​✦︎ About the Event ✦︎

​In today's competitive publishing landscape, authors and aspiring writers need a solid understanding of publishing contracts and book deals to navigate the complexities of the industry successfully. This short course provides an essential overview of the key elements and considerations involved in these agreements, empowering participants to make informed decisions and protect their creative and financial interests.

​Throughout the course, participants will explore the crucial components of publishing contracts, including rights and royalties, manuscript delivery schedules, advance payments, and termination clauses. They will learn how to decipher contract language, negotiate favorable terms, and safeguard their intellectual property rights. Additionally, the course will delve into the intricacies of book deals, such as the importance of a well-crafted book proposal, agent representation, and the publishing process from acquisition to release.

​By the end of this course, participants will have gained invaluable insights into the world of publishing contracts and book deals. They will be equipped with the knowledge to engage in meaningful discussions with publishers, agents, and other industry professionals. Whether seeking traditional publishing avenues or considering self-publishing, understanding these critical aspects will empower participants to make informed decisions, protect their creative work, and maximize their opportunities for success in the publishing world.

​Course Takeaways:

• ​Comprehensive understanding of the key elements and components of publishing contracts.

• ​Ability to decipher contract language and identify important terms and clauses.

• ​Knowledge of rights and royalties, advance payments, and manuscript delivery schedules.

• ​Understanding of termination clauses and their implications.

• ​Insight into negotiating favorable terms and protecting intellectual property rights.

• ​Familiarity with the intricacies of book deals and the publishing process.

• ​Understanding the role of agents and their impact on book deals.

• ​Ability to engage in meaningful discussions with publishers and industry professionals.

• ​Empowerment to make informed decisions and maximize opportunities for success in the publishing world.

​✦︎ About the Instructor ✦︎

​John Sibley Williams is the author of Scale Model of a Country at Dawn (Cider Press Review Book Award, 2021), The Drowning House (Elixir Press Poetry Award, 2021), As One Fire Consumes Another (Orison Poetry Prize, 2019), Skin Memory (Backwaters Prize, University of Nebraska Press, 2019), skycrape (WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook Contest), Summon (JuxtaProse Chapbook Prize, 2019), Disinheritance, and Controlled Hallucinations. His book Sky Burial: New & Selected Poems is forthcoming in translated form by the Portuguese press do lado esquerdo. He has also served as editor of two Northwest poetry anthologies, Alive at the Center (Ooligan Press, 2013) and Motionless from the Iron Bridge (barebones books, 2013).

​A thirty-five-time Pushcart nominee, John is the winner of numerous awards, including the Laux/Millar Prize, Wabash Prize, Philip Booth Award, Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize, American Literary Review Poetry Contest, Phyllis Smart-Young Prize, The 46er Prize, Nancy D. Hargrove Editors' Prize, Confrontation Poetry Prize, and Vallum Award for Poetry. Previous publishing credits include: Best American Poetry, Yale Review, Midwest Quarterly, Southern Review, Colorado Review, Sycamore Review, Prairie Schooner, Massachusetts Review, Poet Lore, Saranac Review, Atlanta Review, TriQuarterly, Columbia Poetry Review, Mid-American Review, Poetry Northwest, Third Coast, and various anthologies.

​John holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Rivier University and an MA in Book Publishing from Portland State University. He is the founder and head teacher of Caesura Poetry Workshop, a virtual workshop series, and leads regular workshops for Writers.com, WritingWorkshops.com, and other organizations. He serves as co-founder and editor of The Inflectionist Review and Poetry Editor of Kelson Books.