Editors, before you sign a formal agreement to edit a manuscript for an author, make sure that both parties are clear on the terms by putting them in writing in this Letter of Intent. Key points of the Letter of Intent include:

• The author will retain all copyright and other rights associated with the manuscript, including intellectual property, publication and marketing rights.


• The editor will revise and rework the manuscript, tighten and reformat the content, develop the characters, create a table of contents, prepare jacket copy, copyright, dedication, title page, etc.


• The Letter of Intent contains confidentiality provisions which are legally binding on both parties and will survive any termination of the discussions and the relationship between the parties.

This generic Letter of Intent to Edit Manuscript template is provided in MS Word format, and can be easily revised to fit your specific circumstances.