This may be more of an "ask the lawyer" question, but I didn't know where else to post this.
Here's the deal:
I have signed a contract with one publisher for my novel. They purchased The trade paperback and signed hard cover rights for limited print runs.
While this deal went through, an old query came back to me from a different publisher wanting to see more of the novel (50 pages).
I am unsure of how to proceed, mainly because I don't know if it's okay to have two publishers purchase different rights at the same time. For instance, if this second publisher wants to purchase only the e-rights (which the first publisher left on the table).
I'm assuming there would be an issue with when the second publisher is allowed to actually publish the book, having to come some time *after* the first print runs? But there doesn't seem to be anything about that in the contract I signed.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Should I just tell the second publisher I'm unable to proceed at this time?
Thanks!
Here's the deal:
I have signed a contract with one publisher for my novel. They purchased The trade paperback and signed hard cover rights for limited print runs.
While this deal went through, an old query came back to me from a different publisher wanting to see more of the novel (50 pages).
I am unsure of how to proceed, mainly because I don't know if it's okay to have two publishers purchase different rights at the same time. For instance, if this second publisher wants to purchase only the e-rights (which the first publisher left on the table).
I'm assuming there would be an issue with when the second publisher is allowed to actually publish the book, having to come some time *after* the first print runs? But there doesn't seem to be anything about that in the contract I signed.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Should I just tell the second publisher I'm unable to proceed at this time?
Thanks!