Terms of Service
Last updated: February 17, 2026
1. Agreement to Terms
By accessing or using the RightsWord website (rightsword.com) and services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our services.
2. Description of Services
RightsWord is a literary agency that helps authors sell translation and foreign rights for their books to international publishers. Our services include book submission review, publisher pitching, deal negotiation, and rights management. We maintain a network of 1,500+ international publishers across 50+ countries.
3. Service Plans
We offer the following service tiers:
- Free Plan: Submit your book at no cost. We review every submission personally and pitch accepted books to our publisher network. 20% commission on closed deals.
- Solo Plan: Self-managed outreach with access to our publisher database. Lower commission rate applies. Details available on our pricing page.
- Premium Plan: Full-service agency representation with priority publisher outreach, dedicated account manager, and professional pitch materials. $199 one-time activation fee (fully credited back from your first deals commissions). 20% commission on closed deals.
4. Eligibility & Submission Requirements
To use our services, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Hold the translation and/or foreign rights to the book you submit.
- Submit a completed book (not a work in progress).
- Provide accurate information about your book and yourself.
- Have a valid ISBN for your book.
We reserve the right to decline any submission at our sole discretion if it does not meet our quality standards or editorial guidelines.
5. Rights & Representations
By submitting your book, you represent and warrant that:
- You are the rightful owner or authorized representative of the translation/foreign rights.
- Your submission does not infringe upon any third-party intellectual property rights.
- The information you provide is accurate and complete.
- You have the legal authority to enter into rights agreements for the submitted work.
6. Commission & Payments
- Our standard commission is 20% of all advances and royalties from translation rights deals we facilitate.
- Commission is earned only when a deal is successfully closed — you pay nothing if no deal is made.
- Premium plan activation fees are credited back from commissions earned on your first deals.
- Payment terms for advances and royalties are determined by individual publisher contracts.
- All fees and commissions are in US Dollars unless otherwise specified in the publisher contract.
7. Non-Exclusivity
Unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing, our representation is non-exclusive. You are free to pursue translation rights deals independently or through other agents. However, any deals facilitated through our network or introductions are subject to our commission terms.
8. Confidentiality
We treat your manuscript and submission materials as confidential. Publisher access to your full manuscript is only granted to genuinely interested parties. We will not publicly disclose your unpublished materials without your consent.
9. Intellectual Property
You retain full ownership of your book and all intellectual property rights. Submitting your book to RightsWord does not transfer any ownership or copyright to us. We are granted a limited license to share your synopsis, sample chapters, and book details with potential publishers for the sole purpose of facilitating rights deals.
10. Limitation of Liability
RightsWord acts as an intermediary between authors and publishers. We do not guarantee that any submission will result in a publishing deal. Our liability is limited to the amount of fees you have paid to us. We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of our services.
11. Termination
You may withdraw your book submission at any time by contacting us. We may also terminate or suspend your access to our services if you violate these terms. Termination does not affect commission obligations on deals already in progress or completed.
12. Dispute Resolution
Any disputes arising from these terms or our services shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If a resolution cannot be reached, disputes shall be subject to binding arbitration in accordance with applicable laws.
13. Changes to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. Material changes will be communicated via the email address associated with your submission. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
14. Contact
For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at:
Email: rightsword.contact@gmail.com