[inluvwithwords Posts: 97 Status: Offline]

I was just going over the guidelines on the Girls Life website and came across this:

"Unless submission is stated to be a possible work for hire, submission will be considered property of Girls' Life magazine."

Now, I've been submitting stuff for years (not to Girls Life) but I still find myself unfamiliar with some of the lingo.  Isn't it normally understood that when a writer submits to an editor they'd like to get paid for their work.     I mean they can't just say, hey you mailed it to me, it's mine now, can they? Perhaps I'm misunderstanding this. Anyone want to enlighten me? 

[Dea Write Now]

I'm pretty sure that if you use the word "query" somewhere - you're totally safe.  I know GL uses their mail (from teens) right inside of the mag.  So that's probably just for them to cover themselves.
Totally zig-zagging... How long has this fabulous Taz Guy been here???

[Jan Fields Posts: 145 Status: Offline I came, I saw, I wrote it down. WWW]

GIRLS LIFE seems to have some trouble keeping straight the submissions from minors (which, like many kid magazines, they neither contract for nor pay for) and freelance writers. In fact, I've seen some folks get kind of irate about GIRLS LIFE using material without paying (and, in at least one situation, without a contract) So, apparently you really should mention that you're expecting them to PAY for the work. The way I normally do that when I've dealt with newspapers (another entity prone to forgetting that all writing isn't a present) is to use this as my final closing line of the letter: "Thank you for considering "NAME OF PIECE" for Girl's Life magazine at your normal freelance rates." Which should keep the first reader from filing it with "free stuff." Since I've been reading of actual mix-ups (though at least one of the folks complaing was a young girl and I really don't think GIRLS LIFE pays young minors ever), I might be inclined to put "freelance submission" on the manuscript too...under the spot where you put the word count.

[inluvwithwords Posts: 97 Status: Offline]

Thanks Jan. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how to word that.

-Ruth