I’ve been following the controversy with Galaktika with particular interest because there are a number of SFWA members involved. My thanks to A. G. Carpenter for graciously sharing what they found out. In the process of talking to people, I dropped Istvan Burger a mail because I had these questions:
- Would all writers be paid, preferably without their having to contact Galaktika?
- Would all translators be paid? (my understanding was that the same lack of payment has happened with them.)
- For any online stories, would authors be able to request that the story be taken down?
- Would a process be put in place to ensure this never happens again?
Here’s the reply:
Dear Cat,
I’m writing on behalf of Istvan Burger, editor in chief of Galaktika.We’d like to ask authors to contact us directly to agree on compensation methods. You can give my email address to the members. mund.katalin@gmail.com
The short stories were published in a monthly magazine, which was sold for two months, so these prints are not available any more. So Authors don’t need to withdraw their works. As we wrote in our statement, there is no problem with novels, as all the rights of novels were paid by us in time.
Also let me emphasise again that all the translators were paid all the time!
You can quote my reply. Thank you for your help!
Best regards,
Katalin Mund,
Manager of Galaktika Magazine
Next week SFWA will be sending Galaktika a list of affected SFWA members who need to be compensated. If you’re a member whose work was published in Galaktika and want to make sure you’re on the list, please drop me an e-mail, message me, or leave a comment here.
Later addendum: I requested clarification about the magazine not being available for longer than two months since there seem to be digital editions for sale on the website, which would seem to contradict that statement. I was told that authors will be able to withdraw their stories from the electronic editions if they so desire.
18 Responses
RT @Catrambo: Answers to Some Galaktika Magazine Questions: https://t.co/ZG6usEVDPL
I see that in December 2011 they published a collective Xmas piece “Presents of Mind” four of us (Connie Willis, Dan Simmons, Ed Bryant, Steve Rasnic Tem) wrote together (we each contributed a short) which was originally published in Asimov’s back in 1986.
“The short stories were published in a monthly magazine, which was sold for two months, so these prints are not available any more.”
This is a flat-out lie. Nearly ALL back issues are available for ordering on the publisher’s webshop, http://galaktikabolt.hu/. I checked, and every issue from the year 2015 is available now. (The original article on mandiner.hu was about the magazine’s 2015 issues.)
“Later addendum: I have requested clarification about the magazine not being available for longer than two months since there seem to be digital editions for sale on the website, which would seem to contradict that statement.”
Not only the digital versions are available, but the real, paper issues are too.
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RT @Catrambo: Answers to Some Galaktika Magazine Questions: https://t.co/ZG6usEVDPL
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RT @Catrambo: Answers to Some Galaktika Magazine Questions: https://t.co/ZG6usEVDPL
Updated with an answer to the question of Galaktika  e-editions: https://t.co/o9UgIfAyyK
RT @Catrambo: Updated with an answer to the question of Galaktika  e-editions: https://t.co/o9UgIfAyyK
The answers that I’ve been able to ascertain about Galaktika Magazine and story payments: https://t.co/HVUqvXnsZM
RT @Catrambo: The answers that I’ve been able to ascertain about Galaktika Magazine and story payments: https://t.co/HVUqvXnsZM
RT @Catrambo: The answers that I’ve been able to ascertain about Galaktika Magazine and story payments: https://t.co/HVUqvXnsZM
RT @Catrambo: The answers that I’ve been able to ascertain about Galaktika Magazine and story payments: https://t.co/HVUqvXnsZM
Cat, it was just drawn to my attention that a story of mine was printed without permission in Galaktika Magazine back in 2008. I will contact them regarding compensation. Thanks for the work you put into this. And, yes, I am a member of SFWA.