Negotiation Step 3: Read the Contract

Step 1 to a successful negotiation is attitude: go in seeking a mutually beneficial solution. Step 2 is know thy business, and the publisher’s business too. Which brings us to Step 3: Read the Contract, and Understand Every Word. I’m always surprised when an author approaches me with a publishing problem and then admits to not having read the contract before (s)he signed it. The offered reasons vary, but at the end of the day they’re unimportant. A contract signatory is legally responsible for knowing what the document contains. Do not ever sign a contract – publishing or otherwise –

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