Random House’s Hydra, Alibi imprints offer “horrible” terms to writers

Yesterday, author and Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) president John Scalzi wrote a blogpost about the “appallingly bad” contract terms that Random House is offering writers for it’s Hydra imprint. Today, he followed that up with a close examination of an actual contract from Alibi, another Random House imprint. Hydra is a science fiction imprint, while Alibi publishes mystery novels.

Long story short, no writer should ever accept the terms of these contracts. Ever.

Reading Scalzi’s breakdown, it quickly became apparent to me that Random House has jumped into the vanity publishing biz. When I was an editor for Writer’s Digest Books, I frequently cautioned writers not to publish with vanity presses. Publishers should pay you for your hard work. You should never, ever pay a publisher. Never. Ever. Nerver. Neverinero.

And yet, that’s exactly what Random House is now asking writers to do.

Go read Scalzi’s posts about why this is bad. And remember Yog’s Law: Money Flows Toward the Writer.