Random House recently started Hydra, an electronic-only imprint for science fiction stories and short novels. But, as noted by Writer Beware here, the terms in a Hydra deal sheet shown to them are pretty damn awful:
* No advance.
* The author is charged "set-up costs" for editing, artwork, sale, marketing, publicity -- i.e., all the costs a publisher is has been expected to bear.
Signal boosting this to anyone who writes SF/F and as a warning to any other writers out there as well. Because you always have to make sure to understand your contract before you sign. If you don't understand, get either a lawyer or an agent to explain it to you so you don't end up signing your rights away. Or not getting paid in some instances.
