Seeking Advice on a Publisher's Offer

Hello fellow writers,

Apologies if this is the wrong forum - mods, feel free to move the thread if so.

I hope this message finds you well. I'm writing to seek some advice and insights from this wonderful community on a recent development in my writing journey.

I've been on a quest to publish my book, and I've received an offer from a (small) publisher. I must say, I'm genuinely excited about the interest they've shown in my work, but I'm also feeling a bit overwhelmed. This is a significant step for me, and I want to make sure I'm making informed decisions.

Here's a brief overview of the situation:

The publisher operates under their "Liminal Books" imprint, which is known for exploring "magical and otherworldly" themes. From our discussions, it's clear they have a genuine interest in my book, especially its focus on certain themes.

I've been informed that I'll be receiving a publishing agreement for review (a line from their email: 'Please let us know if you’d like to look over the publishing agreement').
What are some key elements I should look out for and understand before signing? Are there any common pitfalls or red flags I should be aware of?

Are there any writers here who have sought legal advice when dealing with publishing agreements? What aspects should I consider in terms of copyright, royalties, and the rights to my work?

If you've been in a similar situation, what advice would you give to someone like me, who's on the verge of taking a significant step in their writing career?

Thank you to anyone who responds to this, I'm very excited and nervous about this.

 

Congrats on receiving an offer!

I know the mods will say that users are not to provide legal advice here in the forum. If it's a legit publisher, they will have a standard contract that likely won't have anything fishy about it. You could always try reaching out to other authors who have published with them and see what they thought about the agreement. I do find it a bit odd that they would say, "Please let us know if you'd like to look over the publishing agreement." Of course you would. Everyone would. So why even say that.

The main thing I'd say to watch out for is if it's a vanity press or an author mill. I couldn't really find anything about Liminal Books, it's a tough thing to google. I found a small press in Australia with that name, but it's not an imprint like you had said.

I suppose it all comes down to this - is what they're offering what you're looking for? What can they do for you that you can't do yourself? Are they going to actively market it for you? Do they have a distribution network and will make print copies available and place them in stores?

I haven't sold a novel myself, but I've developed a keen eye for certain things in the publishing industry over the past few years. If you feel comfortable sharing more about this publisher, I'd be happy to provide a detached, outsider's view on them.

 

I have to agree with @Set2Stun. Why would they ask if you wanted to see their publishing agreement? If this is in fact an offer and a contract, why would they ask to let them know if you want to see it? Wouldn't they need your signature, anyway? Sorry, but this right there is a red flag.

You said, "From our discussions, it's clear they have a genuine interest in my book, especially its focus on certain themes." Interest is not the same as an offer. When you get an offer, it's clearly an offer. What else has been going on in these discussions?

 

I say judge it by its cover.

I went to the liminalbooks website (assuming this is the one you're talking about): strangely barebones on information and unprofessionally designed. If it was just an indie author's own site, I wouldn't see an issue, but this is a publisher and should at least look like one. Stay away. (I'm not implying they are bad actors, just that it really doesn't seem worth pursuing).

 

You might want to search the SFWA Model Contract to use as a comparison.

Some things to consider: Does the publisher provide editing (and quality editing)? Also cover, interior layout, etc.? You might be able to find this by reading the Look Inside feature of their published works. Or obtaining one of their published books to review for quality. A good cover and solid editing costs a good bit of money.

Checking out reviews on various websites and book vendors (Amazon, Kobo, etc.) might give you an idea of the sales and marketing success--of course that could be all on the author. The ranking, on Amazon for example, might be useful. But it's only a snapshot.

Of course, royalties and how they are paid are of interest. But there are other things like reversion of rights (when and how), any rights of first refusal of the publisher might request (not necessarily beneficial to the author), and a lot more.

Really, either consider getting a literary attorney to review the contract, or expect to do A LOT of research and study on your own. If the publisher is interested in your book, they will wait. And they will negotiate on contract points that are not author friendly. A bad contract and/or initial publisher can hurt an author's career.

 

IMO, it's important to vet publishers prior to submitting. Saves a lot of headache and scrambling like what you are going through now. Good luck!

 

While I'd love to make encouraging sounds, Padraig, you might be better served by discouraging ones. The Powers That Be on sites like this are depending on a newbie writer's excitement about possible publication to render them less than discriminating when signing a contract. As others have noted, the site is unprofessional and red flags clutter the view. You can do better than this.

For the same amount of effort it takes to find a publisher who acccepts non-agented work, you can locate an appropriate agent who not only can deal with the business end of publication, but will have a much wider publishing pool in which to fish. Do the necessary research before launching a query campaign- it will be time and effort well-spent. Many, if not most, writers hate the business of writing, but that doesn't absolve us of the responsibility for learning at least the basics of the same.

Best of luck to you, Padraig. Where there's a dubious publisher interested in one's work, there's likely to be a reputable one somewhere as well.

 

The society of authors were great helping me consider and negotiate the contract I signed