HAIL HYDRA! DONATION TO COMPANY ORGAN BANKS NOW OPTIONAL, NOT MANDATORY!

[james_davis_nicoll]

Reacting to criticism from the Science Fiction Writers Association and other groups about the terms for its new digital imprints, Random House has made changes to its contracts. The most significant change is that prospective authors for the Hydra, Alibi, LoveSwept and Flirt imprints will now be able to choose from two models--the original profit share deal or a more traditional advance plus royalty deal.

At the cost of sounding like a churl, when they say

Hydra, Alibi, Loveswept, and Flirt seek to acquire rights throughout the world and in all languages. This expands the author’s opportunities and earnings potential.

Actually, this*may* expand the author’s opportunities and earnings potential or it may not; the author already has the option of selling rights around the world and I could see how having one entity handle them could work out for or against the author. What it does is expand Hydra, Alibi, Loveswept, and Flirt’s opportunities and earnings potential.

Comments

[keithmm.livejournal.com]

There's a good example with James Bond. I'm pretty sure that when Fleming was writing the original stories, okay, movies, maybe, but I doubt at the time he was thinking animated TV series, comic strips, and video games.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Not to mention the roleplaying game.

[nathan helfinstine (from livejournal.com)]

Or the personality implant!

(From When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger.)

[bedii.livejournal.com]

Only second to the Nero Wolfe model. The only time anyone but Stout has put that character on paper for longer than a paragraph and kept him living and breathing.