An author that I saved from the grip of one of the undesirable publishing companies on the Web later submitted this article on his satisfactory self-publishing experience with Lulu.com.

See also my discussion of Lulu and other recommended POD printers and publishing services in "Your Self-Publishing Options with POD (Print-on-Demand) Printers and Publishers."

Author-Publisher Contracts from
Internet Book Publishers and
Self-Publishing Services

Do not sign one of these contracts until you consult with someone who understands the legal and financial implications of every clause it contains.

by Barbara Brabec
Book Contract Consultant

If the book contract you've received is from one of the many Internet book publishers or self-publishing services that are all trying to get the attention of first-time authors today, do not sign the contract until you consult with someone who understands how to interpret all the book publishing legalese it contains. A regular attorney is not recommended here; instead you need someone who understands how the publishing industry works, and how authors can lose control of their work or receive diminished royalties because of one confusing clause or another.

If you don't have an agent and can't afford a high-priced attorney, consider my affordable author-publisher book contract consulting service which is now helping authors get the best publishing contract possible.

Understand that there is a big difference between the publishing contracts being offered by the kind of traditional trade book publishers I've worked with all my life, and those being offered by Internet book publishing companies and others that now offer a variety of self-publishing packages for authors, some of which cost $5,000 or more. For comparison, consider that authors can publish through LightningSource.com for less than $200 and have their book on Amazon sites all over the world a couple of weeks later, and soon after in all the databases of bookstores, libraries, and book distributors such as Baker & Taylor.  

From reading some of the contracts being offered by Internet book publishing companies, I know how easily a new author can be seduced by a less-than-desirable "publisher" that may actually be just a printer or vanity press in disguise. Most of these companies operate legally, but some have racked up numerous complaints from dissatisfied authors. A few have renamed themselves as a result and gone on to operate in the same old way, while others have simply gone out of business, leaving authors with a legal nightmare and their books stuck in limbo. I've read and heard some sad stories that made me want to cry.

Like traditional trade book publishers, the Internet book publishers and publishing services work on a royalty basis, but their contracts are quite different. Frankly, I doubt that an author could get any of these companies to change a contract clause, but you might want to get my opinion on that contract before you sign it since it may be loaded with pitfalls or simply a company with a bad reputation. Understand that I'm not saying all these companies are bad--some appear to be excellent, in fact, if the testimonials from satisfied authors are any indication. I'm just saying that you may have better and less expensive and more profitable publishing options than the one you've just been offered.

I will read any contract you've received as though it had been offered to me, and point out any clauses that concern me, and why. I will also tell you anything I happen to know about that company from my own research, or what I've learned from other authors who may have worked with them. Believe me when I say I have no agenda here other than to help my fellow writers get published the best way possible. To me, that means getting published at the lowest cost and highest profit potential possible while also getting a great-looking book you'll be proud to have your name on. 

Now click back to my Author-Publisher Contract Consulting page to read what some of my satisfied clients have said about the help I've given them, and then give me a call to get your FREE 10-minute telephone consultation. 

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