Photographers Start Letter Writing Drive To CondÉ Nast

Photographers are keeping up the pressure on CondÉ Nast with a letter writing campaign to petition the contracts at the publishing giant. Editorial Photographers, Advertising Photographers of America, the American Society of Media Photographers, and several artists and illustrators' groups are behind the latest protest of what they claim are the worst publishing contracts in the industry. For the record, Conde Nast's day rate of $350 has not gone up in 10 years.

An earlier campaign by the Graphic Arts Guild was very successful, and CondÉ Nast agreed in principle to improve the contract for illustrators only, not shooters, says Los Angeles-based photographer Michael Grecco. When Grecco, an EP board member, heard about that success, he decided to start one for photographers and rallied other organizations like ASMP and APA. He says: "Publishers need to know that while publications are reaping huge profits, and these multinational conglomerates with their magazines are diversifying on the Web, photographers need to be compensated. We need to be part of that profit."

The campaign, which started this year, also educates photographers about the practices of CondÉ Nast, Grecco adds. The petition-writers are urging photographers (even those who don't work for CondÉ Nast) to visit the ready-made templates on two Web sites and send letters to CondÉ Nast.