hey all, just wanted to ask advice from the community, especially the ones that have been in the scene a long while, or anyone who may have thoughts on this.
so im in the initial talking stage of working with a publishing company to adapt from- or cowrite with- one of their authors with the idea that it might drive up the sales of her books that already exist (and those to follow)
(for the curious, the genre is a fantasy-themed blend of angels, vampires, and erotica. there is thought that her fan-base would be very open-minded to IF)
so here’s my question. hypothetically speaking, if there were a way to quantify any increase in sales due to my contribution, wouldnt i be eligble for a slice of that pie?
i ask because as i said, its just talk right now with the hopes that some kinda deal works out of it. but im not business-savvy, and as u know, ive only been involved in the IF community for maybe 2 years so far, so maybe someone out there has had a similar opportunity or even just good advice on what u would do if u were in these talks.
just trying a make whatever kinda buck i can with my talents, but i promise the community that if something should happen, i will notMALINCHE this thing.
Sounds really promising and exciting, but tread carefully.
I think it would be very difficult to quantify any increase in sales due to your contribution.
If you aren’t sure, just ask them what they have in mind. Don’t expect much, in fact, expect very little.
I would strongly recommend you get paid (however small) in some form or other for any work you do though. Either a negotiated rate, lump sum, percentage of sales, or a combination.
Think carefully before working for nothing. Producing free IF to the community is great, but it’s totally unreasonable for a commercial company to ask you to do so.
You may be offered a paltry sum, only you can decide if it’s worth it for you. Bear in mind if the project is successful you will have the chance of a much better deal on any follow ups.
With that in mind, try not to make any commitments on future projects, just the one in hand.
Unfortunately I have a negative experience to share, although it’s not really related. I’m not implying, in any way, that you will have the same, but forewarned is forearmed.
Many moons ago i self published some utilty software (for the Acorn Archimedes! That’s how long ago! )
I had moderate success, but was approached by a software publisher who wanted to take it over & offered me a “publishing deal”.
I thought it could be my big break, but to cut to the chase, the deal stank! To high heaven!
The contract offered was somewhat skewed in their favour. For a miniscule percentage of sales i had to:
Work unpaid on the software (at their premises) whenever they stipulated & for a duration of their choosing. Unpaid!
Take their supplied sales figures, which would be used to calculate my cut, on trust with no onus of proof on their part.
I’m sure there was more as i was only on page 2 of 6, but I stopped reading.
Now this company was obviously dodgy, and i’m not suggesting the company you mention is in any way the same.
However the experience taught me a few lessons.
Always get a contract. More importantly know exactly what’s in it. Have a clear understanding of what is expected from both partys
Make sure any payments promised to you are clearly defined in the contract.
Always have a definate ‘out’ or time period. Never have open ended commitments you cannot get out of.
Sign nothing without professional legal advice.
yes, thanks a ton for the advice, and what i was saying is that its just talk right now, and im savvy enough to know to read and understand contracts and to know what it states is what i get. i was wondering what u guys thought of this.
of course i would have a contract, and yeah, im not working for free.
one idea i had is if a person wanted to buy her book because he/she wants the free (to customer) IF download with their purchase. they can put in a code that lets us know that it was the IF that drove the sale. again, just a thought, and yeah, i would def get 2nd opinions on any paperwork before i sign.
In his OP he already implied he doesn’t have an agreement and is asking for advice on formulating one.
Of course any advice given here is to be treated with healthy skepticism, but it could count.
The advice to talk to someone who is business savvy as well, is good advice.
it was all good advice. idk, just wanted to make sure zarf knew im not an idiot, but yeah i take things wrong at times. look, ive had severe insomnia all week, forgive me.
anyway, thanks all for the advice, will keep u updated if anything should happen with this.
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