JP and I recently had one of our articles reprinted in an edited book. The book is edited by a number of very well-respected authors, and the book includes a number of prominent articles. Good news. The problem is that we were never contacted by the editors or the publishers as to give permission to have the article reprinted. I found the book when I was doing an unrelated Google search.
I understand that I sign away my rights of publication to the journal in which it was published. At the same time, wouldn't it be nice to get a heads up from the editors or get a free copy of the book in the mail. Does anyone know how this process works?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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5 comments:
While manners might dictate getting notification from the editors, I don't think there is clear responsibility for notifying original authors. Editors might assume journal publishers take on that task, and vice versa. From the editor's perspective, their job is to identify the best line-up of materials and then work with their publisher to secure releases from the journal publisher. From the journal's perspective, as you indicated, you signed away those materials.
I've had things put on the cafeteria list of articles for "create your own" readers compiled by publishers. I found it the same way you did, never through formal notification.
Yeah - two articles I have co-authored have ended up in edited volumes in the last year. And I was contacted about none of them. They were both published by Sage, so I just went to their web page and requested a review copy. In both cases, they are just watered down versions of the journal articles. It does seem weird to just stumble across a version of your article in a book somewhere.
I think it is so strange when authors aren't notified that their article is being reprinted as a book chapter. Like you, Velma, I get that you no longer hold the copyright to your article once it is published in a journal, but still...it just seems like plain ol' common courtesy for the book editors to send an e-mail saying, "By the way, we plan to reprint your article in our new book." Though receiving a free copy of the book would be ideal, in tough budget times that may not be very likely. But why not an email, if even simply to spread the word about the new book and potentially drum up interest in it??
By the way, congrats to you & Patch!!
the ASJA (asja.org) has more info about copyright and such.
Thanks for the info, Anon.
Here is an interesting tidbit from the ASJA Contracts Watch page:
Copyright infringement as thought crime?
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