Transparency: It's a Thing.

Questions about our short fiction contract

Some frequently asked questions concerning our short fiction contract.

What rights are you asking for?

We ask for the rights to exclusive English publication worldwide for the term of the contract. That is the only right that we hold. Not for audio, translation, opera, anime, comic books, T-Shirts or printing on Crocs—we don’t squat on any of these other rights, because we don’t do any of those things, so why lock them down? It’s right there, in Clause 2. So you don’t have to worry about us selling, for example, the book to any kind of AI training because we can’t! We are specifically precluded from anything beyond English publication rights anywhere in the world.

How long do you keep the story?

We hold it for one year, period—that’s detailed in Clause 5. From the publication date, for one year. So if the book is published July 4, 2025, you get your rights back on July 5, 2026.

Can I sell it again, after it’s published?

After a year, you automatically get your rights back and can sell your story to someone else! (There’s that bit in Clause 5 again!) But as long as our book is in publication, we continue to pay you. We pay through Pubshare, which updates sales and page reads daily. You can opt to be paid monthly or quarterly.

What happens if Raconteur Press goes out of business?

As long as the books are live on Pubshare, you will be paid until the very last sale and the book is removed from publication.

What if Raconteur Press goes bankrupt?

We don’t plan on it, but our authors are protected as our creditors only have rights to the percentages the Press gets for each book from Pubshare. We are a participant in the project, just like you—So, creditors can only come after the percentage we earn from the book. Your percentage is protected.

Can I see your contract before I submit to you?

Of course! We don’t have anything to hide.

You, too, can have your own copy of this kind of contract! Just submit to our open calls here!

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