Jeanne Hedge wrote:

Neill Walker said:

This is no different from contributing codes to a video game magazine,
or sending a short essay to your favorite mag.  They don't pay you, but
you usually get some kind of 'free gift'.  I don't see any problem with
it; I'm not making any money by posting it to the ML, right?  But when I
asked, Nippon replied that people who submit columns (such as a review
or letters to the editor responses) for the magazine get paid between
$100 and $200 per article.  This sounds quite reasonable to me!  The
fanfic & art sections are just methods of getting people interested, and
they give people a chance to see their works in a real magazine!  Oh
boy!

I had the official response, but my mailer blew up so now I have
nothing... :(

Their official response:

NIPPON HEROES! WRITERS' GUIDELINES

<<snipp>>

We are looking for material between 500 and 2,000 words. We purchase
First North American Serial Rights. Many accepted articles are paid between
$100 and $200. We pay upon acceptance, rather than upon publication, after
receiving a signed agreement from the author. We do not accept
simultaneous submissions, and we prefer receiving query letters
detailing specific article concepts rather than completed manuscripts.

See?  Serial rights - you keep the copyright to your own story, but they
get to publish it first - and only them (no simultaneous submissions)  Pay
on acceptance is good - it means you get paid for your article whether they
wind up using it or not.  Of course, if they DON'T, then no one else can
either...


<<snipp>>

FAN FICTION:


Submissions of fan fiction (anime related short stories based on original or
known characters) are being accepted. We are looking for short stories
between 2,500 and 5,000 words, with exceptional quality in writing skill,
character integrity and story telling. All stories must have an ending. NO
SERIES or SEQUELS will be permitted. Ten (10) free copies of the published
issue and a 'NIPPON HEROES' t-shirt are given for accepted work. We
automatically acknowledge the original owners of the characters used as well
as place a disclaimer on every 'fan-fictional' work.

OK - Zen is much happier about this - they are NOT paying money for the
fanfics.  They are "paying without paying" - in that they will give you
what amounts to proof copies of the magazine and the T-shirt, but that does
NOT constitute actual payment in the eyes of the law - at least not since
they DO pay money for articles contributed.

However, I still think that they are asking for trouble here.  It is a grey
area, but at least they are not blatantly flaunting copyright violations.
Their acknowledgements and disclaimers will afford them some shielding, but
they sound too much like a business to make me comfortable.

Take it for what you will!

Thanks, Jeanne!


Zen-


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