Chapter 35: The Audio Offer

Three days after Freya received her first royalty payment, her editor sent the message she had been hoping for. The platform's audio department wanted to discuss adapting her novel. It was only a preliminary offer, but Freya immediately stopped everything else and opened the attached terms. The excitement lasted less than five minutes before she noticed several clauses that made her frown.

The proposed payment looked attractive at first glance, especially for a new author, but the contract requested broad exclusivity over audio rights for years. It also gave the platform considerable control over derivative promotions. Freya remembered Louis's earlier warning about bad contracts and printed the document so she could mark it properly.

That evening, she placed the pages beside Louis's dinner plate. "Your temporary legal-consulting career begins now." Louis looked at the contract. "I'm not a lawyer." "You're suspicious enough to be useful."

He read the terms while eating. Freya expected a quick opinion, but Louis examined every page carefully. "This clause is too broad," he said eventually. "And this one lets them extend exclusivity if production is delayed for reasons outside your control."

Freya circled both sections. "That's what bothered me." "Ask them to limit the license to this specific novel and define a production deadline. Also negotiate separate approval for major changes."

She wrote quickly. "Anything else?" "Higher revenue share." Freya laughed. "Obviously the former billionaire says ask for more money." "If they're approaching you before the book is finished, they expect growth. That gives you leverage."

The next morning, Freya sent a professional counterproposal. She expected the platform to reject at least half her requests. Instead, the audio editor agreed to discuss most of them and scheduled a video meeting.

Freya prepared for the meeting like an interview. She researched comparable contracts, wrote down her minimum acceptable terms, and practiced explaining why her story suited audio adaptation. Louis watched her pacing through the living room with notes in her hand.

"You're overpreparing," he said. "There's no such thing." "There is when you've practiced the same answer six times." "Seven. The third one was bad."

The meeting lasted forty minutes. Freya remained calm, refused one clause entirely, compromised on another, and secured a better royalty percentage than the original offer. When the call ended, she leaned back in her chair and exhaled.

Louis was making coffee in the kitchen. "How did it go?" "I think I accidentally negotiated." "That's generally what negotiations involve." "I mean successfully."

She told him the revised terms. Louis nodded with approval. "Better." Freya smiled. "Your advice helped. I'll pay you in dinner." "My consulting rate is higher than dinner." "Then consider the rest a family discount."

The phrase came out naturally. Freya didn't notice it, but Louis did. Family. For three years, neither of them had behaved like one. Now the word had slipped into an ordinary conversation without effort.

Later, Freya received written confirmation that the revised contract would be prepared. She added "Audio Rights" to her income spreadsheet and stared at the growing list. She had arrived in this world believing she needed to help Louis rebuild. Increasingly, it seemed she was building something of her own at the same time.

Before sleeping, Freya saved a copy of every version of the contract and created a folder for future rights agreements. She had learned from her previous career that creative success could disappear quickly if an author signed away too much too early. This time she intended to treat her stories as both art and assets. Louis's advice had been useful, but the final decisions remained hers, exactly as she wanted.