We’ve all seen the ads where writers get offered peanuts for doing lots of work. In exchange for a paltry sum, they’re expected to sign away all rights to their work. If writers are working on a work for hire business, this is normal.
But what about the other times, where you publish a bylined article, and the publisher wants to own all rights. Is that right – or even legal? In my latest article on Garden and Hearth, I give a brief rundown of some of the basics of copyright, so you will know where you stand. Read Who Owns My Writing? A Writer’s Guide To Copyright and come back and ask questions if there’s anything else you want to know.
Article by Sharon Hurley Hall
Sharon Hurley Hall has been mentoring writers here at Get Paid To Write Online since 2005 to help them improve and build sustainable and successful writing careers. Check me out on sharonhh.com. Feel free to connect with me online on Google+.
Sharon has written 653 awesome articles for us at Get Paid to Write Online
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Good article, Sharon. It can be confusing when you start writing to figure out what rights are yours, and what is available to someone else. Your article is very helpful.
Thank you. I didn’t know that even though you work for hire, your work isn’t yours. I have lots to learn, but you help break it down into manageable tips.
Thanks, Shelly. I think it’s good to know the basics, so that even if you choose to give up certain rights, you can be aware of what you’re signing away.