http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk/news/termsandconditions.html

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PR Terry Pratchett and Transworld Publishers have launched a new award for aspiring debut novelists, The Terry Pratchett Anywhere But Here, Anywhen But Now Prize. Transworld will offer the winning author a publishing contract with a £20,000 advance. Terry Pratchett said: “We are after stories set on Earth, although it may be an Earth that might have been, or might yet be, one that has gone down a different leg of the famous trousers of time." Entrants must be aged more than 18 years, have no previous published full-length works of fiction and live in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth. Submit a complete and previously unpublished work of fiction of not less than 80,000 words and not more than 150,000 words aimed at adult readers and written in the English language (Novel); and a synopsis of the Novel in the English language of no more than 600 words. Submissions should be emailed Closing date for submissions is December 31, 2010.

Sounds like fun...

Quick question about this though:

will be required to agree to license exclusive world publishing rights in all print, electronic, audio and any other media formats in the Novel to the Publisher on acceptance of the Prize

Isn't that a bit broad?

Something like saying "limit my potential earnings to whatever you say"? I thought that quite a substantial portion of earnings on a successful novel sale were from selling on rights subsequently? I think I remember a few people talking about the number of different times they have sold on rights and made a little bit of money each time?

I mean, don't get me wrong, a 20K advance would be well received, and I know that royalties would be received for any subsequent rights sales, but what if Random decide not to proceed with rights that another publisher might?

Doesn't that tie me into something a bit restrictive? (Assuming, of course, that I would win which... ah...)

It's a pretty standard contract, these days. It's in RH's interests to sell as many rights as possible, just as it is in yours, because that's how they'll earn money back.Assuming they get a normal cut of those sales (20% to them, 80% into the pot to go towards earning out your advance on royalties) then there's nothing wrong with it.

If you have an agent, then your agent would hope to do a good (better? rights departments vary in how good they are) job of selling those rights separately, which is also better for your cash flow because the money comes straight in, rather than going into the pot at your publisher. But the end result is much the same. And if you don't have an agent, then really your average writer has no way of selling those rights except the traditional fashion, via the publisher.

Emma

I don't think the rights thing is an issue. Faber took the world rights to my books, and have done a pretty good job of selling them. I cleared my first advance and was in the black by the time Gentle Axe came out. My agent retained film rights, though. I don't know where film rights fit into their "media formats". Having said that, my agent retained the film rights but didn't manage to do anything with them!

Wot Roger said. Headline have my translation and other rights, and we kept the US rights. Fundamentally, rights are bargaining chips in the contract negotiations. And, as Roger says, if the publisher has rights, you earn out the advance quicker, which does your track record as a selling proposition no harm in the book trade's eyes.

Not all publishers handle film rights - it's such a different field. I know that Headline never ask for them. But presumably RH can handle them.

Another reason for getting an agent alongside is that they'd probably be willing to advise you informally about what's going on with this book, even if they're not part of your contractual relationship with RH.

(Actually, an agent isn't part of the relationship with any publisher, as the contract sets out, except to receive royalties on your behalf. The contract is between you and the publisher.)

Emma

OK, you've sold me on the rights issue... But still a few concerns, strategically, in the other thread.

G

Thanks for posting!