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Originally Posted by Seanette
Can we say "indentured servitude"?
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No.
For better or for worse, Frey is very explicit that he's the QB and calling the plays. If you can't work within those confines, you should not even consider signing with him. If you don't consult a lawyer, or your lawyer advises against signing and you do so anyway, the results are your own fault.
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Originally Posted by Seanette
Full Fathom Five gets all the benefits, pays the writer a pittance, and the writer's on the hook for any problems, FFF refusing any responsibility or liability for the product. The writer can also lose credit for their work at any moment.
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You are correct that in these type of arrangements, the co-author hired by Frey gives up the right to claim credit. However this is standard with ghost-writers and book package firms.
It's slightly ridiculous to assume FFF can genuinely assign all legal responsibility to the co-author on a contractual basis. I assure you, if anyone sues, they will go after the people with the money -- and in that case, it's going to be FFF, not some no-name author who owes their grad school $50k.
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Originally Posted by Seanette
I'm sorry, other than the $250 (and maybe additional $250), what exactly does the writer get out of this besides being wide-open to lawsuits, etc., with no backing?
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30-40% of all proceeds, possibly more.
Again, compare this to a book packager or a ghost writer, who may get a decent payment up front but gets zero royalties, no matter how many copies sell.
I still think you'd have to be an idiot to sign, mostly because I'd barely believe Frey even if he told me that 2+2=4. But the arrangement itself isn't nearly as bad as the author