offers 3 levels: Traditional, Joint Venture, Self-publishing Assistance. The difference, of course is in how much authors pay upfront and the royalty percentages. Anyway, send me an email if you want and make sure to mention Cozy Cat Press in the subject. My email address is [email protected] Linda
  • Years ago the group EPIC developed a model contract and a list of "red flags" to look for in a contract that became so popular that its been featured in law books. Many of the ePublishers and indie publishers (print and electronic) you see today have based their contract on it. Some of these house have been around since the 1990s. We modeled our contract on it and it has suited us well.

    Obviously, it doesn't mean you are required to use the model verbatim, but it is an excellent place to start. As your publishing house grows, you'll want to review and make changes to suit your needs.

    I'm not sure what you mean by "such an arrangement would be appealing to authors," but it sounds like you need to decide if you are going to be the "full" publisher--meaning that you pay for all costs of production--or a subsidy press where you require the author to pay any production costs, no matter how little. There are pros and cons to both.