canadian writers group

Negotiating Fees & Rights

Modeled after a traditional book agency, the Canadian Writers Group will not attempt to eliminate the writer-editor relationship. In fact, the agency will undoubtedly improve relations between writers and editors by removing awkward negotiations over fees and rights that, in the book world, usually take place between the agent and the editor.

Should an editor or corporate client contact a CWG writer about a potential assignment, the writer decides whether or not the project is of interest and can be completed within the required deadline. If the assignment is worth pursuing, then the editor would need to negotiate the related fees and rights with the agency. The same would apply if the writer – not the editor – had initiated the story idea.

Once a writer joins CWG, all freelance assignments, regardless of size or scope, will be negotiated by the agency.

Instead of basing fees on word count, CWG will negotiate fees based on the fair market value of the writer’s time. So, if an assignment is expected to take three weeks, the fee will be based on the value of that time for the writer.

CWG will also negotiate all rights on behalf of its writers. Many publications are demanding an increasing array of rights from freelance writers, whether it’s requesting copyright for an entire year or indefinitely. Rights granting eternal web usage and the ability to profit from data archive services have also become common and are often granted without compensation.

CWG will ensure that writers’ fees include a basic first-serial rights package. Publications will pay for any additional rights.

All contributor’s agreements and contracts – both editorial and corporate – will be negotiated by the agency and vetted by CWG’s counsel.

These negotiations will typically happen within a few days, and will not be as lengthy as they often are in the book world.

When a CWG writer completes an assignment, invoicing will be done by agency. Publications and corporate clients will be required to send payment to CWG within thirty days. Once it has received payment, the agency will deduct its commission and have a cheque in the mail to the writer within one week. Overdue invoices will be pursued by the agency, not the writer.

Marketing CWG Writers

CWG will attract work for its writers through the following initiatives:

Additional Benefits

Agency Commissions

The standard agency commission for negotiating fees and rights will be 10 percent and will apply to all editorial and commercial work. However, CWG anticipates that its writers will see an increase in rates well beyond 10 percent, particularly on the editorial front.

A 15 percent commission will apply in the following scenarios: