Content, go forth and multiply

October 30, 2000 - Hold onto your articles, writers. Another merger between a publishing house and a mass-content Internet provider has occurred, this time between Primedia and About.com.

"In one fell swoop we are marrying Primedia's powerhouse of content in more than 700 media niches with About's more than 700 topic specific Guide Sites and some 10,000 associated experts," stated Tom Rogers, chairman and CEO of Primedia, Inc.

Wow.

The controversy for you, the writer, of course, is whether your original contract for contributions clearly spells out the electronic rights you hold. Or don't. That seems to be open to interpretation, with more "gray area" identified by the publishing houses than might be considered decent or fair.

So, once again we admonish writers to check their contracts, old and new, and get informed. Remember, it's better to make a conscious choice than an uninformed one.

All that proliferation over the Internet might get you much wanted exposure, something you crave, even if the paycheck doesn't swell from it. Others might be more interested in tightly controlling their words because after all, they've paid their dues already.

Whatever your motivation, the only person interested in your rights . . . is you. If you need guidance, try the National Writer's Union (www.nwu.org). If you're a member, they'll offer assistance in contract verbiage and the like. They also have a Writers Alert section, along with news and articles on the subject of rights.

Your articles can, and should, go forth and multiply, but only if YOU are calling the shots.