ayellowbirds: Thread by @melgillman on Twitter, about dubious recent offers to creators from the we
ayellowbirds: Thread by @melgillman on Twitter, about dubious recent offers to creators from the webcomics platform Tapas. Transcription follows: Hey, we all know to avoid Tapas (the webcomic platform, not the delicious finger foods) by now, right? They’re going after young creators again with a new “incubator program”, so just as an FYI, let’s examine some information from their call for submissions. First off, they’re looking for 600+ panel full color comics to be completed in 6-9 months. Script to final art. That’s about a 120+ page graphic novel, for comparison. (Also, the fact that they use the word “season” is a red flag — they’re looking for tv series, not comics.) [screencap from Tapas: Mobile-Optimized Vertical FormatYour project must fit our preferred format: full-color, mobile-friendly (also known as “vertical scroll” or “infinite canvas”), and be long-form narratives. A single season will consist of 20-25 episodes, with each episode being roughly 30 panels. Time FrameMost projects will start in July and take approximately 6 - 9 months to complete one season of an original story. While we will try to work out a schedule that is most comfortable for you, the ideal start date for projects will be in July or August. end of screencap] Wanna know how much money we’re offering? You gotta send us your idea first, sorry. But don’t worry, we promise it’ll take up a ton of your time and not give you any benefits! [screencaps from Tapas FAQ: How much will I be paid? Can you give an estimate? Because everyone’s situation is different (length of story, production time, etc.), we are unable to provide an estimate of compensation. Details about compensation are worked out after we give you an offer. You are under no obligation to accept the offer. How much of my time will be required for this program? This project will take a significant amount of your time to complete so we ask that you carefully consider your schedule before submitting. Do I get benefits (like health insurance or parking expenses)? No. Being selected for this program doesn’t mean you will be considered an employee of Tapas Media, which means you are ineligible for benefits. end of screencaps] THIS is the real boogeyman of the agreement, though. In practice, “joint ownership” means “really, they own it” — you won’t be able to do anything with your own stories without their permission and involvement. This is NOT a normal or fair publishing practice. [screencaps from Tapas FAQ: Who owns the copyright of the resulting work? The copyright will be shared between the creator and Tapas Media. Why is this a joint ownership? As we are investing a significant amount of money, effort, and time into your project, we feel that asking for co-ownership is fair. If the idea of joint ownership isn’t comfortable with you, please don’t feel obligated to apply. end of screencaps] If you remember that whole Tokyopop debacle, a lot of cartoonists lost their work altogether from signing one of these “joint ownership” contracts. This is a giant red flag. Last one, and they tried to bury this information: they’re gonna give you no time to negotiate this contract. They want you to start working the same month you get accepted. This isn’t time to hire a lawyer/agent to read over it and help you fight for better terms. [screencap from Tapas: Important DatesSubmissions Open: June 1, 2018 12:00 AM PDTSubmissions Close: July 1, 2018 11:59 PM PDTResponses will begin rolling out after submissions close. Time FrameMost projects will start in July and take approximately 6 - 9 months to complete one season of an original story. While we will try to work out a schedule that is most comfortable for you, the ideal start date for projects will be in July or August. end of screencap] Anyway, they close their own dang FAQ saying basically “if you don’t like it then fuck off”, and to be honest, it’s in your best interests to do exactly that. Start that awesome webcomic on your own, keep your copyright intact, avoid these people like the plague [screencap from Tapas FAQ: I don’t like this, I don’t like that. We understand that this program might not be a good fit for everyone. If there is an aspect of the program that doesn’t sit well with you, you don’t have to apply. end of screencap] Oh, and if this helped, you can check out Mel’s work melaniegillman.com, where they do stuff with colored pencils that makes me weep. There are too many businesses that imply they’re working with you when in fact they’re taking from you. In companies like this, you’re essentially a work-for-hire creator, almost all benefits accrue to them.If they want to limit access to your work in perpetuity, it’s not your work, it’s theirs and that’s fine if you want to do work-for-hire. They may imply this is some sort of “sharing.” It’s not.With traditional publishing you retain copyright. The publisher has your work for a span of time disclosed in your contract. Short story anthologies, for example, often ask for 6 month exclusivity periods. After that you can take your story – because it’s yours, always – and offer it as a reprint any old place you like.Don’t offer your creativity to any company who talks about “sharing” or “joint ownership.” That’s just another way of saying “yeah, no, it’s ours now.” -- source link
#publishing