Cypress House

155 Cypress Street

Fort Bragg, CA 95437

800-773-7782

Fax: 707-964-7531

E-mail:

Contact: Cynthia Frank

Subsidiary Rites:

Selling and Publishing Your Book Around the World

February 2015, San Francisco Writers Conference

© Cynthia Frank, President, Cypress House

Selected List of Possible Subsidiary Rights

  • Bookclub
  • Corporate
  • Country
  • Excerption
  • Gift
  • Periodical publication/serialization
  • Premium
  • Translation

Assessment of your Intellectual Property

Single title or multiple titles?

Fiction or nonfiction?

Sales history?

Awards?

Any internationally recognized awards or acclaim?

Is your book available in its American English edition anywhere else in the world?

Are there topics addressed in the book that make it more alluring to specific countries?

Are there topics addressed in the book that make it less alluring to specific countries?

Did you seek permission to quote any material or use any images in the text of the book? If so, what rights did you negotiate?

Is Your Work Discoverable?

Is there an ebook available? If so, where is it being sold?

Are there good reviews and comments online?

Do you have an author site or blog?

Do you have an active Amazon Author Central page?

Does your English-language print edition have international distribution?

Other Resources

  • International Literary Marketplace — approx. $270. Or in the resource section of your local library:
  • (agents)
  • (for authors)
  • (do a company search and drill down to agents and scouts)
  • (connecting sellers and buyers)
  • (connecting sellers and buyers)
  • (marketing, promotion, display, and more)
  • (to research agents and publishers)
  • (connecting sellers and buyers)

Selected International Shows

  • Beijing International Book Fair
  • Bologna Children’s Book Fair
  • Book Expo America
  • Frankfurt International Book Fair
  • Guadalaljara International Book Fair
  • London Book Fair
  • Sharjah International Book Fair

Selected Companies/Agencies that Provide International Show Display

  • Combined Book Exhibit/American Collective Stand:
  • IBPA:
  • Export.gov brings together resources from across the U.S. Government to assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies and succeed in today’s global marketplace. Elizabeth Krauth, Director, U.S. Department of Commerce, North Bay Export Assistance Center at Dominican University, 50 Acacia Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901, E-mail: ; Phone: 415-485-6209; Fax: 415-485-6219;

What to Send First

Email invitation (no attachment; links okay); sell sheet/tip sheet information; compelling description, US sales (if strong), author bio, other rights licensed (if any), selected reviews and awards, trim size, page count. Any details on why the book would do well in their particular market/country.

What to Send when a Review Copy is Requested

Hard copy of book or a PDF (if cleared first and you’re comfortable with the security issues)

Sell sheet/tip sheet (yes, again)

Clear contact information.

Sample Offer from Foreign Agency

I am pleased to inform you that a Korean publisher, XYZ Publishing Company, has proposed confirmed proposal for TITLE with below terms.

title : TITLE

author : AUTHOR

Korean publisher : PUBLISHING COMPANY

Address : XXXXXXX, Seoul, Korea

estimated first print run : 3,000 copies

estimated retail price : appr. USD U$ 7.5 per copy

proposed advance : USD 2,000

proposed royalty rates : 6% for 10,000 copies sold and 7% thereafter

term : 7 years from the date of agreement

publication deadline : 18 months

agent fee : 10% out of advance and royalties

withholding taxes : 11% (for US companies)

I thank you in advance for your kind attention in this proposal and look forward to hearing from you.

What Happens Next?

Review the offer. Do you have others in hand, too?

Search out each company on the web. Check with IBPA and other contacts about reputation.

Ask questions, point out any missing details, make requests, note your concerns.

Await their response (which may be the contract itself) and check it carefully to make sure all points have been addressed.

Consult your intellectual property rights attorney before signing.

Selected Legal Resources:

  • Nolo Press:
  • California Lawyers for the Arts:
  • Lloyd Rich – Publishing Law Center:
  • Ivan Hoffman:
  • Jonathan Kirsch:

Selected Elements of a Standard Contract

Who are the participants?

What is the property?

What are the licensing details?

How are royalties calculated?

What is the payment schedule?

How will the money be received (type of funds, direct deposit or check)?

How soon is the translation to be published?

How many copies will the author receive?

Is there an agency percentage or government tax issue?

When does the agreement begin and end?

How often are reports generated?

If there are problems, how is the agreement terminated?

How do the parties notify each other?

What is the “choice of law”? (What body of law will apply to any legal dispute between the parties?