Join us for the 2008 TAA Conference at Harrah's in Las Vegas, June 19-21

2008 TAA Conference Registration
Deadline Extended! Early Registration Deadline is May 15, 2008

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$195 for Members before May 15, 2008 (after May 15, 2008, $245)
$245 for Non-Members before May 15, 2008 (after May 15, 2008, $295)

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Book your room at Harrah's at the special $99 conference rate by calling 888-458-8471. Use the special group code SHTEX8, when making your reservation.

The deadline for reserving a room at Harrah's for the special conference rate is May 19, 2008.

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Sessions

Michael Lennie Jan Kardys Christopher Kenneally

Textbook Track:
A Play of Words: Acting Out Contract Negotiations, Part II

Friday, June 20, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Reno Room

Presenters: Michael Lennie, Authoring Attorney, Lennie Literary & Authors Attorneys; Jan Kardys, Former Director of Contracts at several major publishers; Christopher Kenneally, Director of Author Relations for the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)

When it comes to book contracts, negotiations are all business. Just this once, though, we will let it be all play. In a format similar to a mock trial, veteran publishing contract negotiators Jan Kardys and Michael Lennie will re-enact key stages in the development of a textbook contract by drawing on their real-life experiences representing leading authors and publishers. In a dramatic dialogue, Kardys and Lennie will illustrate the important contract clauses that every textbook author must know, whether they are veterans or selling a first book. Areas of special emphasis will include a detailed explanation of typical subsidiary rights; royalties; and successful collaboration agreements. Attendees will receive valuable handouts, including samples of original documents, such as a reversion of rights checklist; a reversion of right request letter; a reversion of rights agreement; and a permissions agreement and permissions checklist. Author/journalist Christopher Kenneally will play the role of the narrator, providing introductory notes to each "episode."

Participants will learn:

• The different types of contracts that publishers typically offer
• Business savvy moves to pre-empt unfavorable contract clauses and terms
• When it's time to negotiate, and when it's time to sign a contract
• Principles and problems -- diving "what's right" from "what's acceptable" and living with the split
• Communicating with editors and publishers' representatives to achieve the best possible outcome.

About the Presenters:

Jan L. Kardys has over 20 years' diversified publishing experience for eight major publishing corporations. She was the Director of Contracts at Warner Books/Little Brown and Co., Director of Contracts at Macmillan Publishing Co. and Contracts Director at Prentice Hall/Simon and Schuster. Ms. Kardys has also worked at Harcourt Brace Javonovich, Doubleday, Scholastic, Lippincott & Crowell, Publishers and St. Martin's Press in editorial, subsidiary rights and production.

Michael Lennie has negotiated hundreds of major contracts for both established and first-time authors, in all genres. He regularly speaks at workshops and conferences around the country on publishing legal issues. As National Advisor to the Text and Academic Authors Association, he regularly advises professionals on how to protect their work and their careers.

Christopher Kenneally is Director of Author Relations for the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC). He is responsible for organizing and hosting programs that address the business needs of authors of all backgrounds, from academics to freelancers. Among other activities, he is host and moderator for an ongoing series of writing conferences called, "Beyond the Book"; the programs are frequently broadcast nationally on C-SPAN's Book-TV and in Canada on the BookTelevision network. An award-winning journalist and author of "Massachusetts 101," Kenneally has reported for the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, The Independent of London, and WGBH-TV (Boston).