Publishing Contract

Eda CakaUpdated 17 Oct 2025

This Publishing Agreement outlines the terms between an Author and a Publisher for the publication of a specific literary work. It details the grant of publishing rights, manuscript delivery requirements, royalty payments, and mutual warranties and indemnities. The agreement also covers responsibilities for additional materials, permissions, and the publisher's duty to promote the work.

Publishing Agreement

Agreement, entered into as of this [day] day of [month], [year], between [publisher name] (hereinafter referred to as the “Publisher”) and [author] (hereinafter referred to as the “Author”).

 

WHEREAS, the Author wishes to publish a work of [genre] titled [title] (hereinafter referred to as the “Work”) and the Publisher wishes to publish said Work, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

GRANT OF RIGHTS  The Author grants, conveys, and transfers to the Publisher in that [unpublished/previously published] Work certain limited, exclusive rights as follows:

  

(A) To publish, distribute, and sell the Work in the form(s) of [cloth, paper, ebook, etc.]

(B) In the English language worldwide

(C) For a term of [amount of time/number of copies]

 

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS  All rights not specifically granted to the Publisher are reserved to the Author.

 

DELIVERY OF MANUSCRIPT  The Author agrees to submit a complete and final manuscript in reasonably satisfactory form and content on [date].

 

The Author agrees to submit complete and final copy of manuscript to Publisher for publication with Publisher and that the complete and final manuscript delivered to Publisher will be the copy used for all reasonable editing, copyediting, and formatting purposes.

 

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS  The following materials and funds shall be provided by the [party] to the [party] by [date]: Illustrations and/or supplemental images as agreed to by the Publisher Design Department. The cost of providing these additional materials shall be borne by the [author/publisher].

 

PERMISSIONS  The [author/publisher] agrees to pay all permissions that are necessary for the use of materials copyrighted by others, including permission for print and electronic publication.  The Author shall bear all costs associated with obtaining and providing these permissions to the Publisher.  The Author shall obtain all permissions in writing and shall provide copies to the Publisher when the manuscript is delivered.

 

DUTY TO PUBLISH  The Publisher shall publish the Work within [amount of time] of the delivery of the final copy of manuscript.  If the Publisher fails to publish the Work as required by this Paragraph, Author is entitled to terminate this Agreement [amount of time] after giving written notice to the Publisher of the failure to make timely publication, if the Publisher has not by then published the Work.

 

ROYALTIES  The Publisher shall pay the Author the following royalties: [advance amount/no advance] shall be paid for this Work. Of sales pursuant to Paragraph 1, [percentage] of the net proceeds shall be paid to Author, where net is the amount paid less the production costs of the books and less any reasonable, itemized expenses directly related to the sale. 

 

PAYMENTS  The Publisher shall pay the Author all monies due Author within [amount of time] of the close of each accounting period.

 

This is a preview. The full template is free on GitLaw.

5.0 out of 5 on Google

Read reviews

As seen in

Law360
Artificial Lawyer
Insider
Axios Pro
San Francisco Business Times
Built In
Startups Magazine
Business Reporter
Tech.eu
Jurisdiction
Jurisdictions aren't set for this document
Document info
HTML document. Document created on Tue Jul 15th, 2025. Last updated on Fri Oct 17th, 2025.
This document is public
Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Attribution).
Come to agreements faster
Write, review, negotiate, and manage legal contracts
Related documents
India
Agreement between Author and New Publisher (India).docx
This template establishes a legal agreement between an author and a new publisher in India for the publication of a literary work. It defines the transfer of rights, royalty payments, and editorial control for a book's production and distribution.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
India
Agreement of License to Publish on Royalty Basis (India).docx
This template outlines a licensing agreement for authors to grant publishers the right to produce and sell their literary works in India in exchange for royalty payments. It covers copyright ownership, manuscript delivery timelines, and the calculation of royalties based on the published price of the book.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
US
Content Removal Policies Submitting Content Removal Requests (GitHub)
This guidance document explains how to request the removal of infringing or private content from a hosting platform. It outlines specific procedures for DMCA copyright takedowns, trademark disputes, and the removal of confidential private information.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
Business Development Agreement
This agreement establishes a professional relationship where one party provides specialized business development and tender advisory services to another. It includes specific provisions for a success-based commission calculated as a percentage of contract value if a bid is awarded.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
Lease Assignment Agreement by EasyLegalDocs
Transfer a tenant's rights and obligations under an existing lease to a new person or entity. This document requires the Landlord's written consent and includes representations that the original lease is currently in good standing. It effectively swaps the parties for the remainder of the term.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
India
Request for an Official Extract or Certificate of Trade Mark Registration (Form TM-46) (India).pdf
This statutory form is used to request an official extract or a certificate of registration for a trade mark from the Indian Trade Marks Registry. It allows a party to obtain certified copies of entries or documents relating to a registered mark for legal or commercial use.
Updated 13 Aug 2026

Frequently asked questions

A template isn't binding on its own - like any contract, it becomes binding once it's properly completed and signed. Templates in our curated library are professionally drafted for US or UK law; review any template before you sign it.

Yes. Chat with GitLaw to edit any section, or make changes directly in the editor.

Yes, read about team plans here.

Describe what you need in the chat and GitLaw will draft it for you.

Templates in our curated library are professionally drafted for US or UK law. The wider library comes from the GitLaw community and public sources - a solid starting point, but check any template fits your situation before you rely on it.

Mostly US and UK law. Some templates use general commercial terms that work across jurisdictions, and many note which law they're written for.

It depends on the situation. Templates work well for routine business agreements. For anything involving significant money, complex IP, employment, or areas you're unsure about, it's worth getting professional advice before you sign. GitLaw provides templates and tools, not legal advice.

Open any template in GitLaw and describe the change you want in the chat — 'make clause 4 mutual' or 'add a 30-day notice period', for example. GitLaw drafts the revised language and shows it as a suggested edit. You accept, reject, or keep editing from there.

Yes. Upload a Word, PDF, or Markdown file and GitLaw will open it in the editor. You can review, edit, or chat with GitLaw about it the same way you would with any template from the library.

Trusted by 5,000+ businesses

Nexus logoMlabs logoTechstars logo

From template to signed, in one place

Every template opens in an editor with an AI agent alongside it.

1

Open

Pick a template and open it. Nothing to download, and no credit card to start.

Free to open

2

Edit with AI

Describe your situation in chat and the agent adapts the wording, clause by clause.

Tracked changes you can review

3

Send and sign

Share it for negotiation, then collect signatures without leaving GitLaw.

eSign included

Built for your legal work,
with practicing lawyers

Trained on 5,500+ clauses and specialist areas of law. Built with a standards committee of independent lawyers.

As seen in

Law360
Artificial Lawyer
Insider
Axios Pro
San Francisco Business Times
Built In
Startups Magazine
Business Reporter
Tech.eu

Ready to get started?

No sales calls, no credit card. Just chat with GitLaw.

GitLaw provides templates and tools, not legal advice. Templates are a starting point, not a substitute for advice on your situation - for anything significant, speak to a qualified lawyer.