Tumbleweed
OBS Chief
Hmmmm...how would one legally go about retracting an application? :unsure:
You can't. As written once you hit "submit" you've given Amtrak the rights. Virtually every other publication would allow you to call/email and have your piece removed from consideration. The terms as written remove that right.Hmmmm...how would one legally go about retracting an application? :unsure:
What if you have already received a registered copyright?You can't. As written once you hit "submit" you've given Amtrak the rights. Virtually every other publication would allow you to call/email and have your piece removed from consideration. The terms as written remove that right.Hmmmm...how would one legally go about retracting an application? :unsure:
I'm not entirely sure. You may have just given up the copyrights. That's another problem with the way these terms are written about how previously published works may be submitted. Amtrak shouldn't get the right to use any of that, but that might not stop them from using it.What if you have already received a registered copyright?You can't. As written once you hit "submit" you've given Amtrak the rights. Virtually every other publication would allow you to call/email and have your piece removed from consideration. The terms as written remove that right.Hmmmm...how would one legally go about retracting an application? :unsure:
7. Release of Liability: BY SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION, YOU AGREE TO RELEASE SPONSOR, ITS PARENT, SUBSIDIARY OR AFFILIATED COMPANIES, AND ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL AGENCIES, CONTRACTORS AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES as well as Facebook, Inc., Instagram, LLC, Twitter, Inc. (COLLECTIVELY, THE “RELEASEES” OR “RELEASED PARTIES”), FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AND LIABILITIES ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO YOUR SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION AND/OR ACCEPTANCE, RECEIPT, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF AN AWARD (IF APPLICATION IS ACCEPTED).
Can you give some examples of authors submitting work as part of an application for a free ride on a train (or plane or bus or boat) costing the corporation hosting the award a few hundred dollars each (at most) and then being sued years later based on similarities to that application?You think it's rare and it is but no less a realistic concern. I've seen corporations come down on writers who wrote for them in previous years, suing to stop publication of short works in online and/or free publications.
Please tell me we're not actually comparing the potential legal complications of a personally submitted literary application with a violent catastrophe that claimed the lives of well over a thousand people in an extremely unpleasant manner. What have you ever suffered (or witnessed) as a writer that would come close to explaining such a bizarre comparison?Of course every reasonable measure of caution needs a devil's advocate to throw it to the wind. On the Titanic his name was Bruce Ismay. I'm sure he didn't put much thought about the "statistical delusion" of his pride and joy sinking to the bottom of the Atlantic.
Firstly, if you actually read the terms you'd notice that by submitting the application you're giving Amtrak absolute rights to the content of the application. Let me emphasize that: Once you click 'submit' Amtrak owns the application's content. That means that the sample work cannot be published by any other source, in any other format, in any other location, in any other medium, at any future date. That means it cannot be edited, proofread, reworked, or put into another piece for publication. That means any scenes, characters or events which resemble what's in the submitted content are also off-limits for publication.Can you give some examples of authors submitting work as part of an application for a free ride on a train (or plane or bus or boat) costing the corporation hosting the award a few hundred dollars each (at most) and then being sued years later based on similarities to that application?You think it's rare and it is but no less a realistic concern. I've seen corporations come down on writers who wrote for them in previous years, suing to stop publication of short works in online and/or free publications.
Please tell me we're not actually comparing the potential legal complications of a personally submitted literary application with a violent catastrophe that claimed the lives of well over a thousand people in an extremely unpleasant manner. What have you ever suffered (or witnessed) as a writer that would come close to explaining such a bizarre comparison?Of course every reasonable measure of caution needs a devil's advocate to throw it to the wind. On the Titanic his name was Bruce Ismay. I'm sure he didn't put much thought about the "statistical delusion" of his pride and joy sinking to the bottom of the Atlantic.
Chalk up a win for the Amtrak marketing team, which has drummed up a ton of media coverage with its newresidency program for writers.
We love trains. Writing too. Trainwreck is a mobile residency for writers by writers, no strings attached.
Not too long ago word got out that Amtrak was developing a writers residency. We, like many many others, found this idea very exciting. We love trains, and writing, and books. Here’s the thing though - always read the fine print! Just as quickly as word was getting around about this new residency so were the terms that were attached to the project (thank god some people actually read that stuff because we sure didn’t). The terms were a little restrictive in the end.
Admittedly, it occurred to us that we could just buy our own tickets and hop on board ready to get some writing done. But people like being part of a group - ourselves included - and having someone else plan the whole thing makes things a lot easier. So with this in mind we thought, “Well, let’s just start our own residency?” And so we did!
Welcome to Trainwreck: A Red76 Residency & Book.
We want to send eight writers on a train trip and then make a printed publication of what they write while on the rails.
Once funded we’ll set up an open call for anyone in the world to apply to travel roundtrip between St. Paul, MN and Chicago, IL. (Our pockets are light, so no matter where you live, you have to depart from and return to Minnesota.) We will purchase and book the train tickets, book one hotel night in Chicago and create a schedule for writers to submit their work for our printed publication.
From the tens of thousands of responses on Twitter showing interest in the program, to the more than 16,000 applications we received. We couldn't be more excited to announce the 24 writers who will participate in this year's Amtrak Residency program. The applications received for the program were outstanding and made the job of selecting just 24 writers a challenge for our judges. The writers selected for the program offer a diverse representation of the writing community and hail from across the country.
Amtrak is looking for creatives to join its social media residency program, giving the lucky winners the chance to embark on round-trip travel across Amtrak’s long-distance routes for free through its #AmtrakTakeMeThere program.
Applications are being accepted now through midnight EST on Jan. 31, after which a panel of judges will pick out the travelers with the best writing, photography, video, and social media engagement skills.
While Amtrak representatives are looking for folks who use social media to connect with followers, they say “glitzy influencers with millions of followers” are not necessarily what they’re in search of. According to the application page, they're looking for "real people" to tell their stories.
“Some of the best travel stories occur on our long-distance trains, and we are looking for travelers to share their real experiences,” Amtrak CEO Tim Griffin said in a statement. The program is meant to provide a view of the train travel experience through relatable riders as opposed to professional travel bloggers and influencers.
That being said, applicants will still be asked to provide their social media accounts and answer questions like why train travel would best serve their needs and why Amtrak would be the best fit for them.
T&L, unless Anderson got fired and this guy promoted in the last 10 minutes, I’m pretty sure you mean CMO. hboy:Amtrak CEO Griffin said in a statement
To throw your hat in the ring, you just how to fill out an online form by January 31 explaining a bit about yourself (with links to your various social media accounts), your social media instincts, and why you're a sucker for traveling by train. . . . .Of course, applicants who can prove they have next-level social media chops (and, most likely, a good chunk of followers) will probably have the best shot at winning, . . .
I have had that issue on Amtrak.com (too) many times. In most cases it's me trying to let them know that the Lake Shore Limited's route page incorrectly omits Rhinecliff from the list of stations at the bottom of the page. I'm tempted to call and let them know, but I have no idea what a phone agent could do about it. :wacko:I've been trying to submit my application online for this for the past hour. I'm filling everything in, hitting the Captcha, etc., and then the SUBMIT button just never finishes submitting the application. Anyone else trying this and having trouble today?
I then went to Amtrak's Contact Us page to submit a short email about this... and THAT SUBMIT button also doesn't seem to work. Very frustrating!
Though it might turn out to be a War & Peace size novel. :giggle:Maybe you could write a short story about relaxing in a comfy chair with a cup of hot coco as you try in vain to register for chance to ride and write about Amtrak.
I could call it "Derailed."Maybe you could write a short story about relaxing in a comfy chair with a cup of hot coco as you try in vain to register for chance to ride and write about Amtrak.
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