Intellectual Property
This has been on my mind lately:"I queried a major magazine and included a list of interview sources. They rejected my idea but, one year later, they just published the article I pitched to them, and they used my sources!"
posted by Lola @ 12:41 PM
2 Comments:
A similar problem designers deal with:
http://www.andybudd.com/archives/2006/06/creative_pitches_are_toxic/index.php
I can see the similarity but it's different as well in that the ad agency is trying to solicit business, right? I went to an unpaid creative pitch recently for a few paper companies here and got a whole shopping bag full of swag. There were 20 people there, lunch was catered and the folks presenting (seven total from different companies) were all executives. So, yes if you add those dollars up, it's expensive pro bono work.
The difference here however is that everybody in your scenario is still taking home the bacon. In my recent ordeal, as you know, I spent six months working a story, had no communication with the editor (her choice) and then had the story turned down. Three weeks later the story runs (or a version of it). The gripe is not that she didn't like the story (I'm sure my writing is acquired) but that she clearly never had any intention of running it because the deadline for mine fell after the story that ran was already published. The books were just waiting to be distributed. And this is the fourth time she's pulled this kind of thing.
Maybe it's because they interviewed me for her job. Or, like she said, I act like the "dog with the bone." Either way, a six year relationship with that publication has gone sour and I just need to hitch up my pants and chat with some other publications (and I am). When the time comes, and the ethic changes, I feel certain that a relationship can be re-established.
I really hope I haven't just said something libelous...
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