Frequently Asked Questions

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For Rights Holders

Becoming Authorized

What do I need to do to become a Rights Holder on Unglue.it?

To start a campaign, you need to be a verified rights holder who has signed a Rights Holder Agreement with us.

Start by visiting the Rights Holders Tools page. You'll sign our Rights Holder Agreement (RHA) and learn about our various programs.

I haven't signed an agreement, but my books are listed on Unglue.it. What's going on?

If your book is listed on Unglue.it, it's either because an Unglue.it user has indicated some interest in the book, or it's because we've determined that your book is already available with a free license.

Can I run more than one campaign?

You can run campaigns for as many, or as few, titles at a time as you like.

Claiming Works

How can I claim a work for which I am a rights holder?

On every book page there is a More... tab. If you have a signed Rights Holder Agreement on file, one of the options on the More... tab will be "Claim This Work". If you represent more than one rights holder, choose the correct one for this work and click "Claim".

If the book is not already in Unglue.it or in Google Books, you'll need to enter the metadata for the book by hand or work with us to load the data from a spreadsheet or Onix file.

• Use this form to enter the metadata.
• Your metadata should have title, identifiers, authors, language, description.
• If you have a lot of books to enter, contact us to load ONIX or CSV files for you.

If you expect to see a "Claim" button and do not, either we do not have a RHA from you yet, or we have not yet verified and filed it. Please contact us at rights@ebookfoundation.org.

Where can I find a campaign page?

If you're looking for a specific book, search for it. The book's page becomes a campaign page when its campaign starts. Your bookmarks and widgets for that book will still work.

If you want to find an interesting campaign and don't have a specific book in mind, see the Explore sidebar (on almost any page except the FAQs) for some of our favorites.

Running a Thanks-for-Ungluing Campaign

What do I need to create a campaign?

First, you need to be an authorized rights holder. To get authorized, sign a Rights Holder Agreement. Please contact rights@ebookfoundation.org if you have any questions. Once we have approved your Agreement, you'll be able to claim works and you'll have access to tools for launching and monitoring campaigns.

What should I include in my campaign page?

Show the world why we should love your book. What makes it powerful, intriguing, moving, thought-provoking, important? Remind readers who loved the book why they loved it, and give people who haven't read it reasons they want to.

How can supporters contact me?

If you'd like supporters to contact you directly, please set your contact email address in the campaign management area.

Ebook Files

What file formats are supported?

For Thanks-for-Ungluing campaigns, you can use EPUB, MOBI, PDF, and HTML files.

What are the requirements for my ebook files?

• For Thanks-for-Ungluing Campaigns, the rights holder is responsible for providing valid, high-quality EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files.
• For Buy-To-Unglue Campaigns and Pledge Campaigns ebook files should use the EPUB standard format format according to best practice at time of submission. At minimum, the files should pass the epubcheck tool. Exceptions will be made for content requiring more page layout than available in prevailing EPUB implementations; in those cases, the files will usually be PDF.
• The file should have no more than 0.2 typographical or scanning errors per page of English text.
• The file shall contain front matter which includes the following:
  • a list of ISBNs of other editions of the work
  • For Pledge Campaigns only
    1. the Creative Commons license selected for the campaign, formatted in accordance with best practices at https://wiki.creativecommons.org/Marking/Creators, and a statement that for the purposes of the license, "Non-Commercial" use shall include, but not be limited to, the distribution of the Work by a commercial entity without charge.
    2. an acknowledgement of Ungluers of the work, formatted in accordance with the premium descriptions on the Campaign page.
    3. The Unglue.it logo
    4. the text “CC edition release enabled by Unglue.it users” (including the hyperlink to the site)
  • For Buy-To-Unglue Campaigns, the Unglue.it platform will embed a personalized licensed statement into front matter for each delivered file
• The cover graphic shall match any description given in the Campaign.
• Any graphics which must be excluded from the released ebook shall be specified in the description given in the campaign.

Funding

When and how will I be paid?

For Thanks-for-Ungluing Campaigns, we make payments quarterly to rights holders who have accrued more than $100 in earnings. If we are able to set you up with ACH transfers, we will send payments more frequently. 70% of earnings accrue immediately; the rest accrues after 90 days.

What fees does Unglue.it charge?

Fees and terms are detailed on the program terms page.

Does it cost money to start a campaign on Unglue.it?

No.

Is my contribution tax deductible?

Donations to the Free Ebook Foundation are tax deductible in the USA. Contributions to Thanks-for-Ungluing campaigns go to the rights holder and are generally not tax-deductible. Consult your tax advisor.

Rights

If I am an author with my book still in print, can I still start a campaign to unglue it?

This depends entirely on your original contract with your publisher. You should seek independent advice about your royalty clauses and the "Subsidiary Rights" clauses of your contract. The Authors Guild provides guidance for its members.

If I am an author do I have to talk to my publisher or agent first?

It is your responsibility to get advice on the current status of any contracts you may have ever had for the right to publish your work, whether or not a book is in print now. Creative Commons licenses are media neutral and worldwide (English). You may need waivers from other parties who have exclusive licenses for this book.

If I am a publisher, but I do not have an ebook royalty in my contract, can I sign your Rights Holder Agreement?

We can't interpret your particular contract regarding subsidiary rights and your ability to use a Creative Commons license. Please seek qualified independent advice regarding the terms of your contract. In any event, you will also want the author to cooperate with you on a successful fundraising campaign, and you can work together to meet the warranties of the RHA.

Are the copyright holder, and the rights holder who is eligible to start an Unglue.it campaign, the same person?

Not necessarily. If you are the author and copyright holder but have a contract with a publisher, the publisher may be the authorized Rights Holder with respect to commercial rights, and they may be able to sign a licensing agreement on your behalf. Again, you must get advice about your individual contract, especially subsidiary rights clauses and exclusivity.

Can I offer a book to be unglued even if I cannot include all the illustrations from the print edition?

Yes. If permission to reprint cannot be obtained for items such as photographs, drawings, color plates, as well as quotations from lyrics and poetry, we can produce an unglued edition which leaves them out. You must indicate the difference between the editions on your Campaign page.

What impact does ungluing a book have on the rights status of my other editions?

The Creative Commons licenses are non-exclusive. They will apply only to the unglued edition, not to the print, audio, or any other editions. They do not affect the rights status of those other editions. If you use the NoDerivatives, NonCommercial license (CC BY-NC-ND), no one else may sell your book or make derivatives unless you give them permission to do so.

Can an unglued ebook be issued only in the US?

No. An unglued ebook is released to the world. It uses a Creative Commons license which is territory-neutral. That is, the unglued ebook can be read by anyone, anywhere in the world, subject always to the limitations of the license.