Books that have fallen out of print, or aren’t selling as well as they used to, can enjoy a second life thanks to rights reversion—the process by which an author may regain control of some or all of her rights in a previously published work.  Thanks to reversion, works can appear online, in new editions, translations, or in other formats chosen by the author. Our Guide to Understanding Rights Reversion is a handy primer on the topic, and now, we are offering alongside it a brief Guide to Crafting a Reversion Letter with the goal of reverting rights. This all-important first step in the reversion process is not always straightforward, and our hope is that this guide (including letter templates) will help authors take the plunge in approaching their publishers to regain their rights. We’d like to thank Nicole Cabrera, Jordyn Ostroff, and Brianna Schofield of the Samuelson Law, Technology, and Public Policy Clinic at UC Berkeley Law for their work in creating this guide.

Visit our Resources page to download our materials for free. While you’re there, be sure to check out our other resources and tools—and let us know about your rights reversion success stories!