Earlier this month we wrote to publishers as part of an international movement calling for action on contract terms. In an open letter we asked publishers to take responsibility for their role in authors’ income by reviewing their contract terms and treatment of authors.
We were delighted by the widespread media coverage of the story and the support we received from individuals and organisations.
We were also pleased to have prompt and positive responses from the Publishers’ Association and the Independent Publishers Guild who we met with to discuss further. We will be working together on best practice information and guidelines.
Several publishers have also confirmed that they will comply with the C.R.E.A.T.O.R. principles.
We accept that contractual terms are not the beginning and end of the problem for authors’ incomes, but they are a key part of the solution. With fairer contracts and treatment authors and publishers can work together to improve the industry.
Further Reading
International Authors Forum’s ‘Ten Principles of Fair Contracts’