Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Preparation
- 2 The contract
- 3 Negotiation
- 4 Staff development and communicating negotiation outcome
- 5 Conclusion
- References and further reading
- Appendix 1 Frequently asked questions
- Appendix 2 Negotiation timeline
- Appendix 3 Personal negotiation experience
- Index
Appendix 1 - Frequently asked questions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2018
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Preparation
- 2 The contract
- 3 Negotiation
- 4 Staff development and communicating negotiation outcome
- 5 Conclusion
- References and further reading
- Appendix 1 Frequently asked questions
- Appendix 2 Negotiation timeline
- Appendix 3 Personal negotiation experience
- Index
Summary
The questions that follow are ones that I have come across either during training sessions, informal chats, or in response to real negotiation situations. The answers are suggestions; there may well be alternatives in either approach or solution.
SQ = Subscriber question
PQ = Publisher question
SQ: What if the publisher, after numerous attempts, won't negotiate on the price?
A: Use the following checklist:
• What are your WAP and your BATNA?
• Are the publishers prepared to make concessions on aspects other than the price?
• If desirable, can a deal be done for future years to mitigate the price increase in the long term?
• If the publisher will not negotiate on price or other terms, point out to them that without some movement on their part this is not negotiation and that you are prepared to offer concessions. Use the ideas about how to get someone to the negotiation table (see Chapter 3, pp.115–17).
• Consider where complaints about unfair pricing can be taken, such as an industry body or professional association.
• Consider whether the resource can be negotiated by a consortium.
PQ: Why can't you just pay what we ask without causing a fuss? It would make life so much easier.
A: Subscribers are prepared to pay what is asked without a fuss when the price and terms are fair.
SQ: We are small fry, why would the publisher bother negotiating with us?
A: Because you ask. Refer to the section on David and Goliath situations in Chapter 3 (pp. 113–15).
SQ: What are our chances of getting terms in a contract changed?
A: Getting contract terms changed depends on a number of factors. These include:
• whether the publisher is the owner or just the re-seller of the content. In the latter situation, where the publisher might be an aggregator, they will probably have separately negotiated terms with a large number of content owners and changing some contract terms may therefore be a logistical nightmare for the publisher.
• whether the contract is based on a winning tender where specific contract terms were specified.
• whether a consortium is negotiating the contract terms.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Negotiating Licences for Digital Resources , pp. 133 - 138Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2006