BootsnAll Travel Community

I always thought that kill fee was the lower amount, you got, in case you were requisitioned an article and for some forsaken reason, it was not published.

Is there any other version of a kill fee? Recently a friend of mine was approached for a research paper. The publisher of this highly technical magazine sent her an email saying that they would pay the kill fees immediately on ascertaining her swift account number.

It appeared that the kill fee was an advance payment of some kind.

Please help resolve the mystery over the term 'kill fee'. Any detectives out here?

From my experience, yes, a kill fee is a fraction of the original payment they would be paid if they say they want the piece and then end up not using it. Kill fees can be from 100% of the original fee offered (good luck finding that nowadays) down to a piddly fraction thereof, and many places don't even offer any kind of kill fee.

Watch out! This doesn't sound like a legit deal (I could easily be wrong). Any time someone wants an account number, I would exercise extreme caution.

Or perhaps the publisher simply got the terms confused.

Well yes, a kill fee is just that- a fee you get paid for getting killed(your article thatis).

Here are two good links for clarity.
http://www.writersmarket.com/encyc/K.asp#588
http://www.writers.net/forum/read/6/9294/9294
And I would agree with dave largely on being careful, though how this prtclr deal is being worked, you would know best.

atb.

Ah, a term that I could never determine the meaning of, but never thought to ask here either.

Thanks for the clarification, all!

I read the disscusion title and all I could think of is comparing asassin prices.

E.

Hey, just how much DOES an assassin's services cost? You never know when the info. might come in handy.

Anyone want to take a shot in the dark?