Author agreement summary

A plain-language summary of what our author publishing agreement contains, so you know what you are signing before you sign it. It is a summary, not the contract: the signed agreement governs, and if the two ever differ, the agreement wins.

1. What you grant us

A licence to publish your work as an ebook, in the languages and territories named in the agreement, for a stated term. Nothing more is taken by implication.

• Digital only. We publish ebooks. Print, film, television, stage and merchandising rights are not part of the grant unless a separate clause says so, and they stay yours.
• Named languages and territories. The agreement lists them. A world digital licence is normal; it is not automatic.
• Exclusivity is a choice. The agreement states whether the digital licence is exclusive or non-exclusive for its term. Read that clause first, because it is the one that decides whether you can place the same ebook elsewhere.

2. What we do

• Structural edit and copy edit, then two proof rounds.
• Cover design, with two routes to choose from.
• EPUB production: reflowable, or fixed layout for illustrated titles, plus a device test.
• An ISBN for each format and edition, recorded in your title's metadata sheet.
• Distribution to the Siraj store, Kindle, Kobo, Google Play Books and Apple Books.
• A quarterly statement and payment.

3. Royalty and payment

Royalty is paid on net receipts, never on list price. Net receipts means what actually reaches us after GST, platform commission, any delivery fee the platform charges and any retailer discount.

• Rate: set per title in the agreement. It is a percentage of net receipts, and it is written in the contract, not in a brochure.
• Statement: every quarter, showing units, gross value, each deduction by name, net receipts, your share and any TDS.
• Payment: by bank transfer to your account, subject to a minimum payout stated in the agreement, with unpaids carried forward.
• TDS: royalty paid to an author is subject to tax deducted at source under section 194J of the Income-tax Act. The deduction appears on your statement and in Form 26AS. GST is not charged by us on royalty.

4. ISBN and publisher of record

An ISBN we assign carries our publisher prefix. That makes Siraj the publisher of record for that edition, which is what libraries, retailers and aggregators see. The ISBN belongs to the edition, not to the author, and it cannot be transferred to another publisher later.

This is true of every publisher that issues its own ISBNs. If you want to be the publisher of record, say so before signing, because it changes who registers the title and who appears on the retail listing.

5. What stays yours

Copyright in the work remains with you. Your moral rights remain with you. The licence is limited to what the agreement names, and when it ends, the rights it granted come back to you.

6. What we ask of you

• The work is yours, and any third-party text, image, table or quotation is licensed or properly attributed.
• You deliver the final manuscript in the format we specify, and you respond to editorial queries and proof approvals within the stated days.
• You tell us about any existing publishing commitment that conflicts with the licence.
• You do not knowingly make a claim in the book that is false and defamatory, or that infringes someone's rights.

7. Timelines and exit

• Each stage has a stated duration. If a stage runs more than 30 days late without a reason you accept, you may terminate.
• Six months after release, if the title is not listed on at least three channels, the rights revert to you on written request.
• Either side can terminate for material breach that is not cured within the notice period the agreement sets.
• On termination, distribution is withdrawn, the licence ends, and your royalty for sales already made is still paid.

8. Before you sign

• Read the rights clause against this page, and check the language, territory, term and exclusivity.
• Check the royalty rate, the deductions listed, and the minimum payout.
• Confirm who is the publisher of record on the ISBN, and that you are content with it.
• Check the reversion clause and the notice periods.
• If anything is unclear, ask us in writing and keep the answer. A publisher should be able to explain its own contract in one paragraph per clause.

Questions about a draft agreement: rights@sirajebookspublications.com.