Blog Title: SELF-PUBLISHING 101: What’s in Self-Publishing Contracts?

The contracts offered by the various self-publishing companies vary widely in length, scope, detail, “strictness” and other aspects. Below are links to a baker’s dozen of them – not the “best” or “worst” or meant to be a representative selection – just a random collection that will give you an idea of how different they can be.

As you scan through each contract, look for key items such as:

• Who owns the copyright to the text, cover design and other elements of the book?
• Precisely which costs are your responsibility?
• Exactly which services does the self-publishing firm provide?
• Do you surrender any control over the book’s content or appearance?
• Who controls the book’s sales and marketing? If the firm does, exactly what will be provided?
• Who determines the book’s sales price and how?
• Exactly how are the royalties calculated?
• Is the contract exclusive, or can you accept other publication offers?
• Can you terminate your agreement with the self-publisher and, if so, on what terms?
• Does the contract reflect the statements that appear on the company’s website, in their brochure and in other materials?

Click on the links below to view or download the agreements from these self-publishing firms:

• Aventine Press – you can view their “Publishing Agreement” at http://www.aventinepress.com/pub_agree.html.
• Bookstand Publishing – you can view the “Contract and Agreement
  for Print-On-Demand Publishing for Bookstand Publishing” at http://www.ebookstand.com/content/terms_of_service.
• BookSurge – you can view their “Publishing Agreement” at http://www.booksurgepages.com/author_publishing_agreement.html.
• CheckPoint Press – you can view their “Simple, Easy-To-Understand, One-Page Agreement For Self-Publishing Services” at http://www.checkpointpress.com/selfpublishingagreement.html.
• Dog Ear Publishing – you can view the “Dog Ear Publishing Contract” at http://dogearpublishing.net/resourcesauthoragree.aspx.
• Foresight Publishing – you can view the “Foresight Publishing Group, Inc., Self-Publishing Agreement” at http://www.foresightpublishingnow.com/_documents/Publishing%20Agreement.pdf.
• Infinity Publishing – you can view their “Book Publishing Agreement” at http://www.infinitypublishing.com/book-publishing-services/book-publishing-agreement.html.
• Innovo – you can view their “Author Services Agreement: Terms & Conditions” at http://www.innovopublishing.com/files/Innovo-Author-Services-Agreement-121209.pdf.
• Polished Publishing Group – you can view this Canadian firm’s “Publishing Agreement v3.2” at http://www.polishedpublishinggroup.com/Publishing_Agreement_JHB6.html.
• Schiel & Denver – you can download their “Official Author Agreement” in PDF format from this page: http://www.schieldenver.com/learning-center/terms-a-conditions/author-agreement.html.
• WingSpan Press – you can view the “WingSpan Press Publishing Agreement at http://www.wingspanpress.com/publishing_agreement.php.
• Xlibris – you can view the “Xlibris Author Agreement” at http://www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk/legal-authors-agreement.aspx.
• Xulon Press – you can view their “Publishing Consultant Agreement” at http://www.xulonpress.com/imgs/global/service_agreement.pdf.

We at Taylor-Fox can help you create your business book, health book, memoir, biography, inspirational book or other book and get it ready for publication. We’ve helped scores of people achieve their goals, and some of their books have landed on bestseller lists. Let us help you! Call us at 818-594-0379.