RDA's new U.S. magazines don't pay Canadian freelancers for re-using articles
Reader's Digest Association CEO Mary Berner won't disclose how much RDA is spending on its magazine launches Fresh Home and Best You. But, according to the New York Post, Berner told Media Ink the cost is "far below the cost of a traditional magazine launch".
A friend tells us, however, that one of the ways costs have been kept down is that RDA is not paying second rights to the Canadian (and Australian) writers for re-using their previously published articles; these form the bulk of the content in the two new magazines.
A friend tells us, however, that one of the ways costs have been kept down is that RDA is not paying second rights to the Canadian (and Australian) writers for re-using their previously published articles; these form the bulk of the content in the two new magazines.
Fresh Home is a U.S. version of an Australian magazine that hits newsstands on Monday with 300,000 copies; Best You is a U.S. version built on the previously launched Best Health magazine from Canada, and due to launch next month.
posted by D. B. Scott at
5:04 pm
6 Comments:
Do we know what the legal justification is? Is it part of the contract the writers signed? Or do writers have cause to sue?
Yup. This is covered in the contract. RD pays extra for certain uses, but this isn't one of them.
You can see the US side of this issue at http://www.woodenhorsepub.com/newsalerts.html.
Meg Weaver
Wooden Horse Magazines Database
http://www.woodenhorsepub.com
mweaver@woodenhorsepub.com
(503) 338-4300
What they're doing is entirely legal. They pay a higher rate than other Canadian consumer magazines and as part of the package of rights they buy, include the right to republish in other editions in other countries. So in fact, they've already paid the Canadian freelancers for re-using the article--perhaps not as much as you'd get if you sold second rights on a country by country basis, but you are getting something.
I'm not sure anyone is saying that what they are doing is illegal. I'm sure RD's contract is watertight. But that's not the point being made. Essentially, freelance writers are subsidizing one of the largest publishing companies in the world to launch new magazines.
Freelancers are subsidizing publishing companies everywhere. At least with RD, we're getting more than 30 cents a word and they pay on time.
But, yeah, it's disappointing. The whole industry is.
Anonymous 1
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