All posts with the ‘ Contracts ’ Tag

The following is the first of five emails from a free e-course about understanding publishing contracts. You can sign up for the rest of the course here.

In any publishing deal, you’re in charge. That’s because a publishing contract is you giving the publisher permission to use your work. They need permission and you’re the only one they can get it from. … Read More

One of the great things about making art is the opportunity to collaborate with other creators. You get to borrow each other’s brains, see stories through one another’s eyes, and create things together that neither of you could have created on your own.

There’s just one little thing: it can be really hard to collaborate with other people.… Read More

What does it mean when a publisher or distributor says that the things they sell are “creator owned”?

It’s a great question, but (surprise!) it doesn’t have a simple or straightforward answer. … Read More

Here’s a question that keeps popping up in my conversations with creators:

What’s the difference between a “work made for hire” and when I assign my copyright to someone else? In both cases I no longer own the copyright, so what’s the difference?… Read More

When you first start working for yourself, having a DIY contract can make sense. There are a lot of good resources online so you don’t have to start from scratch, not to mention blog posts for just about every industry with Very Strong Opinions™ about what should and shouldn’t be in a standard contract.

Most importantly, DIYing a contract means that you can make sure … Read More

The fear of missing out leads a lot of creators to sign bad contracts.

I know, because I’ve talked to a lot of smart, curious, professional creators who’ve signed bad contracts. And I know that signing those contracts had very little to do with how smart the creators were and just about everything to do with the fear of missing out.… Read More

Have you ever felt like a jerk because a client asked for something you hadn’t originally agreed on and you said no? Even though you were totally in the right?

Or because a client, who was over a month late in paying you, got upset about the late fee you charged them?

If you have, or if you feel intimidated when you have to enforce … Read More

You’ve read all the Very Best internet articles about putting a contract together.

You collected five different copies of contracts and painstakingly stitched together a contract that does exactly what you need it to do: no more, no less.

You proudly send the contract off to a client, patting yourself on the back for being a professional with her own legal documents. You are confident … Read More