Comments on: Simon & Schuster Changes The Rules: Goodbye Reversion of Rights!

By: Synchronized Chaos » A Conversation With Sarah Katherine Lewis Part II: Self-Publishing

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:15:04 +0000

[…] little research on reversion of rights to the author led me to an interesting discussion of changes the traditional publishing industry would like to make. Traditionally rights have […]

By: The Wild Hunt » Pagan Authors and Reversion Rights

The Wild Hunt » Pagan Authors and Reversion Rights — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:24:59 +0000

[…] property, or trust the ones who do. As digital rights become more than a mere afterthought bigger publishers are trying to force increasingly draconian contracts on writers desperate to break…. In some cases publishers are outright refusing reasonable requests for the reversion of rights on […]

By: from the Road

from the Road — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:15:46 +0000

[…] Book Square Blog on Simon & Schuster: http://booksquare.com/simon-schuster-changes-the-rules-goodbye-reversion-of-rights/ […]

By: $1000 for an article?

$1000 for an article? — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:09:15 +0000

[…] Booksquare weighs in on the S&S Reversions Rights Clause. […]

By: Kassia Krozser

Kassia Krozser — Mon, 21 May 2007 22:12:01 +0000

As David noted, a good agent *might* walk away. As for will walk away? What if all the other publishers make the same moves? What if it’s the choice of this clause or no contract — and nobody else is biting? There are so many variables in a negotiation. It’s going to take more than one agent walking away from the table. The potential for loss on the part of S&S needs to be significant enough that they would reconsider this “standard” language.

By: Suellen Ocean

Suellen Ocean — Mon, 21 May 2007 20:56:26 +0000

Last August I sold the electronic rights to the California Oak Foundation to publish my self-published book, Acorns And Eat’em. They added the phrase “5 years” which I thought was great. That means that they will re-negotiate with me in 5 years. They aren’t your typical publishers nor did I receive big bucks but there are caring business people out there.

By: David Thayer

David Thayer — Mon, 21 May 2007 20:41:53 +0000

I was struck by Kathleen’s comment that a good agent would walk away from S&S over this issue.
A few agents went on record objecting to this change, Brian DeFiore and, I think, Simon Lipskar from Writers House, but I don’t know how negotiations might play out for the vast majority of authors if faced with the choice between S&S and nothing.

By: Kathleen Dante

Kathleen Dante — Mon, 21 May 2007 18:34:20 +0000

Kassia — A good agent will walk away from the table or even not submit to S&S if they prove to be immovable on this issue.

By: Kassia Krozser

Kassia Krozser — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:15:30 +0000

Kate — I’m hoping you’re being facetious. Or that your agent represents a list of authors who have sufficient clout to withhold work until this clause is changed. It would take a lot of these authors to impact the publisher’s bottom line before they reconsidered this position.

It is not the norm for a certain level of author to be in a position to seriously negotiate terms of the standard contracts. There are, always, negotiable aspects of the deal, but publishers will only “give” so much and on certain points. A good agent knows how, when, and where to push; any time the standard language is altered, it is precedent-setting.

By: Kate Douglas

Kate Douglas — Mon, 21 May 2007 04:38:54 +0000

Thank goodness I have a terrific agent.