----------
| From: James Bateman <Otaku@nashville.com>
| To: fanfic@fanfic.com
| Subject: Re: [FFML] [Announcement] Fan fiction submissions wanted!
| Date: June 9, 1996 1:47 AM
| 
| Neill Walker wrote:
| 
| >By sending it to them, without guarantee of payment, you agree to
give
| >them distribution rights and waive your copyright...  But they have
to
| >send you notice of this in advance.  If they've made a written
agreement
| >to pay you IF the fic is used, then you waive your copyright at the
time
| >of payment.  This company informally stated that $100 or so would be
| >paid if the fic was published, so they aren't REQUIRED to pay you
unless
| >you get a legal document.  If they post it at a later date, you're
still
| >entitled to the money.  Once you accept payment, it's theirs.
| >
| >----------
| 
| This outfit is starting to sound like really bad news.

Sorry, that was my fault... They DO NOT pay cash for fanfics!!  They
only pay cash for submitted ARTICLES.  So if you decide to review the
latest Ranma OAV, they are paying you as a writer who works for the
zine.  If they print your fic, you get 10 copies of the zine and a free
t-shirt.  Sorry to confuse everyone.  I screwed up that one nicely.

| Selling the magazine these rights does NOT waive your copyright - not
| unless you SELL them the copyright, which as previously stated, would
be a
| silly thing to do.  (Not that a lot of people haven't done it)

Again, I screwed up.  The zine buys the rights to DISTRIBUTE the fic. 
Unless there is a disclaimer saying that you void your copyright (BIG
warning sign!!) by submitting it, you still own it.