Frequently Asked Questions and Answers: Authors
Want to know more about IPR License? Confused about literary rights? Can't upload your manuscript?
Browse through our FAQ and find the answers you need. Visit our Know Your Rights page to join in the discussion on rights or to view our glossary of terms. And, as always, email us at info@iprlicense.com if you need more information.
IPR License Is IPR License a Publisher?
What does IPR License stand for?
Who are IPR License?
Publishing Rights What do you mean when you talk about publishing rights?
How can I make money through licensing my rights?
What rights could a publisher buy?
How do you get copyright for your work?
Can I use IPR License to ask publishers and authors for permissions?
Publishing Deals How is using IPR License different from sending an unsolicited submission to a publisher?
Will I definitely get a publishing deal?
What happens if I get a publishing deal through the site?
I'm self-published - is there any point in me joining?
I've signed a deal with a self-publishing company – can I still join IPR License?
Membership How do I register with IPR License?
What do I do once I've registered?
How much of my work is made public through the site?
Can I use a pseudonym?
What happens at the end of my year's membership?
How much does the service cost?
What will I get for my membership fee?
How can I be involved in global rights campaigns?
How does the agent recommendation service work?
Adding Book Rights How do I create a new book record?
Why does it matter if my book is published or not?
How do I create a PDF file for my preview?
I've created my book - why hasn't it appeared in my account?
I've made edits to my book - why haven't the changes been saved?
I can't add my title, what do I do?
I am trying to add my title, why am I told the ISBN-13 already exists?
What will my book record look like?
IPR License is a platform that helps you make your work available to attract publishing interest. It is not a publisher and as a result we can't directly publish your book. However, by putting your book on our site you're increasing your chances of getting spotted by a publishing professional.
What does IPR License stand for?
IPR stands for Intellectual Property Rights. Your work is your Intellectual Property (IP) - it was created by you and is protected by copyright.
In the world of publishing, while you will (except in rare circumstances) always own the copyright, it is possible for you to license the Rights for a publisher to publish your work in a given format and territory - they will usually offer you an advance against royalties in payment for these rights...
Listing Intellectual Property Rights + providing the means to license them - that's what we do! Hence: IPR License.
IPR License launched at the start of 2012 and we have major national and international plans.
Our management team have over 40 years experience in licensing intellectual property www.iprconnections.com.
Managing Director Tom Chalmers has set-up a number of successful start-ups since 2005 and been shortlisted for a range of business and publishing awards.
Hannah Sheppard, who is Creative Director and in charge of the service for Content Creators, has worked in trade publishing for ten years at both Macmillan Children's Books and Headline Publishing Group.
As well as a wealth of industry experience, IPR License is also a regular at the major international trade fairs, such as London, Frankfurt and Bologna. You can find out more about us here.
Why not have a look around yourself with our quick demo video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_XFmxx76fs&feature=youtu.be
What do you mean when you talk about publishing rights?
In publishing, before you get to the point of seeing your book in print you need to sell the Rights to publish your book.
When a publisher offers an author a deal they will often try to secure World Rights so that they can sell the Rights to publish the book on to publishers around the world. This helps cover their costs and helps the book achieve international success - a local publisher is going to be able to publish the book more successfully for their own market.
How can I make money through licensing my rights?
Rights sales are an important aspect of a title's profitability. Markets vary around the world - books that are largely ignored in the US may be hugely popular in China and new markets are emerging all the time. Translation rights and territory rights can be sold separately to the countries that want them.
Subsidiary rights such as film options and audio editions can also be purchased by those interested. There is definitely an opportunity both to increase your readership and to make money from potential advances and ongoing royalties in foreign territories.
What rights could a publisher buy?
There are a huge variety of Rights that publishers trade in - for example:
Print
Digital (eBook, enhanced eBook and, sometimes, App)
First Serialisation (usually sold to newspapers/magazines to generate press)
Second Serialisation (usually sold to newspapers/magazines to generate press)
TV, Film and Dramatisation
Digest
Radio and TV straight reading
Book Club (when books are sold through companies like Book People or Scholastic Book Fairs)
Audio
Large Print
Anthology and Quotation
How do you get copyright for your work?
Copyright is automatically granted to your work once it's written - it's wise to show you're aware of copyright by including © Your Name (Year of Completion) at the beginning of your manuscript but otherwise you don't need to do anything.
Having said that, in the digital age copyright infringement is an ever growing problem. If you register your copyright with IPR License, we will store the full manuscript for you and provide a unique reference code and a record of the day you uploaded it.
This ensures that if you ever find yourself in dispute over the copyright of your work you have third party evidence of the date you completed it. You are also making it easy for anyone who wanted permission to use your work to contact you, helping to protect you against infringement.
A note: the copyright applies to the full text – you cannot copyright individual ideas.
Can I use IPR License to ask publishers and authors for permissions?
Yes - the IPR License website is a centralised point for people to trace copyright holders, so you can use it to get in contact with someone and negotiate permissions for quotations, etc.
How is using IPR License different from sending an unsolicited submission to a publisher?
The IPR License site works on a very detailed search engine. Our member publishers will use the search to find work that is specific to what they are looking for at any given time. This means that you have a better chance of being found at the right time for the right publisher as they could search and find your manuscript at any point during your membership - it isn't a one shot submission.
The publishing market is changing all the time, new trends pop up and publishers react (just look at the spate of self-published erotica being snapped up by traditional houses since FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) - joining IPR License means that your work is ready and waiting when the market is ready for it.
Will I definitely get a publishing deal?
We can't guarantee you'll get a deal because so much depends on the style of your work and what the current market trends are. Joining IPR License instead provides a middle ground between traditional publishing practices and the increased move towards digitising business. If you believe in your work, then joining IPR License is an extra way to help you reach your publishing goals.
What happens if I get a publishing deal through the site?
That will depend on the agreement you make with the publisher but we can answer any specific questions when it happens. In general, you'd move the Rights in your book that the publisher buys from your account and assign them to the publisher's account.
If they've bought all Rights worldwide then you'll be listed as the author but they will become the rights holder. However, if they only buy some of the Rights then you'll maintain responsibility for the rest through your account.
I'm self-published - is there any point in me joining?
Yes! As an individual you may find you have local success but what about translation or an audio edition? By including your work on IPR License you open up those opportunities - and, given the changing attitude of trade publishing to the self-publishing process recently, you may even secure a traditional publishing deal locally.
I've signed a deal with a self-publishing company – can I still join IPR License?
In our experience most self-publishing services such as CreateSpace or Smashwords will offer a non-exclusive deal which means you are free to look at other options. If you did get an offer from a publisher they may ask you end your contract with those services but that's something for you to consider when it happens. You'll need to read the documentation/terms and conditions of whichever service you've signed up with to check that the terms specified are non-exclusive. Email info@iprlicense.com if you need any help.
How do I register with IPR License?
Go to the Registration page (located on the tab in the top right corner) and enter your details to create your account. You'll then need to pay the membership fee via PayPal.
Once we have confirmation of your payment your account will be activated in our system - we'll let you know by email when this has happened.
What do I do once I've registered?
When your account is active you can go to Manage My Account to edit your profile, and the Add New Rights tab to fill in the information about your work.
How much of my work is made public through the site?
None of your work will be public. Only members of our site can view the preview of your work. We suggest a preview of three chapters but you can choose how much to make available. This is not obligatory but a publisher is unlikely to contact you if they haven't been able to read a sample of your work.
If you submit the full manuscript for copyright registration then the manuscript will be held on our server and is not available for anyone aside from the IPR License Administrator to view - it will only be retrieved from our system on your instruction if you ever need to provide evidence of copyright.
You can register using your pen name or your real name - it's up to you.
What happens at the end of my year's membership?
You can choose to renew your membership - either for full use of the site or just for copyright registration. We will contact you in advance of your membership running out to advise you of the renewal options.
If you no longer wish to use the service you can contact us to delete your profile and manuscripts. We will not store your work once you've asked us to delete it.
How much does the service cost?
Initial membership: £99 (+VAT). This includes upload/registration of up to five full-length manuscripts (novel, non-fiction or finished collection of poetry/stories). £25 per additional manuscript you wish to upload, £10 per upload of supporting materials or updated work.
Annual renewal: Full site membership: £60 plus £5 for each additional manuscript beyond the initial five. Copyright registration only: £10 per manuscript
(Prices correct as of 2012. We reserve the right to review our membership rates at any time.)
What will I get for my membership fee?
Membership of the site grants both your 3rd party independent copyright record as well as making your work available to be viewed by publishing professionals around the globe. You will be eligible for our agent recommendation scheme and inclusion on our global rights bulletin to publishers.
How can I be involved in global rights campaigns?
We at IPR License send out monthly bulletins to our list of publisher and agent subscribers. There are currently more than 3000 companies on the list.
The bulletins contain details of titles with rights available to be sold. If a publisher or agent sees something they’re interested in, they can contact the rights-holder directly through the website (if a member, or via IPR License at info@iprlicense.com.
The bulletin is tailored to separate categories and audiences each month. If we think your work would be suitable for a category, we’ll contact you and ask your permission to include your work.
How does the agent recommendation service work?
IPR License is working in partnership with a number of UK Literary agents.
When you join the site, your work will be read by our in house readers. If they feel that it has commercial potential and is something they can work on, they will contact you and offer editorial advice to shape your work ready for submission to the agents we work with.
We are partnering with agents that we know well and have worked with for a number of years during our previous roles in trade publishing, so we can evaluate our submissions based on their taste. We believe that this will improve your chances. However, this does not mean we can guarantee that your work will be taken on by an agent.
There is no additional fee for this but it will only be offered to those members selected by our readers. If your work is not selected, it doesn't necessarily mean your work doesn't have commercial potential - just that it isn't a good match for our partner agents at the moment.
How do I create a new book record?
Go to Add New Rights and follow the steps there. Don't worry if you miss a step - you can edit all information after your record's been approved by going to My Books and clicking Edit there.
Step One: Add Key Info:
This step is required. Add the key information about your book here. Title, Author and Category are necessary information, as they ensure your title will show up in search results.
Step Two: Add Your Available Rights:
This step is required. The basis of the IPR License platform is to enable publishers, agents and authors to trade rights. Inputting the rights for your book that are available to sell will mean that people can see you are the rights holder for the record. Use the Notes box to add more information - such as who has bought rights previously, which languages the title has been translated into, etc.
Step Three: Add Published Work Info:
This step is optional. If your book has been published, this is the place to indicate who published it, whether it has illustrations, etc. If your book is unpublished, don't worry if you can't fill in these sections. Go to our Glossary if you need help figuring out what each term means.
Step Four: Add a Cover Image:
This step is optional but will ensure your book stands out. You will need an image file (JPG or PNG format, less than 1000 pixels wide/high) saved on your computer. Click 'Choose File' and browse for the image you want, then click 'Open'. The name of the image will appear and will upload when you save the record.
Step Five: Upload PDF Preview:
This step is optional. Upload a 3 chapter sample of your manuscript - a publisher browsing through the website may be more likely to contact you about your work if they are able to read a sample of it beforehand. You will need a PDF file saved on your computer. Click 'Choose File' and browse for the PDF file you want, then click 'Open'. The name of the file will appear and will upload when you save the record.
See How do I create a PDF file for my preview? if you're not sure how to create a PDF.
Step Six: Upload Full Manuscript:
This step is optional. Your IPR License membership includes copyright registration and this is the place to upload your manuscript. You will need a PDF or Word file saved on your computer, containing the whole manuscript. Click 'Choose File' and browse for the file you want, then click 'Open'. The name of the file will appear and will upload when you save the record.
Once the manuscript has been uploaded, you'll receive an email with a unique registration code and the date of registration. Keep this in a safe place as you'll need it should you ever need us to retrieve your manuscript for you.
Note: once you've created your book, it won't appear in your account straight away as we will need to approve it. Don't worry if you miss a step - you can edit all information after your record's been approved by going to My Books and clicking Edit there.
Why does it matter if my book is published or not?
If your manuscript is unpublished:
The only information you will need to add will be the Title, Author, Description and the Book Rights Available information. Unless there are any formats you especially don't want a deal for, you can just tick 'check all' on all three menus and then click 'Add Rights'. Add a PDF preview so that publishers can find out more about the work.
If your manuscript is self-published:
Fill in as much detail as you can about your book. You can decide whether you'd like a local publisher to consider taking over publication of your book or you’d like to sell rights separately. If you're only looking for translation/foreign/audio deals - you can indicate this by selecting the Rights you wish to sell from the drop down menus in the Book Rights Available section. If you've had success selling your self-published edition then it's worth mentioning this in the notes section.
If your manuscript is published:
You will need to check your contact. If you've sold world Rights in all formats to a publisher then they will be responsible for uploading your book as part of their account. However, if you've only sold them limited Rights (UK and Commonwealth for example) and you don't have an agent who is selling the remaining Rights then you can register the Rights you own and try to attract a deal.
How do I create a PDF file for my preview?
If you're using a recent version of Word then you can copy and paste the first three chapters of your manuscript into a new document and click Save As. Then, at the bottom of the pop up box that appears where it says 'Save As Type', you should find an option for PDF. This document can be uploaded as the preview.
If you don't have that option in Word then it's possible to download a free PDF converter such as CutePDF which will enable you to do this.
I've created my book - why hasn't it appeared in my account?
Admin has to approve each book created and the rights assigned to them, so it may take up to 48 hours for rights to be approved.
I've made edits to my book - why haven't the changes been saved?
Admin has to approve each edit made to the title records, so it may take up to 48 hours for changes to be approved.
I can't add my title, what do I do?
If you are getting an error message when trying to create your title on the Add New Rights page, this could be due to:
o An older browser. Find out if you are using the most current version of your browser by visiting http://www.updatebrowser.net.
o Not having Javascript enabled on your browser. Javascript is a widespread programming language that makes certain functions usable on websites – such as the form on the Add Rights Page. Find out if Javascript is enabled on your browser by clicking here: http://www.enable-javascript.com.
o A ‘blocked’ cache. Your browser cache stores bits and pieces of information from websites you’ve browsed previously so they can load faster the next time you visit them. Clearing it can solve certain issues such as the browser freezing/hanging, updates not appearing, and pages not loading. Find out how to clear your cache here: http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser's-Cache
o A site or server error. Try waiting a couple of hours and logging out and in again, before attempting to upload the record again. If an error message appears, copy and paste it, or take a screenshot, and send it to us - we'll try and get it fixed as soon as we can.
If none of these methods work, contact us at info@iprlicense.com where we’ll be more than happy to help you out.
I am trying to add my title, why am I told the ISBN-13 already exists?
If you try to add your book and are told the ISBN-13 already exists, this means the title is already on the system.
IPR License use a BDS (Bibliographic Data Services) feed which uploads current information about books to the system. It's meant to make it easier for publishers and agents with thousands of books to upload, to assign their rights to their accounts.
To prevent duplicate uploads, the system only allows one record of each ISBN, which is why you were prevented from uploading it. All you have to do in this case is search for the title and assign it to your account. Once it's assigned, you can go to My Books, edit the information and add previews as you would with records you created yourself.
What will my book record look like?
Depending how much bibliographic information you choose to include, your title will be publicly accessible as a record like this:
http://www.iprlicense.com/Books/Details/ipr-sample-title-13501830
Confused by any of the terms? See our Glossary.
If you have further questions please contact us at info@iprlicense.com!