Stella Fosse
A Writer’s Perspective on Publishing Contracts
July 29, 2022
11 AM PDT | 12 PM MDT | 1 PM CDT | 2 PM EDT
Writing a memoir, publishing a memoir, and marketing a memoir require three different skill sets. Some would even call them three different jobs.
Negotiating your contract is a key aspect of publishing your memoir. The first draft contract you receive from a publisher is their wish list. From there, whether you work with a literary attorney, an agent, or both, it helps to know what you want, what is important to negotiate, and what is less negotiable.
After this presentation you will know more about:
- Typical provisions of a publishing contract
- Rights: What a publisher will ask for (versus what they will use)
- Defining editing and marketing support
- How publishers calculate advances and royalties
- Maximizing your oversight: title, cover, and publicity
- Protecting your rights when a publisher goes out of business
- Provisions to insist on (and provisions to watch out for)
Your presenter is not an attorney and cannot provide legal advice. But after varied experiences with publishers, she provides a writer’s perspective that will prepare you to collaborate with your attorney or agent to negotiate your publishing contract.
Brief Biography:
Stella Fosse is a retired biotech writer who advocates for the creative power of older women. Her memoir, The Year of the Mite, was published under the pen name Jane Ishka. Other books include Aphrodite’s Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica after Midlife; The Erotic Pandemic Ball; and her debut novel at age 68, Brilliant Charming Bastard. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Stella blogs at: www.stellafosse.com.
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