From trade paper to mass market??

[jerryg]

Hi there,
I have a novel that was published a couple of months ago by a indie publisher that only produces trade paperbacks and ebooks. I have a couple of questions about possible, if any next steps.
1. Are the first edition rights totally used or only used for trade paper?
2. the novel was submitted without an agent and the contract is only for trade and ebook rights, can an agent represent the novel for mass market rights?
3. Does that ever happen - where someone publishes with a small press, the book does pretty well, and is then published as a mass market?
4. Are there agents that represent work that has already been published in one form?
5. Are there mass market publishers that allow unagented submissions?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm obviously pretty new to some of this and was advised that this was the place to go to get the best answers.

Thank you!

[Medievalist]

Those questions have answers that lie in your contract. We can't tell you.

Unless there's a format clause, you're going to have to get permission.

[shaldna]

Originally Posted by jerryg

Hi there,
I have a novel that was published a couple of months ago by a indie publisher that only produces trade paperbacks and ebooks. I have a couple of questions about possible, if any next steps.

Firstly I have to say that if your novel has already been published then you need to look at your contract.

1. Are the first edition rights totally used or only used for trade paper?

First rights gone. Yep. For trade and electronic (if you have an e-book version.)

2. the novel was submitted without an agent and the contract is only for trade and ebook rights, can an agent represent the novel for mass market rights?

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking here - the novel has been sold, right? For print and electronic rights? Yes? If so then there's not much else you are going to get out of it a this stage.

I['m unsure what you mean about 'mass market rights' - are you talking about mass market paperbacks etc, in which case your contract probably prohibits that.

Again - look at your contract!!!!

3. Does that ever happen - where someone publishes with a small press, the book does pretty well, and is then published as a mass market?

Sometimes. It depends on the books. I mean, JK Rowling was published by Bloomsbury, who, at the time, were a very small press. When she broke the states she was published by Scholastic.

4. Are there agents that represent work that has already been published in one form?

I don't know of any. Sorry.

5. Are there mass market publishers that allow unagented submissions?

I'm not entirely sure about your repeated use of 'mass market' here. TBH.

Most of the big publishers don't accept submissions from folks who aren't agented.