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Getting Out of Meredith's Master Agreement
2006-04-18 17:40:50 Eastern

Meredith has again been pushing its Master Agreement that turns every current and future assignment for each of its publications a work made for hire, meaning the company owns it and you don't. The sensible thing is to ask for one of the more favorable contracts they usually have stashed in a drawer. But we've heard a couple of incidents where a writer was told by an editor that as there was already a MA on file, there was no need to send a different contract. If you signed one in the past out of desperation or a lack of understanding, just dust off your copy. There should be a termination clause at the end. To get out from under the agreement going forward, send a termination notice to the official address listed in the contract, wait 45 days, and then start pitching ideas to them again. The old contract will now be void, as will the excuse, "We have something on file."
   -- The Contracts Committee