When to Walk Away
Sometimes, a magazine's editor will not negotiate a proposed contract at all. This is not a personal vendetta against you or writers in general. Rather, it is sometimes magazine policy, and the editor has no choice.
Always, always, always try to negotiate a better contract for yourself. You may fail more often than you succeed, but every legal protection and copyright that you retain is a victory for you in the long run.
Should you sign, or walk away? The answer truly depends on the situation. Writers in desperate need of paychecks sign onerous contracts every day. Some writers who dream all their lives of writing for a certain magazine will sign whatever contract they must in order to see their byline in print. Still other writers — successful professionals — simply make judgment calls about how likely their articles are to incite lawsuits and then sign away rights accordingly to land good-paying assignments. Only you can determine when you should walk away from a contract, based solely on your personal level of comfort with the deal.
