How to make a go of it on the going rate How to Make a Go of It on the "Going Rate" Keep your copyright Keep the copyright of everything you write. If you are a freelancer and you write something, it's yours. It doesn't matter who initiated the work -- if you offer it or an editor commissioned it, and you write it, it belongs to you. There is no copyright in ideas; it is the expression of that idea that is protected by copyright. The only way you can sell (or assign) your copyright is in writing and signed by you or on your behalf. If you decide to assign copyright, make sure you are being paid very well.  We recommend that, in general, you don't sign away copyright. Ask how your work will be used Think about copyright issues early and find out how the editor wants to use your work. You can license  (i.e. authorise the use of your work) the various rights that make up copyright. For instance, these could be first New Zealand print rights, one-time print rights, web rights etc. You can license them for an indefinite period or for a limited time. In an ideal world, the editor should pay for each separate use, including web rights. If you are planning to try and sell it elsewhere - which we recommend you aim to do - then you may wish to keep the work off the web. You can ask for that