International rights licensing
Licensing that you can read and understand.
Territory strategy, submissions to vetted publishers, copyright guidance and rights management — with every licence defined by language, territory, format and term.
Overview
You keep your copyright. We license specific, limited rights.
A rights deal is a set of boundaries: which language, which territories, which formats, for how long, on what royalty, with what reversion. We write those boundaries down before approaching anyone, and we do not submit outside them.
Submissions go to publishers we have assessed for editorial fit, payment record and market presence. You see the submission list before it goes out and the responses as they arrive, including the declines.
We also manage rights you have already licensed: tracking obligations, option dates, renewals and reversion so nothing lapses or over-runs unnoticed.
What is included
Scope, in detail.
Everything listed here appears as a line item in your written scope, with the responsible lead named.
01
Territory strategy
Market prioritisation with reasons: comparable titles, category health and realistic advance ranges.
02
Submission packages
Pitch, sample translation where needed, market comparison and rights sheet prepared per publisher.
03
Licence negotiation
Advance, royalty rates, escalators, accounting frequency, audit rights and territory carve-outs.
04
Copyright guidance
Plain-language explanation of what each clause grants, and what you retain.
05
Rights management
Central register of licences with obligations, option and reversion dates monitored.
06
Sub-rights handling
Audio, serial, film option and extract permissions handled or reserved deliberately.
Method
How the work runs.
Each stage ends with something you can read, hear or check before the next stage starts.
Stage one
Rights audit
We map what you own, what is already licensed and what is genuinely available.
Stage two
Strategy and approval
You approve a target list, the terms we will seek and the terms we will refuse.
Stage three
Submission
Packages go out on an agreed schedule, tracked in the client portal with dated responses.
Stage four
Negotiation
Offers are compared side by side — not by advance alone — and explained before you decide.
Stage five
Contract and aftercare
Signature, delivery of materials, then obligation and reversion tracking for the licence term.
Deliverables
What you receive.
Files, documents and reports are yours. We keep no rights over deliverables beyond what a signed agreement states.
Rights sheet
A single page stating exactly what is available and what is reserved.
Submission log
Who received what, when, and what they said.
Deal comparison
Written comparison of offers including non-financial terms.
Licence register
Live record of live licences, dates and obligations.
Reference
How a licence is scoped.
Indicative structure only. Actual terms vary by market, category and publisher, and are always confirmed in writing.
| Element | Typical position | Negotiable | Author retains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | One language per licence | Yes | All other languages |
| Territory | Defined country list, not 'world' | Yes | Unlisted territories |
| Format | Print and ebook, audio reserved | Yes | Reserved formats |
| Term | 5–7 years from publication | Yes | Rights on reversion |
| Accounting | Twice yearly, with audit right | Yes | Right to inspect |
| Sub-licensing | Only with written consent | Yes | Approval control |
Scale
Context for planning.
Indicative figures to help you plan. Project-specific numbers are always confirmed in your quotation.
0+
Territories we license into
0
Regional desks
0%
Submissions approved by the author first
0
Royalty statements per year, minimum
Questions
Frequently asked.
Do you take a commission?
Yes. Rights representation is commission-based on receipts, at a rate stated in your agency agreement. There are no hidden reading or submission fees.
What happens if a publisher does nothing with the rights?
Licences we negotiate include publication deadlines and reversion triggers, so unused rights return to you.
Can I license only one territory?
Yes. Single-territory and single-language mandates are common and often the wisest first step.
Do you provide legal advice?
No. We provide publishing-industry guidance and recommend independent legal review before signature.
Next step
Ask for a rights audit
Send your existing contracts and we will tell you plainly which rights are free and which are not.