In this guest blog, Cassidy Gladieux has kindly shared with us her experience of doing a rights work placement with RightsZone.
It offers a great insight into how Rights is viewed and a good reminder of the opportunities available to share what we do.
Learning about the crucial role rights plays in the world of publishing
These past 10 weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Clare Hodder, learning not just about RightsZone, but also the crucial role rights play in publishing and beyond. I initially applied for the placement because, to be honest, I wanted to explore anything outside of editing.
Rights intrigued me because, like sales, it seemed to be an area where I could use my extroverted personality to connect with others, especially on an international level. I was hoping that if I walked away with at least one thing from this entire experience, it would be with a clearer idea of whether rights could be the right path for me. See what I did there?!
My expectations were more than reached because I have been able to take away so much valuable information and many lessons from this work placement. Actually, I found it difficult to condense into five points, but I did my best.
5 valuable lesson from my rights work placement
1. The importance of Rights (and organization) in publishing
Many people outside of the industry (and some within it) don’t realize how much a book’s success comes from rights sales. I was guilty of this as well, before beginning my placement.
I also didn’t realize how critical organization is in rights management. With RightZone’s innovative licensing system, clients are able to actively manage deals through the entire rights lifecycle. Being able to understand how simple rights management can be with RightsZone, I can’t imagine having to juggle hundreds of spreadsheets in a future role!
2 . The role of Rights in an author’s career
For many authors, rights deals can provide another valuable source of income. A successful foreign rights deal can introduce their work to a wider audience and allow them to gain additional recognition beyond their home market.
One project I was tasked with was drafting an email to a German publisher, as well as researching other potential publishers for a client’s author. By helping position this book in a market that the authors were familiar with, I could see it would create a foundation for long-term success in Germany.
Additionally, while at The London Book Fair with Clare, I was able to see first-hand just how important rights guides can be when trying to facilitate deals that can be crucial for an authors continued and future successes.
Cassidy at the RightsZone London Book Fair stand
3. The balance between business and creativity
While publishing as a whole is seen as a quite creative industry, rights specifically is a very business-driven aspect. I have learned that rights professionals can act as the bridge between creativity and commerciality, by understanding the artistic value of a book still while ensuring it has viable market potential.
Another key lesson I learned is that patience and persistence are essential in this field. It can take a long time for business deals to go through. It may require multiple follow up emails, a one-on-one meeting at the book fair, and lots of negotiation. This is where the ability to maintain strong connections can come most in handy!
“I have learned that rights professionals can act as the bridge between creativity and commerciality…”
4. The power of networking and relationship-building
My favourite parts of attending London Book Fair with Clare was witnessing how well she manages client and potential partner relationships. It is something that she emphasized to me from day one of my placement.
Deals are built on trust, and so are lasting professional friendships.
Overall, the rights industry relies heavily on developing these strong relationships, especially with international publishers because it is more than just having a great book, you have to have someone behind it who will advocate for it and may know the right people or market where it is likely to do best in.
Attending the fair also gave me a unique opportunity to connect with RightsZone clients and other industry professionals. On the quieter Thursday, I was able to check in with clients, make more small talk, and ask more in-depth questions, providing me with conversations that I may not have had otherwise. I was incredibly grateful for this chance to build my network further.
5. The variety of career paths in publishing
As I mentioned before, I initially sought out roles outside of editorial, and rights has been such an interesting learning experience, providing a variety of new lessons and challenges every week!
Something that stood out to me was how rights intersects with so many other areas of publishing, such as sales, marketing, editorial, and even legal.
Throughout the last 10 weeks, I met numerous professionals who had initially started in another department and found themselves in rights and loving it. Having the opportunity to speak with some of Clare’s connections at the book fair and afterwards provided me with the encouragement and additional advice that I was seeking to kickstart my career in this industry.
My rights work placement…in summary
This work placement has provided me with invaluable insight, not just into RightsZone or the rights industry, but into how the publishing world operates within and around the various spheres of rights, whether it be translation, TV/film, or adaptations.
I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and feel it has equip me with the knowledge and experience to confidently step into the industry full-time in the near future.
