ABSTRACT The publishing contract is the central legal feature of any publishing professional's life, whether creator, literary agent, or publisher. And with small press becoming an ever more important part of the Australian publishing scene, the contracts landscape has diversified and become more complex. There's a wealth of information on what you should and shouldn't do, and what the perfect contract looks like. But what's it like in reality, beyond the clause and sub-clause? For though it's an important legal document, the contract also represents an intense lived experience for all those who are a party to it, especially in the small-press sector. This article, based on interviews with a range of creators (authors and illustrators), literary agents, small-press publishers and industry body representatives, presents an illuminating snapshot of the contemporary contract experience in the Australian small-press sector. Not intended as a formal analysis of the contracts landscape but rather as an intimate insight into the individual lived experience of contemporary Australian contracts, whether that be for creators or publishers, the article addresses questions covering the contemporary challenges and opportunities of ‘signing on the dotted line’.

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点线签约：当代澳大利亚小型出版社图书合同的生活体验

摘要 出版合同是任何出版专业人士生活的核心法律特征，无论是创作者、文学代理人还是出版商。随着小型出版社成为澳大利亚出版界越来越重要的一部分，合同格局变得多样化并变得更加复杂。有大量关于您应该做什么和不应该做什么以及完美合同是什么样的信息。但是，除了条款和子条款之外，实际情况如何？因为尽管它是一份重要的法律文件，但对于所有参与其中的人，尤其是小型印刷行业，该合同也代表了一种强烈的生活体验。本文基于对一系列创作者（作者和插画家）、文学代理人、小型出版社和行业机构代表的采访，展示了澳大利亚小型印刷机行业当代合同经验的生动快照。本文无意对合同格局进行正式分析，而是深入了解当代澳大利亚合同的个人生活经历，无论是对创作者还是出版商而言，本文解决的问题都涵盖了“在虚线上签字”的当代挑战和机遇。线'。