When you receive your first contract, it may be overwhelming and you might be tempted to sign it without reading the fine print. Most contracts are written in legalese using terms and wording which might be difficult to unravel.
Don’t do this! Read the contract in its entirety; and if you don’t understand something, don’t hesitate to ask. The publisher should be able to explain every clause in the contract to your satisfaction prior to your signing it. Remember, you’re granting them the right to publish your book, and you want to be sure you understand what exactly that entails.
Unless your story is appearing in an anthology, then the contract you’re asked to sign will most likely be several pages in length. The one I use for JMS Books is seven pages long on letter sized paper. Every asp
