Publishing and Self-publishing: Advice for Writers

CHECKLIST FOR PUBLISHERS (PHILIPPINES)

Author's Note: Updating this for 2024! Based on contracts I've seen and negotiated. Original post from 2021 still found at the bottom of the page.

Checklist for Publishers 2024:

- Copyright remains with author

- Talent/signing fee (separate from royalties) or Advance (a certain amount as advance payment of royalties, to be paid upon publication or a schedule between signing and publication)

- Royalties (up to 20% for print) on sales and an agreed schedule of sales reporting

- Signing fee/Advances/Royalties paid as direct deposits and not check pickups

- Online option for contract signing

- Contracts are open for negotiation and review. Philippine publishers usually only get print rights in the Philippines from me. All other rights including translation, adaptation, world print distribution, are not included. (Give a publisher only the rights they can do something with.)

- At least 10 complimentary author copies

- Publisher provides release date or release period and contract contains clause that publishing rights revert to author if book is not released by X amount of time

- Publisher communicates clearly and factually the reach of their distribution within Philippines (if they're given print/Philippines rights).

- Publisher communicates the marketing plan, channels, the limitations, and discusses what the author's role is in the plan. (This can look like many things in practice but please lang, make sure you as author will not be the sole marketing person.) PS sometimes authors don't want to do social media, or signing, or appearances. What's the marketing plan if the author isn't the marketer?

- Contract ends in 5 to 7 years and has a termination option if publisher or author wants to end it earlier than that

- Publisher commits to not using the work to train AI/machine learning and will protect the work from being fed to AI/machine learning

I think these should be basic? What do you think???

- Mina

=== Post from 2021 ===

I'm updating this because after COVID, maraming nangyari sa Philippine publishing. Mas pabor na ngayon sa digital lahat, at dapat hindi na tayo papayag sa old style contracts na lugi ang author. 

Please show this list to ANY publisher in the Philippines offering you a contract because you are from Wattpad. (Or AO3 or Webtoon or ANY WEB PLATFORM.) If they cannot give you everything on this list, demand answers or don't sign with them. No Contract (meaning wag na lang, walk away from this publisher) is better than A Bad Contract. 

- Copyright remains with author 

- Talent fee must be over P10,000 and NOT a one-time fee, dapat may royalties pa rin. 

- Royalties must be based on sales (5 to 15% or more), and reports must be given REGULARLY WITHOUT NEEDING REMINDERS.

- Royalties must be paid as DIRECT BANK DEPOSITS and not a check pickup only option. 

- Contract signing MUST BE DONE ONLINE, publishers SHOULD NOT REQUIRE AUTHORS TO PHYSICALLY VISIT THE OFFICE TO SIGN. If an author wants to sign at the office it must be an option only because the author prefers it, dapat gusto niyang magpunta ng office for whatever reason, and dapat COVID SAFE ANG OFFICE. 

- Contracts MUST NOT BE CONFIDENTIAL. A publisher who demands confidentiality is not transparent, and IS PROBABLY HIDING SOMETHING. Their contracts must be open to negotiation and you must be able to consult other authors to know if OK ba talaga sila. Dapat walang hadlang ang authors to speak honestly about their experience with a publisher. If a publisher requires confidentiality, do not work with them. Walk away from this publisher until they give you a better contract and are willing to be transparent about it.

- Publishers should give you A RELEASE DATE and update you without reminding if they cannot meet their release date. 

- Publishers must give you a DISTRIBUTION PLAN (how many copies in which bookstores or online shops) and MAKE SURE YOUR BOOK IS AVAILABLE WHERE THEY SAID IT IS AVAILABLE.

- Publishers must give you a MARKETING PLAN for 5 YEARS aka paano nila ipro-promote ang libro mo from YEAR 1 TO YEAR 5 at dapat hindi pa dito kasama yung MGA GAGAWIN MO AS AUTHOR. HINDI KA PART NG MARKETING. TRABAHO NILA ITO.

- Hindi safe ang in-person book signing right now so dapat may KAPALIT ITO AT KASAMA SA MARKETING PLAN ITO. Paano makakakuha ng special experience at copies ang readers mo? 

- Dapat malinaw sa kontrata na pag hindi nila ito nagawa para sa iyo, pwedeng mong i-terminate ang kontrata. Dapat malinaw na sila ang nagkulang at hindi mahirap i-terminate ang contract if sila ang nagkulang. 

I might add to this if I remember more details AND it's possible to negotiate some exceptions but the point is, IKAW ANG AUTHOR, IKAW ANG MAY POWER DITO HA. Publishers NEED YOU at this time. Do not work with publishers who will steal your work and not pay you fairly. 

Be careful as well when self-publishing kasi marami ring ready to take advantage of you huhu. Please remember that this is your hard work! Ingat lagi.