Written by Vicky Odafe
In our world today, most people tend to engage in digital creativity as a means of livelihood, and writing novels basically has been one of the means of earning income online. In the last article, we talked about understanding exclusive contracts, of which I gave detailed explanations about the benefits, pros, and cons associated with signing up for it. However, in today’s article, we will discuss non-exclusive contracts as one of the two basic contracts required, when writing for apps/platforms.
What Is a Non-Exclusive Contract?
From its name non-exclusive, it simply means not limited to…etc. This is a contract that grants the licensor the right to publish a product (book) on different apps/platforms. A non-exclusive contract gives full rights of the product to the licensor(writer) which means that the author remains the sole owner of his work, even after publishing it on different platforms.
Unlike an exclusive contract, your contracted product can be published in any other form of media like paperback, e-book, comics, etc, without restrictions from any publishing house. Also, note that signing up for a non-exclusive contract might not give the licensee the total ownership of your book, but would give them the right to own a certain percentage of the income earned from it, considering the details stated in the agreement.
Benefits of signing a non-exclusive contract
1. No Restrictions/limitations
It allows you to publish your book/product anywhere and anytime without restrictions. This way, you can reach a larger audience, instead of being constricted to a single platform
2. Retained Rights
You typically retain the rights to your work, allowing you to make decisions about its use and distributions
3. Increased Visibility
Signing up your work on different platforms can earn you a good number of readers across the globe, making your work exposed, and leading to increased popularity and recognition.
4. Monetization Opportunities
You can earn money from the app’s revenue-sharing model and other channels of income.
Things to Consider Before Signing a Non-exclusive Contract
1. Contract Details
Most people fall victim to signing a contract without checking out the requirements added to it. Reading the contract details would let you know about the duration, the profit-shares, total word counts required, monthly revenues, and other terms and conditions implied.
Generally, agents and editors of various digital platforms look for new original content with good ratings, view counts, subscribers, and consistent activity to offer you a contract. The criteria for every platform differ but the concept is the same. They are looking for something that could bring in money for the company after they offer you the ability to lock your chapters with them so that paying readers can buy your works.
2. Distribution Rights
You have full right to distribute your work, however, some companies/platforms might require you to upload special chapters on their site once you sign your book. For example, you might have published the same book on other platforms (Fizzo, Readict..etc..) but the site you sign a contract with must always be two to three chapters ahead (even if it’s a completed novel).
Some platforms might serve as a third party, making your work available on other sites which they partner with. E.g. Myscroll partners with Joyread, Tapon, Bravonovel, Dreams, and Kikistory.
3. Profit-sharing
Profit shares for different platforms vary; that’s one of the reasons why you should read through the contract thoroughly before signing your book. Some companies might allow you to lock your chapters while others will not, leaving your readers the choice to pay you through gifts and donations.
However, sites that offer locked chapters give a profit share of 50% of what is being acquired from the book’s income. Goodnovel for example would only pay you 50% once your book is completed on the site, having a required number of views and engagement. While sites like Fizzo, Letterlux, and the like would pay before the completion of the book.
Conclusion
Signing up for a Non-exclusive contract might not make you frequently featured and marketed like your fellow exclusively contracted authors but that’s no loss at all. Some platforms will put you on rotation with a bunch of other non-exclusive contracted authors, and if you signed with a third-party platform, they would help you negotiate for a feature slot.
But in my opinion, I would recommend all non-exclusive authors to build a strong personal brand, this way, you won’t have a hard time getting your work out to a large audience and earning profitably.
In addition, authors who have been in the field of writing for a long time should be the ones signing a Non-exclusive contract. You might ask why. Well, it’s an advantage to them because they would have gained lots of experience in understanding what readers want and how the market runs. Unlike the new/inexperienced writers, who wish to write for money.