Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A lawyer has been secured!

I heard back from one of the lawyers I contacted. She is a friend of a friend and I'm thinking she's giving me a deal...$75 an hour. I was expecting it to be more. Hopefully I won't need more than 1-2 hours of her time.

Since I have the contract in a pdf form, she had me email it to her so she can review it and we'll do it all through email. Saves me a trip downtown (and paying to park) to meet with her at her office.

So, hopefully I will hear from her within a few days.

I read through the contract again and there are some questions I really want answered. They shouldn't give me any trouble, right?? If they do, I should take that as a huge red flag. I'd like to know how the average first time author does in sales their first month, first year, and how much I would actually make on each copy sold.

And then there's the whole secondary rights thing....and signing them away. Now I would still make royalties- 50%, but I gather that I'd lose all creative control. From what I've read on message boards, from other authors who are published through this same publisher, they will not budge on this. And many of the authors who published through them are extremely happy...I'm happy so far, the people are great. And I'm just starting out....what are the chances that someone will read this ebook and want to make it into a movie???

I just don't know....I'm torn!!! I don't want to walk away and then get no other offers. But I also don't want to be cursing myself down the road if this one in a million chance that it's made into a movie actually happens. The other two offers I received are nos in my book. The second one I got, the people never even sent me the contract after that first email. And the third, well, their catalog is extremely limited...so I'm guessing they are really tiny and I'd imagine, sales are very small. And the covers are horrid!

Decisions, decisions.....

4 comments:

  1. Oh, good luck figuring it out! How awesome would it be to have your book turned into a movie? I think you're doing a great job being careful about this. Keep us posted. :)

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  2. I am happy that you found a lawyer. It's great that you're keeping us updated throughout the process. Good luck with all of it!

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  3. Lots of luck...I would have no idea about all of that stuff! It's good that you are approaching it very carefully! Do you have an agent? Do what's best for you! I love the title of your book by the way!

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  4. Thanks! I am going this without an agent. I tried FOREVER to find an agent for this story and nothing. I got the deal all on my own without one...so I figure I'm better off, moneywise, paying a lawyer to help me and then reaping all the royalties myself...no sharing with an agent! :)

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