Let us say that, following Chapter 3, you have discussed your proposed book with a commissioning editor; the editor has responded favourably and formally proposed the project to the publishing company concerned; and now announces to you that the company has decided that it wishes to commission the book. What next?

CONTRACTS

The first step is to ensure you receive the contract as soon as possible. Though the issuing of author contracts is standard practice in the publishing industry, there can be a delay between the editor promising a contract and one being dispatched. Usually this creates no problem beyond irritation, but occasionally difficulties arise: details discussed in conversation become forgotten, for example; the editor moves to another post; or the list is acquired by another company. It's always best, therefore, to press for a contract as soon as possible.

Once you have received the contract, do read it. Though that might sound too obvious to need saying, I frequently come across cases of authors signing contracts without having read them. As an editor, few things annoy me more than asking an author to abide by the contract, only to find that the author has no knowledge of what is in the contract – and perhaps even implies that insistence on abiding by the contract is somehow ungentlemanly. Needless to say, arguing against a set of conditions one has put one's name to is not a strong position. The contract, then, does matter: it is an agreement between consenting adults, not merely some form of ritualistic handshake.