Consultancy
Alex Adsett Literary offers advice to authors who need help understanding the publishing industry, the business of publishing or negotiating a publishing contract. We can provide reassurance that the agreement about to be signed is consistent with Australian publishing standards and has no hidden traps. With its broad publishing experience, AAL can also help negotiate directly with your publisher, close a subsidiary rights deal, or review existing contracts. Alex Adsett has successfully finalised thousands of author contracts, film agreements, translation and overseas deals, and all manner of licenses. If you have received a publishing contract or publishing offer, contact us at agent@alexadsett.com.au.
Package 1
Consultation 15 mins- Ask me anything
- For short queries on publishing strategy, protocols or norms.
- If you have been offered a publishing deal, please go to Package 3 or 4.
Package 2
Consultation 60 mins- Longer consultation offering strategic advice and guidance on all aspects of the publishing industry. Available to discuss directions, strategies and opportunities for authors. Consultancy services do not provide editorial advice or an avenue to pitch to the Agency. If you have received a publishing contract, please select Package 3 or 4. ++++++++
Package 3
Standard contract review- High level commercial review of standard publishing contracts looking at key deal terms, including a written report on any commercial terms inconsistent with industry standard.
- Review of the publishing offer, non-standard contracts, or negotiating on Author’s behalf is charged at the additional hourly rate.
Package 4
Advice for everything else - hourly rate- For anything less or more than a standard contract review, we charge an hourly rate. This includes shortform agreements, publishing offers, agency contracts, interpretation of existing clauses, terminations, and negotiation, translation or US and UK deals, film deals etc.
Package 1 and 2: Strategic Consultation Sessions
Fee: $65 for 15 mins / $255 for 60 minutes. Video conferencing via Zoom. Limited times available.
AAL offers advice and guidance around publishing opportunities and strategies. Alex is now accepting scheduled consultation appointments for authors or publishers seeking to touch base on a few quick questions, or a longer strategic appointment. If you are a little lost or unsure about publishing directions, strategies or options, this may be the assistance you are seeking.
Appointments are paid in advance on booking, and are non-refundable. You may request to reschedule on at least 24 hours notice.
Note: Consultancy sessions are offered by Alex in her role as a consultant and is not a manuscript submission or pathway to agenting by AAL. Any pitches or requests for editorial advice will be declined.
Extras: Review of initial publishing offer
Reviews of Publishing Offers are capped at no more than one hour, and often much shorter, and are vitally important to making sure you have a fair and reasonable deal.
Often the big deal terms (Advance, royalties, territories) are dealt with in the publisher’s initial offer to you. Sometimes this offer is verbal, by email or letter, or a formal document requiring a signature. Either way, once you have agreed these terms at the offer stage it is difficult to revisit them when negotiating all the other terms included in the subsequent contract. For the capped rate of $143, AAL will review your offer document and provide advice on whether or not it is fair and in keeping with publishing industry standards, and outline strategies for improving your overall deal.
For an hourly rate, and often no more than one hour, Alex will also review agreements with a potential literary agent before you sign, or help negotiate a reversion of rights. We offer the support, strategy and interpretation of publishing contracts that an author would expect to receive of their literary agent, or an independent publisher would get from their contract manager.
Package 3 - Standard or high level Contract Review
Written review – After the offer is agreed, the publisher will send the author the full contract. AAL will review the contract for you on a commercial basis, and give you a detailed written report identifying publishing issues, irregularities and outlining any terms that are not in keeping with industry standard, unfair, unreasonable or otherwise not in your favour. The report applies to standard Australian publishing contracts, and will include suggestions and strategies for improving the commercial terms of the contract, and arm you with the information you need to negotiate directly with the publisher.
If after a cursory initial assessment it appears likely AAL will advise you not to sign a contract, you will be notified before incurring any charges, and given the opportunity to decide whether to continue with the contract review or not.
Please note, Alex Adsett Literary does not provide legal advice or the services of a solicitor. It does provide commercial publishing business and contract advice based on Alex Adsett’s publishing experience and training. Please contact a solicitor if you require legal advice.
Package 4: Advice for Everything Else - Hourly Rate
Commercial publishing advice, particularly in regards to publishing offers, contracts and deal terms, offered on an hourly basis. Includes review of non-standard contracts, the initial publishing offers, agency agreements, termination of publishing agreements, reversion of rights, negotiating subsequent to a contract review, or providing email templates to initiate contract negotiations.
If after a cursory initial assessment it appears likely AAL will advise you not to sign a contract, you will be notified before incurring any charges, and given the opportunity to decide whether to continue with the contract review or not.
Please note, Alex Adsett Literary does not provide legal advice or the services of a solicitor. It does provide commercial publishing business and contract advice based on Alex Adsett’s publishing experience and training. Please contact a solicitor if you require legal advice.
Extras: Negotiating
Instead of using the advice provided to negotiate directly with the publisher, authors may ask AAL to work with them in their negotiations or negotiate on their behalf. Negotiations may take anywhere from an extra hour to ten or more hours. AAL will liaise with you along the way, and can agree caps on time spent on the project, subject at all times to the author’s ongoing approval. AAL can either take over negotiations on your behalf, or offer ongoing advice and support, help draft your responses to publishers’ contracts, and offer negotiating strategies along the way.
Please note, Alex Adsett Literary does not provide legal advice or the services of a solicitor. It does provide commercial publishing business and contract advice based on Alex Adsett’s publishing experience and training. Please contact a solicitor if you require legal advice.
The offer vs the contract
Be careful when accepting the publisher’s offer. The offer often includes the key deal terms, and while you can still walk away until the contract is finalised, it is difficult to renegotiate any terms you have already agreed to.
New publishers
When considering a new or unknown publisher, do your research! Have you checked the quality of their cover design, editing, typesetting, or paper? Do they have a distributor? Will there be a marketing campaign? Does your local bookseller stock any of their books? Consider if they really are the right fit for you and your book.
Reversion clauses really do matter
Always make sure there is a fair reversion clause in the contract. Publishing contracts often last for a very long time, a good reversion clause ensures that if the publisher isn’t maintaining a certain level of sales (eg. 100 copies in 12 months), the author has the opportunity to reclaim their rights.