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Author Intent
Topic Started: Jan 2 2015, 09:24 AM (80 Views)
Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
Zane Grey wrote many classic westerns, Riders of the Purple Sage among them. But many of his works were heavily edited by magazine editors (Grey made more money by serializing his books in magazines, before publishing the entire serial as one book), even to the point of ghost writers inserting passages or re-writing entire chapters.

In the last five years, or so, the Grey family has provided the author's original manuscripts for publication. Many of the original manuscripts are much grittier, such as the chaining and rape of Mormon secret wives, etc. Many of the books are significantly longer, but were shortened to meet certain word-count mandates.

This brings up some questions...How heavy-handed should an editor be with an author's work? If an editor contributes written passages, should he be considered a co-author? And how long should a publisher own a work, before ownership reverts back to the author?
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
Jolly
Jan 2 2015, 09:24 AM
This brings up some questions...How heavy-handed should an editor be with an author's work? If an editor contributes written passages, should he be considered a co-author?
I have to deal with that quite literally every single day.

An editor's job is to make the writer's work fit for publication. Period. Down to the adverb, if an editor makes any additions that communicate what he wants to be said, rather than the author's, he's got to put his name on it as co-author. Anything else would violate just about every ethics rule there is.

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And how long should a publisher own a work, before ownership reverts back to the author?


There are all kinds of rules about this one, and for the most part I'm okay with contracts, copyright law and the courts in general making the decisions. But generally speaking I think publishers should maintain the rights for as long as the work is still in print. If they're paying the money to keep publishing it, they should share in some of the rights. But there are so many details and exceptions to be made there that it's hardly even a rule.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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