Way back in the 1980s, as arranged by book packagers/producers, I signed a large publisher's contract for my first book, which was non-fiction...no agent involved. The agreement was for a fixed payment for the first print run, and $X per copy printed in each subsequent edition. But between signing and completion of the text and illustrations, the rights were also sold to a Big5 publisher in the UK. This allowed both companies to share the first print run and just add different titles and covers...so no extra payment to me for the foreign edition. I wonder if something like this could still happen?
I will always be grateful the initial publisher took a chance in offering me the deal, and both books have been great in establishing my credentials for writing new books for other publishers over the years - and one did go to multiple re-prints - but I strongly believe an agent's contract negotiation is advantageous.
An agent may be able to put a clause in a contract that says a book cannot be individually sold to another publisher, unless that whole imprint is being sold to another publisher. But that might not be possible with a packaged book, because the publisher controls all rights to it. One safeguard against this in the future is not to do packaged books, or try to negotiate a royalty/subrights revenue share. I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience with it.
Thanks for this, Kate!
Way back in the 1980s, as arranged by book packagers/producers, I signed a large publisher's contract for my first book, which was non-fiction...no agent involved. The agreement was for a fixed payment for the first print run, and $X per copy printed in each subsequent edition. But between signing and completion of the text and illustrations, the rights were also sold to a Big5 publisher in the UK. This allowed both companies to share the first print run and just add different titles and covers...so no extra payment to me for the foreign edition. I wonder if something like this could still happen?
I will always be grateful the initial publisher took a chance in offering me the deal, and both books have been great in establishing my credentials for writing new books for other publishers over the years - and one did go to multiple re-prints - but I strongly believe an agent's contract negotiation is advantageous.
An agent may be able to put a clause in a contract that says a book cannot be individually sold to another publisher, unless that whole imprint is being sold to another publisher. But that might not be possible with a packaged book, because the publisher controls all rights to it. One safeguard against this in the future is not to do packaged books, or try to negotiate a royalty/subrights revenue share. I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience with it.