Introduction to Rights

At a time when book sales have been hit by the pandemic, international sales trips have had to be cancelled and book fairs have had to reinvent themselves as online marketplaces, it is more important than ever to maximise the rights potential of your titles.

This conference is aimed at all those who want to sell rights but are unsure where to start. It is perfect for those who have recently joined the industry and all who want to know more about making the most of their creative content.

7th June 2021

Download programme

Time

12:30 – 12:45

Session

Welcome

Andy Ventris, Event Director, The London Book Fair

Lynette Owen, Copyright and Rights Consultant

12:45 – 12:55

Why Sell Rights?

Lynette Owen, Copyright and Rights Consultant

Why licensing should be a key part of your publishing strategy
Uncovering new streams of income
Benefits of effective rights selling for authors and publishers

12:55 – 13:40

You Can't Sell What You Don't Own! It's All in The Head Contract

Duncan Calow, Partner, DLA Piper

The fundamentals of copyright that you need to be aware of
Ensuring you are granting licences within the confines of the law
Common problems and pitfalls for beginners

13:40 – 14:40

What Rights CAN You Sell?

Diane Spivey, Rights and Contracts Consultant

Stephanie Purcell, Group Rights Director, Bloomsbury Publishing

Lynette Owen, Copyright and Rights Consultant

Introducing the wide range of licensing opportunities
Which types of books are suitable
Identifying priorities by market sector

14:40 – 15:00

Coffee Break Chat

Join the breakout room to meet other attendees and discuss today’s sessions

15:00 – 16:00

The Essentials of Rights Selling: A Step-By-Step Guide

Stephanie Purcell, Group Rights Director, Bloomsbury Publishing

The practicalities of selling rights
Bookfairs and sales meetings
Rights selling during the pandemic
Effective pitching of your works
Closing a deal

16:00 – 16:45

The Complete Contract and Rights Deal Checklist

Diane Spivey, Rights and Contracts Consultant

The basics to consider when negotiating a rights sale
Checklist of questions to ask when finalising a deal
Fundamentals of a sub-licensing contract
Checklist and explanation of key clauses

16:45 – 17:30

Ask The Experts

Join Lynette, Diane, Duncan, and Stephanie in one of the breakout rooms to ask your burning rights questions.

Speaker information

Rights and Contracts Consultant

Diane Spivey recently retired as Group Contracts Director of Hachette UK after a lifetime of working in the areas of rights selling, copyright and publishing contracts. She worked primarily in trade publishing for publishers including Little, Brown, Simon & Schuster and Hodder & Stoughton. She is now a freelance publishing consultant and is a contributor to Clark’s Publishing Agreements and a regular lecturer on rights selling and contracts.

Copyright and Rights Consultant

Lynette Owen is a freelance copyright and rights consultant after a career in rights at Cambridge University Press, Pitman Publishing and Pearson Education, latterly as Copyright Director. She is the author of Selling Rights (8/e, Routledge, 2019) and is the General Editor of Clark's Publishing Agreements: A Book of Precedents (10.e, Bloomsbury Professional, 2017). She regularly runs rights training courses in the UK and abroad.

Group Rights Director, Bloomsbury Publishing

Stephanie is the Group Rights Director at Bloomsbury Publishing and prior to this role she spent over a decade at Simon & Schuster as Group Rights Director. Stephanie’s rights career spanned both Adult and Children’s trade publishing.

Partner, DLA Piper

Duncan is a partner in the IP, Media, Sports and Entertainment law team at DLA Piper UK LLP in London. He is well known for his work in the convergent worlds of content, technology and e-commerce. He has over 25 years’ experience advising clients in publishing and a range of other sectors on the commercial, contractual and regulatory landscape for creating, promoting, selling, informing and entertaining in all types of media and distribution.