I might be able to get a No GenAI clause regarding in house work but I'm not getting more than 'best endeavours' to cover what third parties (subrights, freelancers) do.
How exactly do we handle this?
How exactly do we handle this?
October 23, 2026 at 9:57 AM
I might be able to get a No GenAI clause regarding in house work but I'm not getting more than 'best endeavours' to cover what third parties (subrights, freelancers) do.
How exactly do we handle this?
How exactly do we handle this?
Definitely open to indie authors looking to go hybrid or who need an agent to support subrights for their self pub titles ✨ I’ll be open again Nov. 1st if you’re still looking at that time!
October 4, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Definitely open to indie authors looking to go hybrid or who need an agent to support subrights for their self pub titles ✨ I’ll be open again Nov. 1st if you’re still looking at that time!
Royalties first go toward paying down your advance. If you receive a $25,000 advance, you have to earn $25,000 in royalties and/or subrights proceeds before the publisher pays you additional money. That's what "earning out" means.
September 18, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Royalties first go toward paying down your advance. If you receive a $25,000 advance, you have to earn $25,000 in royalties and/or subrights proceeds before the publisher pays you additional money. That's what "earning out" means.
Great write up. I know another author who has Hachette UK trying to make claims on her books. Penguin Random House sold them subrights, and she was confused, so I sent her this. I know it's slightly different, but figuring out who has rights would be the same.
September 10, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Great write up. I know another author who has Hachette UK trying to make claims on her books. Penguin Random House sold them subrights, and she was confused, so I sent her this. I know it's slightly different, but figuring out who has rights would be the same.
What goes in there?
* Contracts (all of them, agent + publisher + subrights)
* Copyright registrations (if you file yourself, you'll get them sent to you by the copyright office; if your publisher files for you, make it a habit to check TESS and download the certificate).
* Contracts (all of them, agent + publisher + subrights)
* Copyright registrations (if you file yourself, you'll get them sent to you by the copyright office; if your publisher files for you, make it a habit to check TESS and download the certificate).
September 7, 2026 at 3:57 PM
What goes in there?
* Contracts (all of them, agent + publisher + subrights)
* Copyright registrations (if you file yourself, you'll get them sent to you by the copyright office; if your publisher files for you, make it a habit to check TESS and download the certificate).
* Contracts (all of them, agent + publisher + subrights)
* Copyright registrations (if you file yourself, you'll get them sent to you by the copyright office; if your publisher files for you, make it a habit to check TESS and download the certificate).
Agents deserve their percentages on subrights because they open up possibility and try to safeguard the writers.
September 6, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Agents deserve their percentages on subrights because they open up possibility and try to safeguard the writers.
(2) Add that the agency may be entitled to a percentage of royalties / subrights sold, but this is not a subrights sale; it is an action for infringement
(3) If you have your contract with the agency still, upload that.
(3) If you have your contract with the agency still, upload that.
September 5, 2026 at 6:20 PM
(2) Add that the agency may be entitled to a percentage of royalties / subrights sold, but this is not a subrights sale; it is an action for infringement
(3) If you have your contract with the agency still, upload that.
(3) If you have your contract with the agency still, upload that.
THESE ARE NOT SUBRIGHTS. THEY WERE NOT SOLD. THEY WERE NOT LICENSED.
THIS IS A LAWSUIT.
THIS IS A LAWSUIT.
September 4, 2026 at 2:15 PM
THESE ARE NOT SUBRIGHTS. THEY WERE NOT SOLD. THEY WERE NOT LICENSED.
THIS IS A LAWSUIT.
THIS IS A LAWSUIT.
Agents get percentages of rights and subrights that are sold. Even if the agent has a perpetual rights clause (BOOO) that cements in stone them getting their %age on rights sold, THIS IS NOT A RIGHTS SALE.
September 4, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Agents get percentages of rights and subrights that are sold. Even if the agent has a perpetual rights clause (BOOO) that cements in stone them getting their %age on rights sold, THIS IS NOT A RIGHTS SALE.
I've seen one other report of that, re: a defunct publisher with a claimant authors have never heard of. Maybe some research can sort it out? Could this be a subrights claim?
September 4, 2026 at 6:26 PM
I've seen one other report of that, re: a defunct publisher with a claimant authors have never heard of. Maybe some research can sort it out? Could this be a subrights claim?
It's not a royalty or subrights, or our cut would be even smaller. It's being framed as an infringement action. You probably have a section in your contract detailing the percentages in the event that an infringement action was won. This is mostly set at an industry standard 50% split.
September 4, 2026 at 11:14 AM
It's not a royalty or subrights, or our cut would be even smaller. It's being framed as an infringement action. You probably have a section in your contract detailing the percentages in the event that an infringement action was won. This is mostly set at an industry standard 50% split.
Jon, it is absurdly complex and the framing as a ‘royalty’ or even a ‘subrights’ payment, so publishers get a cut, would be DEEPLY problematic. Royalties were not the issue, theft of a writer’s work is.
September 3, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Jon, it is absurdly complex and the framing as a ‘royalty’ or even a ‘subrights’ payment, so publishers get a cut, would be DEEPLY problematic. Royalties were not the issue, theft of a writer’s work is.
I would also as you say assume it's generally a subrights deal (i.e. the publisher sublicenses publishing rights that they hold) but I can imagine that the rights holder might have retained those rights in the initial contract also (it might specify a trade edition rather than special sales??)
August 26, 2026 at 7:44 PM
I would also as you say assume it's generally a subrights deal (i.e. the publisher sublicenses publishing rights that they hold) but I can imagine that the rights holder might have retained those rights in the initial contract also (it might specify a trade edition rather than special sales??)
All of these people work for the publisher (along with a lot of other people in departments like Legal, Subrights, Contracts, etc etc). I didn’t mention copy editors (bc sadly publishers don’t employ as many as they used to) and everything that goes into the digital side (ebooks! Etc).
August 19, 2026 at 9:55 PM
All of these people work for the publisher (along with a lot of other people in departments like Legal, Subrights, Contracts, etc etc). I didn’t mention copy editors (bc sadly publishers don’t employ as many as they used to) and everything that goes into the digital side (ebooks! Etc).
This sounds horrible.
October 3, 2023 at 8:59 PM
This sounds horrible.
Third, because the part people struggle with, in a contract, is the important part.
A contract is a thing of two parts:
The first part, at the beginning, is the headline stuff: the money, the terms, the regions, the royalties, the subrights. The sexy stuff you're probably excited to deal with.
A contract is a thing of two parts:
The first part, at the beginning, is the headline stuff: the money, the terms, the regions, the royalties, the subrights. The sexy stuff you're probably excited to deal with.
December 28, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Third, because the part people struggle with, in a contract, is the important part.
A contract is a thing of two parts:
The first part, at the beginning, is the headline stuff: the money, the terms, the regions, the royalties, the subrights. The sexy stuff you're probably excited to deal with.
A contract is a thing of two parts:
The first part, at the beginning, is the headline stuff: the money, the terms, the regions, the royalties, the subrights. The sexy stuff you're probably excited to deal with.
Hence this year's argument with one of my publishers. In previous years, they had (after a LOT of prodding) forwarded on the amount for subrights a little later in the year. In 2025, however...
December 31, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Hence this year's argument with one of my publishers. In previous years, they had (after a LOT of prodding) forwarded on the amount for subrights a little later in the year. In 2025, however...
What that means is that royalties from "subrights" like translated versions make up quite a large proportion of the (still surprisingly tiny) income from the three books I've published. But because they are routed through the main rights holder, they are delayed even further.
December 31, 2025 at 3:49 PM
What that means is that royalties from "subrights" like translated versions make up quite a large proportion of the (still surprisingly tiny) income from the three books I've published. But because they are routed through the main rights holder, they are delayed even further.
Apologies, I should've specified I was referring to past rules/laws. The last time this was brought up in my own publishing life in terms of Russian subrights was 2019-2020. We had to agree to a content label with my Russian publisher, so this was the case back then & is what Entangled is emulating
February 7, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Apologies, I should've specified I was referring to past rules/laws. The last time this was brought up in my own publishing life in terms of Russian subrights was 2019-2020. We had to agree to a content label with my Russian publisher, so this was the case back then & is what Entangled is emulating
I also am gonna point out this "mature 16+" label shit is a very shitty thing to do to authors. Any queer author who's sold Russian subrights will tell you that the choice between publishing with a label or not at all (and therefore not getting books to the readers who need them) is heavy as hell.
February 7, 2025 at 2:58 AM
I also am gonna point out this "mature 16+" label shit is a very shitty thing to do to authors. Any queer author who's sold Russian subrights will tell you that the choice between publishing with a label or not at all (and therefore not getting books to the readers who need them) is heavy as hell.
Somehow I never officially announced this so here we are: in addition to agenting, I'm now also the Subrights Manager at CMA. Editors looking for audio, digital, reprint, book club rights, and more—come find me!
June 1, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Somehow I never officially announced this so here we are: in addition to agenting, I'm now also the Subrights Manager at CMA. Editors looking for audio, digital, reprint, book club rights, and more—come find me!
Excited to be a guest speaker for an OCLS Zoom event focused on expanding your book’s reach through subsidiary rights. It's live (no recordings available) and you don't need to be a resident to tune in!
Book Subrights: Revenue Streams You Didn’t Know You Had
Literary agent Vicky Weber will discuss how to maximize your book's potential through subsidiary rights like film, TV, audio, translation, and more.
buff.ly
January 31, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Excited to be a guest speaker for an OCLS Zoom event focused on expanding your book’s reach through subsidiary rights. It's live (no recordings available) and you don't need to be a resident to tune in!
I’m joining the Orange County Library System for a virtual talk all about subsidiary rights—film, TV, audio, translation, and all the ways your book can live beyond the page. It’s live on Zoom and won’t be recorded, so snag a spot and come hang out with me!
Book Subrights: Revenue Streams You Didn’t Know You Had
Literary agent Vicky Weber will discuss how to maximize your book's potential through subsidiary rights like film, TV, audio, translation, and more.
buff.ly
January 14, 2026 at 11:38 PM
I’m joining the Orange County Library System for a virtual talk all about subsidiary rights—film, TV, audio, translation, and all the ways your book can live beyond the page. It’s live on Zoom and won’t be recorded, so snag a spot and come hang out with me!
Just published a book? Amazing!
But if you don’t understand subrights…you might be leaving thousands on the table.
Morgan Hughes will help you:
✔️ Know what rights YOU hold
✔️ Learn what sells
✔️ Make your book work harder
🎟️ Aug 25 → buff.ly/kWWPMXB
But if you don’t understand subrights…you might be leaving thousands on the table.
Morgan Hughes will help you:
✔️ Know what rights YOU hold
✔️ Learn what sells
✔️ Make your book work harder
🎟️ Aug 25 → buff.ly/kWWPMXB
August 7, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Just published a book? Amazing!
But if you don’t understand subrights…you might be leaving thousands on the table.
Morgan Hughes will help you:
✔️ Know what rights YOU hold
✔️ Learn what sells
✔️ Make your book work harder
🎟️ Aug 25 → buff.ly/kWWPMXB
But if you don’t understand subrights…you might be leaving thousands on the table.
Morgan Hughes will help you:
✔️ Know what rights YOU hold
✔️ Learn what sells
✔️ Make your book work harder
🎟️ Aug 25 → buff.ly/kWWPMXB
Damn can't pm on here 🤣 things are on hiatus subrights wise because of my agency situation but hopefully that will be a possibility in future!
December 29, 2023 at 2:25 PM
Damn can't pm on here 🤣 things are on hiatus subrights wise because of my agency situation but hopefully that will be a possibility in future!