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How about being careful with your assumptions about the authors who take those contracts? I have signed contracts on the long end (though no life of copyright, which your agent will tell you is QUITE common in the industry), and it wasn't out of naivete or a fear of pissing off the publishers. I've negotiated my own contracts from the start, and have no qualms about asking for what I want and walking when I don't get it. However, if it's a solid publisher with a good reputation, I'll sign a longer contract than I will with a younger house. Under certain circumstances, I'll sign life of copyright, but that hasn't been an issue yet.
One of my publishers has 5 year contracts, the other has 7 year. The oldest book I have with the 7-year contract is in its 6th year, and still brings in about $1,000 in royalties every year. I have over two dozen books with them, and am contracted to write several more between now and the end of 2017. Considering my books remain in print during the entire contract term, rather than going out of print the second their sales begin to flag, I have the opportunity to boost those sales through renewed promotion, sequels, tie-ins with other books, etc. And yes, I have had books that got a second wind in their second, third, even fourth years. One book sold 100 copies its first year and something like 3,000 the second. Another book sold moderately well its first year, and tripled in sales in the six months after its sequel was released the second year.
Yes, it's a gamble to sign a longer contract. It's a gamble to sign any contract. But please don't assume that those of us willing to accept longer contracts are just doing it because we're afraid to ask for what we want, or because we don't have agents to hold our hands. I've signed over 100 contracts, and I've negotiated (for various reasons) releases from contracts with four different publishers without getting my ass handed to me or being forced to stay in a contract longer than I wanted to. Pretty sure I know what I'm doing.
So glad you posted that, because this thread was beginning to make me feel like an idiot for signing two 7 year contracts. lol But yeah Samhain asks for 7 years.
I've never tried to get an agent, because the two full length novels I've written were menage, which is generally more suited to the digital first market.
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