If you find yourself in the position where you have pitched an idea to a book publisher, or if a book publisher has come to you, asking if you'd contribute to a book, the next step is signing of an author agreement. This document spells out the terms of the arrangement, including things like:
- Your royalty rate, and the disbursement schedule of the advance
- The writing schedule, spelling out how much of the book you'll need to have completed by what dates
- Legalese spelling out the responsibilities of the publisher and author
- Legalese spelling out who owns what. Typically, the publisher will own the rights to the work as long as they're keeping it in print, returning the rights to the author once the book is taken out of print.
As with any contract, before signing your soul on the dotted line of an author agreement, it is important that you carefully read the agreement, ask any questions you may have, and negotiate terms as you see fit. Of course the best way to do this is with the aid of a lawyer, but many authors forgo the advice of a legal professional.
Recently, Joe Mayo sent me a link to Dave Taylor's blog entry, What Pitfalls Do I Need to Avoid in an Author's Publishing Contract? Definitely worth reading before signing an author agreement document.
Speaking of book writing, I'll be getting back into the swing of book writing here in a couple of months.