Hidden Dangers in Short-Form Publishing Contracts

Authors have plenty to watch for when evaluating a publishing deal, but one of the most common dangers is one even savvy authors might not recognize: an abbreviated contract that omits important clauses and protections. Most authors look at standard-length (12-30 page) publishing contracts with a combination of excitement, fear, and confusion. For those not versed in legalese (or, more precisely, Publishing-ese) these contracts can range from “hard to read” to “penned in Greek or Sanskrit.” Authors often see a three-page form and think “finally, a contract that makes sense!” Beware…that way be dragons. Publishing contracts are long because they have to deal with many

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