--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wouldn't write any kind of book without…" description: "\"I wouldn't write any kind of book without a contract and an advance. You can't invest that amount of time and effort without one.\" — Harrison Salisbury" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/harrison-salisbury-33153_advance_i-wouldn-t-write-any-kind-of-book-withou_609826.png" --- # I wouldn't write any kind of book without a contract and… ![“I wouldn't write any kind of book without a contract and an advance. You can't invest that amount of time and effort without one.” quote by Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/harrison-salisbury-33153_advance_i-wouldn-t-write-any-kind-of-book-withou_609826.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/harrison-salisbury-33153_advance_i-wouldn-t-write-any-kind-of-book-withou_609826.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/harrison-salisbury-33153_advance_i-wouldn-t-write-any-kind-of-book-withou_609826.png) > “I wouldn't write any kind of book without a contract and an advance. You can't invest that amount of time and effort without one.” [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author emphasizes the necessity of a contract and advance before committing time and effort to a book, underscoring financial security. **In simple terms:** You need a contract and advance before writing a book. Key Takeaway Secure a contract before starting a writing project. Themes writing business contracts risk management Mood pragmatic cautious Type advice professional When to use this quote - book proposals - freelance contracts - venture capital - project planning Key Concepts publishing economics authorial commitment financial risk Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you face without a contract? - How can you protect yourself while staying creative? A Different Perspective The focus on contracts may limit creative freedom or experimental work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time And Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-and-effort/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I signed my first book contract without paying much attention to what it said. 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It's our ongoing conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-have-a-contract-but-it-s-not-a-commitment-in-the-ordinary-sense-it/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [A group is as healthy as its 'social contract' is clear; a congregation as faithful as its covenant is mutually understood; a pastor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-group-is-as-healthy-as-its-social-contract-is-clear-a-congregation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Society is indeed a contract. It is a partnership in all science; a partnership in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/society-is-indeed-a-contract-it-is-a-partnership-in-all-science-a/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Nowadays, in the contract that actors sign, you have to agree that you're going to do a certain amount of publicity-the hard part they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/nowadays-in-the-contract-that-actors-sign-you-have-to-agree-that-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) ## More by Harrison Salisbury > [There is no shortcut to life. To the end of our days, life is a lesson imperfectly learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/there-is-no-shortcut-to-life-to-the-end-of-our-days-life-is-a-lesson/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [I think it's important to travel around in order to get a notion of what's going on, to find out what people are think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/i-think-it-s-important-to-travel-around-in-order-to-get-a-notion-of/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [The clash between the aspirations of the people for a better life and the insistence of their rulers on building a powerful state, regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/the-clash-between-the-aspirations-of-the-people-for-a-better-life-and/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [Here, class attendance is expected and students are required to take notes, which they are tested on. What is missing, it seems to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/here-class-attendance-is-expected-and-students-are-required-to-take/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [The newspaper is a marvelous medium. It is extraordinarily convenient and cheap. Let's see. This one cost 75 cents. Now that's a little high.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/the-newspaper-is-a-marvelous-medium-it-is-extraordinarily-convenient/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [I got a cable from New York saying that what I'd written about the growth of Soviet agricultural production didn't make sense because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/i-got-a-cable-from-new-york-saying-that-what-i-d-written-about-the/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [Life within the Kremlin was shrouded in impenetrable secrecy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/life-within-the-kremlin-was-shrouded-in-impenetrable-secrecy/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [I think that it is a great achievement to put a person on the moon. But to put a person on the earth-that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/i-think-that-it-is-a-great-achievement-to-put-a-person-on-the-moon/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [I visited the Chinese side last year. The Chinese are in a constant state of military readiness. They have all their nuclear weapons in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/i-visited-the-chinese-side-last-year-the-chinese-are-in-a-constant/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [Journalism students need to understand it and need a solid background in the liberal arts, in sociology, economics, literature and language, because they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/journalism-students-need-to-understand-it-and-need-a-solid-background/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [No one can be certain where a nation which spans two continents, whose history begins in the faint traces of early civilization, a nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/no-one-can-be-certain-where-a-nation-which-spans-two-continents-whose/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [My favorite word is 'pumpkin.' You can't take it seriously. But you can't ignore it, either. It takes ahold of your head and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/my-favorite-word-is-pumpkin-you-can-t-take-it-seriously-but-you-can-t/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [By the way, I understand that now you can have the Times delivered to your door here in the Twin Cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/by-the-way-i-understand-that-now-you-can-have-the-times-delivered-to/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) > [Why can't a state that launches cosmonauts into space provide enough eggs and milk for its city children during the winter months?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-salisbury/why-can-t-a-state-that-launches-cosmonauts-into-space-provide-enough/) [Harrison Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) [Explore all 15 Harrison Salisbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-salisbury/) ## More Advance quotes > [I don't think we should tell them what we're going to do in advance. 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If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu. And so it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/others-have-said-it-before-me-if-you-don-t-have-a-seat-at-the-table/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/what-i-have-in-advance-are-people-i-want-to-write-about-and-a-problem/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [Error is discipline through which we advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/error-is-discipline-through-which-we-advance/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [I think it's important to earn your fan base and not just try to immediately advance to the top. If you ride to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/i-think-it-s-important-to-earn-your-fan-base-and-not-just-try-to/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [The Chinese public is deeply nationalist, which matters to China's unelected political leadership as much as U.S. nationalism does to American politicians. As China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-chinese-public-is-deeply-nationalist-which-matters-to-china-s/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Some might complain that nuclear disarmament is little more than a dream. 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