[comp.sys.amiga] A Fantasitic Opportunity!

deva@cup.portal.com (David Michael Alves) (10/25/89)

To all you programmers out there: (you know who you are)

If the idea of waiting over a month past the date your contract says
you'll get paid excites you, have I got an opportunity for you.  Just
write a program for Antic's Amiga+ Magazine!  I did!  Yes, more fun then
a Caribbean Cruise, you too can call week after week wondering if your
overdue check will go in the mail soon!  This is a great opportunity
for those of you who are "just making too much money too fast" to slow
your life's pace down to a much less stressful level.


Here is some actual testimony from Amiga+ Authors:

   "I used to have to pay over $150,000 each year to the IRS after
    making mega-bucks writing killer games for console game machines.
    It really killed me to pay that much of my hard earned bucks to
    the government, so after much careful planning, I decided to
    write for Amiga+ Magazine.  Now I get the final laugh as I don't
    have to pay any taxes at all for this year!"
                                                              D. Duck

   "After writing for Amiga+ Magazine for the past couple issues
    I feel much more at peace with myself -- the doctors here have
    noticed a very positive change in my behavior..."
                                  I.M. Strange, Agnews State Hospital

   "I wish I were still alive so I could do an interview with Amiga+."
                                                            A. Warhol


So, why get a heart attack running to the bank all the time just to cash
that latest check?  Is it really worth it?  Do yourself a favor.  Write
for Amiga+ Magazine and you won't have to worry about going to the
bank for a long, long time.

<chuckle, chuckle, sigh>

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                          _____   ____
David Alves              |     \ |     \      / /\
Deva Software            |      ||_____ \    / /  \
(408)997-1747            |      ||       \  / /    \
deva@cup.portal.com      |_____/ |_______ \/ /      \ SOFTWARE

utoddl@uncecs.edu (Todd M. Lewis) (10/25/89)

[deva@cup.portal.com (David Michael Alves) points out he has not
been paid for his work in Amiga+ Magazine]

I have made 4 submissions to Jumpdisk Magizine, and they have
always paid well and promptly.  If you have reasonably good
programs, they will publish and pay you for it.  They buy
one-time publication rights--you retain all other rights
to your work (for what it's worth after the Teaming Millions
get copies all over the world).

I didn't mean for this to be a plug, but it sounds like one
anyway.  If they publish your work, you get a 6-month subscription
(at least I did--current policy could be different).  They
treat their authors well.

(I did some work for AMnews once and never got paid.  I hear
 that they did publish my work, though!  Ugh.)
_____
  |      Todd M. Lewis            Disclaimer: If you want my employer's
  ||\/|  utoddl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu             ideas, you'll have to
  ||  || utoddl@ecsvax.bitnet                 _buy_ them. 
   |  ||     
       |___   ("Prgrms wtht cmmnts r lk sntncs wtht vwls." --TML)

Classic_-_Concepts@cup.portal.com (11/03/89)

   You mention having problems being paid by Amiga+.  Just for the record,
I was treated courteously and paid on time, as promised.  In fact, Amiga+
paid a little faster than some other magazines for which I have written.
 
   Typically, magazines pay within 2 months of publication of the article.
Very few actually pay on acceptance of the article since rescheduling and
changes often happen at the last minute.
 
   If you submit an article 'on spec', there is no obligation on the part
of the magazine to pay if they do not publish.  If you are assigned an
article, most but not all, will pay a 'kill fee' which is a proportion of
what would have been paid if the article had been published.  The kill
fee can range anywhere from 20% to 100%, with most averaging 40-60%.
 
   Most articles will print within 2-5 months of acceptance.  Since payment
is made within two months of printing, it means that you usually have to
wait about 4-7 months from the time you actually write the article until
the time you are paid.  If it's a 'hot' topic and the magazine is really
on the ball, this time might be shorter, but not usually.
 
                                   Julie  (LadyHawke@cup.portal.com)

deva@cup.portal.com (David Michael Alves) (11/04/89)

> Classic_-_Concepts@cup.portal.com (Julie Petersen) writes:

>    You mention having problems being paid by Amiga+.  Just for the record,
> I was treated courteously and paid on time, as promised.  In fact, Amiga+
> paid a little faster than some other magazines for which I have written.


Julie, it was good that you were well treated.  I read and enjoyed the
article you wrote for them.

I wasn't so well treated (perhaps because of the hard time I gave them
in negotiations :-), but I did treat them well -- everything I sent
was sent Federal Express on or before the time they needed it.


>    Typically, magazines pay within 2 months of publication of the article.
> Very few actually pay on acceptance of the article since rescheduling and
> changes often happen at the last minute.


That's what they would like you to think.

My contract states that Amiga+ WAS to pay on acceptance (within 30
days of receipt of completed contract), whether they published the
program or not.  This was one thing they agreed on from the beginning.
I sent the completed contract back to them on August 15, which would
mean payment would be due around September 15-20.  I've called 3 times
since late September, and they know they are late.  They just haven't
corrected the situation yet.

Hopefully Amiga+ isn't in some kind of financial trouble.  Even though
I haven't been paid yet (for 5 weeks of full time work) and will most
probably never write for them again (unless I get advance payment :),
it is a bad omen to see so many Amiga publications die off.

Oh, and by the way, it wasn't an article, but a program for their disk.
And even though I got the "maximum" they pay for such things, I would
hate to think that they couldn't pay that amount because of insufficient
funds.

...did I hear someone whisper "Lawyer"?

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                          _____   ____
David Alves              |     \ |     \      / /\
Deva Software            |      ||_____ \    / /  \
(408)997-1747            |      ||       \  / /    \
deva@cup.portal.com      |_____/ |_______ \/ /      \ SOFTWARE

deva@cup.portal.com (David Michael Alves) (11/05/89)

Just thought I would take the time to publicly thank Amiga+ Magazine for
the check they sent me today.  It was a bit late and a bit complained
about, but I was more then a bit (a byte?) relieved to have finally
received it.

A thousand and one thanks Amiga+.

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                          _____   ____
David Alves              |     \ |     \      / /\
Deva Software            |      ||_____ \    / /  \
(408)997-1747            |      ||       \  / /    \
deva@cup.portal.com      |_____/ |_______ \/ /      \ SOFTWARE

  "...and so, once again, the golden flowers bloomed, the mighty rivers
   flowed, and the gentle animals of the forest came out to feed on the
            meadows in safety, knowing all was well with Deva."