I realize that my last post sounded a lot like a defense of publihsers. It was an attempt at balance.

Having said all that, let me add that I think writers whould get a reversion clause--every time. Three years...five years...something around there. I have a few single song contracts with Nashville publishers, and each has a reversion clause, although I had to insist on one of them--the publisher was about to make an expensive demo of the song and did not want to see his investment disappear in 3 years. We settled on five, and I thought that was fair.

I cannot imagine a scenario in which I would agree to a contract without a reversion clause. As a publisher I cannot imagine investing my time and money in a song that I did not have for at least 3 years.