- Joined
- May 22, 2009
- Messages
- 171
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A friend of mine signed a contract that he thought was an "open ended" series contract. He was told that as long as he writes books they want, they'll publish them in the series. BUT my friend now, after three books, said he doesn't have any more ideas for the series, and feels it has run its course. He told that to the publisher and they said, "Oh no, you'll write them until we decide we don't want any more. If you write one we don't want to publish, you have to just write another one. And another, and another until you write one we do want. And you'll do it FOREVER!!!!!!."
No, this is not a joke. This is real. He was ignorant to sign such a thing, but he was just a 23 year old kid, basically, too excited with the prospect of being published to realize that what they were telling him, and what they were writing were two different things. Now they're basically saying they own him for ever.
Is this legal? Can someone do something like that? He's so upset about the whole thing he hasn't left his apartment for days and feels like they'll take legal action against him if he doesn't keep submitting manuscripts in the series.
It makes me sick. Just another reason to always, always, always have an agent, I guess.
No, this is not a joke. This is real. He was ignorant to sign such a thing, but he was just a 23 year old kid, basically, too excited with the prospect of being published to realize that what they were telling him, and what they were writing were two different things. Now they're basically saying they own him for ever.
Is this legal? Can someone do something like that? He's so upset about the whole thing he hasn't left his apartment for days and feels like they'll take legal action against him if he doesn't keep submitting manuscripts in the series.
It makes me sick. Just another reason to always, always, always have an agent, I guess.
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