Many writers dream of having their work published by a respected publishing house, but don’t always understand publishing contract terms – what they mean for the contracting parties and how they inform book-publishing practice. In turn, publishers struggle to satisfy authors’ creative expectations against the industry’s commercial demands. This book challenges our perceptions of these author–publisher power imbalances by recasting the publishing contract as a cultural artefact capable of adapting to the industry’s changing landscape. Based on a three-year study of publishing negotiations, Katherine Day reveals how relational contract theory provides possibilities for future negotiations in what she describes as a ‘post negotiation space’.

Drawing on the disciplines of cultural studies, law, publishing studies and cultural sociology, this book reveals a unique perspective from publishing professionals and authors within the post negotiation space, presenting the editor as a fundamental agent in the formation and application of publishing’s contractual terms.