Shrek wrote:
A few months ago I published my first book through a commercial medium-sized
publisher.
Excited about the opportunity for fame and fortune I didn't spent much time
negotiating my contract with the publisher.
And you got screwed, as is typical for someone who accepts a publishing
contract as-is.
It is said that one should always ask for something to be changed if for
no other reason than to let them know you're not willing to be treated
as just legal boilerplate.
As a result, my book copyright is on the publisher's name.
There is never any legitimate reason for the publisher to be the named
copyright owner unless the work was done as a work for hire. This is
the sort of "screw the artist" crapola that phonorecord manufacturers
have gotten away with for years.
In addition, I have Competing Works clause which rephrased says that
I agree not to write for publication any other book which covers
the same subject and directly competes with my first book
without the publisher's written consent.
You'll probably have to submit the new book to them first. You should
have insisted on, at most, a "right of first refusal" which means either
they accept the book or reject it within some reasonable period of time
but if they reject it you can then peddle it elsewhere.
Be sure you're aware of this for your next contract.
