Here's a new one for me: I just got a contract for a short story to be published in a print antho next year. One of the clauses asks for "non-exclusive subsidiary rights to license and publish.... including audio, all electronice/cyber rights, CD-ROM, microfiche, and television production." There is a 50% royalties provision for any subsidiary rights sold.
I've sold nearly 20 short stories and have *never* seen this kind of clause in a short story contract before and I'm un-nerved about it for a couple reasons. One, this story is part of a series I've written in this same universe and I plan to (someday) have it in one of my own collections.
Two, if the story is sold via subsidiary rights, I don't want anyone else *doing* anything else with these characters. Is this a danger with this kind of clause?
It's a low-paying market so I wouldn't be giving up that much money for these rights. Am I being Paranoid Patty about a clause that probably won't be invoked anyway? (The publisher does mostly academic and literary works with these occasional anthos for their sales value, I assume). Or should I cross out the clause to protect my interests in the story, series and characters? I'm leaning toward writing the editor and asking for removal of the offending clause with a polite explanation as to why.
Thanks for any input! I appreciate the voice(s) of experience here.
I've sold nearly 20 short stories and have *never* seen this kind of clause in a short story contract before and I'm un-nerved about it for a couple reasons. One, this story is part of a series I've written in this same universe and I plan to (someday) have it in one of my own collections.
Two, if the story is sold via subsidiary rights, I don't want anyone else *doing* anything else with these characters. Is this a danger with this kind of clause?
It's a low-paying market so I wouldn't be giving up that much money for these rights. Am I being Paranoid Patty about a clause that probably won't be invoked anyway? (The publisher does mostly academic and literary works with these occasional anthos for their sales value, I assume). Or should I cross out the clause to protect my interests in the story, series and characters? I'm leaning toward writing the editor and asking for removal of the offending clause with a polite explanation as to why.
Thanks for any input! I appreciate the voice(s) of experience here.
