Author’s Guild Proposing Contract Challenges

Now this is a step in the right direction, assuming they follow through on it.

The Author’s Guild is proposing an initiative for fair author contracts, and I think they are right on.

Authors are among our more vulnerable classes of workers. Book authors receive no benefits, no retirement income or pension, and there are no unions to protect them. They live or die by copyright—their ability to license rights to publishers in exchange for advances and royalties. While copyright is meant to give authors control of how and on what terms others can use their works, publishing agreements tend to be negotiable only around the edges, and even then only by well-represented authors.

I’m not sure I entirely agree that authors are as vulnerable as the Guild is saying, but I’ll forgive them a bit of hyperbole to get their point access.

The article is worth reading in full. They cover the major areas where publishers have been shafting writers, including non-compete clauses, contract length, advances and royalty payments.

This is exactly what an author’s guild should be doing, and I applaud them for beginning this. Of course, what remains to be seen is how much power they have to influence what is being done at the major publishing houses. Will they encourage writers to not sign with certain houses? Can they convince bestselling authors to protest in a meaningful way?

While I like the idea and think it’s long overdue, I’m not sure how they will make their proposals stick. If publishers simply refuse to comply with their recommendations, what’s next? Boycotts? We know how well those work. Some form of a strike? That only works if the big name authors go along with it.

The article hasn’t yet made an appearance on The Passive Voice. I’m sure it will and that there will be a lively debate over it. Of course, there’s nothing stopping us from having a good debate here. Carry on!