--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The standard publishing contract is…" description: "\"The standard publishing contract is replete with clauses that strip authors of control over their books.\" — Thomas Hauser" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/thomas-hauser-11755_books_the-standard-publishing-contract-is-repl_1628865.jpg" --- # The standard publishing contract is replete with clauses… ![“The standard publishing contract is replete with clauses that strip authors of control over their books.” quote by Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/thomas-hauser-11755_books_the-standard-publishing-contract-is-repl_1628865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/thomas-hauser-11755_books_the-standard-publishing-contract-is-repl_1628865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/thomas-hauser-11755_books_the-standard-publishing-contract-is-repl_1628865.jpg) > “The standard publishing contract is replete with clauses that strip authors of control over their books.” [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Publishing contracts often contain clauses that remove author control, highlighting power imbalances. **In simple terms:** Contracts strip authors of control over their books. Key Takeaway Seek contracts with retain creative rights. Themes publishing author rights contracts power dynamics Mood cautious informed Type legal business When to use this quote - author negotiations - legal counsel - self‑publishing Key Concepts law intellectual property business ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can authors protect their work? - What alternatives exist to traditional contracts? A Different Perspective Negotiating power can be limited by industry standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authors Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors-control-463716/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Contract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contract/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Publishing Contract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing-contract-463714/) [Replete Clauses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/replete-clauses-463718/) [Standard Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standard-publishing-463717/) [Strip Authors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strip-authors-463715/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice should take a long, hard look at the standard publishing contract.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/the-antitrust-division-of-the-united-states-department-of-justice/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [I worked in three local news markets and in every single one of them, they said: 'You're a lousy anchor. We would love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-vargas/i-worked-in-three-local-news-markets-and-in-every-single-one-of-them/) [Elizabeth Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-vargas/) > [Even if you have a contract you can be sold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teemu-pukki/even-if-you-have-a-contract-you-can-be-sold/) [Teemu Pukki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teemu-pukki/) > [“You don't know with who you are having to deal with... you just sign the contract to die”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/you-don-t-know-with-who-you-are-having-to-deal-with-you-just-sign-the/) [Deyth Banger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deyth-banger/) > [When you need to renew your contract, you must demonstrate why they are renewing your contract.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-pellegrini/when-you-need-to-renew-your-contract-you-must-demonstrate-why-they/) [Manuel Pellegrini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-pellegrini/) > [When you sign a contract, that's your deal. Everyone has different deals anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/when-you-sign-a-contract-that-s-your-deal-everyone-has-different/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [“When we are quiet and still we contract and settle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/when-we-are-quiet-and-still-we-contract-and-settle/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“A prisoner is imprisoned by the crime that he has committed. A jailer is imprisoned — in the very same prison — by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-prisoner-is-imprisoned-by-the-crime-that-he-has-committed-a-jailer/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [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/) > [I work seriously with complete integrity. I never, never, never have offered a part to anyone who didn't deserve it, and I've never not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-toback/i-work-seriously-with-complete-integrity-i-never-never-never-have/) [James Toback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-toback/) > [I signed my first book contract without paying much attention to what it said. I didn't know at the time that the book would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/i-signed-my-first-book-contract-without-paying-much-attention-to-what/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) > [I love Scott Coker and I love Bellator and I love what we have built together and it's a little uneasy to think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chandler/i-love-scott-coker-and-i-love-bellator-and-i-love-what-we-have-built/) [Michael Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chandler/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) > [I am very convinced that I did not contract Ebola in the isolation unit, because our process is so safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-brantly/i-am-very-convinced-that-i-did-not-contract-ebola-in-the-isolation/) [Kent Brantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-brantly/) ## More by Thomas Hauser > [To make it big, a fighter needs power. Otherwise, sooner or later, he'll fall victim to opponents who force the issue and take two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/to-make-it-big-a-fighter-needs-power-otherwise-sooner-or-later-he-ll/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Unlike most sports playing fields, a boxing ring is a temporary structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/unlike-most-sports-playing-fields-a-boxing-ring-is-a-temporary/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [There's a difference between world-class fighters and club fighters. It's similar to the distinction between a Grammy Award nominee and a guy who sings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/there-s-a-difference-between-world-class-fighters-and-club-fighters/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [I'm sure there is an infinite number of men who Ann Wolfe can knock out. I'm one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/i-m-sure-there-is-an-infinite-number-of-men-who-ann-wolfe-can-knock/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Women's boxing has received a major boost from the success of 'Million Dollar Baby.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/women-s-boxing-has-received-a-major-boost-from-the-success-of-million/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [I researched and wrote 'Muhammad Ali: His Life And Times' for two years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/i-researched-and-wrote-muhammad-ali-his-life-and-times-for-two-years/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Few fighters reach Mike Tyson's level, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/few-fighters-reach-mike-tyson-s-level-of-course/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Publishing is a business. It's about squeezing every last dollar out of every available source, and the most vulnerable source is the author. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/publishing-is-a-business-it-s-about-squeezing-every-last-dollar-out/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [The ultimate goal of any athlete in any sport is to become a true world champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/the-ultimate-goal-of-any-athlete-in-any-sport-is-to-become-a-true/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [The bloodsuckers around Tyson are always looking for one more payday, and some people will always be willing to pay to see Iron Mike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/the-bloodsuckers-around-tyson-are-always-looking-for-one-more-payday/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [For thousands of years, the most physically imposing buildings on earth were temples, churches, and mosques. But in the 20th century, new houses of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/for-thousands-of-years-the-most-physically-imposing-buildings-on/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Being a good police officer is one of the most difficult, dangerous, idealistic jobs in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/being-a-good-police-officer-is-one-of-the-most-difficult-dangerous/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Professional fights between men and women send the message that violence between men and women is appropriate. In most homes, that's not a fair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/professional-fights-between-men-and-women-send-the-message-that/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Most major sports benefit from the fact that betting by the general public fuels fan interest and boosts television ratings. The Super Bowl and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/most-major-sports-benefit-from-the-fact-that-betting-by-the-general/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [Every time a fighter steps into the ring, he's borrowing against his future well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/every-time-a-fighter-steps-into-the-ring-he-s-borrowing-against-his/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) [Explore all 58 Thomas Hauser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The standard publishing contract is replete with clauses that strip authors of control over their books.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Hauser" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/the-standard-publishing-contract-is-replete-with-clauses-that-strip/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/the-standard-publishing-contract-is-replete-with-clauses-that-strip/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/thomas-hauser-11755_books_the-standard-publishing-contract-is-repl_1628865.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/thomas-hauser-11755_books_the-standard-publishing-contract-is-repl_1628865.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/thomas-hauser-11755_books_the-standard-publishing-contract-is-repl_1628865.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The standard publishing contract is replete with clauses that strip authors of control over their books.” — Thomas Hauser", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Hauser", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The standard publishing contract is replete...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/the-standard-publishing-contract-is-replete-with-clauses-that-strip/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/the-standard-publishing-contract-is-replete-with-clauses-that-strip/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```