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Topic: Would You Work For This Magazine Again?
| Author | Message |
| CaliforniaWriter | Posted – 7/26/2007 3:36:15 PM | show profile I was sent out on an assignment for a brand new magazine (the first issue comes out in Sept.). They loved what I did so much that they had me spend the day with a very well known celebrity-type person. From 5pm until 1am I followed this man to lectures, to his home and to another gig he has in the evenings. I invaded this guy's life and picked his brain. The only guidance I was given by the magazine's Operations Manager (not the Editor) was there was no limit to the word count and just do a "story" as I did before. So, feeling that they loved my work, I did a "Day in the life" piece. After editing over five hours of information-heavy digital audio recordings, I spent days transcribing; days writing; days editing and days taking his (the man I followed) technical terms and putting them into layman terms... plus research. I submitted the piece yesterday, only to get a messg. from the Operations Manager that the editor wants this to be a standard feature (not story) and needed it cut down to one-fifth the word count. Oh, and really all they need is to know what he thinks of his hometown. Now they tell me!! I wrote back that I wasn't pleased to be told after the fact. The editor herself only communicates to me through the Operations Manager and tells me what they want after I've written the piece. Oh, and they pay per word. So I'm not paid for all those hours interviewing, etc. Anyone have a similar experience? Would you work with this magazine again? And another thing, when I asked about a contract they told me we could use our e-mail as proof of their obligation to pay, etc. Was I being insanely naive or what? I feel like a shmuck. So... without a contract, can I take my original story and submit it elsewhere? I'm not all that new to the business, but many publications have quirks... so I was willing to give them a chance. Frustrated Writer |
| tws111 | Posted – 7/26/2007 3:38:58 PM | show profile | email poster Nope Sounds like they're still getting their act together. I'd cut the cord, at least until they figure out how to work like professionals and write up real contracts. |
| Metro Writer | Posted – 7/26/2007 3:47:22 PM | show profile An editor asked me to change the angle from straight reporting to narrative on an assignment he gave me with little notice. I wasn't happy, but I didn't let on about that. I just rewrote the first two paragraphs and the end. I didn't want to burn any bridges with him. If you're experienced, you should know that the e-mail is not enough. You need to come up with a standard contract of your own so that both parties know what's to be expected and what rights you have. You now think that you can take your original story and sell it elsewhere; they may think that they have an exclusive. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 7/26/2007 3:57:06 PM | show profile I don't mean to pile on, but a large part of the blame for this falls on you because you took a casual approach to the assignment. You really need to specify everything in writing before you do the work -- what the length of the assignment is, what the pay will be, what the scope of the assignment is, what the terms of payment are, what rights they are buying. An email is OK. But if they don't have a contract, you should put together a letter and send it to them and have them sign it and fax it back. Personally, I would not work with an editor who insisted on communicating with me only through a delegate who was not involved in the editorial process. That system will likely need to confusion and miscommunication -- which wastes your time and costs you money. And when the operations manager says, "Write whatever length you want," it should seem obvious that he has no idea what he's talking about. It's OK to take a chance with a new magazine. But the fact that they are new does not mean you should accept shoddy business practices. I would only consider writing for the magazine again myself if they would follow business practices, as I've outlined above. If they want to keep everything loosy-goosy and casual, I would decline further assignments, because the bad experience you just had will happen again. Without a written contract to the contrary, you own all rights to the piece. You are free to sell it to someone else in its original form. |
| CaliforniaWriter | Posted – 7/26/2007 4:09:59 PM | show profile dribbledrive1 - Yep. The fact that the editor doesn't communicate directly has always had me worried. But, initially, the OpMngr sent such glowing e-mails about my work, it didn't upset me at the time. My fault - I admit letting that fool me. Also, I did ask about word count, focus, type of piece. I was told, basically, do what you did before. And so I did just that. And while I did ask for a contract, I should have written one up myself. That was dumb. Metrowriter - I totally changed the story as they asked. The parts left on "the floor" - the most interesting portions - are what I would like to re-vamp for a new publication. It's all really great behind-the-scenes and informative stuff. None of which I could use in their "Hometown boy does good" feature it ended up being. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 7/26/2007 4:53:02 PM | show profile --Also, I did ask about word count, focus, type of piece. I was told, basically, do what you did before. And so I did just that. And while I did ask for a contract, I should have written one up myself. That was dumb.== It's a learning experience. Personally, I would press them about this: "You ask me to do what I did before, and I did. Now you want to change what you asked for into something different and pay me much less. We definitely need to talk about this -- on the phone, not via email." |
| Marie | Posted – 7/26/2007 10:08:34 PM | show profile If you can shape the outtakes into another article for another publication, definitely do it. Even if you had a contract, this would still be OK, depending on the contract. So use the material for another piece, or for part of a bigger feature that includes more than just this one person. Don't even mention your plans to the magazine. And I would not write for them again unless the EIC, or another editor, is willing to deal with you directly. An operations manager doesn't typically handle editorial and cannot give proper guidance, as your experience proves. Don't beat yourself up too much over this--but learn from it. It's great that you were able to shape the piece to suit what they finally told you they wanted. Now, try to sell the rest. Good luck. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 7/27/2007 2:30:47 AM | show profile Actually, unless you have a contract that specifies otherwise, the magazine is only buying one-time rights. That means, legally, you are perfectly free to sell the piece in its entirety to anywhere else -- and the piece can appear there (or indeed in 100 publications) before it appears in this one. All that would really be a matter of what you negotiate with the other magazines; but if the original one didn't have a contract specifying the rights they are buying, you really don't need to bestow any on them, other than allowing them to print the piece once. --If you can shape the outtakes into another article for another publication, definitely do it. Even if you had a contract, this would still be OK, depending on the contract. -- |
| WordyBird | Posted – 7/29/2007 1:04:15 AM | show profile I'm with Marie and Dribble. Make some money on those hours and all of that research--elsewhere! I probably wouldn't work with that magazine again, either. How irritating! |
