"The Author grants to the Publisher the non-exclusive, worldwide license to publish the Work in print. The Author retains sole and exclusive worldwide copyright and all rights including moral rights to the Work in all formats and editions."
Does that sound kosher?
I've just had an email from them saying that I am eligible to be one of the first 5,000 people to be published but not sure if I'm letting myself in for something inadvisable!
Any thoughts much appreciated.
11 comments:
I am not a lawyer, but this does not sound right. If I'm reading correctly, you are giving first publication rights away (while retaining the "moral" rights). It looks to me as though you are making your ms ineligible for most professional markets, because all you'll have to sell are the reprint rights.
Kevin has a point, but I do know of 2 people who are happily going with this. One is for a memoir rather than a novel, but her feeling is that there is a market out there and this will give it a chance to be read. I suppose it is similar to vanity publishing, but the Arts Council tag does make it feel a bit more kosher....
Go over to http://accrispin.blogspot.com/ and shoot email to Writer Beware. They should know if it's a scam or not. I'm always leery of things that say stuff like 'eligible to be one of the first x-number' for anything. They might be legit, but they're coming off as not-so legit.
thanks for all that - I am wary about giving away any rights but will email them and see what comes up.
Them saying reassuringly that you retain your copyright is meaningless. Of course you retain your copyright; you're the author!
If you're serious about getting published, don't muck around with nobody 'publishers' that seem like they want to do you a favour: what could their motivation possibly be?
Absolutely not kosher. 'They' are not in the business of giving anyone thousands of £'s or $'s worth of free editing, proof reading and printing. The first 5.000? No way. It is a scam at worst, at best a way of drawing you in to vanity publishing...it will cost you.Once you are signed up, all the hidden charges will appear and they will have your work.
I'm automatically suspicious of anything like this. Apart from anything else, this:
"YouWriteOn.com will publish the first 5,000 writers who contact us for Free "
...sounds extremely undiscriminating. If they'll pub;ish absolutely anyone, then there is therefore no quality control, so why should anyone pay attention to anything they publish?
I reckon it's worth contacting Arts Council and see what they have to say about it - can't help wondering if the AC funding claim is at best misleading, at worst downright dishonest.
P.S. As kevin says, the fact that you retain copyright is meaningless. Effectively you've signed your work away to them and will never be able to get it published by anyone kosher.
thanks everyone for your comments. You have confirmed my worst fears! That first para rang alarm bells so I will pass on that particular offer I think!
Please see this article. Sums it up for me.
thanks Captain Black - very interesting. I wont touch it with a bargepole!
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