Question about profit-splitting.

When it comes to family I don't think there's any right or wrong. She's your step-mom and whatever you decide will be right -- maybe not accurate, but right in your heart. However, if it were my project and I needed someone with knowledge and authority to authenticate my research and provide additional info I'd offer anywhere from 10% (reasonable) to 25% (a lot) depending on her inmportance to the project and whether I tought I could get someone else to do the same.

Just my 2 cents.

I'd go 50-50, because if I was buying the book it would be because of her expertise, not because of the the background work you're doing--even if you're doing most of the work. Since she is family, my opinion is that you can't go wrong by being too generous.

Most co writers split 50/50.

Cat Scratch said:

Hello, writers. I used to come here many moons and two babies ago. I've been working as a staff writer for a series of corporations, and just decided to go back to freelancing while working on a nonfiction book.

I could use some feedback on the best way to approach collaborating on a book. I'm working with an industry expert on my topic, who (whom?) I approached with the idea. (Tip: she's my step-mom.) She will be providing information and feedback. My expertise is in research, writing, publishing, and marketing the book.

Because she is family and I don't want it to get messy, I'd like to make an agreement about how to split royalties up front. I realize I'm getting ahead of myself, but from a business standpoint, I feel it's important. Her background and expertise will make the book more likely to sell, but I'll be doing a majority of the work on both the front and back end. (She's older and has health problems that tax her ability to contribute much more than brainstormed info and notes. I plan on doing necessary research to back up her info and data.)

Does anyone have advice on a fair division of profits for this scenario?

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I'm assuming that your step-mom will authenicate what you write and offer suggestions and/or corrective measures. That she will not be the co-author of the book and won't spend anwhere near the amount of time you will on the book. If this is so, and putting aside that as your step-mom whatever you want to give her is okay, there's no way I would give 50%. A flat fee or a small percentage is more than appropriate. The only way I'd give more is if the individual is well known if the field and/or I needed to use her name as co-author or in some other capacity in order to increase my chances of publication. But again, as your step-mom whatever you decide is do is okay.

50/50 is the easiest. The publisher will tend to assume that is the deal absent a contract.

It doesn't sound like the book would be possible without her. In that case, I think 50/50 is fair.

As someone noted, it's always good to be generous.

IME (last year I got a contract for a collaborative project - we rejected it in the end for various reasons not linked to this but I have seen the way it is handled) the publisher usually determines the rate every collaborator is paid and this is usually either a fair, equal split or a set percentage based on how many pages of the final work they are responsible for (usually anthologies). Unless you are listing yourself as the sole author (in which case they will send you a contract for 100% of profits and it is up to you to have agreements with anyone you have worked with) they will usually send a contract to every collaborator listed as an author giving the terms for the royalty split.

Now I see the latter way the better way from a legal/keeping family sane sort of way. It means that you are not responsible for determining the split or maintaining the rules of the contract - someone else is and someone with a lot more legal experience than you. If you were responsible for making sure your stepmother got her cut then there is a risk of arguments and you get blamed and therefore it gets messy. If the publisher defaults, then the two of you can team up to take them to court...