ABSTRACT
Serial rights normally involve the sale of extracts from a work to a magazine or newspaper; they are divided into first and second serial rights. One-shot periodical rights involve granting a licence for a whole work to appear in a single issue of a newspaper or magazine. National newspapers may trail extracts on the front page and for significant properties may take advertising time on television to publicize the appearance of the extracts; a major commitment to publicity of this kind may be a deciding factor in the auction of serial rights. The timing of publication for first serial rights is crucial, and publishers would normally prefer to have such rights under their own control in order to maximize publicity value for the book. It is important when placing first serial rights that the amount and nature of the material should be carefully monitored.
