Things sometimes take time when it comes to journalistic
magazine production. And over time things can change. Also over time, I have
made a number of submissions to a particular mainstream runner’s magazine in
South Africa. The submissions often take at least 4-8 months before being
published and hitting the news stands. Most of my content consists of two
images used as double page spreads, a map graphic, and about 500 words of text.
It has always been like that for this particular feature and it is a formula that
works well and one that the magazine has used for years. So no change there.
What has changed, apparently, is their payment for the
submission. And not upwards you probably aren’t surprised to learn. The drop in
price was significant, at 40%, and enough for me to query if the payment was
per double page spread (never mind about text and graphics) and not for the
‘package’, as in the past. It wasn’t. I requested some kind of explanation,
assuming that there was some logic, perhaps the payments were separated into
text and graphics. That’s how it used to be some years ago, in the industry.
Whilst I am not in favour of cost cutting when it affects me negatively, I do understand that sometimes it is necessary. But
40%? Really?
I didn’t receive any explanation for weeks despite a second follow
up email. I knew they didn’t have a backlog of content as the turn around time
was quite quick at 3 months. Also the tone of the emails after submission
confirmed that my journalistic training was appreciated (very little, if any,
editing of the main text, a graphic that only needed dropping onto the page and
images sized to match the output). I knew that even a mediocre designer could
layout these four pages of the magazine in less than ten minuets. So you can
understand my interest in finding out why there was such a marked drop in
payment.
You can also understand my surprise when I bought a copy of
the magazine in question and saw my images, text and graphic in print. And here
I was thinking that I was waiting for confirmation of payment, which would
equate to my permission to publish. Seeing it in print therefore negated any
option I might have had to not have the work published, or to seek a more
lucrative publisher.
And so time will tell, as I am still waiting for a response
from the publishers as to why the payment was dropped by 40% and why my content
was published prior to reaching an agreement. And because I haven’t received a
response, I am also waiting to receive payment!
