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Understanding and Negotiating Your Book Contract

How to get what you deserve without relying on an agent

Course is closed.
Understanding and Negotiating Your Book Contract

WHEN Thursday, March 27, 6:30-9:30 pm

WHERE mediabistro.com, 494 Broadway (Spring & Broome), New York, NY 10012

DIRECTIONS subway directions, map

PRICE
$65 ($50 for )
more info

Course Details

There are a number of important hot-button issues that writers should be aware of when they receive a book contract. Agents typically negotiate the contract directly with the publisher on your behalf, but many are not as well versed in the legal intricacies of a publishing agreement as they should be. Since the book contract provides the framework for your relationship with an editor and publisher, it's essential to become versed in the commitments and responsibilities you make.

This seminar will review the basic clauses of the typical book publishing contract and then discuss the major points of contention between authors/agents and publishers. Learn how to negotiate your contract, eliminate unfriendly terms, and prioritize your concerns in order to achieve as many significant changes as possible.

In this seminar, you will learn:

  • The legal steps writers should take before securing an agent or book publishing agreement
  • The basics of copyright law, how to register your work with the US Copyright Office, and a brief summary of fair use
  • The basic negotiation process, from offer and sale through to payment of advance on signature
  • What a basic publishing agreement entails
  • What mysterious language like "time is of the essence", "boilerplate", "net receipts", and "flow through" means
  • The controversial clauses in book contracts today -- out of print and print on demand clauses, option, non-compete clauses, warranties and indemnities clauses, and more
  • How to obtain changes in your book contract

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Instructor Bio

Jonathan Lyons's Courses

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Jonathan Lyons
Jonathan Lyons is an intellectual property attorney and president of Lyons Literary LLC, a literary agency in New York. He represents a varied list of nonfiction and fiction authors, and also provides legal counseling on contracts, copyright, licensing, and general law matters to select agencies, publishers, and authors. He is a graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (JD) and Washington University in St. Louis (BA). After working briefly in a litigation law firm, Jonathan joined Curtis Brown, Ltd., one of the oldest literary agencies in the United States. Four years later Jonathan joined McIntosh & Otis, Inc., where he served as agent and subsidiary rights manager for the agency, before founding Lyons Literary in January 2007. He is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR), The Authors Guild, American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and the New York State Intellectual Property Law Section.

Testimonials



Jonathan Lyon was very knowledgeable and helpful. I feel much better about my book contract. He painted a very fair and balanced picture of agents, authors and publishers and their interests when it comes to the book contract. -Aliza Hausman

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