C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

Yesterday I blogged about The Writers’ Union of Canada and that particular post wasn’t altogether complimentary. In fact, I proposed that if they didn’t open up their membership criteria to self-published authors, an indie union could be formed.

I hope that isn’t necessary since it could duplicate effort across platforms and dilute the voice of the writing profession. (However, if the self-published aren’t represented at all…hm. I won’t get sucked into a rehash. If you missed it, read, cogitate, plot and plan.)

But I’m all about the balance. For instance, I complained in a long ago post that TWUC’s judging of one year’s short story competition…well, it sucked. I’ve also been very complimentary with regard to their most recent symposium in Toronto (that also went on tour across Canada.)

This video on Canada’s proposed copyright law is an example of one of the good things unions can do to deal with The Man. The education provision does appear too broad and is a detriment to writers who are, as the legislation is written, voluntold to give up recompense for their work.

Voluntold

Chazz Definition: To have your services, product and/or time volunteered by someone other than you who has no business telling you what to do with your services, product and/or time.

(e.g. “I can’t order you on a suicide mission but I need five volunteers to storm that machine gun nest. You, you, you, you and you, go! You’ve been voluntold. A grateful nation honors your blah, blah, blah…”)

Related Articles

• Opportunity knocks? Self-published writers could unionize (plus association links for writers) (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)
• Writers: Are you skeptical about self-publishing? (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)
• Writers: Dump your preconceptions (and your word processor) (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)

Filed under: authors, Books, Cool Word of the Day, publishing, Rant, self-publishing, Writers, Writing Conferences, Arts, authors, Copyright, Publish, self-publish, Writers Resources, Writers' Union of Canada