[sdiy] Sound-On-Sound vrs Future Music (was Wakeman)

[David Hughes]

Hello,

Speaking as a Freelance Journalist who has contributed to both Sound-on-Sound
and Future Music in the past - including the RetroZone articles discussed
elsewhere in this thread - I felt it was time to chime in on this thread.

Firstly, let's get this one put to bed straight away. The readership demographic
of Sound-On-Sound and Future Music is completely different. Sound-on-Sound is
aimed at "project" musicians, those with experience and a degree of technical
knowledge. FM is aimed more at beginners and those just getting to grips with
the subject. Hence the difference in their technical coverage. Sound-on-Sound
assumes you have more than just a basic knowledge. Future Music is aimed at
talented but not technically literate musicians.

Neil Johnson wrote:

> As far as the general readership are concerned, there is no difference
> between a staff member and a freelancer, and at the end of the day it is
> the editor's decision to publish or not.  One would like to think that a
> profesisonal editor would keep informed about what their main competitor
> (i.e. SOS) is/has published, and be on the look-out for plagiarism.

Any idea just how many publications there are in circulation? That's a heck of alot
for a team of magazine editors to read per month... ?:)

When a contribution is accepted for publication you have to sign a legally
binding declaration that you have not "borrowed" your copy from another source
without creditting that source. Editors are aware that they cannot possibly read
every publication currently in circulation. This declaration puts the
responsibility on the shoulders of the contributing author and him/her alone.
The magazine is still responsible if a contributing author uses copy from
someone else's work which is why Future Music had to make that apology. I would
not like to have been in that Freelance's shoes on that particular Monday
morning. The publishing business is very incestuous and I doubt that the
individual concerned would be able to find work with any other technical music
magazines except possibly "Tambourine Weekly" or "Your Electric Violin".

> If they want to sue me, go ahead, not as if I have any money.

Having butted heads with a few legal types in the publishing business over the
years, this statement seems a little foolhardy to me! ?:)

Regards
    David

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