Freelancers have a lot to think about: writing their article or book, submitting it to a publisher (or dozens of publishers, depending on the situation), editing, marketing, and a host of other things along the way. Along the way, they’re sure to encounter lingo they don’t understand. Are they selling first rights, reprint rights or all right? Will they be paid a kill fee if the article doesn’t go to print? What sort of residual income can they expect, if any? Should they pay (or charge) a consultant fee? What is a pay-per-article agreement? What does it mean to pay in trade, and what are per post payments?
Let’s talk about some of these things. We’ll start with rights. When you sell an article for the first time, the publisher will either want to buy all rights or first rights. Most only want first rights. If you sell “all” rights, you can’t sell the piece again elsewhere. If you only sell “first” rights, you can sell “reprint” rights later on to a different publication.
Residual income: Residual simply means “paid over time.” Many websites are now purchasing articles without paying the writer anything up front. They promise to pay (usually per “hit”) over time. This is a risky way to earn a living, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks, particularly if you have several articles in print at once.
Kill fee: Not every article contracted actually goes to print. Things happen. Publications run out of room or they go out of business. A kill fee is the amount the publisher pays you, should your piece be killed (not make it to publication). Sometimes it’s 10%, sometimes 20%, and so on. I’ve been publishing articles since the 90’s and have never had an article pulled before publication, but I know it happens, so be prepared.
Consultant fee: At some point in your career, you might want to buy some time from a pro. It’s possible they will charge you a consultant’s fee. Likewise, you might eventually consider charging a fee to mentor others who follow in your footsteps, particularly if you are an expert in your field (whatever that field might be). Companies often hire consultants, so keep your ears open! Settle on a fee up front. Not too high, not too low.
Per post payments: If you sign on to write for a blog for pay, you’ll likely be offered “per post” payments. This also applies to some review sites. Each time you post, you might receive a small payment of, say, $10.
Pay-per-article agreement: As the phrase implies, you are hired to write an article and receive a set payment for that article. There’s no long-term agreement in place that would oblige either you or the publisher. (Most of my articles have been pay-per-article.)
Pay in trade: I usually do at least one or two pay in trade articles a year. Basically, this is an agreement to write for free, in exchange for a copy of the magazine or publication when your article releases. Some writers agree to this because they love the publication so much (say, a ministry publication). Others do it because they’re willing to do what it takes to get their name in print.
So, there you have it. Freelance lingo unraveled!
