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RE: Contract dilemma


Bill Shear wrote:

> When asked to sign a "work for hire" contract, I look at the finances.  
> If
> it's a good deal, I say "Sure, whatever."  How many times do we reprint 
> in
> toto our books or articles?

Depends upon the writer and the kind of material.  Serials are 
essentially ephemeral.  For some of us, the serial is not the object.  
It is the means.  Namely it is a way of developing material we will put 
into books, and we would not write an article at all if we didn't think 
we could (mostly) put it into a book at some point or other.  

> The point is that resale on articles is very, very rare and a small 
> fraction

Lots of people sell reprint rights regularly.  

> The wider distribution and recognition your work gets, the more speaking
> dates you will get, and that's where the income is--not in writing 
> articles.

With work-for-hire, they don't even have to give you a by-line, since it 
isn't "your" work at all.  Or they can give you a by-line on a reworked 
piece of trash.  If you want your work to help your reputation and get 
you other kinds of work, all the more reason to establish minimal 
control over it.

"Where the money is," really depends upon who you are, what kind of work 
you do, your situation, and your other skills.  If you can't speak well 
but can write well, the money will not be in speeches, for example.  If 
your situation prevents travel, the money will not be in speeches.  Some 
people make serious money from their books and consider magazine work 
only a way of working up material for books or publicizing books.  
Others find their books hugely unprofitably, but worthwhile as a way of 
establishing their credentials for their more profitable magazine 
assignments.  And others, as you say, find speech-giving opportunities 
that their writing creates far more profitable than any of the writing.  
Many garden writers run landscape or nursery or seed companies, and 
consider all the writing as a means to the real end, publicizing and 
promoting their "real" businesses.  Their are all kinds of writerly 
styles and career patterns.  No generalizations need apply.  

Carol Deppe

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