Because Writer Beware has published its list of top 20 worst agents.
Via the blog kept by Writer Beware’s Victoria Strauss and A.C. Crispin, who also have an interesting post about what happens when a writer’s work is submitted to a publisher by an unprofessional or questionable agent. (Click “show original post” if all you see is comments. Their blog doesn’t support permalinks.)
At Writer Beware, Victoria Strauss discusses the plog feature of Amazon Connects. As far as I know, she’s the first established blogger to point out that writers don’t own the rights to their own plog posts.
I’ve blogged before about Amazon Connects and plogs here.
Amazon Connects is a blogging service hosted by Amazon for published writers. In theory, it’s a handy publicity tool to help you leverage the site’s interactivity and build relationships with potential readers.
But before you sign up, make sure you read the fine print of the program’s Terms and Conditions:
For all Author Materials that you post or submit in connection with the Program (including any trademark or similar rights in them), you hereby grant Amazon a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual and irrevocable right and license throughout the world in any media to: (1) use, reproduce, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display all of your Works, and (2) use and display your Additional Materials in connection with your participation in the Program. Amazon may engage independent contractors to provide services in connection with the Program, and the rights you grant us in these Terms and Conditions extend to any such independent contractors.
In other words, your other words aren’t your own.
You also can’t delete your own posts after they’ve been published — only edit them.
Via Miss Snark, a great on-line resource for writers who want to avoid scams and sham “agents.” Which is, presumably, most writers. Quips about fools being born every minute notwithstanding.
