Can a published novel be reprinted, or published again by a different publisher? Yes, but it isn’t easy. Unless the contract is a lifetime buyout, the rights return to the author when the license expires. Watch out for clauses that auto-renew unless you decline in writing, or you could end up selling the same book twice and facing a lawsuit. Unless a publisher approaches you or the topic becomes hot again, previously published works are harder to place. Utsudo suggests focusing on new works, and turning returned titles into e-books or paid online reading.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

When you sign with a publisher, as long as the contract isn’t a lifetime buyout, full rights return to you (the author) once the license period ends.

Watch out for auto-renewal clauses

But be careful: many publishers now include clauses like “unless you confirm in writing before expiry that you won’t renew, the contract renews automatically.” So when your contract is about to expire, check how far in advance you need to give notice.

If you forget this clause and make other plans for the work, you might receive a legal letter one day (scary), because that would mean selling the work twice—and that can get you sued.

To avoid trouble, it’s best to check your contract before selling the work again!

Can a published work be reprinted by another publisher?

So, is it possible to take a work already published by one publisher to another?

It’s possible. But unless the publisher approaches you, or there’s a special reason—say, the author has since become hugely popular, or the book’s topic is suddenly trending—a previously published work is generally harder to publish again, especially if its sales were average.

They may think that if it didn’t sell well last time, it won’t break through this time either, or that readers who already bought it won’t buy again. But if a publisher comes to you, it means they’re confident they can outsell the first edition. If you get that chance, feel free to trust them with it.

Getting back the rights to 《御宅魔法師》

I’ve already gotten back the rights to my first published work.

It was originally ten volumes (about 700,000+ characters), but it was trimmed for commercial reasons when published, leaving only about 80% of the original length. Since the whole work is quite long by Taiwanese standards, I don’t plan to submit it for print again. I’ve decided to put it online and let people read it with some paid chapters.

It was my second work but my first published one. It leans toward slice-of-life (with slower pacing) and has some common beginner pitfalls, but it still passed the publisher’s review—which means some of its qualities outweighed those flaws and gave it a chance to be chosen.

Later I’d like to find time to walk everyone through the strengths and weaknesses of the early part of 《御宅魔法師》. It should make good teaching material, and I also want to build your confidence: even if a work isn’t perfect and the author hasn’t debuted or become famous, there’s still a chance to be published.

The work is gradually being released, so I hope you’ll give it a read!

Well, I’m probably the only person in the world using her own work as a cautionary example w

Rather than waiting for a reprint, keep building

Back to the topic: a work that’s already been under contract can be published again. But things like the topic trending again, or an investor happening to love it and seeing more commercial value, are rare opportunities you can’t force. It’s better to take it easy.

Personally, I think you should keep working on new works and stay in the field for the long haul. As your value as an author grows, your works’ value naturally rises with it, you’ll be seen more, and you’ll have more chances to publish or reprint.

If not, that’s fine too. You can make it into an e-book yourself, or offer it with paid online reading. In short, keep accumulating—your works, your fans, and the visibility of your pen name.

By the way, that’s what I plan to do too. The future is digital, and print books are increasingly likely to become collectibles. The key is to make good use of how efficiently digital editions spread, with more affordable costs and prices.

Just sharing this with you all.

FAQ

Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #115: Returning to Where It All Began
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.