THE BUSINESS OF WRITING
NEGOTIATION NIGHTMARES
Getting published means dealing with contracts. Simon Whaley explores how to succeed with the negotiation process
I experienced a range of emotions when Hodder & Stoughton sent me the contract for my first book, One Hundred Ways For A Dog To Train Its Human. I was excited, knowing my first book was being published, but also fearful of what to do next. Thankfully, as a member of the Society of Authors, I knew I could make use of their contract vetting service.
The Society offered some fantastic advice, but then it hit me. Negotiating their suggested contractual changes was down to me. More fear kicked in. What if my requests were unreasonable? Would the publishers change their minds?
‘Negotiation requires you to do lots of difficult things at once,’ explains Pia Owens (piaowens.com), a negotiation coach and writer. ‘You have to handle conflict, assert your needs, say no, and make quick decisions on high-stakes topics. It’s scary, especially when the stakes are high.’
This was my first book deal with a traditional publisher. It felt like the stakes couldn’t be any higher.
As Pia explains, this power play often heightens our emotions. ‘Creatives are often in a position of negotiating with a larger, more experienced organisation. It can feel like the organisation has all the power and knowledge, and you have what little you can scrape together.’
Company collaboration
We need to change our mindset to stand any chance of securing a contract that works for us.