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Ragman's Rake Rules / Regeln







Ragman's Rake offers articles from various categories for readers to peruse. Articles can be accessed through Odds and Ends and are open to the general public. These articles are usually somewhat dated, but the Copyright is still held by Ragman's Rake and/or the respective author. And the following Ragman's Rake Rules for copying or reprinting apply to these articles as well.
Odds and Ends gives the reader an idea of what to expect from Ragman's Rake. Current articles can be found in the Ragman's Rake Reservoir, and can be accessed after Registration is complete.

The Copyright

The copyright for all published works is owned by Ragmans Rake and/or the respective author. Private copying for personal use is acceptable. However, publishers and publications must pay a fee to reprint texts on-line or in print media.
Ragman's Rake will not prosecute copyright violators. However, if a violation comes to their attention, Ragman's Rake editors will notify the respective author, who has the option of taking legal action. Ragman's Rake will assist in proving authorship by providing receipt dates of presented work and other information. See Warning for further information.

For Contributors

Once their first article is published, authors and translators will receive a password, which allows them unlimited access to Ragman's Rake. People who wish to contribute to Ragman's Rake should send their manuscripts either on a 3.5 diskette, or in an e-mail attachment formatted for Word for MS-DOS or as RTF (Rich Text Format). (Hard-copy manuscripts will not be accepted.) The editorial staff will decide if, in their opinion, the submission is suitable for publication and authors will then be notified of the editorial decision. If a work is accepted for publication, the author remains completely responsible for the contents of his/her article. Ragman's Rake will not edit submissions. Criteria for publication: the quality of the text, its character and subject matter. Texts that contain racist or pornographic content, that cross the line between polemic and slander or are clearly inaccurate will not be accepted. Simply put, submissions that are poorly written or structured dont have a chance. At the time of submission, authors will confirm that they possess rights to their piece and that the piece is not plagiarized. Journalists are responsible for the accuracy of all facts in their articles. Editors retain the right to ask authors to support their assumptions or claims in the case of uncertainty. Ragman's Rake assumes that authors have publication rights to any submitted interviews or dialogs, but will check this if any doubt arises. Unless otherwise arranged, copyright remains with the author. Ragman's Rake reserves the right to remove any text from publication or any author from the list of contributors at any time. Manuscripts will not be returned.
Submissions automatically will be considered for translation unless clearly stated otherwise by the author. Authors also agree upon submission to have their work included in the Odds and Ends section of Ragman's Rake. If a publisher or publication reprints a text, all payments will be received first by Ragmans Rake. After deducting a 15% commission fee, Ragmans Rake will transfer the remaining 85% to the contributor. Authors agree upon submission to split any reprinting fees for translations 50%-50% with the translator (after the 15% commission fee is subtracted). Authors and translators express consent to this deal upon submission.
If so desired, Ragman's Rake will act as a liaison for authors.

For translators

Any work published in Ragman's Rake is translatable unless the author specifically indicates otherwise. In this case, the authors request will be noted in the Information Index of the respective article. Translators work on a freelance, non-paid basis and should send completed translations to Ragmans Rake. Accepted translations will be published under the name of author and translator. Reprinting fees for translations will be split 50%-50% between translator and author (after the 15% commission fee is subtracted - see For Contributors). In the event that more than one translation of a text in the same language are submitted, all versions will be published.
Warning: Translations in languages other than German or English will not be proofread. The translator is responsible for the content of his/her work.
If so desired, Ragman's Rake will act as a liaison for authors.

For visual artists

Caricaturists and other visual artists are encouraged to submit work they deem suitable for an Internet venue. The system for fees is the same as for authors, excluding of course, the possibility of translation.

Letters to the Editor

Ragman's Rake has made a decision. To make a return visit worthwhile for readers, Ragman's Rake will attempt a readers forum that will surpass the endless drivel found in other Internet forums.

For Ragman's Rake users

Individuals as well as businesses can register with Ragman's Rake. You will receive a password that provides access to the textpool of Ragman's Rake Reservoir.

Registration for individuals

Individuals registering for personal use will receive a password. Upon registration, each user agrees to abide by the Ragman's Rake Rules.

Registration for publishers, publications

Publishers and publications receive a password with unlimited access, free of charge. Upon registration, media agree to pay authors for any text that is reprinted. Payment will be by the line and equivalent to the industry-wide average ( If non-payment is an industry norm, this is only possible with consent of the author or translator.) Payment should be made after the number of the text is given at the Ragman's Rake account. Publications should e-mail Ragman's Rake as to which text will be printed. After Ragman's Rake receives this information, a notice will be added to the data strip indicating the publication information.
Because all rights remain with the author and/or Ragmans Rake, more than one publication can reprint an article. Publications are obliged to leave the meaning of the text intact, and in the case of line editing - to protect the style of the text. Content changes should only be done after consulting Ragman's Rake or the author.

Freelance contracts

Publications interested in contracting Ragman's Rake contributors can contact them through Ragman's Rake. Ragman's Rake will accept e-mail requests for texts dealing with specific topics or themes, and pass them on to contributors. Although not required, Ragman's Rake would like permission to publish these contracted articles or artwork. Exclusive articles or photos will appear in Ragman's Rake only after they have appeared in the contracting publication.
Publications are asked to designate a contact person and telephone number, and Ragman's Rake will verify the request by contacting this person by phone. All publications are requested to state deadlines, fees and other terms at this time. Ragman's Rake will send the ordered article via the Internet to ensure the quickest delivery possible.
Ragman's Rake claims no responsibility for the quality of these texts. Neither Ragman's Rake nor contributors are liable for any delays or other problems that arise. Contributors should indicate when the submit their work whether they would be interested in taking freelance assignments. Fees will be negotiated by the author and the publication. Ragman's Rake will receive 10% of the negotiated fee.

Warning: Money makes the world go around ...

Quality has its price. Commission fees will be used to subsidize the quality of this venue. Ragman's Rake thanks all supporters of this attempt to make the Internet a resource of worthwhile literature.
The especially transient activity of the Internet creates risk for contributors. Ragmans Rake operates on the honor system. Therefore, there are no guarantees that the rules for reprinting will be followed. But Ragman's Rake believes publications have reputations to uphold and will be ethical.
Ragman's Rake gives its word of honor in dealing with the financial aspect of this publication even though this institution has fallen from societys graces. Damages claims are out of the question. Contributors must be willing to accept the risks involved.
Ragman's Rake lives through unbureaucratic procedures, and wants to keep requirements to a minimum. The absence of publication contracts and the aforementioned rules which replace them reflects the condition of Internet publishing. This opens a discussion of how the Internet will alter business ethics. Whether violations of the rules occur or not, the editors of Ragman's Rake consider a contribution to the question of political culture.

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