This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

RE: Is this fair?

If I sent a whole piece in somewhere and the editor said they had 
already commissioned a piece on the topic but that mine might make a 
good sidebar, I would politely tell the editor that I really was not 
interested in just a sidebar, and would withdraw the story.  Then I 
would quickly send the whole story somewhere else.  A sidebar doesn't 
pay much, and doesn't yield much in credit either.  (Sidebars and 
magazine shorts are usually not indexed, so you don't even get a 
verifiable writing credit.)  The editor would just skim off my best, 
most unique stuff, thus harming or destroying my ability to sell my 
entire piece in any other market.  He and his author would add my 
special unique stuff to their piece, and I would get nothing much 
worthwhile out of it.

Given that you agreed to have the story reviewed for use as a sidebar, I 
feel that they should have either used it as a sidebar or rejected it, 
not lifted ANYTHING out of it.  

Were I in your current situation, I would call the editor and tell him 
that I did not give permission for use of facts or quotes out of my 
confidential manuscript submission.  I would request that they withdraw 
any information or quotes that they would have known about only by 
access to my submitted story.

Yes, they shafted you.  If their magazine hasn't gone to print yet, I 
would be polite, but make it clear that I would consider their use of 
the quote in this context as unethical, and I would urge them to drop 
it.  

The major transgression here is that the editor handed your ms over to 
what amounts to a competing writer, breaking the confidentiality of the 
submission process.  He then allowed that other writer to skim the cream 
in such a way that you didn't even get a sidebar out of it.  I doubt the 
editor has done anything illegal, but I think he has broken the ethical 
conventions that the system of freelance submissions is based upon.  Ask 
this editor how many writers he thinks are going to send him any whole 
written pieces if they know they might be handed over to competing 
writers to use in this way.  Ask him whether he screwed up, or if this 
experience represents his policy.  If it is his policy, let us know here 
on the forum, so we don't send this editor any whole manuscripts.  

Carol Deppe
Author of BREED YOUR OWN VEGETABLE VARIETIES:  THE GARDENER'S AND 
FARMER'S GUIDE TO PLANT BREEDING AND SEED SAVING (See table of contents, 
excerpts, & reviews at http://www.chelseagreen.com.)  

============================================================
Casino Heat is ready to reward all New Players
with an exclusive promotion - receive $100 FREE
in casino cash!
http://click.topica.com/caaajfIbUrGSSbVSZwBf/CasinoHeat
============================================================

GWL has searchable archives at: 
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters/
If you have photos for GWL, send them to gwlphotos@hort.net and they will show up at  http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos/ 
**************************************************

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: topica.com@spamfodder.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrGSS.bVSZwB
Or send an email to: Gardenwriters-unsubscribe@topica.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index