What would a "standard" first book contract look like?

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What sort of print run and royalty is involved?
Is it like 10,000 copies and $1 per book advance?
I'm thinking of a regular known national publisher, and an unknown author (e.g., not a sports star or someone in a scandal) and topic that isn't "torn from today's headlines", but just ordinary.

[RealityChuck]

Every one is different, of course. However, some things are common:

1. Authors are given an advance. The amount is negotiable. For a first-time author at a major publisher, figure $2000-4000 for a paperback and more for a hardcover (just a guess: $8000+).

2. Royalties are usually 6-8% for a paperback, and 10-12% for a hardcover. Trade paperbacks are somewhere in between. These percentages are on the cover price, BTW.

3. Print run depends on the type of book.

Just for your info, my science fiction novel gave me a $3500 advance, a 6% royalty (8% if it became a big seller, which it didn't). Print run, I'm not sure, but it sold over 16,000 copies, so it was probably around 50,000. This was a few years ago, but I doubt much has changed.

[Aviary Buddy Stalk Anatomy]

If the print run was 50,000 and they only credited you for 16,000, something is wrong.
The rest weren't dumped, they are in those mark-down tables in the middle of every bookstore.

[Lynn Bodoni]

These days most unsold paperback books are "stripped" and reported unsold. "Stripping" a pb means that they tear off the front cover and send it back to the publisher for credit. I don't know what they do with hardbacks. It's a pity...I used to scour the remainder tables pretty thoroughly and found many new authors there.

[Primaflora]

They're not necessarily in the markdown bins. It can be cheaper to pulp the books rather than pay for storage and then ship them to the bookshop.

There's usually a clause that covers books which are sold at the markdown price in any case but I'm too lazy to walk downstairs and find a contract and read it.

I don't think there is a standard first book contract for most writers. The contracts tend to look the same -- the difference is with later books you can negotiate more concessions. Of course, if your first book is a huge bestseller, then things change with consequent contracts and bidding wars but that's unusual. Sadly enough.

[DrFidelius]

... I read this as "Standard first contact book" due to my progressive dyslexia. As it stands, I have nothing to contribute.

[Exapno Mapcase]

The books in the mark-down bins are bought from specialists who go around to publishers and buy up unsold copies very cheaply and then resell them to bookstores. The author gets no royalties from them, although most contracts these days gives the author the option to buy them at a greatly reduced price before they are remaindered. (True story: I found out one of my books went officially out of print and I called my publisher to buy up the remaining copies. By "mistake" they had already been gotten rid of and no notice went out to me even though my contract specified it. This was an extremely large major publisher, too.)

Hardback books are not stripped and pulped. They can be returned by any bookstore for full credit. That's why contracts usually come with a "reserve" clause that figures in returned books when computing royalties.

Trade paperbacks usually are returnable. However, the new crop of trade paperbacks from PoD and other small publishers are usually not returnable, which is why you almost never see them in large bookstores. Too much of a chance of getting stuck with an unsellable book by a newcomer.

Mass market paperbacks are always stripped to save cost of returning them. Coverless books cannot be resold, although you do see them at times.

Now, back to the OP. There is no standard first contract overall. But. Unexceptional first books in standard categories probably will be treated more or less alike. But. There are always exceptions.

There are any number of good books out on getting published in various fields and categories and genres. Pick one closest to your interests and study it for the information it provides.

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Originally posted by Exapno Mapcase
Now, back to the OP. There is no standard first contract overall. But. Unexceptional first books in standard categories probably will be treated more or less alike. Yes, yes, that's what I want to know. They are treated more or less alike, namely....

[Alto]

The advance, royalty, and print run are the most important and most variable items. Advances, in particular, vary wildly depending on the publishing house and the type of book.

I would think you'd be extremely lucky to get more than 10%royalty on a first book. If the book is illustrated, the illustrator gets a percentage of the royalties, and you get proportionately less. (Obviously this is most relevant to children's books, where the split is usually 5% each.) Sometimes you can negotiate for a higher royalty if you sell more than a certain (large) number of copies or win a major award.

Most standard contracts will stipulate that the publisher has the right to consider your next manuscript of the same type before you can submit it anywhere else (i.e. has the option on your next book).

They also specify who will hold the film, dramatization, recording, etc. rights (probably the publisher, unless you negotiate) and what royalty you will receive if the book is sold to a book club, foreign publisher, or paperback publisher (usually less than the regular royalty).

They specify whether you are to provide an index at your own cost or pay for permissions. (Usually yes, although sometimes you can bargain for a permissions allowance.)

[RealityChuck]

Originally posted by Aviary Buddy Stalk Anatomy
If the print run was 50,000 and they only credited you for 16,000, something is wrong.
The rest weren't dumped, they are in those mark-down tables in the middle of every bookstore. Nope. It was a paperback. Once stripped, a paperback cannot be legally resold; it must be destroyed.

Actually, there may have been more than 50,000 copies; I was assuming a 33% sell-through, which is probably high for a first novel.