Q for agentPete about "first look" rights

[Pamela Jo]

Chicken House Books website. So this contest looks interesting. I just wanted to check that submitting and winning doesnt mean locking yourself into a shitty deal.

Seems clear enough. I just know too much about Tortes.

Are you an unpublished and unagented writer with an original and exciting story for 7-to-18-year-olds? If so, why not enter our competition? We’re offering not one but TWO fantastic prizes:

The Overall Winner
The main prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance (subject to contract). Our esteemed panel of judges will select the overall winner, who will also receive an offer of representation from a top literary agent, Davinia Andrew-Lynch. The winner will be the entrant whose story, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality, originality and suitability for children.

The Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award
Our bonus prize, sponsored by Lime Pictures, will be awarded by Barry Cunningham (Chicken House MD and Chairman of the Panel) and Tim Compton (Co-Head of Kids & Family at Lime Pictures) to a complete fiction manuscript for children aged 7 up to Young Adult that in their view shows great potential for film and TV development.

Lime also has a ‘first look deal’ for the shortlist and winning submissions, meaning the exclusive right to consider all shortlisted entries for film/TV development for a defined period of 45 days after the winners’ announcement. Any subsequent offer from Lime for TV/film rights is not part of the Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award, nor is the author or their agent required to accept any such offer. Please see the terms and conditions for more details.

Shortlisted entrants who don’t win will receive a letter summarising their reader’s, the Chicken House editorial team’s and the judges’ comments on their submission. All longlisted entrants will receive a reader’s report of their work.

 

[Bloo]

@AgentPete - did you see this ?

 

[AgentPete]

@AgentPete - did you see this ?

Thx @Bloo✒️ , checking it out now.

 

[AgentPete]

The Overall Winner
The main prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance (subject to contract). Our esteemed panel of judges will select the overall winner, who will also receive an offer of representation from a top literary agent, Davinia Andrew-Lynch. The winner will be the entrant whose story, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality, originality and suitability for children.

Nothing in the above freaks me out. With an agent on board (I don’t know Davinia AL) you ought to be protected against any overreach in the contract they’re suggesting. I’d be looking for term of contract and not giving too many rights away, esp film/tv (see below). But it feels kosher, Chicken House is well known and of course Barry C has HPotter creds

The Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award
Our bonus prize, sponsored by Lime Pictures, will be awarded by Barry Cunningham (Chicken House MD and Chairman of the Panel) and Tim Compton (Co-Head of Kids & Family at Lime Pictures) to a complete fiction manuscript for children aged 7 up to Young Adult that in their view shows great potential for film and TV development.

Looks fine. With the proviso above that the publisher shouldn’t be looking for a slice of any film/tv deal, but that can be sorted out at contract stage.

Lime also has a ‘first look deal’ for the shortlist and winning submissions, meaning the exclusive right to consider all shortlisted entries for film/TV development for a defined period of 45 days after the winners’ announcement. Any subsequent offer from Lime for TV/film rights is not part of the Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award, nor is the author or their agent required to accept any such offer. Please see the terms and conditions for more details.

A “first look deal” can effectively be an option by another name, and although I resist them when a production company tries to leverage one out of me in lieu of a proper option, this looks pretty innocuous… the term is very short (45 days).

As always, the devil may be in the detail. What producers don’t like about unsolicited submissions is the possibility of being sued for copyright infringement or related issues. This is why many producers and many film agents will not consider unsolicited submissions.

In this instance, Lime Pictures are actually soliciting submissions, so I would expect to see somewhere in the terms of submission a pretty emphatic disclaimer that you waive your rights to proceed against them if they subsequently produce something similar to your submission. That isn’t an admission that they’re gong to steal your idea; it’s simply a sensible precaution on their part.

However, I’d be looking at the way this is expressed… the language and its import might be too broad. EG anything that gives them “all rights” in every submission entered is obviously too broad.

Shortlisted entrants who don’t win will receive a letter summarising their reader’s, the Chicken House editorial team’s and the judges’ comments on their submission. All longlisted entrants will receive a reader’s report of their work.

All of which is pretty good. Wondering if they’re charging for submissions? Providing a reader’s report will cost them something.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Nothing in the above freaks me out. With an agent on board (I don’t know Davinia AL) you ought to be protected against any overreach in the contract they’re suggesting. I’d be looking for term of contract and not giving too many rights away, esp film/tv (see below). But it feels kosher, Chicken House is well known and of course Barry C has HPotter creds




Looks fine. With the proviso above that the publisher shouldn’t be looking for a slice of any film/tv deal, but that can be sorted out at contract stage.


A “first look deal” can effectively be an option by another name, and although I resist them when a production company tries to leverage one out of me in lieu of a proper option, this looks pretty innocuous… the term is very short (45 days).

As always, the devil may be in the detail. What producers don’t like about unsolicited submissions is the possibility of being sued for copyright infringement or related issues. This is why many producers and many film agents will not consider unsolicited submissions.

In this instance, Lime Pictures are actually soliciting submissions, so I would expect to see somewhere in the terms of submission a pretty emphatic disclaimer that you waive your rights to proceed against them if they subsequently produce something similar to your submission. That isn’t an admission that they’re gong to steal your idea; it’s simply a sensible precaution on their part.

However, I’d be looking at the way this is expressed… the language and its import might be too broad. EG anything that gives them “all rights” in every submission entered is obviously too broad.


All of which is pretty good. Wondering if they’re charging for submissions? Providing a reader’s report will cost them something.

There is a charge. 20 sterling-with scholarships for those in need. It looked legit, but wasn't sure if Chicken House was really that well known. Thank you for the confirmation. There are prizes out there to be bought as shown in the last pop-ups where the entry was 100.00 US. Kind of like those "Who's Who" scams.