Published by the Meridian Press editorial desk · 8 min read
What is actually being licensed
Copyright stays with you. A licence grants permission to use part of it. For foreign editions that usually means the right to translate the work into one language and sell that translation in agreed territories.
Audio, film and serial rights are separate. If a contract bundles them without discussion, ask why, and ask what the licensee will do with them.
The terms that matter most
Territory and language: one language can cover many countries. Spanish for Spain is not the same deal as Spanish for Latin America, and you may be able to license them separately.
Term and reversion: most licences run for a fixed number of years or until the edition goes out of print. The reversion clause decides when rights come back so you can license them again.
Advance and royalties: the advance is paid against future royalties. The royalty rate, the price it is calculated on and the reporting schedule matter as much as the headline figure.
How a licence usually comes about
Foreign publishers look at sample translations, reader reports, sales history in the original market and the author's availability for promotion. A clear rights sheet and an accurate synopsis help more than volume of outreach.
Not every book will attract a foreign licence, and no agent can promise one. What an agent can do is identify publishers whose list suits the book and present it properly.
Before you sign
Check that the licence names the translator approval process, the delivery date for the translation, and what happens if the edition is never published. Keep a copy of every signed licence in one place with its reversion date noted.