This service is only available to NZSA members but non members can contact us to enquire about this service.

Having trouble negotiating your publishing contract? Need advice? The NZSA Contract Advisory Committee is there to help. Throughout the year the CAS handles queries from members related to contracts.

Enquiries cover issues such as advances, royalty payments, publishing delays, return of copyright, the perils of contracts with e-publishers, unequal treatment of copyright for authors and illustrators of children's books, and general contract advice.

One increasing area of concern is subsidy publishing, where the author pays a substantial sum to a publisher to produce their book. While there are some subsidy publishers who provide a good service, there are others who do not, often charging as much as double what it would cost to self-publish. It pays to check carefully what the real costs of producing a book are before signing a subsidy contract. If publishers take no risk in producing books, there is little incentive for them to promote the books effectively or ensure good distribution: the author always seems to have to do a lot of the marketing work themselves. 

Many enquiries concerning contracts can be answered by reading The Business of Writing.  The NZSA has recently updated this booklet which includes our annotated model standard contract. This is available through the national office.

If after reading "The Business of Writing" you still have concerns about your contract you should send it through to director@nzauthors.org.nz or post to NZSA National Office, PO Box 7701, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141. You need to include a copy of the contract and a list of your concerns for our advisory commity to assess. This service is a free service only available to members. Not a member, join today.