A co-publishing deal is an agreement in which a writer keeps their writer's share and gives up part of the publisher's share in exchange for an advance and publishing services.
The mechanism
Publishing income is conventionally described as two halves: the writer's share and the publisher's share. In a co-publishing deal the writer retains the writer's half and splits the publisher's half with the publisher, which is usually described as a 75/25 split in the writer's favour overall. The publisher takes a copyright interest, not merely a fee.
A worked example
A writer signs a co-publishing deal for an advance. Income arrives and, after the advance recoups, the writer receives roughly three quarters of the publishing income while the publisher keeps the remainder and continues to own its share of the copyright.
The advance ends. The copyright interest does not.
What it is confused with
- Administration deal An administration deal takes a percentage FEE and no ownership. A co-publishing deal takes OWNERSHIP of part of the copyright, usually permanently or for a long term.
- Advance The advance is the money. The co-publishing structure is what you gave up to receive it, and it outlasts the advance.
Why it matters
The headline number is the advance, but the durable term is the copyright interest, which frequently survives long after the advance has recouped and been forgotten.
Sources: US Copyright Office
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Related: Recoupment · Black box royalties · 360 deal