Ready for a Contract?

Did you think it was a typo? Why is there a question mark at the end of the title of this blog post? Of course, you’re ready! Eager! Trembling with anticipation! Gimme!

It’s not a typo. It’s a legit question. Are you ready for a contract for your book project?

If emotional eagerness and age of your work-in-progress were not factors, how would you answer? With a quick yes?

Hold onto your final answer until the end of this blog post.

If you’re writing toward publication–whether traditional publishing or self-publishing–there’s a contract involved. It entails details of the commitment you make with a publishing house or with yourself. The contract spells out deadlines, expectations, who owns what rights, and sometimes as many as twenty pages of other specificities.

How many words of the author’s book can contractually be used in the author’s marketing efforts, read aloud, or converted into blog posts? What happens if the author is unable to fulfill his or her commitment? Or if the publisher can’t? What’s the stance on artificial intelligence for any of the process?

In agent circles these days, before putting our own stamp of approval on a contract, we’ve been asking more than these expected questions:

• Is this book meeting a timely need?
• Do the deal points look satisfactory?
• Is this the right publishing house for this project?
• Is the writing in the best shape it can be to move to publication?

We’re also asking:

Commitment-wise, is the author ready to sign a contract?

 

A contract for a book is legally binding. Due dates aren’t suggestions. Fine print can’t be overlooked. Even the moral turpitude section can be a deal breaker. Is the author aware? Over what elements does the publisher have final say, even if the author is consulted?

Is this author aware of the cost of signing a contract?

 

Cost? Doesn’t the publisher pay the author in traditional publishing contracts? Yes. But financially and in other ways, an author will pay a price. After signing a contract, authors no longer have the privilege of writing when inspiration hits. They write anyway. They don’t have the option to participate in marketing the book when it releases. It’s part of the expectation, whether the author is comfortable marketing or not. The book contract may mean actual out-of-pocket expenses for the author–upgraded software or important subscriptions or personal marketing costs for what might not be covered by the publisher.

The author’s family will pay a price when the author’s writing endeavors turn into contracted responsibilities. Are they prepared?

A contracted author is signing up for surrendering a measure of privacy, a hobby or time-waste or two, and signing on for an exercise in waiting.

And that applies even if the author is making an internal contract with self.

Is the author prepared for the emotional journey tied to publishing a book?

 

This is the question we’re asking more frequently than before.

Is the author’s mental, emotional, and spiritual health ready for publication? It’s not just the editorial process that will tax an author’s mental and emotional health. Can the author handle the rigors of tight turn-around times, negative reviews, rewrites, and rejection? Is the author spiritually prepared for the blows that seem to accompany a contract? Blows?

Name an author you know well–new to the industry or veteran–who isn’t facing a major crisis or more than one? It seems to come with the territory. Both fiction and nonfiction authors often find themselves faced with the challenges or topics their books address, as if they’re called upon to prove their theories. It’s too standard to call coincidence that if a deadline is looming, a disaster is too–broken pipes, tornado, aging parents, surgery, identity theft, computer crash, termites…

An author who is emotionally healthy, resilient, and mentally and spiritually equipped will press through and allow the challenges to enrich what they’re writing.

 

Not all can.

Which brings us back to the initial question. Ready for a contract?

How would you answer? What needs to be shored up for you to withstand the Olympic-like requirements of having a book published? If you wonder if the questions asked in this blog post are valid, ask an author you respect whose book was published within the last year. Has life hummed along with uninterrupted joy? Or have life challenges seemed to multiply?

Was getting a book contract a ticket to Easy Street? (If the author answers yes, ask for the name of their therapist.)

It pays to count the cost. If you feel emotionally or mentally fragile, is now the time to pursue a contract or to heal? Is a contract the best path for you? If pride or gossip or jealousy or envy or self-righteousness are weak spots for you, it’s possible those elements need attention before you’re thrust into the publishing world.

Agents and editors aren’t looking for perfect people writing perfect manuscripts. But we do recognize that for some, the preparedness they need isn’t a more polished proposal or a multi-book contract. Instead, they need a moment to build their resilience muscles. Publishing is no small feat, and it requires emotional stamina.

Now…are you ready for a contract?