Richard has given you some advice based on experience.
I would add to his advice that changing to some default template rather than the actual files from which you produce the PDF files may well ruin potential future work with the publisher. If this partnership grows, the larger publisher may well dictate to the smaller publisher not to use your services as the finale files you provide aren't usable, since they don't reflect the printed version.
I agree with Richard that the publisher probably isn't going to try to glean the settings from your files. However, the actual engraver who may have to do further work on the files may well like your settings better and "borrow" them. So while the publisher may not be the threat you imagine, an individual may be.
However, it's a tradeoff -- were I in your situation I would keep this in mind for future jobs and raise my price somewhat since you obviously won't be hired for further edits on a particular project. But the professional in me would submit the actual finale files that the printed version of the music comes from.
Remember that the larger publisher may look at your work and throw some work your way, so antagonizing them in a petulant fit over giving away the finale files might come back to haunt you later. Of course, you won't ever know that because they won't call you and say "We thought of hiring you for engraving this newly discovered opera by Puccini but we decided against it because of those first finale files you sent along with that first work from that other publisher." They simply won't call you at all.
Then again, they might not call you anyway, who knows.
Personally, I think they most likely aren't out to steal your settings.
</satire mode ON>
Unless you're a conspiracy theorist, and they are actually agreeing to publish those few pieces in conjunction with your current small publisher merely as a ruse by which they can get your personal settings and once that is accomplished, they'll rule the music publishing world.
</satire mode OFF>
David
Johannes Gebauer wrote:
Hi,
Can someone tell me about your standard practice in giving away Finale files? I have been working for someone to produce publishable material, which he publishes in his own small publishing firm. For this purpose I have always sent him PDFs, which worked just fine. Now he has agreed to publish a few pieces with another, larger, publisher. I have just been on the phone to the publisher who says they want the Finale files, as they need to be able to change things later. While I would have had little problem giving away Finale files based on publisher's templates, I hesitate to give away files which I prepared with one of my very own set of settings. The guy from the publisher seemed very surprised when I said that such Finale files do not usually leave my office.
What is standard practice? The situation is somewhat complicated as I started the work before knowing anything of the other publisher. I am under contract with the composer, not the publisher.
I am tempted to just reformat everything with Finale's standard template's settings and let them do the work.
Johannes
-- David H. Bailey [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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