New subscriber based on this piece. I'm looking for an agent this year - about to enter the querying trenches - so this is fascinating. Thanks for being so open about the publishing world, it helps everyone understand quite a tight industry a bit more.
I’ve seen frustration from writers when their publisher insists on more time before discussing recontracting, but has an option on other books in the same genre or even any fiction written under the same name. So without a way to start the timer on the option being exercised the author has to sit on completed books with no way to earn from them. (It’s particularly an issue when the writer naturally writes fast, and/or when the publisher has delayed planned publication dates for reasons at their end).
I’ve heard legal discourse that perhaps any option preventing an author from earning a living in this way is unenforceable, but I don’t expect you to offer legal advice! More appropriately, I wonder if getting timescale for recontracting decision/accepting new material should be something more of us should get into our contracts?
Interesting, I take your point but have not heard of having a timescale on a recontracting decision in a contract - might be worth speaking to the Society of Authors about this who could possibly offer more concrete advice? Thank you for reading!!
I've just discovered your substack and I'm loving these articles! Very interesting and a great insight into what happens on the publishing side of the fence. Please keep them coming!
Great article! Very interesting to see the factors that influence recontracting decisions. Are there time limits on the option clause? And if there are no stated limits, is there an industry accepted length of time a writer should wait before looking into publishers?
New subscriber based on this piece. I'm looking for an agent this year - about to enter the querying trenches - so this is fascinating. Thanks for being so open about the publishing world, it helps everyone understand quite a tight industry a bit more.
Good luck with the querying and thank you for the kind words!
Thanks Phoebe, all informative.
I’ve seen frustration from writers when their publisher insists on more time before discussing recontracting, but has an option on other books in the same genre or even any fiction written under the same name. So without a way to start the timer on the option being exercised the author has to sit on completed books with no way to earn from them. (It’s particularly an issue when the writer naturally writes fast, and/or when the publisher has delayed planned publication dates for reasons at their end).
I’ve heard legal discourse that perhaps any option preventing an author from earning a living in this way is unenforceable, but I don’t expect you to offer legal advice! More appropriately, I wonder if getting timescale for recontracting decision/accepting new material should be something more of us should get into our contracts?
Interesting, I take your point but have not heard of having a timescale on a recontracting decision in a contract - might be worth speaking to the Society of Authors about this who could possibly offer more concrete advice? Thank you for reading!!
I've just discovered your substack and I'm loving these articles! Very interesting and a great insight into what happens on the publishing side of the fence. Please keep them coming!
Thanks so much!
Great article! Very interesting to see the factors that influence recontracting decisions. Are there time limits on the option clause? And if there are no stated limits, is there an industry accepted length of time a writer should wait before looking into publishers?
Hello! Thank you and yes, the option clause tends to be 3-4 weeks in my experience :)
Thank you!
good analysis. well thought-through as always.
Thank you!