by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
From time to time I’ll read about authors whose series were dropped by their publisher for one reason or another (this may be happening more frequently now as times are tight at publishing companies). Some of them will get their character rights back and continue these series and some will decide to start others.
I’ve continued the two series that I could get rights back on. One had only one traditionally-published book (book one of the Myrtle Clover series) and one had five trade-published books in the series (one through five of the Southern Quilting mysteries).
Although I’ve run into challenges along the way, I’ve never regretted taking either series to traditional publishing.
For one thing, traditional publishing had given me something of a springboard. At the time both series were started, physical bookstores were more important for a book’s visibility. I started out with a fairly strong readership to build on and readers who asked for more books in both series.
It’s also much easier to continue a series than it is to create one from scratch. Most of the work is already done for you in terms of worldbuilding and character creation.
The only real negatives I encountered were my inability to have the first book in the series as a perma-free (which I countered by making another book in the series perma-free…my books don’t need to be read in order), and the inability to include the books in a bundle/box set (which I countered by simply skipping the books I didn’t have rights to…you could choose to create prequels and a bundle for those, instead).
I read an article mystery writer Joanna Campbell Slan wrote with some interest: “Never Give Up on Getting Back Your Rights.” In it, she quotes a veteran writer as having told her that she was only making money for the trad-publishers by self-publishing the rest of her series. To me, I used them as much as they used me. In Joanna’s case, her persistence in getting her rights reverted paid off.
Joanna goes on to talk about continuing the process of requesting rights:
If you’re in the same situation as I was, don’t give up. Your fans will stick with you. Your publisher might not be willing to give up your rights today, but there’s always tomorrow. Keep asking. Ask politely. Ask repeatedly. Stay in touch with your readers. Make a plan, and stick to it.
I agree with her advice. I’ve been rejected sometimes, but sometimes I’ve gotten partial rights back. If you need help understanding the terms of your original contract, there’s a PDF available from Authors Alliance (and Berkeley Law).
I write more on how I wrote to request rights reversion in this post from last August.
Have you continued a discontinued trad-pubbed series? What challenges have you encountered?
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I have a short story that’s not through my publisher, but I didn’t actually publish it – I just send it to whoever finishes reading Dragon and requests it.
Don’t you get your rights back when the term of the contract ends? Like if it’s three years, after that you get your rights back?
It would be nice if it were automatic, but for Big 5 publishers, the boilerplate is such that they get first crack at whatever book you write next in the series and they retain rights ‘while the book is in print.’ Of course, it’s easy enough for them to say the book is in print 6 or 7 years later, with physical copies floating around for sale (and, in terms of digital copies, it’s always ‘in print.’) Indie pubs might be more generous in their terms. The PDF from Authors Alliance is very helpful for understanding contracts.
I never have been published so don’t have that. I like to write in a series, but kind of feel since they are trilogies that I need to have the whole project thought out before trying to sell #1 to be sure that I can write more in the series. I know it’s not the smartest, but it’s the only way I wouldn’t be afraid to try to get published.
I think there’s a lot to be said for waiting, in your case. For one thing, you can release them in rapid succession if you wanted. For another, mapping out the rest of the trilogy first to make sure the arc is right makes a lot of sense.
This is the post I’ve been waiting for. My publisher hasn’t said a word about continuing my current series, but I love it and I’d love to continue it. I’m in the very beginning stages of thinking about continuing the series on my own, so I’ve been looking for advice about doing that.
Thank you!
It’s always kind of ominous when there’s no communication! I’ve experienced that before. Hope this helps. Dig out your contract and read that PDF…they even have template letters for you in there, as I recall. I’m going to try again this year to get the rights to book one in the Myrtle series back.
I never was traditionally published, but I know a couple people who continued their series after their publishers dropped them. One got the rights back on her previously published books and the other didn’t. I feel bad for the one who didn’t because she’s kind of stuck with not being able to do much for the first two books while the other eleven or so are doing well. And as long as those self-published books are doing well, the publisher keeps getting sales for the first two so they won’t let her go. It’s sad.
It is definitely annoying, as well, ha! I’m going to try again for the first Myrtle book. It hasn’t been as much of an issue for me since the books are standalones, but still something of a pain when readers ask why the first book isn’t available in audio, etc.
This is really interesting, Elizabeth. And, if I may, let me add my own experience. I had a long and difficult time getting my rights back from one particular publisher. What a headache! But so much worth it in the end.
I’m so sorry you ran into that, Margot, but good for you for getting them back!
I’m so glad you got them back! Good for you for persevering. Now there are so many different things you can do with them. :)
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us, Elizabeth. Maybe getting one’s rights back will eventually become a more automatic thing!
It would be nice! The Authors Alliance is one group that is working hard to get better publishing contracts for writers.
Our contracts are for three years but after that the author has to request to get the rights back. So far, no one has!
That’s a benefit in an independent publisher! I think many writers would prefer working with a small to mid-sized publisher instead of striking out on their own.
I love Myrtle! She was the star of the first book I ever ordered written by someone I “knew” from blogging! :)
Getting those rights back is important and I think that persistence probably wins the battle most of the time!
I love Myrtle too. :) And thanks for the kind words!!
I think persistence is definitely key. After all, we have more to gain and usually the publishers don’t have very much to lose (especially if we’re talking about one or two books published a decade earlier). :)
Hi Elizabeth – fascinating to read up about … probably a blessing for those using the Indie route or self-publishing routes … not being tied into a traditional house. I do hope you can get the rights back … sounds like perseverance is the key – cheers Hilary
Good news…I got the remaining rights back today. :) Well, they’ll technically transfer July 1. Excited! Perseverance is definitely key.