| Author | Post |
|---|
emjaydee
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jun 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 39 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: |    |
|
Posted: Sat Apr 12th, 2008 12:31 am |
|
| If a publisher offers 60/40 on royalties. Is the first number their percentage, or yours?
|
Proboscisbunny
Member
|
Posted: Sat Apr 12th, 2008 04:24 am |
|
The Guild recently warned that Heuer Publishing was offering just that! Taking 60% for themselves...
NOTICE REGARDING HEUER PUBLISHING
The Business Affairs Department has recently been asked to review the Heuer Publishing contract. In a typical publishing agreement, a publisher receives a 10% commission for licensing stock performances (i.e., non-1st Class professional) and 20% for licensing amateur performances. Some smaller publishers have been known to take commissions of as much as 25%-50% in certain niche amateur markets. However, Heuer Publishing currently requests a 60% commission for ALL stage performances, including professional productions, as well as all movie/television licenses, and other licenses it may negotiate. This is entirely unprecedented in the marketplace. The Guild, therefore, will exclude Heuer from print Resource Directories and email updates and, effectively immediately, will remove it from the online Resource Directory. For more recent information on standard publishing provisions, see “Sharing Your Sweet Success: Commission Agreements” by Ashley Kelly, available online and in the September/October 2007 Guildworks Section of The Dramatist.
|
emjaydee
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jun 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 39 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sat Apr 12th, 2008 04:43 pm |
|
Edd:
I appreciate the passion with which you responed; your points, as those of Proboscisbunny, point to an issue I daresay a lot of writers on this forum confront but perhaps are reticent to discuss. It would be interesting to see a ranking of publishers and what they typically offer.
|
spiny norman
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jul 21st, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 67 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sun Apr 13th, 2008 08:18 pm |
|
i believe that playscripts & brooklyn give a 60-40 split (60 being the author's percent). baker's gives a 70-30 split (70 being the author's) for amateur productions & 80-20 for professional productions. baker's also offers an advance on royalties upon signing.
also, keep in mind that playscripts requires that the script be registered for a copyright and the playwright must pay the fee of $55 (it's deducted from royalties).
it's interesting to note that baker's charges less per performance than playscripts but because they give a slightly higher percent to the playwright, it works out about the same.
playscripts takes over a year to make a decision (even if they already publish your work). you can get them to move faster if you let them know another publisher is interested. baker's, brooklyn & eldredge have a quicker response time.
Last edited on Tue Apr 15th, 2008 09:34 pm by spiny norman
|
jonplaywright
Member
|
Posted: Fri May 16th, 2008 05:11 pm |
|
Pioneer and Eldridge are both 50-50. Original Works is 80-20.
Why is Edd's post on this coming up blank?
Jon
|
Proboscisbunny
Member
|
Posted: Sat May 17th, 2008 03:21 am |
|
UPDATE ON HEUER PUBLISHING: A CHANGE FOR THE WORSE
The Business Affairs Department was asked to review another Heuer Publishing Contract this week. Instead of becoming more reflective of industry standards, the current contract requests that the Author “irrevocably sells, grants, conveys, assigns, and sets over to [Heuer], all of Author’s right, title and interest in and to the play . . . including the copyrights and renewals and/or extensions thereof for all territories of the world and for all languages, in perpetuity.” In plain English, this means that the playwright is being required to assign the copyright in the play to Heuer Publishing, which is not acceptable practice in the publishing industry, and is not a necessary action in order for Heuer to effectively publish and license the work. Playwrights should not be asked or expected to sign such agreements. This development in the Heuer contract confirms for us our decision, announced to you in the April 3, 2008 Dramatists Guild e-Flash, to exclude Heuer publishing from our Resource Directory and all updates and emails. Until such time as they change their contracts, the only information we will provide on Heuer Publishing hereafter is an ongoing warning of their substandard practices.
|
solarcirclegirl
Member
| Joined: | Wed Oct 17th, 2007 |
| Location: | Conway, Arkansas USA |
| Posts: | 64 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sun May 18th, 2008 01:46 pm |
|
This whole thing is very scary. I have two ten minute plays published with Heuer and I will definitely be wary of their contracts in the future. Off the top of my head, I am not certain what my royalty split is, so when I unearth my contract from moving, I'll have to take a lot. i sure hope I didn't get screwed. :|
|
emjaydee
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jun 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 39 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sat May 24th, 2008 06:03 pm |
|
As a new and previously unpublished playwright, the neophyte is in an awkward position when everyone has taken a pass on your work and your only offer is sub-standard at best. I found myself in that position with my first contract, which was offered with an earnings cap because I was new and previously unpublished. Ironically, that play has been a cash cow for the publisher.
|
in media res
Member
|
Posted: Sun May 25th, 2008 03:54 am |
|
Sorry to hear that emjadee. You could have paid a lawyer or if you were a member of the Dramatists Guild you could have gotten free advice and/or a standard contract.
Take the hint and invitation and join.
best,
in media res
|
emjaydee
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jun 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 39 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sun May 25th, 2008 08:37 am |
|
I wonder if it still standard practice by the small publishing houses to offer a new, previously unpublished writer a cap or a 40/60 deal? In other words, I am wondering how much leverage Guild input has with respect to the new writer. A writer always has the option of saying "no," but when every publisher has turned down your first play, and the only one who says "yes" makes you a crummy take it or leave offer, how many writers take the offer because they need to get their foot in the door?
|
in media res
Member
|
Posted: Wed May 28th, 2008 04:10 am |
|
New writer or a veteran writer, the Guild values all equally.
This I can assure you.
The same with SAG/AFTRA/AEA of which I am also a member.
best,
in media res
|
emjaydee
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jun 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 39 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Wed May 28th, 2008 07:06 pm |
|
I am not questioning whether or not the guild values new writers. I am interested in knowing if there are still publishers offering new writers (no publication history) take it or leave deals, irrespective of guild membership. If so, it would be nice to know who those publishers are. In no way am I being critical of the guild.
|
in media res
Member
|
Posted: Wed May 28th, 2008 09:10 pm |
|
I am also sorry if you misunderstood me. I did not take it as a criticism of the Guild.
Yes, it would be nice to know who those publishers are.
Can anyone weigh in?
But always remember, EVERYTHING is negotiable. You are never forced to sign anything.
Remember my mantra for this forum: Caveat Emptor: Let the Buyer Beware.
in media resLast edited on Wed May 28th, 2008 09:11 pm by in media res
|
leon
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jun 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Upstate, New York USA |
| Posts: | 296 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 06:26 am |
|
| gee, when i saw the topic "royalty split", i was hoping that prince charles was getting very limber.
|
Current time is 01:42 pm | |
|
