Comments on: The New Deal: The Network Gets the Words; The Writer Gets The Shaft http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft writing about writers and other letter-related debris Wed, 23 May 2012 15:44:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Russell Cavanagh http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1973 Russell Cavanagh Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:08:07 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1973 This will eventually blow over. Bottom-end PPC "writing portfolio" sites like Triond - notoriously low paid - are now accepting content that looks like English translated to Chinese to French and back to English. Rubbish will out as quality eventually regains recognition! Just a matter of hanging in there, and revisiting past clients to see if they need our services again ... .-= Russell Cavanagh´s last blog ..<a href="http://russellcavanagh.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/work-makes-free/" rel="nofollow">Work makes free</a> =-. This will eventually blow over. Bottom-end PPC “writing portfolio” sites like Triond – notoriously low paid – are now accepting content that looks like English translated to Chinese to French and back to English. Rubbish will out as quality eventually regains recognition! Just a matter of hanging in there, and revisiting past clients to see if they need our services again …
.-= Russell Cavanagh´s last blog ..Work makes free =-.

]]> By: Tom Chandler http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1972 Tom Chandler Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:06:14 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1972 <blockquote cite="comment-85353"> <strong><a href="#comment-85353" rel="nofollow">Sheri</a></strong>: I admit I’ve lost a few potential clients over my attempt to waive the non-compete portion, but I don’t care. I can’t see restricting my right to do business for 1-2 years for a $200 or $300 one-time job. Salaried staff position or 10k gig – sure. But otherwise, I feel it’s very unreasonable to ask. </blockquote> I agree (and "unreasonable" is the polite way to put it). The non-competes seem to have come into their own the last five years - I certainly understood why my tech clients wanted iron-clad non-disclosure agreements, but non-competes used to be fairly rare at the marketing level. They limit your ability to make a living, and anything that does that has gotta be paid for. <blockquote cite="comment-85807"> <strong><a href="#comment-85807" rel="nofollow">Roberta Rosenberg</a></strong>: Tom, I think you and I should co-host a new blog, </blockquote> I need another blog like I need an STD, but your idea sounds deliciously user-generated. AngryCopywriter.com? <blockquote cite="comment-85808"> <strong><a href="#comment-85808" rel="nofollow">John White</a></strong>: Thanks for the words of warning, but never underestimate the power of the marketplace to discourage this rapacioiusness in the long run. </blockquote> Perhaps, though I'm worried about the folks losing the right to their work right now. Hopefully they won't learn that lesson <i>after</i> they've written most of their book...

Sheri: I admit I’ve lost a few potential clients over my attempt to waive the non-compete portion, but I don’t care. I can’t see restricting my right to do business for 1-2 years for a $200 or $300 one-time job. Salaried staff position or 10k gig – sure. But otherwise, I feel it’s very unreasonable to ask.

I agree (and “unreasonable” is the polite way to put it).

The non-competes seem to have come into their own the last five years – I certainly understood why my tech clients wanted iron-clad non-disclosure agreements, but non-competes used to be fairly rare at the marketing level.

They limit your ability to make a living, and anything that does that has gotta be paid for.

Roberta Rosenberg: Tom, I think you and I should co-host a new blog,

I need another blog like I need an STD, but your idea sounds deliciously user-generated. AngryCopywriter.com?

John White: Thanks for the words of warning, but never underestimate the power of the marketplace to discourage this rapacioiusness in the long run.

Perhaps, though I’m worried about the folks losing the right to their work right now. Hopefully they won’t learn that lesson after they’ve written most of their book…

]]> By: John White http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1971 John White Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:46:13 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1971 Thanks for the words of warning, but never underestimate the power of the marketplace to discourage this rapacioiusness in the long run. Writers selling (?) their work for hire for no tangible compensation will eventually need to stop doing it and sell it gainfully. We all learn that way. .-= John White´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HowToHireAWriter/~3/sj7cAboPdt0/" rel="nofollow">Search Engine Optimized or Ideal Reader Optimized?</a> =-. Thanks for the words of warning, but never underestimate the power of the marketplace to discourage this rapacioiusness in the long run. Writers selling (?) their work for hire for no tangible compensation will eventually need to stop doing it and sell it gainfully. We all learn that way.
.-= John White´s last blog ..Search Engine Optimized or Ideal Reader Optimized? =-.

]]> By: Roberta Rosenberg http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1970 Roberta Rosenberg Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:25:15 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1970 Tom, I think you and I should co-host a new blog, "Pay the Damn Writer" or "It's Not Yours Unless You Pay for It" or "Show Me the Damned Money" and invite writers of all stripes to share horror stories, scam stories, etc. .-= Roberta Rosenberg´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheCopywritingMaven/~3/8lTiuAmLwpg/" rel="nofollow">Friday Video Funnies: Are You F*cking Kidding Me? (Facebook Song)</a> =-. Tom, I think you and I should co-host a new blog, “Pay the Damn Writer” or “It’s Not Yours Unless You Pay for It” or “Show Me the Damned Money” and invite writers of all stripes to share horror stories, scam stories, etc.
.-= Roberta Rosenberg´s last blog ..Friday Video Funnies: Are You F*cking Kidding Me? (Facebook Song) =-.

]]> By: Paul Lagasse http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1969 Paul Lagasse Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:52:21 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1969 Thanks for this timely post. I've been lucky so far: while almost all my freelance work has been for hire, my clients also understand that they're not my only customer. When contracts have a noncompete clause, I've been able to substitute mutually-acceptable NDA language. .-= Paul Lagasse´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.avwrites.com/wordpress/?p=248" rel="nofollow">field report: documents to go for iphone (updated for 1.1)</a> =-. Thanks for this timely post. I’ve been lucky so far: while almost all my freelance work has been for hire, my clients also understand that they’re not my only customer. When contracts have a noncompete clause, I’ve been able to substitute mutually-acceptable NDA language.
.-= Paul Lagasse´s last blog ..field report: documents to go for iphone (updated for 1.1) =-.

]]> By: Tom Chandler http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1968 Tom Chandler Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:38:44 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1968 <blockquote cite="comment-85696"> <strong><a href="#comment-85696" rel="nofollow">Pete McDonald</a></strong>: “Exposure to what? Other people who want my pictures for free?” </blockquote> <blockquote cite="comment-85315"> Hilarious statement. "Exposure" is fast becoming a four-letter word among content creators...

Pete McDonald: “Exposure to what? Other people who want my pictures for free?”

Hilarious statement. “Exposure” is fast becoming a four-letter word among content creators…

]]> By: Pete McDonald http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1967 Pete McDonald Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:43:16 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1967 Just last week I had a conversation with a photographer who was approached about giving his photos away to a site for a credit. The premise was he'd get a ton of exposure. His response was, "Exposure to what? Other people who want my pictures for free?" The site publisher had no answer. If everyone's giving it away, then all the exposure in the world is worth exactly nothing. .-= Pete McDonald´s last blog ..<a href="http://fishingjones.com/2009/08/05/brown-beasties-from-out-west/" rel="nofollow">Brown Beasties From Out West</a> =-. Just last week I had a conversation with a photographer who was approached about giving his photos away to a site for a credit. The premise was he’d get a ton of exposure. His response was, “Exposure to what? Other people who want my pictures for free?” The site publisher had no answer. If everyone’s giving it away, then all the exposure in the world is worth exactly nothing.
.-= Pete McDonald´s last blog ..Brown Beasties From Out West =-.

]]> By: Sheri http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1966 Sheri Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:59:30 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1966 Watch for clients that sneak in non-compete restrictions in midst of their NDA (non-disclosure) agreement. The NDA is justifiable and I am fine with signing it - it's particularly important for technology companies or start-ups that must protect their trade secrets, business strategies, etc. Basically you agree not to disclose any of their confidential info. (Often you can negotiate the right to use marketing samples as long as the work has already been released to public.) BUT I've also seen many documents called "NDAs" that also had stealthy non-compete tenets too. READ EVERY WORD BEFORE SIGNING! I admit I've lost a few potential clients over my attempt to waive the non-compete portion, but I don't care. I can't see restricting my right to do business for 1-2 years for a $200 or $300 one-time job. Salaried staff position or 10k gig - sure. But otherwise, I feel it's very unreasonable to ask. Watch for clients that sneak in non-compete restrictions in midst of their NDA (non-disclosure) agreement.

The NDA is justifiable and I am fine with signing it – it’s particularly important for technology companies or start-ups that must protect their trade secrets, business strategies, etc. Basically you agree not to disclose any of their confidential info. (Often you can negotiate the right to use marketing samples as long as the work has already been released to public.)

BUT I’ve also seen many documents called “NDAs” that also had stealthy non-compete tenets too. READ EVERY WORD BEFORE SIGNING!

I admit I’ve lost a few potential clients over my attempt to waive the non-compete portion, but I don’t care. I can’t see restricting my right to do business for 1-2 years for a $200 or $300 one-time job. Salaried staff position or 10k gig – sure. But otherwise, I feel it’s very unreasonable to ask.

]]> By: The Best of Web Media – Saturday August 8, 2009 http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1965 The Best of Web Media – Saturday August 8, 2009 Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:17:02 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1965 [...] The New Deal: The Network Gets the Words; The Writer Gets The Shaft Tom Chandler points out that things are getting a little out of hand in the freelance writing market. Not only do they not want to pay, they want non-competes as well. Kind of surprised they aren’t asking for your bank account pin number while they’re at it. [...] [...] The New Deal: The Network Gets the Words; The Writer Gets The Shaft Tom Chandler points out that things are getting a little out of hand in the freelance writing market. Not only do they not want to pay, they want non-competes as well. Kind of surprised they aren’t asking for your bank account pin number while they’re at it. [...]

]]> By: John Soares http://writerunderground.com/2009/08/07/the-new-deal-the-network-gets-the-words-the-writer-gets-the-shaft/#comment-1964 John Soares Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:01:42 +0000 http://copywriterunderground.com/?p=565#comment-1964 Nearly all of my writing projects are work for hire, but that's normal and expected in my field. Several times contracts have had non-compete clauses. I successfully had them deleted. Nearly all of my writing projects are work for hire, but that’s normal and expected in my field.

Several times contracts have had non-compete clauses. I successfully had them deleted.

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