|
For
The Record Chris Brune, Editor; Barrie Reightler, Designer Summer 2000 |
|
|
|
Contents: T2K Seminar AHP membership highest in 30 years 2000 Student Award Fund Auction raises over $7,000 New! AHP Forum added to website Warren Wilson elected AHP President Freelancer/Editor Workshop Thanks! 30th Anniversary Sponsors AHP Trade Show Program 2001 American Horse Publications awards members for excellence in equine publishing AHP Who’s Who Industry News USPC moves into new national headquarters Horse.com voted “best site on the web” by Snap.com University of Illinois holds Equine Breeding Management Short Course First annual Florida Equine Institute and Trade Show to be held in Ocala Fort Worth Group announces Equus Ball and HAY! AWARDS Seminar roster boasts “Who’s Who” in horse biz PUBLICATION MEMBERS ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION MEMBERS AFFILIATE MEMBERS CORPORATE MEMBERS STUDENT MEMBERS Help wanted
T2K Seminar In May, over 175 equine publishing professionals gathered at the DFW Airport Marriott in Irving, Texas, for AHP’s annual seminar and meeting and to celebrate the association’s 30th anniversary. Memorable, informative, and entertaining are probably inadequate words when describing the two-day seminar, which managed to span four days of activities. Early arrivals experienced the thrill of Thoroughbred racing on Wednesday night at beautiful Lone Star Park, where a race was named for American Horse Publications and the Board of Directors headed to the winner’s circle for the win photo. On Thursday, over 80 AHP members boarded buses for a Texas ranch tour sponsored by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, who donated sports water bottles and snacks for the bus trip. First stop on the tour was Clark’s Outpost in Tioga for a barbecue lunch and an opportunity to view the photo gallery of horse owners and horses who have made the Aubrey and Pilot Point area well known as horse country. Our next stop was in Pilot Point to visit Valor Farm, an American Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred breeding farm, where owners, Clarence and Dorothy Scharbauer, greeted us. The final stop was at Punk Carter’s cutting ranch, where several AHP members had a first-hand opportunity to ride a cutting horse in action. Henry Conley, Executive Director of the National Cutting Horse Association was on hand to greet us. We were also fortunate to watch NFL Hall of Famer, Randy White, exhibit his skills, but Punk Carter demonstrated the expertise of a master at his craft. Members were provided with a bottle of Punk Carter’s own brand of barbecue sauce as a memento of their visit to Texas. That evening, Morgan Lightfoot hosted the annual welcome reception sponsored by Brown Printing Company, and additional attendees began the process of putting names to faces as the seminar got underway in full swing. The next two days were full of activities and sessions from morning until night. Attendees chose from a wide variety of sessions and the surveys from members rated these sessions with high marks all around. During the day, members attended to business, but Friday and Saturday evenings were reserved for fun and entertainment as you will read in separate items on the Student Award Dinner and Auction and the Awards Night. The following comments from attendees sum up the seminar events best.
“The awards dinner at the “off site location was a real treat!” Sandy Kucharski, The Sentinel
“This was the most productive seminar out of the three I have been to, and they all have been valuable.” Anna Goebel, Midwest SportHorse Journal
“This was my first time to attend, and I was impressed with the quality of the sessions, the variety of activities, and all the little ‘extra’ touches that made the attendees feel special.” Irene Stamatelakys, Paint Horse Journal
“I have attended hundreds of conferences and trade shows in my career, and I have never had a more productive, fun, and rewarding experience.” Karen Johnson, eStable, Inc.
“The seminar was outstanding. Fun, informative, educational, and a chance to meet old and new friends…everything a seminar should be.” Jenny Meyer, Freelance writer
AHP membership highest in 30 years Membership in American Horse Publications hit 281 in August, the highest number since the association’s start in 1970. Numbers have steadily been on the rise in the past five years largely due to the addition of membership categories and increases in member benefits and activities. Equine print publications constitute the largest membership category with 155 members. Affiliate membership, which is available to individuals such as freelance writers and photographers, totals 48, closely followed by Corporate members at 46, which are businesses, associations and organizations involved in the equine publishing industry. Student members include 23 college students pursuing careers in equine publishing and the newest category, Electronic Publications, comprises of 9 members in its first year. For membership information, please contact the AHP office at (904) 760-7743 or visit the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.org.
2000 Student Award Fund Auction raises over $7,000 On Friday, May 19, 2000, AHP honored its 2000 Student Award Winner, Michelle Berg, with a reception sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Association and a dinner buffet sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, who was celebrating the first birthday of Pfizer’s horse, Spokesman. The 8th annual silent auction and raffle, which were held during the reception and dinner, raised over $5,000 in the silent auction and over $800 in raffle ticket sales. Proceeds benefit the Student Award Fund, which rewards a college student pursuing a career in equine publishing with a cash award and an all-expense-paid trip to the annual AHP meeting. In addition to this year’s winner, four previous Student Award winners attended the T2K Seminar. Summer Ann Best and Laura Denissen, the 1999 winners, were present with Summer attending as field editor for The Quarter Horse Journal and Laura as an Affiliate member, who is an account executive with an interactive marketing firm. A regular seminar attendee is Jennifer Denison, the 1994 winner, who is the associate editor for Horse & Rider. Stephanie Lynn Church attended her third seminar, this time as staff writer for The Horse. These young women are bright and talented individuals who are destined to be an asset to the equine publishing industry. The evening’s entertainment presented a challenge for this year’s committee following the highly memorable Music City LIVE performances in Nashville. But the first-ever AHP/T2K Triathlon and Calcutta was a huge hit. Six teams of three contestants each were randomly chosen by a drawing. Each team determined who would compete in three events: stick horse barrel racing, roping, and branding. Auctioneer Bruce McCarty auctioned off the teams to the highest bidding individual or group. Team No. 1 was purchased for $95 by Connie Lechleitner and included Kathy McFadden, Chris Maedche, and Dean Hoffman; Team No. 2 was purchased for $200 by Scott Carling and included Dean Jacobson, Greg Jay, and Cheryl Erpelding; Team No. 3 was purchased for $140 by Susan Harding and Tracy Gantz and included P.J. Wamble, Stephanie Church, and Jennifer Nice; Team No. 4 was bought for $200 by Pat Eskew and included Laura Denissen, Rob Banner, and Crystal Brumme; Team No. 5 was purchased for $275 by Charley Birkes and included Dr. Dan Moore, Sandy Kucharski, and Corliss Palmer; and Team No. 6 was purchased for $400 by the Carl Mullins Syndicate and included Mary Hilton, Lindsay Serrell, and Shawna Karrasch. The competition was judged by a team of Student Award winners. Branding was the first event. Contestants were blindfolded, turned around in a circle, and directed toward the AHP horse, (two members in a horse costume), which refused to stand still for its handler, Lua Southard. Using the AHP branding iron dipped in flour, each contestant attempted to brand the horse in 60 seconds. The exhibitor hitting the target in the fastest time was declared the winner. The next event was roping in which contestants had three attempts to throw the rope over the steer’s head in 60 seconds. The contestant successfully roping the steer the most times in the fastest time won. The last event was stick horse barrel racing in which contestants had 60 seconds to run their stick horse around three cones. The contestant who completed the pattern correctly in the fastest time won. The winning team members received a special mini-version of the AHP branding iron and ribbons. The ribbons, donated by Pfizer Animal Health, were also presented to all six places in each event and the overall team competition. The results in the Overall Team Competition were: 1st, Pat Eskew Team; 2nd, Carl Mullins Syndicate; 3rd, Scott Carling Team; 4th, Susan Harding Team; 5th, Charley Birkes Team; and 6th, Connie Lechleitner Team. Finishing first in AHP branding was Crystal Brumme of The Equiery with Mary Hilton of HITS placing second. The first place in roping went to Chris Maedche of SuperLooper with Laura Denissen receiving second. Winning the stick horse barrel racing was none other than Elvis aka Rob Banner, The Chronicle of the Horse, followed by Stephanie Church of The Horse. A total of $1,313 was placed in the pot of which 10% was given as a prize to the Buyer of the winning team and the remaining proceeds were donated to the Student Award Fund. Pat Eskew, the winning Buyer, generously donated his prize money back to the Fund. The highest-priced items sold in the silent auction were the therapeutic saddle pad and contoured cool grip donated by Supracor, Inc. and purchased by Dr. Dan Moore, The Natural Horse Vet, for $425, and the framed Silver Charm halter, donated by Stacy V. Bearse, The Blood-Horse, and purchased by Sue Copeland, Horse & Rider, for $400. The big spender at this year’s auction was Sue Copeland whose purchases totaled $975. Others who spent generously included Dr. Dan Moore; Susan Harding and Pat Eskew of PRIMEDIA; Vinton and Shawna Karrasch of On Target Training; Erica Peterson of Intervet, Inc.; Rob Banner of The Chronicle of the Horse; Jim Cullen of The Texas Thoroughbred; and Charley Birkes of eStable, Inc. The silent auction and raffle wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the donors, many who sent items even though they didn’t attend the seminar: Alaska Horse Journal; Appaloosa Journal; Ariat International, Inc.; Carroll Brown Arnold; Beaux Chevaux Soaps; The Blood-Horse; Brown Printing Company; Covertside; Jennifer Denison; Dover Saddlery, Cookie Driscoll; Equine Resources International, Equitana USA/EqWest; Tracy Gantz; Dean Hoffman; The Horse; Kentucky Horse Park; Maverick Press; Hallie McEvoy; Missouri Fox Trot Horse Breeders Assn.; National Cutting Horse Association, National Thoroughbred Racing Association; On Target Training; Paint Horse Journal; Parelli Natural Horsemanship; Audrey Pavia; Pfizer Animal Health; PRIMEDIA Equine Network; The Quarter Horse Journal; Storey Books; Supracor, Inc.; United States Dressage Federation; Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse; Western Horseman Magazine; and Randy White. A big thank you goes to those who purchased auction items and supported the calcutta: Rob Banner, Charley Birkes, Scott Carling, Pat Close, Sue Copeland, Jim Cullen, Jennifer Denison, Laura Denissen, Carole Dwinell, Cheryl Eperlding, Patrick Eskew, Jackie Freundlich, Maureen Gallatin, Tracy Gantz, Sally Gillespie, Kimberly Graetz, Susan Harding, Teresa Jascob, Shawna and Vinton Karrasch, Missy Kobel, Connie Lechleitner, Frank Lessiter, Morgan Lightfoot, Stephanie Macejko, Hallie McEvoy, Jennifer Meyer, Dr. Dan Moore, Carl Mullins, Jennifer Nice, Jerry Ochs, Corliss Palmer, Audrey Pavia, Erica Peterson, Kelly Proffitt, Rene Riley, Lua Oas Southard, Kathy Swan, Deborah Taylor, Sushil Dulai Wenholz, Warren Wilson, plus all who bought raffle tickets. Special recognition for their assistance with the Student Award Fund Auction and T2K Triathlon goes to Lua Oas Southard, Teresa Jascob, Deb Taylor, Maureen Gallatin, Sue Copeland, Doug Hayes, Rob Banner, Jim Jennings, Warren Wilson, and Carl Mullins. A big round of applause goes to Dan Kramer of Pfizer Animal Health for hosting the Texas buffet and for his enthusiasm and support of this special evening. Special thanks belongs to AQHA, sponsors of the reception, Barrie Reightler, chairman of this year’s Student Award contest, and to all our “exhibitors”...for providing an entertaining and unforgettable event. And the AHP branding competition wouldn’t have been the same without our very misbehaved horse (Lori Lampert and Ellen Haight of Stableviews.) College students, who will be juniors or seniors at the start of the 2001-2002 college year with at least one semester before graduation, and who are actively pursuing a career in equine publishing, will be eligible to compete for American Horse Publications 2001 Student Award. The next AHP Annual Meeting and Seminar is scheduled for June 21-23, 2001.
For further information on the AHP Student Award program or American Horse Publications, contact: Chris Brune, American Horse Publications, 49 Spinnaker Circle, South Daytona, FL 32119; (904) 760-7743 or visit the AHP website at http://www.americanhorsepubs.org.
New! AHP Forum added to website AHP members are encouraged to logon to the AHP Forum. The Forum, currently in the early stages of development, was established as an open discussion on all aspects of publishing. Use the Forum to: · Post a question. · State an opinion. · Seek help or assistance. · Recommend a book, website, etc. · Offer your services. · Elicit advice. · Provide guidance to a colleague. View the Forum as a modern-day general store, an informal gathering place where we can meet to exchange ideas. Open discussion is invited. Rudeness or discourtesy will not be tolerated. Your feedback is essential to the development of this new feature. Contact the webmaster at: sbearse@bloodhorse.com. To logon, visit the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.org, click on the box “AHP FORUM” and follow instructions.
Warren Wilson elected AHP President
(insert photo of Warren and Marilyn from separate file if you can)
CAPTION:
Newly-elected AHP President, Warren Wilson, with celebrity look-a-like, Marilyn Monroe
Warren Wilson, publisher of the California Horsetrader, was initially elected to the AHP Board as a director in 1995. During the past five years, he has served on the Internship, Trade Show, Awards Contest, New Media, Promotions, and Budget committees as well as been the chairman of the Seminar, Sponsorship and Student Award committees. At the General Membership meeting held on May 19, 2000, at the DFW Airport Marriott in Irving, Texas, AHP members in attendance elected Warren as the 29th President along with the following Officers and Directors for 2000-2001. Officers hold a term of one year and Directors serve a three-year term.
OFFICERS President: Warren Wilson California Horsetrader 1st Vice President: Barrie Reightler Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred 2nd Vice President: Frank Lessiter American Farriers Journal Executive Board Members: Doug Hayes The Quarter Horse Journal Sue Copeland Horse & Rider Immediate Past President: Robert L. Banner The Chronicle of the Horse
DIRECTORS Stacy V. Bearse Blood-Horse Publications Jennifer Byrant Affiliate Member Dean Hoffman Hoof Beats Connie Lechleitner Ohio Quarter Horse News Carl Mullins Cowboy Publishing Group Deborah Taylor UK Equine Research & Service Report
Freelancer/Editor Workshop For the second year, a Freelancer/Editor Workshop was held during the American Horse Publications T2K Seminar in Irving, Texas, in May 2000. Moderating this year’s workshop was Jennifer Forsberg Meyer, freelance writer, consulting editor to Horse & Rider, and former publisher of California Horse Review. Jenny presents the highlights of the topics discussed in the workshop as well as her own suggestions from her experience as both a former editor/publisher, who now freelances.
Suggestions for Freelancers or...things that [usually] work for me now that I'm freelancing • Know your target magazines. Analyze their content — what kinds of topics are recurring? What kinds of topics are avoided? If necessary, "deconstruct" several of the magazine's best features to see how they're put together — and what makes them shine. Then use this information to target your queries. Above all, don't just assume that anything you write about a four-legged hooved animal will be of interest. (It won't.) • Get assignments in writing. If the editor is a top-of-the-head free-association, take copious notes, type out an outline of what you think she wants, and fax or e-mail it back to her before you begin. When in doubt, get it spelled out — in advance. Make sure, too, that you know beforehand how much you'll be paid for an article. • Think "complete package" — help your editor brainstorm sidebars, photographs, and illustrations that may be needed to make an article really sing. • Under-promise, over-deliver. Be conservative in your guesstimates of when you'll complete an assignment, then work like crazy to beat your deadline. If you can toss in an extra sidebar, so much the better. • Be meticulous and detail-oriented. Double-check everything—name spellings, facts and figures, grammar and syntax. Editors love freelancers who require little or no "fixing." Don't be of the "she'll catch it for me" school of writing. Honor word limits. Don't say, "I couldn't make it fit into 1500 words — use what you want and cut the rest." Do the "heavy lifting" yourself — make the piece a smooth, well-articulated whole at the length specified. • Never complain, never explain (in detail, anyway). When you must ask for an extension on a deadline, do it as early as you can, and without revealing all the exasperating details of how the dog ate the first draft. Focus instead on what you can do to salvage the situation. Even better: try to avoid having to ask. • Don't make the same mistake twice. Learn editors' pet peeves and assiduously avoid them. Pay attention to constructive criticism and incorporate it into future drafts. • Read drafts aloud as a final check for naturalness of expression and pleasing rhythm. • Show enthusiasm — for the work you do, for the magazines you write for. Be upbeat as much and as often as you can; editors will love you for it. "Say "we" and "our," rather than "you" and "your" when discussing a magazine. Show that you want to be a valued, relied-upon team member...and you will be.
Suggestions for Editors or...things that worked for me when I was editor of California Horse Review • Keep your eyes peeled for freelancer talent. Seek out potential writers and mentor them. I recruited a friend who was an equine vet and dressage enthusiast; she continued to write for me even after she was tapped by a much larger magazine that paid her twice and even three times what I could afford. Today she's a contributing editor with Horse & Rider and Dressage Today. • Consider local college interns. They'll often work for free in exchange for a solid learning experience. One intern we used was so good we later hired her as our managing editor. • Keep track of all freelancers in some sort of index file, recording the articles they've done for you, their strengths, and their weaknesses. It helps greatly in deciding what to assign to whom — and what to look out for with certain writers, so you don't run into the same problems twice. • Make assignments in writing. Until I knew for sure a freelancer was on my exact wavelength, I spelled out the topic, scope, and slant for each article, as well as provided a list of which experts to use. In some cases, I even wrote the lead for her. You can't be too specific here. If in doubt, spell it out. Settle payment issues upfront, too. • Start new freelancers with a small assignment (a nonessential column, or a filler piece) with plenty of extra lead-time built into the deadline (months, even). Once they've proved themselves reliable, go ahead with that great idea they have for a major feature (but still pack it with extra lead-time). • Edit with diplomacy, and make sure any editors working under you do the same. See to it that all your freelancers receive plenty of positive feedback, especially when you must also pass along constructive criticism. For some freelancers, the opportunity to feel appreciated and know that they're growing as writers is almost as important as the money. Be generous (but always truthful) in your praise. • Consider buying reprint rights if you like a freelancer's work but can't afford her first-rights fees. • Pay as much as you can afford, and as promptly as possible.
Questionnaire Feedback Many topics that were discussed in the workshop resulted from the following input gleaned from the "what-should-we-discuss" survey that was e-mailed to members in advance of the session.
• Communicating What do editors want? What can a freelancer expect? Getting — and staying — on the same wavelength. This becomes almost intuitive after a freelancer and an editor have worked together for a while, but it can be difficult to establish when the relationship is new. I think clear writer's guidelines are a help, especially when they come with payment information (it's often an awkward question to ask!). Constructive input from my editors is always appreciated, and when an article is particularly successful, it's really nice to hear that. I try to reciprocate by sending a little complimentary e-mail when I think an article of mine is particularly nicely laid-out, or a feature by another writer is really thought-provoking, or whatever. Keeps everyone on good footing. Clear communication is so important! An editor once expanded an article's angle three times on me. It's infuriating when you take an assignment with the understanding you'll be doing X, then find out later — after agreeing to do it and even starting work on it — that you'll really be doing X and Y and Z. You may end up wasting valuable time on unnecessary work or needing more time than you had anticipated and booked for that piece — and most freelancers don't have much spare time in the first place. It's even worse when you submit the article based on an initial understanding, only to have the editors ask for massive (and unpaid) rewrites because they changed their mind. Communication is good but it also helps if the editor really has the power to make decisions. There's nothing so frustrating, time-wasting and unnecessary as when an editor assigns something to a writer, the writer does just that, but then the editorial policy changes (often due to a committee meeting of some sort) and the article is scrapped or requires extensive reworking. As a freelance photographer, I find the best situation is to have an assignment and a guarantee of a certain amount of payment in advance. Then, while I'm on the road, I can shoot for a specific request rather than responding to "do you have something in your files?" Deadlines often cannot be met with last-minute requests. A guarantee of a research fee is required regardless of what, if anything, is used. Also, when editors request e-mail transmittal, they need to provide correct specs. ISDN lines and computer equipment are expensive, and this service needs to be recognized for the value it provides.
• Professionalism How to be a problem solver — not a problem — for your editors. How to make your freelancers feel a part of your team. It's important for editors to remember that freelancers work in something of a vacuum. There's no office water-cooler for most of us, often little contact with the outside world other than by phone or modem. So little things, like Christmas cards from an editor, are much appreciated. In terms of teamwork, if there's a problem with an article I've written, I'd much rather be included in the process of reslanting/rewriting than to open my copy of the magazine and find that the article bears my name but little resemblance to what I wrote. On the freelancer side, I think part of being a problem solver is being able to leap in with appropriate and timely story ideas when necessary; editors can't think of all these subjects! Naturally delivering copy on time is a big part of a freelancer's responsibility, too — and I think it's important that if you find that's going to be difficult, that you communicate honestly with your editor. Most will be able to accommodate you to some degree if they have some warning, but are far less pleased if they are just left hanging. I'm not so much worried about being a team member; I enjoy being an independent. I think the don't-be-a-problem notion applies to both editors and freelancers, and really falls under the pet peeve section.
• Pet Peeves For writers: insufficient lead time; unclear assignments; feedback lag or insufficiency; avoidable rewrites; slash-and-burn editing. For editors: stretched/missed deadlines; incomplete manuscripts and manuscripts needing "fixing"; ignorance of a magazine's content and slant; slipshod research; ignored word counts. In many magazines, everything is edited to fit a format and sound the same. Things are chopped, blended, digested and otherwise crammed into pre-sized formats or templates. Today's writers must learn to write to fill a certain sized box or magazine page, and, what's more, be able to intellectually, emotionally and artistically accept it! I think we will soon be called "freelance blurbers." The saddest part of this to me is that sometimes a writer needs more words to thoroughly explain something, and when things are trimmed too lean, the essence is sometimes missing. This is especially true of topics that require some human emotion. I like to explain thoroughly to give the whole picture and a complete understanding of the topic, which ultimately leads to a more satisfying and safer experience for both horses and their people — my ultimate goal as a writer. Because I've been able to grow my business to a comfortable level, I can often avoid the editors I dislike working with. I'm sure that editors do the same with freelancers they find unreliable. Certainly fostering a positive relationship between the two "sides" is a great benefit to all involved, and all of these points are vital to developing and maintaining a partnership. I think the "equine writer" e-mail discussion list that Rhonda Hart from Gaited Horse has started is a very useful tool for both editors and writers. At least people are sharing experiences and learning from each other’s successes and failures.
• Money Issues Rights — especially with respect to online usages; contracts; bonuses; expense reimbursement; writing on spec; raises. Rights, I find, are one of the most misunderstood — and abused — issues in the freelancer/publisher relationship. I say freelancer/publisher because the editor is often caught in the middle, being pressured by her publisher to ask her freelancers to sign contracts that may be patently unfair! Of course each side is going to try to negotiate terms to their best advantage, but it would behoove many publishers to have a better understanding of copyright law. Reprinting material online, without specific freelancer consent, is illegal, plain and simple — even if the magazine claims some part of its payment is compensation for Web use. Yet at least two of the markets I write for continue to archive all of my material on their Web sites, without my permission. The Web isn't so new anymore that we should continue to operate like this. It's absolutely correct to emphasize rights re: online usage. This will open a whole new world, and soon. Writers in this industry know that they are undervalued in comparison to writers with the same skills in another type of industry. Treating talented communicators (photographers as well as writers) fairly and with respect is essential to our overall success. Many magazines (including a number of AHP members) don't even use contracts. The law as I've always understood it says that in these cases, it's understood that the writer is selling only FNASR (First North American Serial Rights). Do the magazines understand this? And, do they understand why it matters to us whether or not they use our material beyond its original intent? It would be like someone buying a magazine on the newsstand, then posting the entire thing online for the world to read. I don't think publishers would take that too lightly, but many don't see the parallel to what they do with our work. Online usage should be additional to the printed piece. The licensing rights the publication wants should each be paid for individually. Trying to bundle a bunch of rights into one package that's priced essentially the same as for the printed article alone is ultimately going to drive down the quality of the writing in horse publications as the better writers switch to writing for other customers. And if publications want work for hire, then they should look at the payment rates for corporate writing assignments (which are basically work for hire) and decide if they're willing to pay that much. If no one is making money from online magazines, why should writers be singled out and asked to subsidize a poor business model? Slow payment is another perennial freelancer pet peeve. A magazine that commissions an article in May, prints it in August, and pays for it in November (and this has happened to me many times) has in essence had the freelancer's work interest-free for seven months. Payment on acceptance is the standard in the "mainstream" magazine trade...is there anything that can be done to make it the standard among horse magazines? Don't forget photographers! They invest more than writers in equipment and often travel, as well as film and processing to complete the job. Often the time invested is the same if not more than the time to write a story. Rush fees, research fees, and photos for file should all be paid for, and prompt payment — not 30-60 days after publication. Talking about money might be beating a dead horse, so to speak. Editors always say they don't control the budget.
NOTE: Reference book on Copyright Law suggested by Stacy V. Bearse. Handbook of Publishing Law, Jonathan Kirsch, Acrobat Books 1996, $21.95 (trade paperback) ISBN: 0-918226-33-3
• Exclusivity Is it fair? Should it be compensated? Dealing with it. By this I assume you mean when a publisher requests that a freelancer work only for them and not for any "competing" magazines (a term whose definition varies from company to company, by the way). The only possible way this is fair is if the publisher is willing to commit to the freelancer a certain amount of work and a certain amount of money for a certain amount of time. In other words, true contract labor, not simply freelancing assignments as they come up. Many equine industry freelancers specialize in the equine industry, so asking us to be exclusive to one magazine severely restricts our income potential. I can't imagine a freelancer getting enough assignments from one magazine to make a living. In many cases, the back door here is to work under a pseudonym so you don't ruffle feathers at one publication. But this can be its own little can of worms! If publishers are worried about freelancers spreading news about their editorial line-ups, perhaps signing a confidentiality statement would help. If they're worried about readers seeing the same writer's name appearing in different magazines, perhaps they can use a different type of byline for freelancers, as many newspapers do, such as "Special to (Magazine Name), by So & So." (Besides, let's be honest, not that many readers scrutinize and memorize the bylines.) Most freelancers specializing in the equine field make little enough money without being told by magazines that they're forbidden to seek work with other markets! Under almost all circumstances it's unfair to ask this of a freelancer, though of course there's also some ethical responsibility on the freelancer's side to avoid selling similar stories to directly competing markets. (One of the big problems is determining what each magazine considers its direct competition. Sometimes this can be quite mysterious.) Thus far, I haven't been offered sufficient money to persuade me to promise exclusivity. In some circumstances, to avoid ruffling feathers, I have agreed to write under a pseudonym, and that doesn't bother me so long as the checks are in my real name! It's fair only if proper payment is applied. For photographers, providing the best shot should be dealt with in a timely manner so other publications have a chance at the same image when meeting a news deadline. I make it a policy not to guarantee exclusive rights to my images, except if being used in a commercial advertising situation when payment warrants it. Should exclusivity be compensated? Absolutely! If you want someone to work for you exclusively, you hire her and put her on the payroll. If you don't want that overhead, then you'd better figure out some other way to compensate her for the opportunities to leverage her research time by asking her to work for your publication exclusively.
• Internet Research Finding what you need quickly. I don't know how much reliable research can be found on the Internet. I guess you'd need to define "research." I use the Internet to find leads, contact information, etc., but it seems very patchy in terms of reliable content other than the few stellar exceptions like horsesport.org, etc. (Example: Rolex 3-Day Event left its 1998 site up almost until the 1999 event was going on...they had changed the URL so really had two sites but never bothered to take down the old one. If you only had the old URL and didn't read the fine print carefully, you could have made some very large mistakes. Ditto for the Badminton site in the UK.) Good journalism reminds itself that "quickly" is not necessarily the same as "correctly." It still all has to go back to the source. Under no circumstances should images be copied from Web sites for publication or online use of any kind without permission and appropriate payment.
• Liability How to protect yourself — as a freelancer, as an editor. Though the journalism schools may consider it a sacrilege, I think the best protection a freelancer can provide for the accuracy of her material is to ask the interviewees to look over the copy before it's submitted for publication. I write a lot of health-care and veterinary-related stuff, and in some cases the subject matter can get quite complex. I sleep easier knowing the experts have given their thumbs-up, though occasionally I have to ignore their generally well-intentioned efforts to become editors and correct my grammar. On the editor's side, having someone on staff to do fact checking is a plus, though a surprising number of horse magazines skip this step. I've never had major problems with this and the use of accuracy reviews by interviewed sources can help tremendously (along with the good ol' paper trail). But I have often wondered what my liability would be in a worst-case scenario. I haven't been affected by liability issues to date, but I live in fear that someday I will have to deal with them. I've been told by attorneys that even incorporating does not free one from the fear of being sued. At the rate horse publications pay, writers cannot afford the liability policies currently available to freelance writers. My best guesstimate is that if they did, they would have to raise their licensing fees for individual articles by $25 to $30 each just to cover the added cost. Current pay rates make this unrealistic unless the writer is working primarily outside the horse industry.
• Book Publishing Is it for you? How does it work? Where to start? I'd expand this to CD-ROMs, videos, DVDs, etc. This would lead to a discussion of work-for-hire payment schemes vs. traditional advance-against-royalties. Most people have an idealistic view of what it means to be an author...the reality is quite different unless you have a clear vision of what you can use the book for in terms of advancing your career, since it probably won't contribute much to your income...unless you're Monty Roberts or John Lyons or someone else who already has a big name. As a photographer who is constantly approached for rights to photos, I find the publishing companies' fees to be way under the value of the work provided, so find that often it's not worth the effort to supply the images for a selection.
• Reselling Work Marketing second and reprint rights. I've had relatively good success recycling my reprints, both on my own and through a syndicate — though I never know quite how to respond to those smaller publications who e-mail me with great praise for my work, then ask me for permission to reprint, but claim not to have the budget to offer any cash! I feel guilty saying no, but at the same time I do consider this my business, and I'm fairly sure they're not asking their printers to print their magazines gratis, nor getting their paper for free. Tips on how to deal with this scenario would be interesting. I'd love suggestions on doing this effectively (i.e. without spending lots of time and money sending clips willy-nilly to every small market in the listings). It seems I stay so busy generating original material, I never seem to find the time to revisit my old stories and notes.
• Building A Freelancer Pool This is simply a matter of dealing with people from a perspective of mutual respect and trust. Years ago, I had to manage a stable of freelance writers for a major publisher of series books. When you found good writers, you treated them well, considered them part of the team, and didn't engage in gamesmanship about rights, payment schedules and other business dealings. If the writers can depend on their editors, then the editors can depend on the writers.
• Additional Topics Of Interest Want to participate in an ongoing Freelance Writer and Editor Workshop? Visit the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.com and log on to the AHP Forum.
Thanks! 30th Anniversary Sponsors Every year, American Horse Publications is grateful to the many corporate sponsors whose generosity and support help us to provide our members with an educational and memorable experience. Please remember to thank the following sponsors of AHP’s 30th Anniversary and T2K Seminar.
Platinum Sponsors · Brown Printing Company · Pfizer Animal Health
Gold Sponsors · American Quarter Horse Association · GastroGard TM · Publishers Press
Silver Sponsors · FLAIR TM Equine Nasal Strips · Idea Flight, Inc. · R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company · Supracor, Inc.
Bronze Sponsors · Branch-Smith Inc. · Cowboy Publishing Group · Equitana USA · Life Data Labs · Maryland Horse Breeders Association · Paint Horse Journal · Ryerss Farm For Aged Equines
AHP Trade Show Program 2001 Enclosed with this newsletter is a Trade Show Participation Survey Form, which members can indicate the events you are interested in for 2001. Please complete and return by fax to 904-760-7728 or mail to: AHP Trade Show Program, 49 Spinnaker Circle, South Daytona, FL 32119. The AHP Newsstand is a co-operative program that provides members with a cost effective way to exhibit at national and regional equine events. Publication members have an opportunity to distribute their publications and acquire valuable subscriber leads generated from the free drawing for a one-year subscription that are held during each event. Leads are available on either labels, disk or e-mail file. Publications with a circulation under 5,000 are offered the option to participate in the program by choosing to send half the number of copies for half price. Free distribution allows members who contract their own space at these events to use the AHP booth as a second point of distribution and members with a free publication to participate. A group discount is available for publication members published by the same publisher: 2 publications = $50 discount off total fees per event; 3 publications = $100 discount off total fees per event; 4 or more publications = $200 discount off total fees per event. Affiliate and Corporate members may also participate in this program and have an opportunity to distribute up to 300 copies of one promotional piece advertising their product or service. No sales or orders will be taken at the booth. Member participating fees are assessed based on cost of exhibit space, furniture rental, supplies, staffing, and/or any additional expenses directly associated with the booth. Participating members are responsible for shipping their publications or promotional pieces to the event on time. If you haven’t already signed up for the remaining events for 2000, here is a list of upcoming shows. Please contact the AHP office at (904) 760-7743 for more information or a Trade Show Participation Form.
¨ Equine Affaire Fall Show, November 9-12, 2000—Eastern States Expo, W. Springfield, MA—This will be the third year for Equine Affaire’s fall show that attracts horse people from the northeast region and beyond. ¨ NEW! EqWest, November 17-19, 2000—Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA—A regional show created by the producers of Equitana USA to address the growing horse industry market in the Western states.
American Horse Publications awards members for excellence in equine publishing Winners in American Horse Publications annual awards competition were announced on May 20, 2000, during the association’s version of the Academy Awards, which was the climax of the AHP/T2K Seminar in Irving, Texas. This year, AHP’s “Oscar” night was held at The Movie Studios at Las Colinas. During the reception, members had an opportunity to be photographed in the Oval Office from the movie, JFK, and review the display of award finalist entries. The Awards Banquet and Presentations were held in an actual movie soundstage. On hand to celebrate the association’s 30th Anniversary was the glamorous movie star, Marilyn Monroe, who sang a special anniversary wish to AHP’s incoming and outgoing presidents, Warren Wilson and Rob Banner. A record audience of over 150 attendees were on hand to watch members receive awards that recognized excellence in editorial content, design, photography, illustration, specialty publications, new media and general excellence. The coveted General Excellence Award is presented to publications that fulfill their statement of purpose and show excellence in editorial content and design. Honorable mention was presented in classes with over 10 entries. General Excellence in the Tabloid/Newspaper category went to Steeplechase Times, a national twice-monthly newspaper on steeplechasing. Equine Journal and Thoroughbred Times received honorable mention. General Excellence for Association Magazine was presented in two circulation categories. Winning the Association Magazine 15,000 and under class was The Quarter Racing Journal, and the Association Magazine 15,000 and over class was America’s Horse, both official publications of the American Quarter Horse Association. The winner of the General Excellence for State or Regional Publication was Midwest SportHorse Journal, a bimonthly magazine for sporthorse enthusiasts in the Midwest region. In the category for Self-Supported Magazine with circulation under 15,000, the winner was Arabian Horse World, a monthly international magazine about Arabians published by PRIMEDIA Equine Group. EQUUS won the General Excellence for Self-Supported Magazine with circulation 15,000 and over. The monthly magazine on horse health care, training and behavior is also published by PRIMEDIA Equine Group. Honorable mention was awarded to Horse Journal published by Belvoir Publications and Practical Horseman, published by PRIMEDIA. This year, a General Excellence Overall Publication award was presented. All finalists in the General Excellence classes were eligible for this award and were judged by a separate judge. EQUUS claimed the overall title. Member publications achieving multiple honors in a variety of categories included Arabian Horse World with 10 awards, EQUUS and Thoroughbred Times with 9 awards each, Horse & Rider with 8 awards, and The Blood-Horse and Paint Horse Journal with 7 awards each. A new class awarded this year was the Equine Calendar, which was won by Western Horseman Magazine’s 1999 Cowboy Calendar. Corporate members placing in this year’s competition included Pfizer Animal Health with a first in Corporate Advertisement, and Idea Flight, Inc. with a second and third place in Corporate Advertisement. The American Quarter Horse Association received first place in the Equine-Related Book class for “The American Quarter Horse” by Steven D. Price. Storey Books placed second in the book category for “Games On Horseback” written by Betty Bennett-Talbot and Steve Bennett. The literary work of several Affiliate members was recognized. Sushil Dulai Wenholz’s article titled, “Six Steps To A New Dressage Horse,” published in Dressage Today, received honorable mention in Service To The Reader. In the Feature Article circulation 15,000 and over class, Audrey Pavia received a second place for her article, “Bravo Brio,” and an honorable mention for “The Cutting Edge,” both published in Horse Illustrated. Jessica Jahiel’s book, “The Parent’s Guide To Horseback Riding,” finished third in the Equine-Related Book class. A new membership category for Electronic Publications was added in 1999 and two of its first members received honors in the Electronic Publication class. The Quarter Racing Journal Online received first place for its website at www.aqha.org/racing and BloodHorse.com placed second for its website at www.bloodhorse.com. The 2000 competition, which was for material published in or by member publications in 1999, drew a total of 811 entries from 80 members. The responsibility for processing the entries and acquiring the judges was performed by AHP President, Rob Banner of The Chronicle of the Horse. The President’s publication is ineligible for the contest, however entries from the year 1999 may be entered in the 2001 contest. This year’s slate of judges included 27 professionals. The Annual Awards Contest has been held since 1977, at which time there were only 13 classes, compared to the 40 classes offered this year. Each year the contest rules and procedures are reviewed by the Awards Committee for improvement, clarity, fairness, and variety. A complete list of the winners is included in the 2000 Annual Awards Program sponsored by Corporate member, Life Data Labs, Inc. or may be found at the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.org.
AHP Who’s Who
The headquarters office of the National Reining Breeders Classic has relocated to Oklahoma. Under the supervision of Jeff and Cheryl Magoteaux's Promotion Management Company, the NRBC headquarters are now housed in their office building on Highway 177, north of Stratford, Oklahoma. Cheryl Magoteaux has been involved with the NRBC since its inception, handling a variety of media, promotional and management duties. She explained, "Cubby Dunn, who had been the NRBC program director for the past few years was an important part of our growth. When Cubby resigned, we were lucky that we had space in our office to accommodate the NRBC, and were able to provide staffing. Because I had been so closely involved with the organization from the beginning, it seemed natural to have it close at hand." The new address for the NRBC is P.O. Box 39, Byars, Oklahoma 74831; phone (580) 759-3939; fax (580) 759-3999; e-mail address: nationalreiningbreedersclassic@hotmail.com.
Patty Tiberg has taken a new position as Director of Development & Marketing with Cowboy Publishing Group. Her new contact information is: phone (817) 737-6397 x104; fax (817) 737-9266; e-mail: ptiberg@mail.com.
Steeplechase Times publishers, Sean and Joe Clancy, announce the completion of Saratoga Days, Sean's book about Saratoga. The book is the revised, expanded, and cleaned up version of the journal you read last year from Saratoga. Turning all those columns into a book has kept the Clancy brothers entertained, not to mention flabbergasted and frustrated, over the last year. They think you'll like the book. It's full of photos and stories, many that you have not seen or read before. If you are interested in a hardcover copy, e-mail Joe at jump@eclipsetel.com or Sean at stjumps@aol.com or call (410) 392-JUMP. The book is priced at $24.95. For advanced orders, they'll include shipping and handling and an autograph. Send check to: ST Publishing, P.O. Box 905, Newark, DE 19715. (include your address and phone number).
Intervet announced an agreement to buy the North American Bayer Animal Health Biologicals business, which will make the company the third largest supplier of veterinary vaccines in the United States.
The American Quarter Horse Association claimed four gold and one bronze at the All Industry Marketing (AIM) Awards competition, created by the Western and English Marketing Association. AQHA won the gold awards in the following categories: Events - Less Than One Day (MBNA America Challenge Championship Simulcast Kit); Events - More Than One Day (Saddle Up & Explore the World’s Trails — AQHA’s Ride ‘99 campaign); Direct Mail (America’s Horse Buyer’s Kit); and Single Page Ads (America The Beautiful campaign). The bronze award was won in the Company Publications, Consumer/External Magazines category for AQHA’s “Members Only” publication, America’s Horse.
America’s Barrel Racer will produce a 2001 Superstars of Barrel Racing calendar available October 15, 2000. The calendar will include the most comprehensive list of competitions, events and sales available to barrel horse enthusiasts. For more information, call (972) 563-7001; e-mail: mail@americasbarrelracer.com, or visit www.americasbarrelracer.com.
Storey Books has added another reference book for riders to its Horse-Wise Guide series. “Western Practice Lessons,” written by Charlene Strickland, is designed to improve communication between horse and rider. The book will help riders master western riding fundamentals while increasing the fun and satisfaction that come from riding a well-trained horse. For an excerpt that may be published at no charge, contact Storey Books, (800) 441-5700, Dept. YP.
Affiliate member, Don Blazer, announced that books which help horses and horsemen can now be found at donblazer.com, which replaces the previous home of the books’ publishing company, Success Is Easy. The web page features a new “A Horse, Of Course” column, as well as an archive of recent columns in addition to books by Don Blazer and other recommended books about horses. The new site has a special page for fans of Walter, “A Horse, Of Course” column personality. Walter helps Don interview trainers, gather historical information and interesting horsey facts for the column as well as demonstrate some mistakes horses make during show performances.
The International Equine Veterinarians Hall Of Fame, begun in 1997 by the American Farriers Journal, took on a record class of four veterinarians this year for outstanding dedication to hoof care. The inductees include: Col. John Hickman, William Moyer, George Platt, and Jan Young. The American Farriers Journal also sponsored National Farriers Week during July 9-15, 2000.
Becky Newell has been promoted to editor of America’s Horse. She joined the AQHA publication in May 1998 as field editor and was promoted to assistant editor in August 1999.
Peter Winants, the former publisher of The Chronicle of the Horse, and a past AHP President, has completed his book, “Steeplechasing: The Complete History of the Sport in North America.” The 320-page book provides a long, colorful history of the sport and gives behind-the-scenes portraits of horses, people, and places of the chase. The book will be published in October by Davies-Black Publishing.
American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is offering editors a ready-to-use short piece titled “10 Tips for Caring for the Older Horse.” If you wish a copy of this article or to expand on this topic using AAEP-member veterinarians as resources, contact Sally Baker, AAEP Public Relations Director at (859) 233-0147 or e-mail sbaker@aaep.org. The care and protection of equine lower limbs through proper bandaging is the subject of a new series of client education brochures developed by AAEP and Educational Partner 3M Animal Care Products. The brochures can be obtained through participating AAEP-member veterinarians by calling 800-438-2386 to locate the veterinarian in your area.
Do you have news you wish to share with AHP members? Send news releases and updates to AHP For the record, Chris Brune, Editor, 49 Spinnaker Circle, South Daytona, FL 32119; or fax (904) 760-7728 or e-mail AHorsePubs@aol.com.
Industry News
USPC moves into new national headquarters The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., has moved into their new national headquarters building at the Kentucky Horse Park. "This is such an exciting time for Pony Club," said Cindy Piper, chair of the Pony Club Headquarters Committee. "We began discussing the idea of our own building several years ago, and to actually see the end result is just amazing. We have always felt at home at the Kentucky Horse Park, so it was a natural that we build our own home here. The new building now houses our own Pony Club Bookstore, which is open to the public, in addition to giving us ample office, meeting and storage |
