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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/17/womans-weeklys-exploitative-contracts-anger-authors
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| Woman's Weekly's 'exploitative' contracts anger authors | Woman's Weekly's 'exploitative' contracts anger authors |
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| The new issue of the Woman’s Weekly fiction special is out now, promising its readers short stories from writers who “never fail to come up with new twists and turns and unexpected plots”. But, in a twist that may have surprised the editors, authors are up in arms over a new contract that demands all rights for any story it publishes. | The new issue of the Woman’s Weekly fiction special is out now, promising its readers short stories from writers who “never fail to come up with new twists and turns and unexpected plots”. But, in a twist that may have surprised the editors, authors are up in arms over a new contract that demands all rights for any story it publishes. |
| Woman’s Weekly has been a British newsstand favourite for a century, with its blend of cakes and crochet, fiction and fashion. It is now part of media giant TI Media, which produces magazines including Homes & Gardens and Marie Claire. | Woman’s Weekly has been a British newsstand favourite for a century, with its blend of cakes and crochet, fiction and fashion. It is now part of media giant TI Media, which produces magazines including Homes & Gardens and Marie Claire. |
| The new contract cuts its fee per story from £150 to £100, and demands that writers assign them, in the words of one contract seen by the Guardian, “all of your right, title and interest in, and to, the copyright and all other rights of every kind or description in the material(s) commissioned from you, throughout the World whether those rights are now known or are created in the future and in each case for the full period of existence of those rights”. | The new contract cuts its fee per story from £150 to £100, and demands that writers assign them, in the words of one contract seen by the Guardian, “all of your right, title and interest in, and to, the copyright and all other rights of every kind or description in the material(s) commissioned from you, throughout the World whether those rights are now known or are created in the future and in each case for the full period of existence of those rights”. |
| The contract also gives TI Media rights to adaptation and moral rights, meaning the story can be republished without a credit, and requires the author to seek permission to republish it in a book. | The contract also gives TI Media rights to adaptation and moral rights, meaning the story can be republished without a credit, and requires the author to seek permission to republish it in a book. |
| One author who writes for Woman’s Weekly regularly under the name Jo Styles, said that she would not be signing the new contract. | One author who writes for Woman’s Weekly regularly under the name Jo Styles, said that she would not be signing the new contract. |
| “This has been going on for more than six weeks now and as far as I know most regulars have simply stopped sending in work. I know I have. It hasn’t been easy, obviously, as this is my only source of income,” said Styles. | “This has been going on for more than six weeks now and as far as I know most regulars have simply stopped sending in work. I know I have. It hasn’t been easy, obviously, as this is my only source of income,” said Styles. |
| She said that when she questioned the contract and asked why TI Media needed all rights, she was avoided or ignored. She wrote: “I know that being a full-time short-story writer I was a rarity in this industry, but still somehow I was making it work. Until the changes at Woman’s Weekly at least. I feel the biggest shame in all of this is that the company is forcing writers to attack Woman’s Weekly, a magazine we have loved and supported for years. It is a terrible time for us all and we suspect at its heart is pure greed.” She has received no response. | She said that when she questioned the contract and asked why TI Media needed all rights, she was avoided or ignored. She wrote: “I know that being a full-time short-story writer I was a rarity in this industry, but still somehow I was making it work. Until the changes at Woman’s Weekly at least. I feel the biggest shame in all of this is that the company is forcing writers to attack Woman’s Weekly, a magazine we have loved and supported for years. It is a terrible time for us all and we suspect at its heart is pure greed.” She has received no response. |
| Writer Tara Westgate said she had also turned down the £100 for all rights in her 2,000-word story: “I believe that the new terms are unfair and unacceptable, and I will not sell stories to Women’s Weekly if it means giving up all rights. The income of writers has been falling for many years. It is harder and harder for writers to make a living.” | Writer Tara Westgate said she had also turned down the £100 for all rights in her 2,000-word story: “I believe that the new terms are unfair and unacceptable, and I will not sell stories to Women’s Weekly if it means giving up all rights. The income of writers has been falling for many years. It is harder and harder for writers to make a living.” |
| Chocolat author Joanne Harris, who has not written for Woman’s Weekly herself, described the new terms as “a completely unfair and exploitative deal”, while the Society of Authors (SoA) said it was “neither appropriate nor necessary”. | Chocolat author Joanne Harris, who has not written for Woman’s Weekly herself, described the new terms as “a completely unfair and exploitative deal”, while the Society of Authors (SoA) said it was “neither appropriate nor necessary”. |
| “It should be possible to agree terms that leave Woman’s Weekly with all the rights and freedoms they need, but still recognise authors’ concerns. This should be achievable with a bit of ingenuity and goodwill,” said the SoA’s Kate Pool. “Of course, the financial issue is paramount to authors. Payment should relate to use, so a one-off fee to cover all potential uses is a massive underpayment.” | “It should be possible to agree terms that leave Woman’s Weekly with all the rights and freedoms they need, but still recognise authors’ concerns. This should be achievable with a bit of ingenuity and goodwill,” said the SoA’s Kate Pool. “Of course, the financial issue is paramount to authors. Payment should relate to use, so a one-off fee to cover all potential uses is a massive underpayment.” |
| A spokesperson for TI Media said it would continue to credit authors and that it asked writers to waive their moral rights to “work without restrictions, for example making edits to the piece”. | A spokesperson for TI Media said it would continue to credit authors and that it asked writers to waive their moral rights to “work without restrictions, for example making edits to the piece”. |
| “The company will consider writers’ requests to republish work we have acquired on a case-by-case basis,” said the spokesperson. “In common with all print publishers in a challenging market, there is a need to manage costs to ensure the future of our magazines … we value the contribution of the writers of our short stories and we hope that we can continue to work together in future.” | “The company will consider writers’ requests to republish work we have acquired on a case-by-case basis,” said the spokesperson. “In common with all print publishers in a challenging market, there is a need to manage costs to ensure the future of our magazines … we value the contribution of the writers of our short stories and we hope that we can continue to work together in future.” |
| Authors’ earnings have dropped by 42% since 2005 to under £10,500 a year. According to the latest report by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, the average full-time writer earns only £5.73 per hour – £2 less than the UK minimum wage for those over 25. | Authors’ earnings have dropped by 42% since 2005 to under £10,500 a year. According to the latest report by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, the average full-time writer earns only £5.73 per hour – £2 less than the UK minimum wage for those over 25. |
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