Why You Need to Know the Basics of a Traditional Book Contract: Part 3 — Promises, Promises!
What you and they promise — and they will hold you to it
So you have a book contract. Wonderful! And you’ve looked at the key elements I’ve talked about so far — licencing, termination clause, advances and royalties — things that will benefit you if you get them right.
But what about the promises — often called “warranties” in your parts of your contract? And the guarantees the publisher makes to you? Because this is a legal contract, and if you break any of these promises, you might find yourself in a load of trouble.
Warning: I am not a lawyer or an agent, so what I say here is not legal advice. It’s knowledge and experience from 25+ years of book contracts, and too many writers are ignorant of things that could cost them a lot. Or even everything.
What you promise the publisher
Let’s start with the first thing you promise them — the date you will hand over the final edited draft of the manuscript, after you have worked with their editor. Whether you have disputes with the editor or not (and it’s a good idea to avoid this or sort it out early), publishers usually create a schedule for publishing your book that starts with the…
