Webnovel.Forum

DarkRay

Thank you so much you cleared every point. True, if I don't fully understand the contract then it is better not to sign. I was excited to become contracted but some of these clauses and terms don't seem fair to any author. We work hard towards our stories but this contract seems a bit too binding and restricted.

Veronica8

Absolutely right! Thanks for your views. I had already heard a bit that the contract is really a slave contract. Some part I understand but I can't entirely give away my copyright. Yup im really not comfortable. They said that can make us stop writing our novel anytime. It may not actually happen but this clause really scares me. It is still part of the contract so they can enforce it anytime.

JKaiya

Yeah. I kinda wanted them to advertise and promote my novel to reach a wider audience and perhaps also earn through my hobby that I actually like but the novel rights is a big issue. It's demeaning that we write and craft the story but don't own it.
If I don't sign, it may take a while to build my reader base on my own but at least I will get there and also retain my rights.
Plus getting an offer from WN itself is a proof that my novel has potential to grow

Primate Does that mean, as long as one have rights, WN can't interfere with, whatever I do with my work.

Like publishing on other website, selling it to some one else, and stuff like that

I also didn't accept their contract invitation because of my love for my story. My friends told me to sign because I get paid, but I feel like I'm just being a surrogate mother if I did that. I don't want to give my babies away.

[unknown]

Yup. As long as you dont sign a contract, you can publish anywhere you want other than WN. Once you sign, the publishing and copyrights go to WN exclusively. So if you have published anywhere else, you gotta take it down.

ReincarnatedSaint

Yup. As long as you dont sign a contract, you can publish anywhere you want other than WN. Once you sign, the publishing and copyrights go to WN exclusively. So if you have published anywhere else, you gotta take it down.

ReincarnatedSaint

Yup. As long as you dont sign a contract, you can publish anywhere you want other than WN. Once you sign, the publishing and copyrights go to WN exclusively. So if you have published anywhere else, you gotta take it down.

ReincarnatedSaint Yes, they won't interfere. You can do anything you want with your work.

enthu_reader Even if you sign, you can still keep your rights. Just make sure you sign the RC contract, only.

ImMK Try this, just for the fun of it. If your book is good, it might work for you and if not, they will just say no to your offer. No harm done. Ok.

You can accept the contract. You just have to make some written requests in the request box. They'll probably send your contract back to you with 'Who do you think you are?'. But, they'll notice you and follow your work.

Works like charm.

Btw, contract signing is not that bad. They invest in you and you have your exposure and some coins, in exchange for the rights to your work. Fair deal?

enthu_reader Yea, they'll definitely tell you to bog-off .

If you really don't give a damn about the general FR contract, then, you can ask for the elusive Royalty Contract. They'll say no and send it back to you to adjust and so on.

Even if they reject your offer eventually, you are on their radar. They know who you are. It's good.

If your book is getting more and more popular, they'll get in touch again.

enthu_reader You don’t necessarily need those numbers to be considered for contract. Even with low stats, if you write well, the editors will take notice. It doesn’t hurt to send your work in if you’re interested. I see those numbers as being necessary for less, er, stellarly written stories. Then you probably need more proof of concept beyond your writing ability and story alone.

Chryiss I believe he was talking about the Royalty Contract.

The numbers are not needed for the Fixed-Rate Contract but for the Royalty Contract, they are definitely needed.

You want to keep your copyrights, you have to back it up with numbers (popularity). With numbers, comes higher revenue to be shared. Everybody is happy with that. But their won't be invested promotion in a work with low numbers, no potential income revenue and the author still keep the copyright.

This is where I am right now. I hope we come to an agreement or something. Personally, I love the terms of the Royalty Contract. No hard feelings for the Fixed-Rate Contract, not just for me.

Chryiss

Real talk- it is far and away the most disgusting, one sided contract I've ever personally read. The more I have re-read it, the more I am convinced that anyone who even considers signing one is a moron.

enthu_reader

Do you have a Discord account? I have something I want to chat with you about regarding the future of your story

Clowniac#7342 is my ID. Add me as a friend and let's talk.

Clowniac

It depends a lot of your situation and the country you live in.

In France, with my current job i would need to be top 20 at the very least to make writing full-time worth it. Obviously, i won't sign such an unfair contract for an uncertain success.

But in some countries you can live well with 800$ or less, whereas in USA you can still claim for some social assistance with 3000$.

Primate Ah I see, I misinterpreted it as deciding between the two types.

It’s a shame that good quality but unpopular works don’t have a fair chance of getting the RC when popular cookie cutters are allowed the benefit of retaining their work. If this was serious publishing, those good quality small time stories would be chosen any day over the cookie cutters found in this sight. It’s a real rip off toward that author. However, as Clowniac said below your post, I guess nothing really is lost due to how poor those contract terms are.

Clowniac Waah! I got called a moron

Joking. No hard feelings and hard-headed morons were harmed in this post. I think

Veronica8 LOL. It’s okay, at one point too I considered it for my tree novel since it wasn’t my main story which I would never give away. Besides, I wouldn’t want to see them force some mainstream crap on it to sell and ruin the artistic intentions I was trying to convey.

I will say honestly though, and I’ve expressed this to you before kinda, it does make me sad seeing you giving away rights to TMS. I feel one day, on a more suitable platform, it would receive the credit it deserves. Society is shifting, little by little, that more would be open to lgbt themes.