Q&A

How do you terminate a book contract?

How do you terminate a book contract?

The author typically must give the publisher notice of termination when the book is out of print. Such notice then triggers a grace period (e.g. 60-90 days) to allow the publisher to remedy the problem (i.e., put the book back in print). If not, the agreement terminates and the rights revert back to the author.

When to request rights reversion for a book?

Sometimes this is a separate clause; sometimes it’s included in other clauses. See if there are stipulations for when and how you can request your rights back. For example, a book may become eligible for rights reversion once sales numbers or sales income fall below a stated minimum.

Can a publisher claim copyright on cover art?

Also, publishers typically claim copyright on cover art and on a book’s interior format (i.e., you couldn’t just re-publish a scanned version of the book), and the right to sell off any printed copies that exist at the time of reversion (with royalties going to you as usual).

When to ignore a copyright reversion letter from a publisher?

If you find a copyright claim on editing in a publishing contract, consider it a red flag. If the publisher makes this claim without a contractual basis–as some publishers do–feel free to ignore it. To give you an idea of what an official reversion letter looks like, here’s a screenshot of one of mine.

What to do if you don’t get rights reversion?

If you don’tmeet your contract’s reversion stipulations, if reversion is at the publisher’s discretion, or if your contract has no reversion language, simply request that the publisher terminate the contract and return your rights to you.

Who is entitled to put ISBN on book?

The publisher handling order fulfillment places their ISBN on the book. However, both publishers are entitled to put their ISBNs on the book in the case of a jointly published publication. What can be done when a book is printed with the wrong ISBN?

Can a book be printed with the wrong ISBN?

However, both publishers are entitled to put their ISBNs on the book in the case of a jointly published publication. What can be done when a book is printed with the wrong ISBN? A new, unused ISBN must be assigned to the book, stickers or labels made and placed on the books, and all industry databases updated with the new, correct ISBN.

Can a title that has an ISBN be reused?

No, once a title is published with an ISBN on it, the ISBN can never be used again. Even if a title goes out of print, the ISBN cannot be reused since the title continues to be catalogued by libraries and traded by used booksellers. If one company buys another, can the buyer use the ISBNs or do they have to get new ISBNs?

Is it legal to rip off your book?

The truth is, there are publishing scams and people who can and will rip off your work and try to sell it as their own. So, you heard it from us: You want to legally copyright your books.