Comments on: The Posse Clause

By: allena

allena — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:22:02 +0000

I just limit edits- I don't care WHO does them, as long as they're limited and I know ahead of time how many we're looking at.

They know, too, so they're not likely (i THINK) to bring in 11th hour buddies to screw the whole thing up. But, if they do, not my problem. They can always hire me again/start a new contract.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:40:20 +0000

Damaria, like Cathy said. That's brilliant! What a great way to avoid heartburn! LOL

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:33:21 +0000

Damaria-oh, I like that final copy approval. I just might have to steal that. :-)

By: Damaria Senne

Damaria Senne — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:21:14 +0000

At this stage some of the projects I work on go through the posse. This happens if:
1. I'm working with a comms department of a company, and the director of the unit I'm doing copy for needs to approve the copy too
2. I'm working on a mainstream publisher's project. The material go through so many people, but usually, they are all pre-approved by the company and I am aware that they will have their input. And everyone has to use their initials when putting comments in the document, so I can track their input.

However, my contracts do state who has final copy approval.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:58:58 +0000

Paula, I've had that too, but thankfully the editors handle those requests. In one case (well, a few more than that, actually), I had a woman say to me, "I have to review the article or I can't let you publish it."

I did control the urge to laugh because of her self-important demand that had no bearing on my work day. She wasn't paying me. She was an interview source. If she didn't like it, it's really easy to cut her comments out of the story.....

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:21:16 +0000

It seems like a good idea to me.

I'm just glad that it's not an issue with feature writing. Now and then overly protective publicists and nervous interviewees ask to see the article before I turn it in. No way! If they want that much control they can hire me to ghostwrite puff pieces.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:15:50 +0000

Devon, I get that, too. I've worked with any number of corporations and you just expect to have a committee editing the original content. In that case, you work that into your fee upfront. I like that you've specified "our" editing process. Very clearly doesn't apply to whatever the publisher does to it.

Cathy, I tend to agree. Ghostwriting, you don't need it. Corporate stuff, you can't use it because hey, it IS a posse situation. Individuals and small businesses? That's where I've seen the issue most often.

Kim, sorry you've been through it, too. Frustrating, isn't it? If you start writing and revising for the posse, then NO ONE is happy, including you.

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:58:24 +0000

I was thinking about this last week after a project I'd completed was enthusiastically approved only to be shot down a week later by the "posse critique."

I'm going to include a variation of this in my contract because I cannot go through that nightmare again. Thanks for sharing this.

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:50:45 +0000

I would say it depends on the kind of project you are doing. If I'm ghostwriting an article, I don't see the need. My contract includes the number of revisions covered by the fee.

I certainly can see why something as large as a book manuscript might require different language.

So far, knock on wood, I haven't run into the posse problem. Thank goodness.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:17:50 +0000

I use it in non-fiction contracts. In fiction, I've started to modify it to read "during our editing process", because, once I've done my job on it, if it's GOING to get edited by whatever house picks it up (this is when I am hired by the writer, not the publishing house).