Levine Plotkin is recognized for its strong literary publishing practice. We represent a wide range of individuals and companies associated with the literary publishing industry, including authors, collaborators, illustrators, literary agents and agencies, independent publishing companies and publishing company executives.
We regularly represent authors, collaborators and illustrators through the publishing life of their books. Our services include negotiating author agency agreements, publishing agreements, collaboration agreements and agreements pertaining to the licensing of subsidiary and ancillary rights, such as motion picture, live theater, television and merchandising rights. We also assist clients in navigating the evolving world of self-publishing.
On an ongoing basis, we counsel many leading literary agents in the negotiation of sophisticated agreements for their clients, such as unique collaboration or publishing relationships, film option agreements and other agreements for the exploitation of rights in their clients’ works. In addition, we counsel literary agents in their business relationships, including structuring and negotiating their relationship with a current agency, advising them in the transition from one agency to another and guiding them in the establishment of their own agency business. We also work with literary agents to resolve disputes with current and former clients or co-agents.
Our literary publishing practice also includes the ongoing representation of independent book publishers in the structuring and negotiation of creative publishing and other agreements with partners and authors.
Finally, we represent many of the high-level executives at the premiere publishing houses in the negotiation of their employment agreements, including counseling such executives on their continuing employment relationships, in their transitions from one company to another and in the establishment of new imprints.