A Literary Lawyer for Authors

I love writing. It is the THE love of my life. I am an author of fiction. A published one. I signed up with two different publishers for my two books. The second publisher is one of the most famous publishers in the world. I even have a literary agent who is himself an author.

I am amazed at the number of writers in India today. People have stepped out of their traditional roles into a bold new world to express themselves. Most authors just want to get published. Traditional publishers are not easy to convince. They are tough to break and have set standards that are tough to match up to.

A literary agent can take a publisher through your work, convince the publisher to publish your book but can he or she  negotiate terms like royalties, advances and percentages? Publishers in India don’t negotiate with literary agents. Most publishers have their own contract templates. Normally, they don’t change the contract terms unless you’re a famous author. Even then, the going is tough. That’s when you need a lawyer to represent you. A lawyer who not only understands IPR law that protects you, contract law that would govern your relationship with your publisher but also is able to negotiate the best deal you deserve as an author.

I am not saying my responsibility as your lawyer includes vetting your work or revising it. Sure, I do that, but only if your story interests me. As your literary lawyer, I will look out for your interests when you step into the intricate and complex world of publishing, whether you’re going to talk to an independent publisher who helps you get self-published or a traditional publisher who’s willing to publish you.

1. As an author you need to know what percentage of royalty you’re entitled to.

2. Is it a perpetual contract or is it time bound?

3. What are the rights and obligations of the author and publisher under the contract?

4. What accounts and when a publisher should furnish those accounts of your book sales?

5. What percentage of rights is yours in the event you sell movie or television rights?

6. What happens when you don’t get your royalty even after its fallen due?

7. What happens if you need to sign screenwriting agreements for your books?

8. How you need to structure your marketing agreements with book marketers?

9. When and in what circumstances are you entitled to terminate the publishing contract?

I believe in cost effective legal help. I understand the budget constraints of an author. I do. I am one. I am also a successful corporate lawyer for 26 years. I represent publishers and clearly understand their pain points.

If you want to get in touch with me, write to me at authorvadhan@gmail.com or call me on +91-95605-01785. At the least, I can advice you on what you need to expect, to start with.

I’d love to help you be happy with your book publishing.