Author Agreement

The short version

• You own the copyright in your book, before and after publication.
• You keep 100% of the royalties paid by retailers and distributors.
• We are paid for production work, not for a share of your book.
• You can leave at any point and take your files, your ISBN and your listings with you.

1. Copyright

Copyright in the manuscript and in the published book remains yours throughout. We do not acquire publishing rights, subsidiary rights, film or translation rights, or a right of first refusal on your next book.

2. Licence to produce and distribute

You grant us a non-exclusive licence, limited to the term of the project and to the formats listed in your quotation, solely so that we can produce your book and list it with retailers on your behalf. The licence ends when you ask it to.

3. Royalties

Royalties are paid by the retailer or distributor. Where payment flows through our accounts, we pass on 100% of the net receipts and issue a statement each quarter showing units, gross receipts, retailer deductions and the amount paid to you, with the underlying reports attached. Where you hold the retailer accounts directly, they pay you and we never touch the money at all.

4. ISBN and imprint

Titles are registered under our imprint by default, which is what allows us to handle ISBN allocation, Legal Deposit and wholesaler setup for you. This does not affect who owns the book. If you later move to another publisher or to your own imprint, we will transfer or release the registration on request.

5. Approvals

Nothing is printed, uploaded or published without your written approval of the final files. You approve the cover, the interior proof, the metadata and the publication date.

6. Confidentiality

Your manuscript is confidential. Everyone who reads it — staff, freelance editors, designers, narrators — is under a confidentiality agreement. Nothing is quoted, shared or used as a sample without your written permission.

7. Costs

The quotation is the price. No charge is added mid-project without your written approval, and anything outside the agreed scope is quoted before it is started.

8. Ending the agreement

You may end the agreement at any time by writing to us. Completed stages are payable, work in progress is charged pro rata, and we hand over the finished files for everything you have paid for. We will also unlist the title and release the registration if you ask.

9. Warranties

You confirm the work is your own, that you have cleared any third-party material in it, and that it is not to your knowledge defamatory or unlawful. We confirm the work will be carried out with reasonable skill and care by people competent to do it.

Questions before you sign

Ask them. We would rather spend an hour on the phone explaining a clause than have an author sign something they have not read. Get in touch or call (01) 566 8314.

See also our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.