Rights Reversions Questions

Captcha · Nov 10, 2013

Is the e-publishing sub-forum gone? I was thinking I'd post this there, but... I couldn't find it. (If it still exists and I just couldn't find it, and if a mod agrees this would be better there, I'd appreciate a move! Thanks!)

Anyway, I've got an e-published novel (I think there was a POD version, but it never sold much) with rights that reverted last March. I didn't know what to do with it so I extended the contract for a year, but now I'm thinking it really is time to take charge of it again.

Is there a standard way to do this? I mean, I understand how to follow the contract clauses, notify within so many days, etc., but I guess I'm wondering if there's a standard way to deal with the novel post-reversion.

I'm thinking I should self-publish it (so maybe this would be better in the self-pubbing sub-forum...). Has anyone gone through this process that could give me any insight into what they had to do? I'm assuming I'd have to either buy the cover from the publisher (is this something that's fairly standard?) or commission a new one. And I'm assuming I should have new versions of the text created (ie. not just lift the publisher's .mobi files or whatever).

I've self-pubbed things before so I know the process there. I'm just wondering what I need to know about the transition process.

Thanks for any insight!

Old Hack · Nov 10, 2013

Captcha said:
Is the e-publishing sub-forum gone? I was thinking I'd post this there, but... I couldn't find it. (If it still exists and I just couldn't find it, and if a mod agrees this would be better there, I'd appreciate a move! Thanks!)

Yep, it's gone.

Anyway, I've got an e-published novel (I think there was a POD version, but it never sold much) with rights that reverted last March. I didn't know what to do with it so I extended the contract for a year, but now I'm thinking it really is time to take charge of it again.

If you extended the contract, then the rights didn't revert to you last March because you extended the contract... or have I got this wrong? Sorry to be so pedantic, but I'm just anxious to understand you properly.

Is there a standard way to do this? I mean, I understand how to follow the contract clauses, notify within so many days, etc., but I guess I'm wondering if there's a standard way to deal with the novel post-reversion.

The standard way to have the rights revert to you is to follow the reversion clause to the letter. We can't tell you how to do this because we don't have access to your contract.

I'm thinking I should self-publish it (so maybe this would be better in the self-pubbing sub-forum...). Has anyone gone through this process that could give me any insight into what they had to do? I'm assuming I'd have to either buy the cover from the publisher (is this something that's fairly standard?) or commission a new one.

You'd have to speak to your publisher to ask about the cover. Note that they might not have the rights to that cover which would enable them to sell it on to you; and note that even if they did you'd still have to make some changes to it, to strip off the publisher's information and add your own. As you're going to have to do some image manipulation anyway you might decide to put up an entirely new cover; and it could be better if you did, as it would provide a clear difference between your edition and your publisher's.

And I'm assuming I should have new versions of the text created (ie. not just lift the publisher's .mobi files or whatever).

Check your contract. Some specify that the author can't use the publisher's edits; others specify that the author retains copyright over all versions and therefore the ability to use them. I doubt that you'll be able to lift your publisher's current files as once again, you'll have to strip out the publisher's information and add your own.

Rights Reversions Questions

Captcha

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman