Comments on: Writers and the Non-Compete Clause https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html a freelance writing resource. Sat, 22 Oct 2016 14:07:41 +0000 hourly 1 By: Weekly favorites (Aug 26-Sep 1) https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-15656 Sat, 22 Oct 2016 14:07:41 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-15656 […] Media Profiles 120 Marketing Tactics for Blogging Success 5 Ways to Repurpose Existing Blog Posts Writers and the Non-Compete Clause 57 Ways to Boost Your Blog […]

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12340 Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:09:09 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12340 And it was 1989, before email. I was ignored twice via snail mail and once by phone.

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12339 Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:08:19 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12339 The word was "minimum." It read" XXXX Magazine agrees to purchase a minimum 500 words." Guess what they did to my 2,000-word article? Yep. Pared the price down to 500 words and printed it verbatim.

It's a well-known magazine, too. And when I complained, they ignored me completely. Didn't even give me the byline.

]]> By: Paula https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12337 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 21:48:54 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12337 Now we're all curious, Lori. What was that one word?

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12336 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 12:44:41 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12336 Kathy, you've actually told me about some of those cases where the language wasn't what you've wanted. Good for you. I'll add that if you don't understand something, get legal counsel. When I first started freelancing, I lost out on $1,500 because of ONE word in a contract. That taught me to read every single word after that.

Gabriella, that sounds fair. It sounds like they've exchanged long-term work (and decent pay) for the restriction. Honestly? I think it can work sometimes. I just think too often some of these clients place tight parameters on freelancers as though we're employees.

I know a guy who writes exclusively for one magazine in a certain business space. He told me that he can't write for three other named magazines, but as a result, he locked that magazine in to a $20K annual contract. THAT is a non-compete I'd sign!

]]> By: Gabriella F. https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12335 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 12:02:11 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12335 I'll be the contrarian here. I'm currently under a noncompete (and y'all may remember I'm a lawyer).

I signed it because I thought the pros outweighed the cons. I have a regular monthly gig that pays me nearly $2,000, and about once a quarter a little more than that. So it's a substantial benefit to me.

Also, I really trust this publisher, so I didn't think he was going to use the noncompete to unreasonably restrict me. And for four years, he hasn't.

The clause prohibits me from writing for direct competitors, and we've defined that fairly narrowly. There have been a few times that I've said, "Hey, you consider this guy to be a competitor?" and we discussed it openly. I can think of only one publication that I've not approached because of the noncompete clause.

When we renegotiated our contract after several years, I tried to negotiate the noncompete out, but it was important enough to the publisher to pay me a little more monthly to keep me exclusive. I thought that was a fair trade.

So the bottom line for me is that, first, we have a good working relationship and can talk through issues raised by the noncompete.

Second, the pay is enough that I'm willing to take a pass on other work.

And third, I'm not sure I could get that other work if I tried, and even if I tried, I'm not sure it pays enough that I'd even take it.

So I'm not sure I'm giving up too much.

]]> By: Irreverent Freelancer https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12334 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 23:41:44 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12334 I flat-out refuse to sign non-competes unless the wording is such that I can't work on the EXACT same thing at the same time. I'm talking educational writing here. For regular writing projects, I would never sign one … PERIOD.

I've actually had parts of a contract struck or reworded because I refused to sign it as is. I read every word of my contracts and I urge all other freelancers to do the same.

]]> By: Paula https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12333 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 20:34:17 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12333 Since rumor was the competing rag was circling the drain, so I thought: why would I want to write for it, anyway?

]]> By: Lori https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12332 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:03:35 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12332 Paula, that bugs me. I've worked for a magazine before that expected freelancers to be exclusive. The smart freelancers arranged deals that paid them extra and guaranteed them work.

]]> By: Paula https://wordsonpageblog.com/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html#comment-12331 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:16:59 +0000 http://loriwidmer.com/wordsonpage/index.php/2013/08/writers-and-non-compete-clause.html/#comment-12331 I've never been asked to sign a non-compete agreement, but when I started writing for one of two top industry trades it was implied that the don't use freelancers who write for the competition, and vice versa.

It wasn't a deal breaker, since I didn't really care much for the quality of their competition.

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