Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been active as a freelance author, writing coach, and editor since 2011. Before that I worked for publishing houses, where my tasks included negotiating book deals. My interest in authors’ rights and copyright has stayed with me, and always forms a part of my publishing workshops at universities.
What are typical questions that participants might ask you in a consultation?
While I don’t offer legal advice (after all, I’m not a lawyer) I can help you wade through publishing contracts. Not every piece of information has the same weight; instead, there are a few key points in every contract that you absolutely have to be mindful of. Beyond that, I can answer your questions about typical fees and how and when to negotiate.
What are some of your professional achievements?
I’m a writer myself: I’ve published fiction with überland, a Leipzig-based independent publisher, but I’m also active as an academic in the literary field. In 2022 I completed a PhD at the Institut für Sprachkunst in Vienna, with a doctoral thesis on the autofiction of Deborah Levy and Annie Ernaux, which Königshausen & Neumann published in 2023. My new novel, »Bernadette ändert ihr Leben (Bernadette Changes Her Life), is coming out in August, this time by Wunderlich in Hamburg.
What languages do you offer consultations in?
In German (I’m conversational in English but can’t provide information about international publishing contracts involving copyright).
Where can you be found online/on social media?
www.centralbuero.de