I worked with a publisher.
I thought they were legit
(and they were… for a while)
but I had my agent look at the contract.
Closely.
Some clauses were changed.
Other than that,
it was a great contract.
Then the publisher stopped paying
all of the writers.
They continued selling our books
in huge quantities.
They merely pocketed that money.
So I talked to my agent.
She told me
I could get my books back
IF I went to court.
Other writers did this.
They went to court.
The publisher paid them
the day before the court appearance,
AFTER the writers incurred all of the legal fees.
The writers had no case.
Then the publisher stopped paying them again.
This is when I found out
a contract isn’t worth anything.
Only the ethics of the people/company
you’re doing the deal with
protects you.
“Specific contracts
don’t completely protect you
from dishonorable people.
What they do
is make it really clear
about what it takes
to do what you said
you were going to do.
Start with a good agreement.
But your future depends on
doing agreements with good people.”
Don’t do business
with people/companies
you don’t trust.