Dealing with "Harsh" Rejection

Gawker has a tale of a writer who received what she thought was an overly harsh rejection from a Village Voice editor. Here's the original note:

I'd shoot myself before I had anything like Julia Allison in this paper. What you're pitching sounds like the 256th version of Sex in the City, and that's so played out. I'm satisfied with the two sex columns I have now, and I really don't have room for additional columns at the moment. But thanks for thinking of us.

What did the writer do? Send it on to someone who was likely to publish it. Any doubts as to whether this will get back to the editor? If so, then I also have a bridge I'm trying to peddle.

From what I've seen in a thread on Freelance Success, some writers think the editor was trying to be funny, and some agree that he was being nasty. My take is that it shouldn't matter. If you don't like the way an editor works, then don't work with the editor. This tactic has not only burned the bridge with that editor, but anyone that editor knows. Such things don't stay secret.

but even more importantly, whether you like the tone of the editor's response or not, it was a gold mine for marketing. Suddenly you've got a grasp of the editor's sensibilities and tastes, great market info (no room for more columns, meaning that to sell one you'd have to find supplant the weakest column there, which is a tough sell), and a bit more understanding of editorial strategy than when you started. This is a prime case for not taking things personally and, instead, being thankful that someone let his guard down and helped you by accidentally disclosing information that you couldn't buy.

Uncover Cybersquatters

As you become better known, you may become the target of cybersquatters. These are people who try to capture traffic that would otherwise go to your web site. Their intent might be to see if they can make online ad revenue from the diverted audience, to twist your arm into buying the rights to the domain, or even to pull a scam.

Ideally you should have registered other variations of your domain, such as .net, .org, .biz, and so on. To see if you're covered your bases, go to the Internic Whois server, which lets you look for different domain names, and check variations on your domain name.

Next, see if there are any typosquatters - people who try to anticipate how people might misspell a domain name or type in a good, but wrong, guess as to what it might be. BCI Law Group has a free tool that will do various searches.

If you're doing work on a corporate website, this can be a valuable extra value service you can toss in to help build good will and alert the client to potential problems.

Keeping Your Eye on the Right Numbers

In my business planning classes, I've often advocated knowing how much money you need to make in any month to reach your goals, and that's fine as it stands. But there is a danger when you think that you directly affect those numbers. By force of effort, you cannot force people to do business with you or to work on your schedule. What you can control, though, is the amount and quality of your effort.

To be successful, you don't keep saying "I have to sell X to this client." That feeds a sense of neediness which can actually drive customers away. Your target number is supposed to be a goal that you can use to see how your progress goes. But if you're hiking, you don't get to the summit faster by thinking, "I have to get to the summit faster." Rather, you put one foot in front of the other, concentrate on keeping your cadence, and continually look for the best route.

In business, and that's what we're all in, the equivalent is that you focus on making another sales call, on generating another idea, on following up with another client. You can't compel someone to send a check your way, but you can make yourself work for another hour on efforts that to go marketing and sales. When you do that, you get on the right side of statistics and have the law of averages working for you. You take care of that one extra thing to keep a client happy or call one more source to set up a greater chance that a client will ask you to do more work in the future.

So, there are two numbers. There is the goal that shows you the way, and then there are those numbers you can directly influence. Know where you want to go, keep directing your efforts where you can effectively, and eventually you will succeed.

Check on Invoices Early and Often - at First

I find that most companies have their own rhythms when it comes to payment - their own processes, cash flow, and requirements. Often the buyer at the client - whether editor, corporation, or organization - doesn't think much about those processes. Your first invoice with someone is always tricky because the accounting department has to get you into the account payable system as a vendor, which might require additional authorization than just getting an invoice signed and passed in.

So on that crucial first invoice, I check right when it's due - sometimes asking the person I dealt with, but more frequently, now, going right to the accounts payable department. These people aren't shy about talking money and actually expect to hear from their vendors with problems and questions. Call and ask how the process works and see if they have your invoice. Explain that this is a regular process you go through to make sure things are working smoothly and to better understand their process, and that you're not standing over their shoulder about when you will be paid for this particular check. If there is a problem, like someone not filling out paperwork or an invoice not arriving from the buyer, then you can start taking corrective action rather than waiting weeks more and getting your stomach in a know. It's just business - so just take care of it.

Filing DMCA Complaints

If you've ever found some of your work posted on the Web without your permission, you know it can be an upsetting experience. Someone is taking and using your property without so much as a by-your-leave. Many writers will try to track down the site owner and either threaten legal action (impossible to do if you haven't registered copyright) or send an invoice (often ignored).

There is another choice: the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Under US law, if the ISP that hosts the Web site is in the US, then it must respond to a demand from a copyright holder to remove material that is posted without permission. I've added a file under Writer Resources with a summary of what you have to include in such a request and a short primer in how to find which ISP hosts a site.

Business, Accident, and the Law of Averages

Accident plays a much larger part in business than most of us like to think. I don't mean that the people who do well are only lucky, though some seem to be. But by and large, you actually make your own luck. If you are working enough, and in an effective way, then assignments, whether corporate or editorial, will come your way.

It's law of large numbers - that is to say, the law of averages. This concept is that when things happen at random - that is, by accident - and there are enough of them, you will inevitably see patterns come out. The end results are predictable, like dropping marbles down one of those devices that are a board with lots of pegs, so they can bounce this way or that. You can't predict where any single marble will land, but you know that some small percentage will be all the way at the ends and that the numbers increase until they hit a maximum in the middle, producing the classic bell curve.

There is a lot of accident in business. Sometimes clients need writing, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they'll want certain topics or treatments, and sometimes others. Sometimes it's one person at a company or publisher who needs something, and sometimes it's another. You don't know for sure which one will need help on any given day. But, you know that if you take enough clients together, some of them will need help on any given day. The more with whom you're in contact, the greater a chance that you'll talk to the ones that need the help when you'd like the work.

To make marketing effective, you have to take the long view. You also have to be in contact with enough people that you hear about the work coming in that is available. That's why numbers are so important in marketing and sales, and why you must keep making marketing efforts even when the work is coming in.

Sometimes it will seem that work comes in for no particular reason, but I've found that such happy occurrences generally happen when I'm working hard at developing my business, and it's the constant effort that makes things work. If you don't make the marketing effort, well, you might have some business show up of its own accord, but chances are that you won't be making much of a living. If you do make the regular and sustained efforts, you will eventually have success - it's mathematical.

Building a Professional Network

Many people join writing organizations or sign on for professional service options because they feel the need to network. I can understand it - I've joined organizations in the past and keep active on Freelance Success (not only is there community, but the best market guides I've seen at an unreasonably reasonable price). And that can do early on for meeting other writers from a large geographic area.

But as your time in the industry grows, you'll probably find yourself craving a more specific set of interactions. For example, you might want to toss ideas around with people who share a specialty, or who have an equivalent degree of experience. For that, you will need to create your own network. It doesn't mean that you forgo areas you already frequent - though you may find yourself growing apart from some, and that can be completely natural. I find myself involved with a number of different microcosms of writers: emails with one set here, a private discussion group of about a dozen writers there.

When considering your own networks, remember that you will have a few things you'll need from the collection of communities:

• There must be some writers that you can help. By teaching, you make conscious that which you know from experience, which lets you more intelligently work. This also lets you pay back some of the enormous debt we all incur through life.


• You must be able to learn from others. That means, there have to be writers with at least as much experience as you, who have digested those lessons differently from you, so they will have another set of insights that can instruct.


• You need to have an atmosphere of underlying amicability. That doesn't mean constant agreement, and it doesn't mean avoiding conflict. You can't learn or grow without some disagreements. But be sure people are willing to express their difference with you and listen to yours with them in a professional manner.


• Don't approach networking from a sense of dependency. If you're hoping that a given set of writers will be a good source of work leads, you're heading in the wrong direction. Most of what you can share with colleagues is more fundamental than specific assignments.

It's a strange balance, because on one hand, these people often won't be close friends as you're used to. However, they're not going to be mere acquaintances. I like the word colleagues; it indicates a specialized friendship where the ties go deeper than convenience.

Resource: Jane Espenson's Blog

Have you felt the urge to write for television? It means cranking out a spec script to show that you can do what it is you want to do. If you're determined, then to go Jane Espenson's blog. She's a television writer with impressive credits and a willingness to share great information and experience in writing for television and creating spec scripts. For example, her advice the other day was to be wary if you hear some catchy phrase on the street, because by the time you decide to put it into a script, viral distribution will make it seem old. Instead, she suggests, use the structure to develop your own saying. Very smart advice - and, apparently, plenty more.

On Rate Cards

I recently took part in an online conversation about rate cards. A writer had a client asking for one and didn't know what to put on it. My suggestion was to avoid rate cards entirely. When clients ask for rate cards, what they really seek, whether they think of it this way or not, is control over what you do and how you charge.

An hourly rate could potentially vary depending on the nature of the project ... and the client. And how can you quote a project rate when you don't know anything about the project's details? Recently I was asked for a corporate rate and I mentioned a range within which I'd typically work, but I can't offer a single number Some projects rquire me to deliver more value - not time, but value. They may require specific expertise or information. Why should I offer that at the same rate a simple press release or front of book article might take?

If a client wants something that completely predictable without offering any details as to what the work entails, then perhaps finding another client would be the best thing.

A Corrected View on Personal Jurisdiction

On the first day of August I wrote about the issue of personal jurisdiction in contracts. Since then I've been able to reach my publishing lawyer and discuss the issue with him, as I was vaguely unsatisfied with what I had read. He gave me a more accurate view. The issue of personal jurisdiction is not that unusual, in the sense that parties to a contract are generally subject to the jurisdiction of where they take place. Things used to get a little odd in the early days of the country. If you had done business with someone in another state - even if the border were only a few miles away - you generally couldn't even serve them with papers unless you could catch them in your state.

That's has gone to the wayside, and generally if you sign a contract with another party in a second state, either of you can potentially be subject to the jurisdiction of either state when it comes to a law suit. That's why I have generally suggested to be wary of clauses that restrict jurisdiction of the city or county where your client resides, because you may not want to travel to protect your contractual rights.

The lawyer said that the concept of personal jurisdiction was generally tied in to specifying the area in which action would have to take place - back to that concept of giving the other party automatic jurisdiction. And if that had been the case, the phrase probably wouldn't have caught my eye so much. However, it was personal jurisdiction untied to any location.

The lawyer said that was largely gobbledygook, because without the location, it had no significant meaning. So if you see the phrase sitting along, not tied to a specific place - like personal jurisdiction in Nevada - then chances are you don't have anything to worry about from it. Sorry about any misunderstanding I've caused - the issue of contracts is one where you can never get so "experienced" that you can't learn even more, and the more you learn, the better off you are.

Diversify Out of Danger

As I've written on this blog and said to people in talks and courses, you have to be able to walk away from a deal if you're going to negotiate with any integrity. Anything less and you are a psychological slave. The answer I've often heard is, "But I need the work. I need the money. I can't say no!"

I understand the pressure of having to bring in cash and feeling at a disadvantage when contractual issues come up. What you need to do at times like that is work like mad at marketing so you can diversify out of the danger areas. For example, I'm increasing the amount of corporate work I take on to raise my income and, as importantly, to make myself less vulnerable.

I don't expect to keep rights for corporate work. I also know that I'm not going to run anywhere close to the same risks under such things as libel and right of privacy. If it takes two months to get paid - well, it's not that much longer than publishers, and in some cases it can be shorter.

Now I'm sure some will say, "But I don't like doing corporate work!" Then find something else - teaching, maybe, or editing, or work for non-profits. But definitely start developing the attitude that if you're going to be in business, you can't guarantee that you'll be in love with everything you do. Not even great artists have that luxury. Think Michelangelo or Rembrandt or Bach never had to consider clients?

Sometimes you won't work with someone because you find it too distressing, but you have a duty to keep yourself financially sound enough to do the work that is important. The sooner you diversify enough to operate your business while minimizing your risk, the sooner you can be picky about the types of work that you want to do. You've undoubtedly heard of suffering for your art or craft. I think many in the creative fields don't really grasp the concept. They think they have to be miserable to produce good work. Not at all.

To suffer for art means that you undertake and solve difficult situations so you can stay on track with what is important. It doesn't mean living in an impoverished state. It means working hard enough, and bearing what seems unpleasant to you enough, so that you can do what is more important. If you can't manage that much for your duties to craft - let alone family and society - then you should get out of the business, because continuing is irresponsible and affects not just you, but everyone around you.

The Power of Silence in Negotiations: Part 2

Yesterday I mentioned the theory of keeping quite in negotiations. Here's an example based on a negotiation I recently did; the details are changed, but the essence of the conversation remains the same. Background: the client had talked about a starter rate, which I remembered. I had just completed a second assignment, and had been paid for the first but found that the company was messing up the second. Also, after my simple statements, I kept quiet and let the pressure build:

Erik: "I do need to get this pay issue straighted out."

Client: (embarrassed) "Yes, I know, I'll get to work on it - you did a good job on it."

Erik: "Oh, and I was also remembering that you had mentioned $1.50 as a starting rate."

Client: "Oh, right, I did. What do you usually get?"

Erik: "For this sort of work, it's a bit over the map, but $2 a word and more is hardly unheard of."

Client: "Usually I only pay $2 a word to subject experts who also happen to be able to write clearly. It makes life a lot easier on me. I see that as kind of the top of what I can do..."

Erik: "Tell you what, let's go to $1.75 for now. But I am providing some pretty good topics and solid stories to you, right?"

Client: "Yes, you are."

Erik: "So I want to keep the option open to return to the topic at a later date."

Client: "Ok, so the new assignment you're about to start will be at $1.75 a word."

I had the sense that she was putting her back against the wall on the $2/word, which is why I went to what I did. But I left the negotiation controlling the future and will be able, in another few stories, when she's really hooked on what I'm doing, to emphasize what I bring that the technical experts don't and push for more. Also, by making statements and then keeping quite, I added pressure to her and took the upper hand.

You do have to keep yourself under check and be willing to let the pressure sit on the client. If you let the tension get to you and start talking to let the person off the hook, you could find that you talk your way out of whatever you were hoping to gain.

The Power of Silence in Negotiations: Part 1

One trick that many practiced negotiators use will sound familiar to any journalist: keep quite and let the other person talk. In an interview, the practice often results in the interviewee becoming uncomfortable and beginning to say all sorts of things to fill the dreaded quiet. In that rush of words, you can pick up gold.

In negotiations, the gold you pick up can be more the folding currency type. Although a good negotiator won't get rattled by this, you'd be surprised at the number of people in corporations and pubications who really are poor negotiators. That is one reason you'll hear things like "the lawyers make us do this," because they really are sweating bullets. In negotiating, though, you go one step further. You want the other person not just to talk, but to talk first, at least in terms of substantial issues. When it comes to discussing rates, for example, speak up long enough to ask, "What is your budget for this project?" or "How much do you typically pay for this sort of project?"

You might get someone pushing back, asking "What would you charge?" or "What do you usually get?" But usually the person will start spilling inforation that is useful. You might learn that the rate is absurdly low from your view, which means you'll have to structure the conversation one way. Or it might be that they're open to larger fees than you realized, and then you continue the negotiation another.

There is a great story about how this technique can work. Thomas Edison and his advisor had brought the inventor's latest device - the ticker tape - to a famous banker. They asked how he might be able to use such a machine, but they already knew what the answer would be. The information would let the banker react more quickly and beat out competitors.

The banker offered something like $5,000, a considerable amount of money at the time. Edison and advisor kept quite. The banker - and mind you, this person would normally be an expert negotiator - immediately offered more and was greeted by more silence. This happened a few times until the guy offered something like $150,000 and said it was his final offer. They accepted and signed and the banker gloated becaue he had been willing to go as high as $175,000 or so. Edison told him, "I would have settled for $10,000."

When it comes to negotiations, silence is your friend. Tomorrow, I'll show an example from my own recent experience.

Ten Periodical Market Research Sites

Doing research on a potential client always makes sense. If you're writing for periodicals, here are some resources that you're likely to find useful:

• Magazine Publishers of America The trade organization has many research resources available, even if you aren't a member.
  
• Periodical Publishers Association Interested in the UK magazine market? This is a magazine publishing trade organization in the country. Check the member list for many names with whom you're probably not familiar.


• Folio Magazine This is the trade magazine for the magazine industry. See trends, who's doing well, and industry scuttlebut that can help you better target potential clients.


• Editor & Publisher What Folio is for the magazine business, E&P is for newspapers. I generally stay away from newspapers as paying poorly, but you might find some useful information if the market fits your business plans somehow.


• Jim Romenesko Romenesko's column at Poynter is one of the great resources for rumors, and it also points to many relevant articles.


• Mediabistro.comThe media news roundup is good, and you can even get it emailed to you without having to be a paid member.


• Yahoo News and Media Listings Although not exhaustive, these catalog listings of magazines, newspapers, journals, and other media can be a time saver when you want to see some of the variety of publications on the market.


• Google News Directory Not the same as Google News, it's a set of categories listings like those of Yahoo.


• BoSacks Media Intelligence Good sources of news affecting the publishing industry, extending into all aspects of the business, compiled by an industry consultant.


• Custom Publishing Council This industry group has lists of custom publishers, which is a great research tool and potential lead generator for writers.

Lawyer Robert S. Becker Responds to SPJ posts

I had a comment come in on my latest post about SPJ president Christine Tatum's latest blog entry about the organization backing down from its support of the amicus brief in the Faulkner case. The comment was from a lawyer who said he was the one that Ms. Tatum quoted. Because I would like to comment on his response, I think it would be clearest for me to post it here and address it section by section.

Because I'm the lawyer Christine quoted let me try and set things a little straighter than Erik. First, here's what sec. 201(c) of the Copyright Act says:

(c) Contributions to collective works. Copyright in each separate contribution to a collective work is distinct from copyright in the collective work as a whole, and vests initially in the author of the contribution. In the absence of an express transfer of the copyright or any rights under it, the owner of copyright in the collective work is presumed to have acquired only the privilege of reproducing and distributing the contribution as part of that particular collective work, any revision of that collective work, and any later collective work in the same series.

That certainly reads the same was as the copy of the copyright statutes I keep on hand in my office.

In Tasini the Supreme Court clearly drew a distinction between databases accumulating individual articles and collections of individual issues of a publication into bound volumes. It said, "Microforms typically contain continuous photographic reproductions of a periodical in the medium of miniaturized film. Accordingly, articles appear on the microforms, writ very small, in precisely the position in which the articles appeared in the newspaper.... True, the microfilm roll contains multiple editions, and the microfilm user can adjust the machine lens to focus only on the Article, to the exclusion of surrounding material. Nonetheless, the user first encounters the Article in context. In the Databases, by contrast, the Articles appear disconnected from their original context. In NEXIS and NYTO, the user sees the "Jane" Article apart even from the remainder of page 26. In GPO, the user ses the Article within the context of page 26, but clear of the content of page 25 or 27, the rest of the Magazine, or the remainder of the day's newspaper. In short, unlike microforms, the Databases do not perceptibly reproduce articles as part of the collective work to which the author contributed or as part of any "revision" thereof. 533 U.S. 483, 516 - 17.

Let's take a look at the first two sentences that open the paragraph Mr. Becker quoted: "The Publishers press an analogy between the Databases, on the one hand, and microfilm and microfiche, on the other. We find the analogy wanting." To me, that says the publishers were trying to expand the bounds of existing rights to cover new forms of publishing. Now consider Mr. Becker's next remarks with some context:

My understanding, at least, is that National Geographic created a CD containing the entire issue of the magazine.

Then, Mr. Becker, you apparently didn't read the decision and haven't seen the product. Some photos were taken out of context and put only a splash screen. Yes, the pages were reproduced - which is why I and some others said that there is hardly a slam dunk argument either way - but there were some other differences from the magazines as well. This version allowed searching, which brings it closer to a database. The user can apparently jump right to an article without having to actually see much of the greater context. There were also additional differences:

In October 1997, defendant Eastman Kodak Company (“Kodak”) entered into a co-sponsorship agreement with NGI, Mindscape and Dataware pursuant to which Kodak would pay a fee to NGI for placement of a Kodak promotional message at the beginning of CNG CD-ROMs and advertising on the product package. Beginning with the 110 year product, each version has contained a very short summary of each article that appears on the list of “hits” generated by the search engine in response to user queries. Capabilities have been added to the software. All, however, contain a Replica section.

So, there is a search capabilities that brings up summaries of the articles before you go to the page with the article. That may or may not be within the intent of the copyright statutes, but certainly this is different from even microfiche reproduction. And, in one of the footnotes, we see this:

Additions to CNG 110 and its later iterations include: (a) an introductory tutorial, (b) new interactive software tools, such as a tool to darken text for easier reading and another tool to rotate images, (c) bookmarking capabilities, and (d) a search and save feature. See e.g., Pl. Opp. 56.1 St. (Ward DI 66) ¶ 14; Wells Decl. (Psihoyos DI 14) ¶ 21; Pl. Joint Reply 56.1 St. (Faulkner DI 87) ¶ 10. Other software capabilities not available in the Magazine include the ability to print digital pages and links to the NGS website.

To my eyes, at least, this sounds significantly different from a straight scanning and reproduction of the pages on a CD. If the issue was clarity, then, as I have written multiple times, a decision either way would have added clarity. In fact, given that the judge decided that the changes did not rise to the level of making the CD version different from a reproduction of the magazines, I'd argue that the decision in favor of NG actually increased uncertainty, because it opens a door part way for publishers to continue pushing. Now let's look at more of the decision:

The defendants here suggest that Tasini made clear what the Greenberg panel, in their view, misunderstood: as long as an individual work appears in its original context, the resulting product qualifies as a permissible reproduction or revision of a collective work under Section 201(c). They press the microform analogy, arguing that the CNG is precisely the kind of product evidently envisioned by the Court as being consistent with the rights possessed by the holder of a copyright in a collective work under Section 201(c).

I think the question for copyright owners is whether mechanisms like dimming content and being able to rotate images is really maintaining the original context.

Although the judge found that, in this case, the changes noted did not, in his opinion, rise to the level of of a material fact because the vast majority of the reproductions were exact and because the changes owed to regional , he is admitting that the magazine did make some changes and even update advertisements. So where will the cut-off for changes be? I thought SPJ supported this decision because it will make things clearer, but this is inviting future litigation if publishers push to see how many changes they can make. That is hardly clearer. Now back to more from Mr. Becker:

Erik claims the CD is not the functional equivalent of a bound volume because it is electronically searchable. I don't see anything in Tasini that draws such a distinction. The Court drew a distinction based on presentation, reproduction of the article in the context in which it was originally published versus collection in a database divorced from the original publication.

Mr. Becker, I find this argument disingenuous. When addressing functional equivalence, I was responding directly to Ms. Tatum quoting you, I believe:

"After the 2d circuit decision I expect the publishers to do the same. The only difference here is that the contracts will explicitly set out what has been industry custom until now: you don't get paid more merely because the publisher creates the functional equivalent of bound volumes."

If functional equivalence of bound volumes wasn't pertinent, why, then, did you bring it up? Since you did bring it up, I replied. But, please, don't start objecting to my responding to a point you made and that Ms. Tatum quoted.

If Erik and others have issues with SPJ's initial decision to join the amicus brief and/or Baker & Hostetler's role in that decision and/or Baker & Hostetler's representation of media corporations that is an entirely different matter.

A number of us disagreed that support of the decision would be in the best of freelancers. I and some others also wondered whether there was at least an apparent conflict of interest because the law firm had National Geographic as a client. And, technically, these are, indeed, different matters from whether the CD version of the magazines is a revision or a new product.

Christine and SPJ took a position and had the courage to step back from it in response to criticism. I would hope that others, including Erik, at least have the courage to admit that the 2d Circuit opinion is consistent with prevailing precedent and move on to discussion of how to protect freelancers' legitimate concerns about being compensated fairly for their work.

I've yet to see either you, Ms. Tatum, or anyone else show that the reasoning in the opinion is beyond reproach. and that is almost immaterial compared to the larger point of whether it will help or injure freelancers. The real issue was whether SPJ was helpful or injurious to freelancers in its stand. Given the tone with which Ms. Tatum backed off, I don't see the retraction as courageous so much as trying to get out of the line of fire.

As for the discussion of how to protect freelance concerns, why, Mr. Becker, I and others, whom you and/or Ms. Tatum have criticized as ill-informed and not addressing the most important issues, have been involved in this discussion for, oh, a good seven or eight years at least in time-consuming and active ways. Please don't act as though this is an idea that you and Ms. Tatum have clearly seen just now and that the rest of us have missed. If anything, you are coming many years late to the discussion.

Review: Ubuntu for Non-Geeks

For those who tire of a Microsoft hegemony on their laptops and desktop PCs, there is another choice: Linux. This open source and essentially free version of Unix has the reputation of being for the über-techie, but if you want to give it a shot, there's a version called Ubuntu (a South African terms that means "humanity towards others") that may be up your alley. The book Ubuntu for Non-Geeks (2nd. edition) claims to be "a hands-on, project-based, take-it-slow guidebook for those interested in - but nervous about - switching to the Linux operating system."

I'd largely agree with this, and at $34.95, which includes a CD with the operating system (you can even try it before fully installing it on your hard drive), it's a cheap experiment. However, depending on what you want to do, it may be a bit trickier, technically, than the book implies.

Trying the oeprating system was as easy as putting the CD into my drive and rebooting. I had a problem with my laptop, whose hardware required me to press the F12 key to pick the booting device. (Typically the PC will first try to boot off the CD, if there is one present, and then the hard drive.) But it passed quickly enough.

The operating system is reasonably easy to learn, is much faster than Windows given the same hardware, and comes with a complete suite of software that includes spreadsheet, database, presentation creator, and word processor. You can save out in Microsoft-type formats, so you get compatibility. (I didn't try this with complicated documents, as I've seen such "save as" features in other packages to be restricted in what they could do.) There is even a version of GIMP, which is a full-featured image editor that some people use instead of paying for Photoshop.

I did eventually install Ubuntu onto the hard drives of both my computers, though as a dual boot: when the computer starts, I can choose either Ubuntu or Windows. But getting everything to work can be a little tricky. For example, many modems depend on leveraging the processing power of Windows and the PC's hardware, and that doesn't necessarily work well with Linux. The book has directions of where to look on the web for help in configuring a modem, but it can be a complex process. (It's a big thing here, because I'm so far out in rural area that we only have dial-up.) To get it to work, you hneed to be online, but to be on line you need it to work - a telecommunications Catch 22. I've copied the files I need (I think) to the Windows part of my hard drive, and when I have time I need to copy it to a CD to then make it available to Ubuntu when I boot that up. You see what I mean - this can take patience. But working with wireless appears that it might be easier, although I haven't had a chance to try that, as my laptop is now in the shop for an unrelated problem.

Overall, I like the book, but if you're interested in giving it a shot, be sure to treat it as an experiment until you have the chance to see how easily you adapt to the system, and run it for a while from the CD to get your C-legs. (Sorry, that's a joke for the true techies.)

Incorrect Information Again from SPJ President

I keep telling myself that I will stop paying attention to the SPJ/National Geographic debacle, and every time president Christine Tatum makes statements that, at least to me, seem completely off the mark and incorrect. These come from comments she made on her own post.

You guys aren't going to like anything I have to say about this. We just disagree on the merits of this particular brief. I have nothing to apologize for -- and, as long as you keep the discussion civil, neither do you. The world spins on.

Actually, Ms. Tatum has been the one essentially calling freelancers ignorant. She hasn't once that I've seen tried to back up her claims with reasoning. That is the real point irritating freelancers. A number of us have said taht there are arguments to be made on both sides. But to pretend that one view of the world is so clear as to go beyond the need for proof is disturbing.

John, for what it's worth, I'm hardly out of touch with freelancers. I might collect my primary paycheck from a newsroom, but I do a significant amount of freelance work. That especially has been the case over the last two years, which I have spent a huge chunk of on maternity leave.

There is a big difference between doing some freelance work on the side and running a full freelance business as a living.

It would, indeed, be grand if Sally's point were really so simple. An SPJ member and media lawyer sent me this note this morning:

"I think you are correct about the merits of the 2d Circuit decision. Both the copyright law and industry practice have always permitted publishers to reproduce issues in bound volumes and more recently on microfilm and in web archives. Generally this type of use is part of a license, i.e. 1st NA serial rights. Because of that it was generally unnecessary for contracts to be specific about that type of use.

Unfortunately, this is incorrect. Copyright law specifically does not permit web archiving of individual articles. The Tasini decision settled that. Of course, the publishers wanted that as a given, but they didn't get it. In other words, publishers had certain business practices that did not ultimately stand up to legal scrutiny.

"The (Tasini) case, which the freelancers won, also informed all concerned of the need for more specific contractual relationships. But the net result was that the major publishers included more specific boilerplate in their contracts that was beneficial to them and not to the freelancers. Many freelancers were forced to accept the terms or forgo the work.

Certainly, though there would be no improvement with the assuption that the rights automatically transferred to the publisher.

"After the 2d circuit decision I expect the publishers to do the same. The only difference here is that the contracts will explicitly set out what has been industry custom until now: you don't get paid more merely because the publisher creates the functional equivalent of bound volumes."

Additional significant electronic function that cannot exist in bound volumes is not creating something that is the functional equivalent, by definition. That's what the CDs were. And, no, this won't change how publisher move forward with their contracts, because they made those changes years ago. All this will do is embolden them to push to extend the definition of rights even more, effectively overturning limitations of pre-existing contractual agreements.

That brings us back to the need for clarity of language, which this particular brief champions. Moving forward, we can -- and should -- band together to determine the clearer language that is needed to override the presumption publishers use to deny freelancers payment.

I hate to break it to Ms. Tatum, but she's years late in this. The specificity does exist in the vast majority of current contracts. They ask for enough rights - even if non-exclusively - so they aren't hampered in doing whatever they want. And when you broaden the definition of rights, which is what the decision did, you essentially go back and brush away even boundaries found in older contracts. This is not clarity, it is backdating changes to existing terms and conditions.

But clarity stands to be good for everyone, and if the court gives National Geographic what it wants, freelancers, ironically, stand to benefit, too. If publishers want clarity, then, well, let's band together to give them clarity!

And how do you propose to do that if, as you seem to acknoledge, it's often a "take it or leave it" atmosphere? First, if you expand the definition of what the original right grant was, you don't need greater clarity because the publisher has an expanded definition and retroactively has what it wanted. If there is additional language, do you really think that the publishers are going to negotiation with groups of freelancers? That's collective bargaining and illegal for freelancers, unless you're doing work in Hollywood, in which case you're working under a series of engagements as a temporary employee. I'll grant Ms. Tatum a presumption of sincerity here, but I don't think she realizes the legal limitations on such action.

I realize that people need to eat and pay the light bill. But freelancers are continually compromised by a much, much larger problem that needs to be addressed:

When masses of people are willing to sign contracts that do not favor their own economic interests, how in the world does the larger freelance community ever hope to secure more equity and fairness in these contracts?

This is going to require study and action. It is going to require a real strength-in-numbers approach. It is going to require determination. And it might also require a financial sacrifice or two for the greater good -- a statement that sums up my feelings about this amicus.

Does Ms. Tatum realize that this also is something most working freelancers have known for about, oh, ten years? The only legal strength-in-numbers approach you can get is getting the writers to do so individually. She might want to talk to people who have been working in this area a hell of a lot longer than she has before making presumptions. Many freelancers have been making such sacrifices for years. It has helped move some publishers in some cases. But, please, let's not think that this is like a lightbulb going on over the heads of most freelancers for the first time. But then, had she actively spoken with any of the freelance writing groups, she might have heard some of this. Maybe she's been working closely with them, but this would be the first I've heard about it.

As another SPJ member/SDX Foundation board member/former SPJ national president e-mailed me this morning:

"It's difficult, and as tough as this one was, you wanted to fight it, you did, and it generated a much needed debate that I think raised the visibility of the freelancers within SPJ. As hurtful as the debate may have become, you believed in the arguments, and put your name behind the fight. This debate is behind you. Move forward."

Why did it take a group of people feeling that they were being stabbed in the back to "raise visibility?" The debate isn't behind the organization, because too many of the freelancers seem to feel alienated.

1. Conflict of interest is a very serious charge to level at a law firm. It has precise meaning - and, if proven true, could result in serious sanctions, even disbarment. I simply won't go there where B&H is concerned because the firm has not, to my knowledge, EVER acted in conflict of interest where SPJ is concerned.

I don't remember anyone saying that there was a definite conflict of interest - only that the circumstances, and the fact that the law firm had National Geographic as a client, raised the question. A question that I don't think Ms. Tatum had addressed in public.

2. The firm has never failed to give SPJ officials proper disclosure, and it has, on several occasions, recused itself from giving the Society legal advice because of its direct involvement in particular cases. Pretty much anyone with SPJ who has worked directly with B&H likely will tell you the same thing.

As I understand it, Ms. Tatum had told at least one SPJ member that the firm hadn't done any business with National Geographic since the 1980s. That was apparently incorrect. As I often talk with lawyers, I've found that they will tend to refuse to comment if their firms do any business with one of the parties, even if the lawyer in question doesn't.

4. B&H might have represented National Geographic in the past, and it may do work currently in another division of what is a very large publishing company -- but it does not represent National Geographic in this case. It's very important to note that large companies, such as National Geographic, tend to have more than one law firm -- sometimes even dozens -- representing them on a variety of levels. Even relatively small news organizations commonly have in-house and out-of-house legal counsel.

So? If it represents the association in any way, I think it raises the question of whether it can keep separate the interests of clients when they might potentially conflict. Of course, Ms. Tatum may be assuming that the matter was totally in keeping with the interests of SPJ and its members. But some vocal group of members and former members don't seem to agree, so perhaps it's not so easily dismissed after all.

As you've pointed out, it's proudly displayed on the firm's Web site, which is not exactly the smoking gun some people have made it out to be).

How about this: As I mentioned on one of my blog entries, one lawyer's office there admitted that National Geographic is still an active client. Is that better?

8. B&H lawyers will present their annual report to SPJ's regional directors during SPJ's national convention, Oct. 4-7. They have assured me that they will answer directors' questions and explain how they make decisions regarding which cases to bring to SPJ officials' attention. Remember: other media lawyers contact SPJ all the time with requests for review of, and assistance with, their cases. B&H works with them all on our behalf. It's also interesting to note that B&H -- specifically Bruce Sanford and Bruce Brown -- have worked to help me build a Legal Advocacy Network that is aimed, in part, at helping more journalists find more affordable and meaningful legal help that is closer to home.

That is acutally totally aside the points that people have been discussing.

I'd like to see SPJ work on developing some resources that will help people conduct business using much clearer contracts that are more equitable and fair.

There are a number of writers organizations that already work in this area. Why not recognize that they exist and that speaking with them might be prudent? Ms. Tatum might even get a wider view of fulltime freelance writers than she might get within whatever few she spoke to.

Few law firms are better at -- or more gracious about -- handling such work than Baker & Hostetler. That firm has acted with tremendous integrity, and its clients over the years have included the nearly penniless freelancer/author. And, don't forget, SPJ, which is hardly its top-paying client. The ill-informed criticism launched at this firm would be laughable if it weren't so shockingly, well, ill-informed.

If it were so ill-informed, I suspect it should have been easy for you to dismiss it in a reasoned way. But Ms. Tatus didn't even attempt to do that, from what I could see from the outside, and from what I've heard from the inside.

I wonder how freelancers would react when/if B&H helps craft those resources. Will they be grateful -- or will they reject the valuable information and guidance provided by one of the nation's most influential law firms (regardless of specialty) and continue to spin conspiracy theories? I'm staying tuned.

They might well point out that a number of writers' organizations already have created such networks. The questions put to Ms. Tatum were not conspiracy theories. But then, if you can't mount a cogent argument, I guess you wave your hands and try to distract.

SPJ Withdraws Name from National Geographic Brief

In a blog entry yesterday, SPJ president Christine Tatum made the following announcement: "This afternoon, I decided that SPJ shouldn't add its name to an amicus brief that supports clarifying contract law that affects freelancers and publishers." Btu the way she did it continued, I think, her belittling of freelance writers as immature children who don't realize when their betters are giving them wise words of guidance. (More on this shortly.)

She also backed down while essentially saying that her view was completely right and not understanding the objections of freelance journalists who economically live and die by their understanding of and negotiation of publishing contracts. The first sentence that I quoted says quite a lot - "I decided that ..." Notice it wasn't that the board reconsidered, but that it was her sole decision.

Legal Defense Fund Committee Chairman Dave Aeikens and I still very much believe the brief has tremendous merit. Though SPJ's national board is divided on the matter, Dave and I aren't alone.

Was it even a majority of the board? Or was this decision, to put the organization's name behind a given legal effort, the sole choice of these two people? I don't know - and, to be fair, I have no skin in the game, as I've never been an SPJ member.

As I have previously stated, I was fully prepared for some people to disagree with my stance. I knew they'd insult my intelligence and hurl silly and unfounded insults. That, unfortunately, is how many people choose to handle disagreements (even better are those who throw barbs without having the guts to attach their names to them). So be it.

For the most part, I think it was Ms. Tatum who was insulting people's intelligence, saying that they were lashing out, that they didn't understand her clear logic. Of course, when people asked her to present the logic of her assertions - even when she invited questions - she never provided responses, clear or muddy, to address the queries. She also never addressed the issue that SPJ was following the lead of its legal counsel, which also happens to have National Geographic as a current client.

A highly respected freelancer with whom I have consulted (but gracious, why post the name here and sick the ill-informed and/or angry flash mob on him/her, too?) while evaluating this matter wrote today:

Another example of name-calling on her part. Ill-informed? Most pro freelancers I know are at least aware of many of the intricacies and issues in publishing contracts, and also understand that there issues arise when the courts essentially expand the definitions of types of rights. It's not clear to me that Ms. Tatum does.

"Of course I can see why those freelancers are pissed. It's like when your mom used to say, 'I'm grounding you for your own good. You'll thank me later.' Mom was right, but it was hard to believe that at the time.

"SPJ didn't involve itself in this case to benefit publishers or injure journalists. SPJ raised its voice because it is the job of journalists to create clarity in the face of constangly mutating, endlessly confusing language and smokescreens. The lower court merely underscored the bedrock principle of good writing: Words have meanings. Contracts, like well-written stories, must say what they mean and mean what they say. To disagree would be to dishonor our profession."

My sentiments exactly. Thanks for capturing them so beautifully, my freelancing friend.

This is why I made the statement about her belittling freelancers as immature children, whether doing it through the voice of someone else or through her own. I've yet to see a single cogent argument from SPJ that this brief provided any benefit to freelancers or even to journalism. All I've seen have been unsupported assertions. Certainly contracts must say what they mean and mean what they say, but the issue was not contract language, but how certain commonly understood legal definitions and concepts adapt to radically different circumstances. People don't start including wording into contracts to address issues until they know that the issues could come up. I don't think the conflict that was the fault of either freelancers or of publishers. However, as it wasn't overtly addressed, I think that it was the fault of the publishers that they tried to claim rights without wanting to negotiate with the other parties or pay them.

Despite all of this rancor, one big problem remains: contracts concerning payment for freelance work should be much clearer. Far too many freelancers are not in a position to negotiate their own terms, and they are, frankly, continuing to sign bad contracts because they have no other choice if they want to pay the bills.

And all this is completely aside from the stand that SPJ took. Nothing in its backing of National Geographic would do anything to help freelancers negotiate contracts. Let me inform the SPJ board, since it doesn't seem to understand: the terms are completely clear in most publishing contract. The publishers get everything they want while paying chicken feed at best to the writers. I say this after being the head of ASJA's Contracts Committee for over five years and having personally helped many hundreds of writers and having read many hundreds of publishing contracts.

The statement also shows ignorance of the market. If most freelancers did negotiate and walk away from bad deals, the publishers would quickly realize that they could't hire enough people and they would change their contracts. I've seen it happen wtih major publishers because a large enough group of regulars simply said no. You can do other types of work to pay the bills if you have to. Until you are ready to push back and not take whatever someone decides to give you, you remain an economic and emotional slave.

As these matters are hashed out, SPJ will continue to work to help freelancers understand what they need to do to protect their income.

I'd be interested in hearing what SPJ has done as an organization, outside of the work of the former freelance committee chair, to address this issue. Perhaps they have done something, but I'm pretty well plugged into the freelance community, and I've never once heard a single freelance writer refer to SPJ as a resource for those who want to better understand and negotiate contracts. These are people who spend considerable time looking for resources that could be helpful.

And contrary to Ms. Tatum's apparent view in this post, the issues extend far beyond pay, into legal liability, indemnification, and control of your work and reputation. If you don't really understand the nuances of contractual issues for freelance writers, you are likely going to cause more damage than good by your efforts. So were I looking for help, I think SPJ would not be at the top of my list as a potential resource.

Seeing the New Media Shift

Alan Mutter (great aptronym for someone writing a blog) is a "veteran media executive, who fears our news-gathering companies are stumbling to extinction," as says his blog, Reflections of a Newsosaur. I only came across this last night via the BoSacks blog (worth being on the mailing list).

Mutter's background makes his observations in his post Dead animals, large and small even more telling. He mentiones how he's seen two occasions where a post of his received attention from Major Media Sources and a site called Small Dead Animals, written by "an airbrush artist and schnauzer breeder who resides in a small town in Saskatchewan." In one case, the latter sent 1,000 readers to Mutter's site while a mentions on the sites of Forbes and BusinessWeek resulted in ... 1. That is, one, singular, do not go to two, but still bigger than zero. A similar overwhelming imbalance in attention happened with a second post, this time pitting Small Dead Animals against Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Philadelphia Daily News.

Folks, this isn't just amusing (though it is decidedly that). It shows you that as media moves to the web just how unbalanced the playing field can be. In this case, the largest media companies in the world are outclassed by a small cadre of schnauzers. Yes, the Internet is still relatively new, but few people are getting just how much of a change there is from the past. Sure, the Major Media Sites can attract traffic because of their brands and audiences. But how much pull do they have? How much do new generations of media consumers care about what they are doing? Money alone isn't going to establish them:

With the formidable creative talent, market reach, commercial relationships and financial capability they possess, the Large Ones ought to have an enormous edge over Canadian schnauzer breeders in creating editorially compelling and commercially successful online content. But they are failing, because they try to confine their new media ventures to the tightly edited and carefully modulated conventions of their existing brands.

Right. So where does that leave all of us? With two big lessons, I think. One is that you can't depend on someone making your business happen, and that especially includes Major Media. I can attest to several times having a post on my BizBlast blog ending up being references via Sphere on the Wall Street Journal's site - and getting, oh, three readers from it.

The other lesson is that if you do something smart and entertaining and work to get how things happen on the web, you could become one of the Small Dead Animals, which apparently isn't such a bad thing.