Is an audio book publisher required to ask permission from the author to publish the audio book?

Question

Is an audio book publisher required to ask permission from the author to publish the audio book?

Answer 1

Typically, a book publishing contract involves the sale of first serial right from the author to the publisher. The term serial is important because it prohibits the book publisher from selling off the book as an audio book, movie, television series, etc.

So a new contract had to be signed for additional uses of the book.

Answer 2

You have to check your contract.  There is a lot of rights that belong to your publisher which entitles them to make deals on your behalf.  In some of the basic first contracts the publisher has the subsidiary rights and overseas market rights and from what I can tell in some cases you may not get any say so in what languages it is sold in and where but you may (or may not) be entitled to royalties (again re-read your original contract and perhaps get some legal advice).

      

Answer 3

Yeah, as far as I heard you can't  publish the audio book because that's like stealing someone's ideas!