Contract levels
- Level 1:
- Titles that look like they could sell in five figures.
- The author has a track record of that, in the last 3/5 years. Or, if a first time author, it’s an outstanding text, tailored to the right market.
- The name is recognizable to a bookshop buyer in that subject area, in both N America and the UK, and/or there are compelling endorsements from recognizable names.
- The buyer thinks “this is one we have to stock”.
- Level 2:
- Likely sales in the thousands.
- Great text, right presentation.
- Author is more likely to be known nationally than internationally. Has or will get good endorsements from key figures.
- Author has a good “platform” and is active.
- The main push on sales is either in N America or UK rather than both.
- Level 3:
- Likely sales in the high hundreds/low thousands.
- Could be a great text, but the author isn’t particularly “known”.
- Could do a lot better on the sales if it spreads by word of mouth, if pushed through activities, networking – but a buyer is unlikely to stock many, or any, initially.
- Level 4:
- Likely sales in the low hundreds or less.
- Good material, worthwhile publishing, could find its own niche, could do well, but it’s a long shot.
Royalties
- "Net receipts",throughout, is the money we actually receive from retailers/readers/distributors, we do not deduct anything to cover our own costs.
- E-books:50% throughout, on net receipts (less a small deduction on royalties for conversion costs, see Ebooks).
- Print Books:
- First 1,000 copies: 10% net for contract level 1, no royalties for others
- copies from 1,001 to 10,000: 10% net
- copies from 10,001 to 25,000 15% net
- copies from 25,001 to 40,000 20% net
- copies 40,001 and beyond 25% net
- Subsidiary rights 60% in author's favor. No "non-book" rights like film etc included.
Publication Schedule
- Six month from finished files for level 1
- Three complete months from finished files for other contract levels.
Author Contribution
- Level 1 none
- Level 2 none
- Level 3 £10/$16 per 1,000 words.
- Level 4 £20/$32 per 1,000 words.
Included in all contract levels:
- Every title is published as both a print book and an e-book
- Every manuscript is copy-edited. Every title is marketed, and gets a certain amount of promotion
- Unlimited electronic review copies
- Blurb, author info and other book information edited.
- Distribution of title information to all databases, wholesalers and online accounts worldwide.
- A PR program tailored to the author and the book; building author profile on general and author sites; raising profile on online retail sites; push for articles, reviews, prizes. A further PR push whenever 500 copies are sold through the trade and online.
Included depending on contract level:
- Advance Information Sheets:
- Levels 1 & 2: all major retail markets in North America and the UK
- Level 3: generated and presented to selective relevant accounts.
- Trade Copies
- Levels 1 & 2: Trade copies offered to trade magazines; PW, Bookseller, etc., offered in programs such as Advance Access.
- Levels 3 & 4: Up to 10 promotional copies available to the publicity team (in addition to 12 free author copies in contract).
- Title Information Distribution
- Levels 1, 2, & 3: Title information distributed to subscribed independent retailers (via mailing).
- JHP
- Level 1: High profile presence in JHP mailing to retailers, media and foreign rights.
- Levels 2 & 3: Lower profile presence in JHP mailing to retailers, media and foreign rights.
- Hard Copies
- Level 1: Hard copies where requested (unlimited within reason)
- Level 2: Up to 30 hard copies (additional at author expense).
- Special Amazon Promotion
- Level 1 Only: Special Amazon promotion and co-op advertising with wholesalers such as Ingram, Bertrams, Gardners.
- Press Release
- Level 1 Only: Writing press release and distributing to all subscribed relevant subject/category contacts.
Extra Marketing Services:
With any of the contract levels, we offer extra marketing and publicity services for you to purchase. If you are interested, please read through the options inWhere can I get more promotion?
(Link was broken for me -- took me to a log-in page, so I don't know what the extra marketing services are) -- LJ
Editorial services
- Light edit; all manuscripts that we accept for publication are copy edited. This is making the style internally consistent, checking grammar and spelling. There is no charge for this on any book.
The following are
optional. The contract offer is not subject to any of these arrangements being agreed.
- Heavy edit; enforce style manual, check citation accuracy, query writing, rewrite for sense, make appropriate for market, grammar, spelling, file clean-up £8/$14 per 1000 words.
- Heavy Edit (as above) with additonal writing advice £12/$21 per 1000 words
- Structural/developmental edit; £30/$50 per 1000 words.
- Rewriting/ghost writing – on request, starting from £60/$100 per 1000 words.
- Indexing; £6/$10 per 1000 words.
- Readers reports; all submitted proposals get Readers Reports and a yes/no decision. For a 300-500 word evaluation prior to submitting a proposal, £50/$80. For a longer evaluation of the manuscript, with suggestions for improvement, 3000-5000 words, £200/$320.
- One-to-one Mentoring on manuscript and writing skills;
- option a; 4 hours per month via email over 3 months; £300/$500, payable in advance.
- option b; 4 hours per month via email over 3 months, plus 1 hour tutorial via skype messaging or phone; £450/$700, payable in advance.
- Both extendable.
We pitch our costs at under half the going commercial rate; see for instance the Editorial Freelancers Association price list
FAQ
(More detailed information, including the reasoning behind these answers, available in the user manual).
How many authors do you sign on each contract level?
In an average 10 contracts offered, there will be one level 1, five level 2, three level 3, and one level 4.
If we offer you a contract with an author subsidy, and you can not afford it, we're sorry about that, please don't take it, or stretch yourself financially.
If you object to it on principle, well, we just have to differ. Either way, keep looking, or publish yourself. For some authors it's small change. For some authors, particularly in the academic world, it's common practice.
DO YOU EVER CHANGE CONTRACT LEVEL OFFERS THE MANUSCRIPT IS IMPROVED AND RESUBMITTED?
No.
Readers reports often say something along the lines of "this would be a better manuscript if xyz were done", but we do not look at the proposal again.
- For one thing, we pay for the readers reports, and do not want to do it a second time around.
- For another, part of the decision is based on your "recognition" factor.
It may be a better book, and have more long term potential for sales, but that does not make it any easier to get it into the trade to begin with.
HOW QUICKLY WILL YOU OFFER ME A CONTRACT?
It is usually within a fortnight.
HOW FAR WILL YOU NEGOTIATE ON THE CONTRACT?
We do not negotiate. The clauses in the basic contract are fairly standard to all major publishers
WHY DOES THE CONTRACT HAVE TO BE FOR THE LENGTH OF COPYRIGHT?
There are two main reasons;
- Publishers make what money they do on the relatively small number of titles that keep going after the first flush of sales and keep reprinting for years and decades afterwards.
- We do not put books out of print. Once the information is out on the databases it will be there in some form forever, hard to change, and queries on the book’s availability or on permissions could still be coming through in 20 years time, creating work.
There is more on the nature and length of copyright in the User Manual under Copyright questions in the Editorial & Production section.
WHAT RIGHTS DO YOU GET AND I KEEP?
The copyright of the work remains with you. Unlike many even of the major publishers we do not buy copyrights.
What are you agreeing to here is to give us the exclusive right to publish the book for the period of copyright, while the book remains in print, in return for a royalty on sales, along with various subsidiary rights where the income is split 60% in your favor. More on ebooks in the section below.
The contract is with John Hunt Publishing Ltd. We trade under different imprints, and that’s how we refer to books on the list, but they are not legal entities.
WHAT TERRITORIAL RIGHTS DO YOU WANT?
Our "default" position is for worldwide publishing rights, in all languages,
but if you want to confine it to English language worldwide, just make a comment to that effect in the comments you can send back with the contract and the publisher will adjust the contract,
CAN I NEGOTIATE AN ADVANCE?
Sorry, we don’t pay advances
AN I NEGOTIATE ON ROYALTIES?
Our royalties are as per the rates given in the Contract Levels, above.
WHEN DO YOU PAY ROYALTIES?
Twice a year, covering the periods May to October and November to May, payable 60 days later. That’s standard for all publishers, except for the vanity/subsidy publishers, who don’t have to account for the distribution pipeline that books go through.
WHAT DOES PAYMENT OF ROYALTIES ON RECEIPTS MEAN?
Payments on receipts means paying on the actual invoiced value to the buyer that we receive for selling the books. So for instance if the book is Priced at $10, and a shop buys it at $6, you receive a royalty on the $6. We do not deduct other costs that we pay from within the $6,
WHAT PRICE CAN I BUY COPIES AT?
- 50% discount off the retail price, and this applies to any book you want to order from the list, from any imprint.
- 55% if it’s 500 copies,
- 60% if it’s 1,000,
- 65% on 2,500 and upwards.
Most publishers sell books to authors at around 30% off the retail price. There’s more in Sales.
You do not pay for the first twelve books, that are sent free, as per the contract
WHAT ARE THE "PUBLISHER RIGHTS"?
On the contract page, underneath "imprint", there may be (not always) a reference to "publisher rights 30%". It is an internal note for Admin. The publisher of an imprint has some responsibility for making contacts, commissioning books, developing the marketing for the imprint. As a commission payment they receive a percentage of what the title generates in royalties from sales. It is not deducted from the royalties the author receives, but is in addition to it.
At the bottom of the contract page there is reference to a "royalty split". this is only applicable where there is more than one author.
DO I HAVE TO GIVE YOU FIRST OPTION ON MY NEXT BOOK?
No.
Most publishers have a “first refusal” clause which gives them first option on your next book
WHO IS MY EDITORIAL CONTACT?
There is no one particular editorial contact for you. When the contract is signed your book is allocated to a number of people in the system - first the Publisher, then the Editorial Manager (who in turns allocates it to a copy editor), the Production Manager (who might also allocate it to a designer), a cover designer, etc. all these are notified at relevant stages of production through the website, and will notify you.
Queries on editorial and production matters can be made at the different stages of production, rather than separate emails. If you can not find the answer there, please enter your query on the Forum.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MANUSCRIPT?
The editor copy-edits the manuscript, following the guidance in Preparing the manuscript and taking into account any comments you have made in the Author stylesheet box. When the copy-edited manuscript gets back to you, this is your last opportunity to make changes to the text. Any tables, illustrations, diagrams are added later. In times past, proofs used to be an occasion for later changes. Nowadays, they are for formatting.