Hugh Howey has signed a book contract. In itself, that’s no surprise. Hugh’s Wool series has sold over 300,000 copies in ebook form, and film rights have already been optioned. But the nature of the contract Hugh and his agent negotiated is a delightful extension of what I can only hope is a trend in indie author’s contracts from here on out. As he explains in a a post on his blog, this contract with Simon & Schuster is for paper books only. Hugh retains his ebook rights to use as he wishes, while S&S will simultaneously publish hardback and paperback editions of the books.

Simon & Schuster explains this as a return to an old contract form, where paperback rights and hardback rights were sold separately. In this new world of publishing, ebook rights have taken the place of mass market paperbacks. S&S will publish to bookstores, which is their area of expertise. Sounds obvious enough, but most major publishing houses won’t even consider a contract where the author retains any sort of control over their work. S&S deserves a lot of praise for their open-mindedness in this case. Let’s hope it makes a ton of money for everyone concerned.

Hugh retains the ability to set his own ebook prices, and has instant access to his sales info as well as continuing to receive the 70% Amazon royalty rate on his ebooks. But getting to this contract was not a straightforward path. He explains:

Throughout this process, I’ve tried to make decisions based on what readers and other authors deserve. My agent and I walked away from round after round of strengthening deals. Last month, we declined two separate 7-figure offers. What we wanted from the beginning was a contract that seemed fair. Simon and Schuster has earned my eternal respect and gratitude for coming through. I couldn’t be prouder to be one of their authors. I just hope this book lives up to their prestigious reputation.

Everyone who hangs out at the Kindleboards Writers Cafe knows that Hugh is a genuinely nice guy and a lot of fun to chat with. He’s not only generous in sharing his own successes, he cheers on the successes of his fellow indie authors. And with this revolutionary contract, he’s widened the path for many more writers to receive the kind of contract they deserve, one where the author is not treated like a commodity, and retains control over her or his own career.

Thank you, Hugh, and congratulations.