WritersWeekly.com Warnings Report - The Canadian Writer's Journal

WritersWeekly Warnings Report

Date Filed: 10/10/01
Company: The Canadian Writer's Journal / http://www.cwj.ca/

UPDATE - 06/12/02:

We recently published a copyright infringement allegation against this firm here. The writer tried on numerous occasions to contact CWJ, but they never responded. We, too, tried to contact them to no avail. Even their website was dead. We were then notified by a reader about their new website. We then successfully contacted them. They disputed the claim and the writer who complained is glad that we were finally able to get a response and has dropped her claim.

However, CWJ moved their website and didn't have the old website redirect to the new ones. And, they didn't have their old email forwarded, making it virtually impossible for anyone to find them. They claim that their website and email were forwarded for a few months. But, apparently that wasn't long enough.

Even searching for them on yahoo.com brings up their old website.

UPDATE - 03/06/02:

WRITERSWEEKLY READER AL SALEH WROTE:
CWJ accepted a short article and published it in August 2001. I never billed them or wrote asking for payment. I saw the warning here and simply wrote it off. I do make a comfortable living and write for fun. The article took about five minutes to write so I forgot all about it. Today 25 February 2002 I received a pleasant surprise, a payment for the article. I suppose better late than never. There was a note attached but it never explained the reason behind this delay. Bottom line is they paid and perhaps it is not fair to have this publication on this list. Perhaps they are slow but so is justice.

WRITERSWEEKLY READER LISA PETSCHE WROTE:
I had an article published in Canadian Writer's Journal in August 2001; I just received payment in mid-February. When I reviewed my copy of their writer's guidelines (straight from the editor) it read: "Payment is made on publication, normally 2-9 months after acceptance." My payment was within that time frame. So writers who make submissions should be aware that while it can take months to get paid, they will eventually receive payment. While payment is low, this could be a suitable market for reprints, since they do consider second rights.

UPDATE - 02/27/02:

WRITERSWEEKLY READER JENNIFER PAQUETTE WROTE:
I, too, had problems collecting the (very small) sum for a short article they published last summer. I felt like they were putting me off for months. However, I *did* finally receive payment today. This is the hardest I have worked for $8.25 Canadian -- what is that, like $1 U.S.? :-)))

Just thought I would share the good news! This journal is good for the money...if you can really call what they pay "money."

UPDATE - 12/05/01:

WRITERSWEEKLY READER KYLE LOOBY WROTE:
Just wanted to let you know that The Canadian Writer's Journal finally *did* pay me what they owed, so you don't have to post that they haven't :)

Thanks so much for your help in this matter. Keep up the good work for writers!

WRITERSWEEKLY READER ALICE J. WISLER WROTE:
Good News! Yesterday, November 29, I received a money order for my article that was in the August issue of The Canadian Writer's Journal. It was mailed from Canada on the 23. How nice to receive payment at last. No explanation as to why it took so long, but that is okay.

Thank you, Angela, for intervening with my woes. I know your email post to this publication on the 16th helped speed the process up.

UPDATE - 11/28/01:

WRITERSWEEKLY READER ALICE J. WISLER WROTE:
I sent a query to The Canadian Writer's Journal and was later asked for the article. I sent the article and it was published in the August 2001 issue. In September I wrote to Ms. Ranchuk about payment. She said the payment for the authors of the August issue would go out later that month. Allowing for plenty of time for the mailed check to get to me, I waited. When November arrived and I had yet to receive payment for my article, I wrote to TCWJ via email---twice--and have heard nothing.

I don't mind waiting as I see that this publication has had illnesses and is understaffed, but at least an email note saying the check was mailed or another will be issued to me since the first one didn't make it, would be nice. It is tough being left in the dark.

WRITERSWEEKLY NOTE: We sent this complaint to Canadian Writer's Journal on November 16th. We never received a response.

UPDATE - 10/24/01:

WRITERSWEEKLY READER DEBRA PURDY KONG WROTE:
I'm writing in response to the warning about Canadian Writers' Journal and the publisher's response. I've published twice with Canadian Writer's Journal since Ms. Rancuk took over the magazine and, in my opinion, she's telling the truth. She has had major illness problems in the past, and has been slow to pay writers, but I've found that my queries have been answered quickly and courteously. About three years ago, I sent a letter to Cdn. Writers' Journal offering advice on obtaining U.S. stamps. I was paid for that letter, without requesting or expecting remuneration, albeit several months after publication. This magazine has been around quite a while, and I've never heard of any instance where she has not paid an author, Believe me, Canada is a small writing community and we would have heard if something was seriously wrong. Yes, payment tends to be late for reasons Ms. Ranchuk indicated in her response, and a writer must take that into consideration before submitting work to her.

WRITERSWEEKLY READER CARLY SVAMVOUR WROTE:
I happen to be in touch with Canadian Writers' Journal - it was I who wrote to Deborah Ranchuk and brought her attention to the report in this newsmag. I've never had a problem with this Canadian publisher.

UPDATE - 10/17/01:

PUBLISHER RESPONDS:
I was apprised of this listing this morning (Oct 11, 2001) If there was an attempt to contact the Canadian Writer's Journal, there is no record of it in the email program.

Canadian Writer's Journal is a small magazine, and we are a few people doing a lot of work. Things get behind, illnesses happen, but all things get caught up.

All outstanding payments are awaiting the actual cheques to print them on, now that we have cleared a backlog of work, and cleared 3,500 emails left by Ms. Manseau's leave of absence.

The cheques, and payments will all be cleared by the end of October, 2001 including the October payments.

If there are any questions in the future, please contact us at: cwj@ntl.sympatico.ca

Thank you.

Deborah Ranchuk

Summary:

WritersWeekly Reader Kyle Looby wrote in:
The Canadian Writer's Journal published an article of mine in February of this year. I invoiced them and was told payment would be sent at the end of the month. I didn't receive a check and continued to invoice them. I never received a check and my latest email went unanswered. Here it is August and I still have not received a check. It's only for $20, but that's not the point. It's just wrong to tell people you'll pay them, not pay them, and then just ignore them.

Response WritersWeekly received to its inquires into the matter:

We forwarded this complaint to The Canadian Writer's Journal on September 1st, but as of this writing, we have not yet received a response.