Help Please! Trad publisher contract questions

[Karen J]

I've been offered a trad publishing contract, but some of the conditions feel odd. This isn't to say they Are, as it could be my neuro disability causing me to misunderstand them.

Aside from contacting a literary attorney or joining the authors guild (both of which I can't afford on my limited income), who else could I contact who might be able to answer some questions pro bono?

Thanks

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

I've been offered a trad publishing contract, but some of the conditions feel odd. This isn't to say they Are, as it could be my neuro disability causing me to misunderstand them.

Aside from contacting a literary attorney or joining the authors guild (both of which I can't afford on my limited income), who else could I contact who might be able to answer some questions pro bono?

Thanks

You could pay a much smaller amount for a full membership and come to a huddle. It's the kind of thing (amongst others) that @AgentPete happily discusses with us.

 

[Nikky Lee]

Perhaps paste the contact clauses you're worried about in the Back Room area (that way it's hidden from search)? Obviously with any identifying information removed as well. We're not legal experts here but we might be able to alert you to any red flags that we think are worth getting a legal/expert opinion on.

 

[BrianY]

No, none of us are legal experts - but many of us have some heavy publishing experience. (9 commercially published books and more than a few print and online magazine pieces too in my case.) Indeed, we're a worthwhile group to join.

In my experience, there are local writers groups with expert knowledge that you can also find. For an old guy like me, Litopia and a solid local writers group are the bare minimum of outside support I can get by with.

Finally, most American states have volunteer lawyers for the arts groups that will review contracts for entry level creative people at no charge. I have no idea if there's anything like this in the UK.

Best of luck with this and I hope to be among those members who can pitch in and help.

 

[RK Wallis]

You could pay a much smaller amount for a full membership and come to a huddle. It's the kind of thing (amongst others) that @AgentPete happily discusses with us.

I highly recommend this too Pete isn't a legal expert either, but he has dealt with this type of contract for decades. That kind of experience is unique, specialised and invaluable. You'd pay a lot of money for a lawyer with that kind of expertise, and I'm a former lawyer from Sydney who worked for a year with a top ten 10 legal firm in London. I know how much lawyer's bills add up.

Good luck and congrats on the deal!!

 

[Barbara]

Personally, I'd raise the funds somehow, or save like mad, juggle my finances, eat tinned beans only, anything to have it looked at properly by an experienced professional (be that Pete or the guild or someone else). Like you, I have limited funds, but a deal like that is a rare chance and worth paying for. So yeah, a Huddle. Pete will be able to advise you.

 

[Karen J]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I reached out to someone I trust who sent me to someone they trust. That person's an agent at a major agency with serious publishing cred.

They looked at the contract & answered my few questions, but it wasn't good news. Some of the things I thought were odd are either standard or semi-standard, but the convoluted wording makes those dip into possible red flag issues. They also pointed out several red flag issues that any agent worth their salt would question immediately, but a debut author wouldn't know to. They didn't have to point these out, but I'm grateful they went the extra mile out of their own time.

Their final judgment was: If you still want to pursue the contract, nail down all the possible & definite red flags for specific answers before signing. But if I was their client --- it's a 'we'll pass' on this publisher.

It's a shame they don't take my genre, but there's a closed-for-now agent there who does. So maybe Fate's showing me a window after a door disappeared?

 

[BrianY]

ummm ... you're not that agent's client - and the offer is still on the table. See what you can negotiate. Asking seems like a good idea here.