I guess
Mandy Hubbard's Open Call has been known for a bit, but it just got on my radar today.
I was thinking about it, but my natural wariness has kicked in. The Call post doesn't really specify the details, so I'm wondering if this is a common occurrence. In cases like this (if it's typical), who would normally own the copyright? How does joint copyright work if the other holder is your own agent?
*Is confused*
(And my wariness isn't
of Mandy Hubbard... more just not sure the situation is a good fit for me right now.)
Hi Heza,
Generally in a full blown write for hire or packager set-up, the packager owns the copyright/intellectual property.
That said, this is more like Packager Lite, a hybrid of my usual operating procedure as an agent blended with some elements of what a packager does. I'll be working closely with an author to develop the project, but my hope is to find the right writer who really intends to run with the concept/character/outline and make it their own. There will be a lot of back and forth and editing as the project develops.
My clients can vouch that I often assist them "from the ground up" with their own projects, from idea stage to submission ready and everything in between. This will be just a beefed up version of that, in which I start with the idea and find the client.
I do not intend to own the intellectual property on these projects. It is possible at some point down the road that this set-up may evolve and more closely resemble a standard packaging arm (and that would mean owning the IP) like some other lit agencies have, but I'll be quite up front about that.
I certainly realize any time a publisher or agent does anything out side of the normal status quo, folks will have questions. So if anyone does, feel free to ask.