Book Contracts
For all e-books and paper books, a contract will be drawn that will include the basic following points:
Copyright and Exclusive Rights
The author may retain copyright of his or her book, but Moon Willow Press (MWP) is assigned exclusive worldwide rights, including derivative works. Any negotiable elements of the contract will remain private via MWP and author.
Author Warranty and Responsibility
The author must sign a statement that he or she has not plagiarized, stolen from any other works, or sold the works to another publisher or distributor. Works include text and illustrations. The author must submit the manuscript in terms of the publisher’s guidelines, including correct layout and format.
The publisher may contract to work separately with the author in editorial and proofreading services, but the author is solely responsible for hiring his or her own editor and submitting a professionally written and proofed manuscript.
The author is responsible also for all illustrations in the book, including cover art, charts, graphs, photographs, and drawings. The author must contain and provide written permissions from any and all book illustrators for the use of their works. Any financial agreements between the book’s royalties and artists are between the author and illustrator only. MWP may be able to direct the author to find artists if needed.
Non-Compete Clause
The author will agree to not write and sell a similar work that would compete in market for the work being submitted and sold to MWP.
Book Schedule
MWP and the author will decide the scope of the book’s publication together, with consideration of personal schedules.
Publication Delay
MWP may end a contract prior to publication if the author does not present works as defined in the guidelines or as fit for publication.
Book Marketing
The author holds responsibility (according to submission guidelines) for researching the marketability of his or her book and advertising it upon publication. While MWP will help to market and advertise the title, the majority of responsibility falls onto the author. The reasoning behind this is MWP’s start-up status, but marketing avenues may grow in the future with staff and growth. MWP holds no responsibility for how well the book sells.
Book Printing and Distribution
MWP will be responsible for book printing and distribution. MWP will print only on FSC-certified paper, and will print only on demand. The scheduling of print-on-demand may be slated for incremental periods through the year, after an initial run. MWP will follow this green press initiative, as it is one of the press’s missions. MWP will pay for all printing and shipping costs. MWP will work with the author to decide initial printing run number.
For e-books, MWP will handle sales and distribution via the press’s website and other outlets, including Amazon.
Book Payments
Because MWP is a start-up press, the author will not receive any advance payment. This may change in the future.
The author will receive royalties for each book sale. The royalties will depend on type of publication, sales estimates, and third-party vendor/seller fees (such as via Amazon).
Author Copies
The author will receive 10 free copies of his or her book after printing. A limited number of free review copies may also be available upon request. There is a one-time free shipment of the author’s requested copies; this shipment is sent only to the author.
