What to look out for in Book Publishing Contracts

Publishing My Fantasy Book Series - Contracts

3 days ago I have signed a contract for my debut fantasy novel (which is a part of a series). As you may imagine - getting a contract feels UNREAL. But you know what you need to do once you get it?

Yes, exactly… Bring it to an attorney.

Wait, this is not what you thought of? Well, ok… Hear me out:

This was not the first offer I have received

I have previously pitch my novel to a couple of agents and publishers. What I have noticed tight away in the contract was the point that would take all of my rights to the story. That meant if the book was successful and let’s say Netflix thought it would be a good TV series - I wouldn’t see a penny. Heck, I’d have nothing to say about ANYTHING.

So, as you may imagine… I have politely declined the offer. But it gave me a little boost. Why? Because apparently my story was worth a point like that.

Let’s discuss what to pay attention to:

Do you need an attorney?

Yes and no:

• If English is not your native language - YES

• If something in the contract makes you wonder what it means - YES

• If you are a lawyer - sure, trust your gut.

I decided to go the safe way. Mostly because as an author - I am slightly biased (I know… shocking). In my mind I would do close to anything to get my book published, but I also need to stay vigilant about it. I wouldn’t want to lose all the rights to the story now, would I?

Going to an attorney (or someone good with contracts) is pivotal. You need to make sure that everything you have in this contract is going to be fair:

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So… what to pay attention to?

1. Publishing date - check if the publishing date is within what you have agreed on (my personal choice was 31st of October 2025. MARK YOUR CALENDAR)

2. Rights granted to Publisher - Again: don’t let anyone have full rights to your work.

3. Publisher responsibilities - check if everything in the contract is as per your agreement. If the dates, scope of their work, and all the other info are correct.

4. Author responsibilities - Check if the dates, and deadlines are correct (trust me, you won’t be able to correct a 120k word manuscript in 3 days tops). Is there anything that sparks your gut-feeling? Is there anything you did not agreed to prior? (Like cutting on 50.000 words off your novel?).

5. Royalties - depending on the type of publishing you are going for (self, hybrid, traditional) this may differ. For example - did you know that some traditionally published authors get an “advance” (a payment for their book) and later get 10-20% of the royalties per book sold? Some people get only the 10-20% without an advance. In hybrid publishing you may look at 60-70% royalties, and in self publishing - it’s all yours baby. No contract, unless you make it with yourself.
   Speaking of Royalties…

6. Payments - I got to know that Authors are usually paid every 3 months and the first payment for their books sold is around 3-6 months after the book has been released. Check if it says something along those lines in your contract, and if there are any fees, cancellations, and minimum payment threshold.

7. Copyrights - Publisher needs to add a copyright to your books. You need to also check if they would support you in any copyright claim if someone was to steal your work.

8. Warranties - this is an important one - you need the publisher to guarantee the publishing and agreed upon rules. You need to guarantee that your work is original (and not made with AI, or stolen from someone else).

9. Termination and breach - Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Or on the contrary, your dream publisher shows up with an offer to your next books if they can take over. Be sure not to get stuck with an offer that you wouldn’t want. How can you cancel, and how can the publisher cancel is important.

10. Anything else you agreed upon - when you meet an attorney, be sure to tell them what you agreed on. You can print emails etc as well.

That’s all! Generally, I’d highly recommend checking with an attorney or someone smarter and less biased than you. The less biased being the key to the whole thing!

I am happy with the contract I have been given, and I have signed it. Now it’s time to work on the editing and final touches before my book hits the shelves on the 31st of October 2025! Wanna read my full story? Check it out below!