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Re: Information from Mel

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html




Doreen wrote:
>
>As a freelance magazine writer, photographer and editor and as the author
of
>several books on gardening, I can testify to the fact that Rodale does NOT
>give a writer a fair deal.  The first tip-off is their instance that all
>rights be granted to them.

I presume you  meant "insistence" here.

> In other words, for a small pittance, they own
>your intellectual efforts.  You can never use your own words again.  If you
>wonder why gifted garden writers seldom or never write for Rodale and
>Organic Gardening, you should know now.  I sold them one article early in
my
>career, and that was the cheapest lesson I ever learned--looking back on
the
>experience.  I wish Mel luck and certainly will register my protests with
>Maria.


I certainly wish Mel luck as well, however, I would just like to note that,
for the record, this is a dispute over royalties and other rights and will
be settled in a court of law, as it should be at this point. The website
posted gives a onesided version that seems not quite right to me on every
point, and does not include the original details of the contract, which we
would need to be able to judge where things stand, as well as access to the
accounting, etc....

I will also say that Organic Gardening magazine and other branches of Rodale
have promoted Mel, as recently as the last five years; so it is not quite
true to say that they have done no promotion of his work, eh?

I do note that Cash from Square Foot Gardening was published by Storey,
copyrighted Mel Bartholemew 1985.

Really, other than the name, there is nothing new to Square Foot Gardening
that wasn't being used for centuries if not millenia. I like Mel's simple
style of presentation, his clarity, and his good horse sense, but it really
ain't new, just well presented.

In any case, I hope that justice is done, and that everyone recieves their
due. But I will wait until all the facts are in, before passing judgment.

Frank Teuton


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