(no subject)
Real life continues to suck.
As a distraction, here's why the contracts for Tokyopop's Manga Pilot program are made of evil.
Seriously. Not only do they do a power-grab on all of your rights (one year of exclusive TP-publishing, then they can perpetually non-exclusively republish your work whenever and not pay you), they also reserve the right to not credit you for your work.
The contract is so perfectly toned for preying on the young and inexperienced that it makes me sick.
ETA: On the flip side, here's an examination of this contract that makes it appear not sickening so much as far too vague and condescending with the language. However, this guy also acknowledges that Tokyopop has a history of screwing creators over.
ETA2: As an aside, the general message I'm getting from reading up on this is "real comic artists don't do On Spec Work. Because the contracts are shite".
As a further aside, I'm finding it hugely fun to link-hop to all the discussions I can find on this subject. Many, many angry people. (This is just as much fun as when I was link-hopping to discussions of the Open-Source Boob Project, except I'm less likely to get furious at the people who Do Not Get why other people disliked the idea.)
ETA3: A much more in-depth discussion of why this contract sucks.
I'm going to stop with the edits now.
As a distraction, here's why the contracts for Tokyopop's Manga Pilot program are made of evil.
Seriously. Not only do they do a power-grab on all of your rights (one year of exclusive TP-publishing, then they can perpetually non-exclusively republish your work whenever and not pay you), they also reserve the right to not credit you for your work.
The contract is so perfectly toned for preying on the young and inexperienced that it makes me sick.
ETA: On the flip side, here's an examination of this contract that makes it appear not sickening so much as far too vague and condescending with the language. However, this guy also acknowledges that Tokyopop has a history of screwing creators over.
ETA2: As an aside, the general message I'm getting from reading up on this is "real comic artists don't do On Spec Work. Because the contracts are shite".
As a further aside, I'm finding it hugely fun to link-hop to all the discussions I can find on this subject. Many, many angry people. (This is just as much fun as when I was link-hopping to discussions of the Open-Source Boob Project, except I'm less likely to get furious at the people who Do Not Get why other people disliked the idea.)
ETA3: A much more in-depth discussion of why this contract sucks.
I'm going to stop with the edits now.