Giving up my Rights?
So, I've found a great writing contest. My definition of great?
1.) No entrance fee required
2.) Reputable and large publishing house sponsor
3.) Publishing credit upon being selected as a *winner*
4.) Did I mention contacts at a large publishing house for an imprint my writing would fit?
What's the problem? Well, they want to retain the rights to my work. Specifically (after digging into the legal jargon):
"By submitting an entry, all entrants grant Sponsor the absolute and unconditional right and authority to copy, edit, publish, promote, broadcast or otherwise use, in whole or in part, their entries, in perpetuity, in any manner without further permission, notice or compensation. "*
Ummm... what? Let's pretend a moment shall we. I submit. I *win* and get published. I get paid for the win and published and then... nothing. Ever. Other than a publishing credit (not just any publishing credit, remember this is a big guy, NY publishing house).
Sigh. What to do? Do I enter for a chance at winning and then just chalk it up to a publish clip if I actually have a chance at winning? Or do I just NOT enter out of pure principle.
Here's a link to the contest. Make sure you read the official rules and let me know what you think. (Of course, this is all a pipe dream--as it is all dependent on my story actually winning. Just entertain me and let me know your thoughts).
1.) No entrance fee required
2.) Reputable and large publishing house sponsor
3.) Publishing credit upon being selected as a *winner*
4.) Did I mention contacts at a large publishing house for an imprint my writing would fit?
What's the problem? Well, they want to retain the rights to my work. Specifically (after digging into the legal jargon):
"By submitting an entry, all entrants grant Sponsor the absolute and unconditional right and authority to copy, edit, publish, promote, broadcast or otherwise use, in whole or in part, their entries, in perpetuity, in any manner without further permission, notice or compensation. "*
Ummm... what? Let's pretend a moment shall we. I submit. I *win* and get published. I get paid for the win and published and then... nothing. Ever. Other than a publishing credit (not just any publishing credit, remember this is a big guy, NY publishing house).
Sigh. What to do? Do I enter for a chance at winning and then just chalk it up to a publish clip if I actually have a chance at winning? Or do I just NOT enter out of pure principle.
Here's a link to the contest. Make sure you read the official rules and let me know what you think. (Of course, this is all a pipe dream--as it is all dependent on my story actually winning. Just entertain me and let me know your thoughts).
