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mary rosenblum
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Hello all, Merry Christmas
week, happy Solstice, and happy holidays in general!
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mary rosenblum
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I hope you're enjoying all the
festivities of the season and are managing NOT to get fried by the
'shopping madness'.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. Today
we're talking about those pesky rejections and submission issues. If you're
new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or
the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen,
or use the ask a question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular
'send' bar won't reach me! You can also type /ask in front of your question
to reach me.
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mary rosenblum
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I see rejections as probably
THE highest barrier to success as a pro writer.
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mary rosenblum
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It is SO easy to read them as
judgements on one's ability, especially when you haven't had the
reassurance of sales yet.
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mary rosenblum
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And many aspiring writers
never get past those first few rejections....probably MOST aspiring writers
don't.
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mary rosenblum
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And even after you start
selling regularly you will STILL receive rejections.
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mary rosenblum
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You are not always going to
offer the right article for the magazine, the editor just bought a similar
story, and so forth.
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mary rosenblum
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Or your piece just doesn't
grab the editor and he/she says no thanks.
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mary rosenblum
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And as a pro, you learn from
that. ...okay, so and so just doesn't like stories without any romance.
I'll remember that...
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mary rosenblum
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You make that kind of mental
note.
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mary rosenblum
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Now the nice thing is that
once you have sold a couple of pieces to a particular editor...even one,
often enough...
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mary rosenblum
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that editor will do you the
courtesy of letting you know why he/she didn't buy the piece or ask for the
article.
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mary rosenblum
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This is what you gain by
selling...not a guarantee of no more rejections (although we ALL want to
believe that when...
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mary rosenblum
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we're facing that huge hurdle
of 'first sale')...
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mary rosenblum
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but rather a personal note
from the editor saying why the piece got rejected.
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mary rosenblum
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And those impersonal printed
forms ARE aggravating in the extreme!
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mary rosenblum
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But alas, the reality of
numbers is partly why you get them.
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mary rosenblum
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The major magazines...the ones
you see in the bookstores...get between one and several THOUSAND
submissions and queries every month.
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mary rosenblum
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And even a few minutes to
write a rejection to those people adds up.
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mary rosenblum
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AND...to be honest, editors
get burned out. Many begin with the intention of personally answering...
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mary rosenblum
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every decent submission. But
time realities get to them sooner or later, especially as they get behind
on reading slush.
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mary rosenblum
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But there IS a bright spot to
the whole process...
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mary rosenblum
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editors DO know who you are,
even as you swear at yet another printed form.
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mary rosenblum
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Surprise!
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mary rosenblum
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They WANT you to succeed.
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mary rosenblum
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They WANT to discover the next
King, be the person who published the next Rowling first....
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mary rosenblum
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and they DO pay attention.
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mary rosenblum
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BUT...they won't tell you. NOt
until they figure they're going to buy your next piece or the one after.
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mary rosenblum
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THEN you'll get a scribble
from them.
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mary rosenblum
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I have watched many new
writers hesitantly greet an editor at a conference only to have the editor
not only recognize the person's name...
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mary rosenblum
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but often refer to their last
submission.
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sailor
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At least the negative replies to
e-mail queries have been personal and helpful. Has that been your
experience? Hope they don't go to form responses there too.
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mary rosenblum
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So far, the email queries and
submissions do seem to have more personal responses, sailor...
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mary rosenblum
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of course it's VERY easy to
create a 'rejection template' that sounds personal But it beats a form!
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bengalrose
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so a scribble is a "try
again...you're getting close" message
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mary rosenblum
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It is, bengal.
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christopher dale
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First I'd like to giveshouts out
to Roe and Speck (Or Speck and Roe - depending on what order you want the
shouts out to be in ;-P). Is the deadline for the Christmas Contest
midnight Christmas eve of Midnight the 23rd? :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Sorry...
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mary rosenblum
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my cable system just upgraded
and I think maybe we're having some bugs...
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mary rosenblum
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I know roe just sold a
story...what about you, speck?
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mary rosenblum
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News?
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speckledorf
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I have a couple out...still
waiting...sigh!
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. Today
we're talking about those pesky rejections and submission issues. If you're
new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or
the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen,
or use the ask a question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular
'send' bar won't reach me! You can also type /ask in front of your question
to reach me.
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silver571
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Mary did you have alot of
rejections before selling?
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mary rosenblum
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Sure, silver. :-) Everybody
gets lots when they first start out.
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mary rosenblum
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And I still get them.
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mary rosenblum
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I could write 'safe' and only
send stuff out that I knew would sell on the first submission...
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mary rosenblum
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but I prefer to write what I
want...
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mary rosenblum
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so sometimes I don't sell to
the first market I try.
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mary rosenblum
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And like everyone else starting
out...I was frustrated!
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mary rosenblum
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And depressed by 'em at
times...and let me warn you...
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mary rosenblum
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it's worse, once you sell one
or two pieces!
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mary rosenblum
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The rejections that come AFTER
you start selling, but when you're still new, really are frustrating! LOL
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mary rosenblum
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Took me...like everyone..some
time to realize that they really ARE part of the business and everybody,
even really big names, gets rejected at times.
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t green
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I've had that feeling... like
"why can't I write anything 'good' anymore?"
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mary rosenblum
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Everyone feels that way, t. I
feel that way some days and I haven't even GOTTEN a rejection. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Part of succeeding as a writer
is learning how to handle those lows...because they happen...
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mary rosenblum
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the reasons for them just
change as your career progresses.
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silver571
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WHAT?????????????
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mary rosenblum
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I'm laughing, silver. I missed
the context of your huge WHAT...
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mary rosenblum
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was that about pros getting
rejections?
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mary rosenblum
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An editor friend of mine
rejected a story by Ray Bradbury a couple of years ago...
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mary rosenblum
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she HATED to, but it was a
lousy story.
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paja
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After reading your
"Jumpers" I find you and rejections difficult to put together,
but it must be true. You said so.
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mary rosenblum
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I'm blushing, paja. But I just
recently had a story bounced by Asimov's. Wasn't what Sheila wanted. I sent
it to Stan at Analog and he bought it.
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mary rosenblum
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Big shrug.
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mary rosenblum
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The other thing to realize is
that if your story doesn't sell NOW, editors change and new markets open.
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mary rosenblum
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It may well sell later.
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mary rosenblum
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I've been cleaning up some old
stories I'd forgotten about...sending 'em out again.
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mary rosenblum
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Jumpers is one of those, paja.
I wrote that nearly ten years ago.
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mary rosenblum
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Stories and articles that
aren't time-dependent are like cash money...
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mary rosenblum
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you don't have to spend them
now. You can save them and spend them later.
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mary rosenblum
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I actually like to have an
inventory of unsold stories...when a market opens up, I might have just the
perfect story for it just waiting.
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bengalrose
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You toss out those names so
casually, Mary. Hehe. I want to get to the point where they are simply
Sheila and Stan to me too. LOL!
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mary rosenblum
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It's not hard, bengal. :-) Go
to a SF convention and hang out with them. They're very nice people. :-)
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sweett
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Do editors reply faster to email
submissions or is the wait time the same as snail mail?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, it depends, sweett...
Email subs make it easy for a lot of people to submit...no trip to the PO.
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mary rosenblum
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Some markets are better than
other than responding, same as with print submissions.
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mary rosenblum
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Storyhouse.com, the coffee
label market, is taking a solid year to respond.
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bengalrose
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Hmm. Got a scribble on my first
submission...unfortuately it was from wierd tales right before they close
up shop :(
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, too bad, bengal. Which
editor? Remember that editors play musical magazines and also edit
anthologies.
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mary rosenblum
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Keep an eye out for that
editor and submit to him wherever he shows up next.
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mary rosenblum
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Fiction is very subjective.
Editors will or won't like the way you write, the way you handle stories...
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mary rosenblum
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in nonfiction, it's a matter
of style...they will like your voice, feel it suits the mag, or not.
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mary rosenblum
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But when an editor likes your
work...keep sending to that editor.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. Today
we're talking about those pesky rejections and submission issues. If you're
new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or
the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen,
or use the ask a question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular
'send' bar won't reach me! You can also type /ask in front of your question
to reach me.
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forest elf
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Mary, Tamora said that when
submitting a ms and it is the first of a series, that we tell the publisher
this in the coverletter. New question: Do we also tell them anything about
the future ms? Any kind of summary or synopsis ... or just tell them this
is the first of four (or whatever)? Thanks
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mary rosenblum
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No, elf, don't tell the editor
about any future books...don't forget, he/she hasn't agreed to buy THIS one
yet!
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mary rosenblum
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Knowing that it's a series
will give the editor information that may influence the decision about
whether to buy the book or not...
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mary rosenblum
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but they're not going to waste
time reading about later books if they aren't sure of this one, so
concentrate on selling THIS one.
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bengalrose
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I currently have four rejections,
no sales and one outstanding ms. Gonna send out my last rejected ms to F
and SF like you suggested, Mary.
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mary rosenblum
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Only FOUR Bengal? get busy!
:-)
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mary rosenblum
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Now realize...
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mary rosenblum
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sending your story to ONE
market is silly.
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mary rosenblum
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As I said, editors are
subjective.
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mary rosenblum
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What one doesn't care for
another loves.
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mary rosenblum
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And if you run through all the
markets you can find and still haven't sold this story...
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mary rosenblum
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hang onto it.
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mary rosenblum
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Review your 'inventory' every
year.
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mary rosenblum
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Something may leap out at you
when you read that story again, and turn it into something different that
might sell right away...
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mary rosenblum
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or meantime, a new market
might open up and be just right.
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mary rosenblum
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I wrote a novelette for a
market by invitation, but before I fiinished it, the editor changed the
direction of the magazine and no longer wanted it...
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mary rosenblum
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and there just wasn't another
market that suited it out there.
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mary rosenblum
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That was a couple of years
ago, but recently an anthology opened up and guess what? The story suited
it!
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mary rosenblum
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So all I had to do was stick
it in the mail!
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writermom
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Mary I just wanted to share my
good news: This week I have three articles posted in online magazines. An
advent article was posted at sistersinthelord.org/magazine/weeklytip.html
with another to be posted next week at the same ezine about video games
that will be in the Spitfire section. Then I had an article posted
faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=21455. It was a Christmas article
about Mary and parenting and the life of Jesus. This article can also be
seen at justformom.com
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mary rosenblum
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Great, writermom! good for
you! What a nice little Christmas gift for you!
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margieh
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Does writing
acceptance/rejection have more to do with how consistant your writing
excellence is or does it have more to do with marketing?
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mary rosenblum
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It has everything to do with
consistancy, margieh, but THE most important thing...
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mary rosenblum
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and one that almost nobody
realizes before they get into the pro side of the biz...
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mary rosenblum
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is that it has everything to
do with connecting to the right editor.
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mary rosenblum
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Because writing IS subjective.
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mary rosenblum
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We tend to think of a
'standard' that all editors judge all work by.
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mary rosenblum
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uh uh.
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mary rosenblum
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Doesn't exist.
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mary rosenblum
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Well, good professional craft
DOES matter...
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mary rosenblum
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but the way your USE craft is
where creativity comes in and so does subjectivity.
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mary rosenblum
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So the more you try editors,
the more you're likely to hit the one who loves the way you write.
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mary rosenblum
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And that editor WILL promote
you because we all tend to be loyal to the editor who bought our first
work...
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mary rosenblum
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and the more famous you get, the
more magazines that editor will sell.
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paja
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Mary, Bengalrose said Weird
Tales closed up shop. I'd not heard that and just got a rejection from them
this month. Can you confirm the closure?
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mary rosenblum
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I did hear that they were
closed to new submissions, paja.
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mary rosenblum
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They may be clearing out their
slush pile.
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mary rosenblum
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But I would keep an eye on the
market lists..
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mary rosenblum
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openings and closures happen
without warning.
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silver571
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When you said you still get
rejections
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silver571
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Are you talking about short
stories or magazine articles?
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mary rosenblum
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Both, silver, although I
rarely write nonfiction these days. :-) Mostly only when I get invited.
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tkat_2
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It really helps to stay busy
with more than one MS Good advice Mary
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mary rosenblum
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It does, tkat.
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mary rosenblum
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One of the deadliest spirals
you can get into is that of sending off a piece of work or a query...
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mary rosenblum
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and then shutting down while
you wait for a reply before you begin the next project.
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mary rosenblum
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Great way to end a writing
career before it begins!
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mary rosenblum
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Believe me, a rejection slip
is MUCH easier to take if you are working on something new that you love.
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mary rosenblum
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Or have sent out four pieces
that haven't yet come back.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me, Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. Today
we're talking about those pesky rejections and submission issues. If you're
new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or
the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen,
or use the ask a question icon in order to ask a question. Your regular
'send' bar won't reach me! You can also type /ask in front of your question
to reach me.
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bengalrose
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I'm going to Maui in 05. Will
you be there?
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mary rosenblum
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The Maui conference, bengal?
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mary rosenblum
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Not unless they invite me and
pay my airfare! And that won't happen in 05, I'm afraid. Have fun there.
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silver571
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Do you need a college degree to
sell your writing?
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mary rosenblum
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Goodness no, silver!
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mary rosenblum
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Now if you are writing as an
expert...say an article on psychology for Psychology Today..
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mary rosenblum
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then yes, you need
credentials.
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mary rosenblum
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But a how to article on
scrapbooking or building a potting bench or a fiction story??/
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mary rosenblum
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All you need is a good piece
of writing.
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wyrde
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is it important to attend
conventions and make contacts? I ask, because I'm about a week by dogsled
from nowhere in particular...
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mary rosenblum
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Not at all, wyrde.
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mary rosenblum
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Yes, you can make good
connections that way, but it's not required!
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mary rosenblum
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Many writers are total
recluses!
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bengalrose
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Also putting the last touches on
another SF story which I hope to have done by the end of the year. I'm
really working on my consistency, which has been my weakest trait so far.
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mary rosenblum
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You're probably more
consistant than you realize, bengal.
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mary rosenblum
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Consistancy, realize, doesn't
have to do so much with the type of story or article you write...
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mary rosenblum
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but rather with your
craft/voice/style.
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margieh
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How long would you wait before
recirculating stories/articles? Would you ever send them back to the same
mags without a revision/rewrite?
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mary rosenblum
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You can't send them back to
the same magazine, margieh, unless there is a new editor there.
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mary rosenblum
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If the editor didn't want them
first time, he/she will not be pleased to see the same thing on the desk
yet again!
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mary rosenblum
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However, one technique I
HIGHLY recommend is to do your marketing before you send out a story.
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mary rosenblum
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Pick five potential markets if
you can.... type out the addresses and rank them from best paying to the
freebies...
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mary rosenblum
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then put the page in with your
file copy of the story.
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mary rosenblum
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When it comes back from the
top market, that VERY DAY, type a new cover letter and send it off to
market number two...
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mary rosenblum
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work your way down the list in
that manner.
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mary rosenblum
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Do NOT put the story away and
ignore it.
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mary rosenblum
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That will slow your breaking
in to a glacial crawl and believe me, it'll feel glacial enough anyway.
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bengalrose
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Mary, lately my stories have
been hard to categorize. I'm having a hard time deciding the best market
for many of them. How do you decide where to send a paranormal-romance
mystery? Or a Modern day mystery-thriller with Sci Fi overtones?
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mary rosenblum
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Try one of those markets,
bengal.
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mary rosenblum
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See what response you get. If
it doesn't sell to the romance markets and you run out of places to send
it, start on the fantasy markets...
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arfelin
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Got here late so don't know if
you covered this or not but NFG Magazine critques it's ejected manuscripts.
I found it to be very helpful. The sites temporily down--there's a note up
saying they've been ubducted by hostile aliens but their chief engineer is
gaining back control of the helm:-) www.nfg.ca if anyone's interested.
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mary rosenblum
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What is NFG arfelin?
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t green
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what happens when you get to the
end of your market list and the piece isn't sold yet?
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mary rosenblum
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Then...and ONLY then...you put
it into your inventory to review once or twice a year or to pull out when a
new market opens up.
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silver571
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Waiting for contact from
instructor on 1st assignment feel so down what can I do in the meantime?
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mary rosenblum
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Write, silver!
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mary rosenblum
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I have really found, over the
years, that some of my strongest writing happens when I"m down, or
right after I get a rejection.
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mary rosenblum
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I seem to tap into some kind
of dark energy then...and I never feel like writing then...
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mary rosenblum
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but once I DO it, I end up
with good, strong stuff. :-)
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wyrde
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this may be a dumb question, but
why can't you submit to more than one place at a time?
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mary rosenblum
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It's not a dumb question
wyrde...
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mary rosenblum
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it's a realistic question when
you have to wait months for a response from an editor...
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mary rosenblum
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and a lot of people do it. But
you can get in trouble if two editors want to buy the story.
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mary rosenblum
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The reason it's a no-no...ESPECIALLY
for nonfiction...is that when an editor..
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mary rosenblum
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says 'yes'...
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mary rosenblum
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space is already reserved for
that piece in a forthcoming issue...
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mary rosenblum
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and if the editor can't use
it, then he/she has to find a piece of similar length to substitute.
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mary rosenblum
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And it ticks editors off.
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mary rosenblum
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Will it ruin your career if
you do it? Nope.
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mary rosenblum
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But you can end up with an
editor who won't do you any fabors.
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mary rosenblum
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favors...
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arfelin
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Don't know what it stands for
but it's a magazine trying to promote new writers and you can even resubmit
a rejected ms after 30 days. Fiction, poetry, photos.
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mary rosenblum
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Don't know anything about it,
but it sounds worth checking out.
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t green
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I know that submitting to 2 or
more places is a no-no... what about queries? can you query more than one
place at a time?
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mary rosenblum
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I wouldn't do it unless the
articles are quite different, t.
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mary rosenblum
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Again, if you end up with two
editors asking for the same piece, you have to choose...
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mary rosenblum
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and you will forever annoy the
editor you turn down.
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mary rosenblum
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Considering how much repeat
business matters in nonfiction and how little public reputation matters, I
would be more careful there than with fiction.
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silver571
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does sellin depend on who you
know more than good writing?
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mary rosenblum
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Absolutely not, silver.
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mary rosenblum
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Joan Rowling can write you a
personal letter of introduction to an editor. You know what it will get
you? a personal rejection instead of a form letter
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mary rosenblum
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That's all.
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mary rosenblum
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The editor's reputation rides
on the quality of the stories or articles in the magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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And they have just as much of
a creative ego as we writers do! :-)
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mary rosenblum
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They aren't about to print
something that isn't of the highest quality...
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mary rosenblum
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and they'd end up fired if
they did it too often!
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helen h
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when you start your marketing
list do you give preference to online or print mags? or treat them equal?
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mary rosenblum
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I go entirely by pay,
circulation, and reputation, helen.
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mary rosenblum
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I pay the bills with those
checks, and pay matters.
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mary rosenblum
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I'll submit to an obscure
anthology if they're paying enough. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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BUT....
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mary rosenblum
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that said, public reputation
and award nominations are what advance you in this field...
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mary rosenblum
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so the larger the readership
the more likely it is that I will advance my reputation by contributing...
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mary rosenblum
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so that plays a factor, too.
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silver571
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How do you begin a marketing
list. I am new to this sorry!
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mary rosenblum
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Go through the various market
lists...you'll get one from LR with your Assignment Three, silver....
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mary rosenblum
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and write down potential
markets. Write down how much each pays..
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mary rosenblum
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then rank them from best
paying to worst...
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mary rosenblum
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right down to the ones that
pay in copies. At least you can say you're published in the next cover or
query letter!
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mary rosenblum
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Start at the top and work your
way down.
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mary rosenblum
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And most importantly... MOST
importantly...
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mary rosenblum
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do NOT stop subbing to a
particular magazine just because your stuff has been rejected several
times...
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mary rosenblum
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that editor may be waiting for
you to improve to a certain level...
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mary rosenblum
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and the next submission might
be the one.
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helen h
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if you already have clips, would
it be better to put a piece in your inventory file for possible future use
or send it to a no pay or pay by copies magazine?
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mary rosenblum
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Yes.
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mary rosenblum
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To be honest, I will NOT send
a story to a very low pay market.
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mary rosenblum
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I'll keep it until I find a
better paying market for it, but clips are not an issue for me. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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They ARE when you first start
out.
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mary rosenblum
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REalize that what you do in
this business is you create value for your name...
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mary rosenblum
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and then your name adds value
to your submissions.
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mary rosenblum
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When you first start out, your
name has NO value.
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mary rosenblum
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NOBODY but your mom will buy
the magazine because your name is in the index.
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mary rosenblum
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BUT..
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mary rosenblum
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when people WILL buy copies
because your name is in the index...
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mary rosenblum
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then your work has more value
to an editor.
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mary rosenblum
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You get there by writing stuff
that people want to read...
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mary rosenblum
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and are willing to pay for.
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paja
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I've been published in newspaper
and devotional markets, does that count at all for "value" in
fiction market?
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mary rosenblum
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Not really, but it's worth
mentioning because it tells the editor that you can write competant,
publishable prose, and meet a deadline.
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mary rosenblum
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Now if you are a nonfiction
Pulitzer winner, yeah, your name has value in the fiction world.
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sweett
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writingroobaby asks, Is that
where placing in writing contests comes in?
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mary rosenblum
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welll...no.
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mary rosenblum
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Writing contests are judged on
very different standards...more at the discression of the judges...
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mary rosenblum
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and they don't ordinarily
impress editors much.
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mary rosenblum
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They are too whimsical.
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mary rosenblum
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Actually, if publication is
involved in the contest win, I wouldn't do it unless the cash prize is
worth it...
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mary rosenblum
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because you lose your First
Rights.
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mary rosenblum
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But, if publication isn't
involved or the cash is good enough, go for it.
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shayon-joseph
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Mary for the sake of building a
portfolio (clips) if I submit to a publication that makes their magazine
available to the public free AND the editor heavily revised first and last
paragraph of article, BUT publishes anyway, IS IT STILL MY PIECE? And can I
use it as a clip when submit/query to other publications?
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mary rosenblum
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Of course. Editors DO edit,
Shayon. I doubt you will ever see anything you write appear perfectly
unchanged in any publication.
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mary rosenblum
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I haven't yet. In fact, as
soon as I get done here, I have to go do some line edit fixes to the story
F & SF just bought. :-) At the editor's request.
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mary rosenblum
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But of course the edited story
is YOUR story.
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mary rosenblum
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YOU wrote it, not the editor.
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paja
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What about Glimmer Train and
other big name contests? I didn't place in the last entry by the way.
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mary rosenblum
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Well, contests like that are
sort of the slush pile for the magazine...
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mary rosenblum
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and by all means submit to
them!
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mary rosenblum
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There, winning means
publication in the magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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It's when the publication is
on the contest website or something like that when you might want to think
twice.
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mary rosenblum
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That's why I'm only going to
publish the top ten in the Christmas contest for the website...
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mary rosenblum
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because those winners will
compromise their first rights...
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mary rosenblum
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(although I sure won't tell
anyone after they come down off the website, so if the winners don't
mention that brief...
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mary rosenblum
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publication on the website,
who's to know?)...
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mary rosenblum
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It's not a hugely public site.
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silver571
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What is slush pile and clips?
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mary rosenblum
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slush pile, silver, is where
all unsolicited ms end up when the arrive at the publisher.
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mary rosenblum
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Clips are the published works
you mention to the editor when you query.
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mary rosenblum
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For nonfiction, you 'clip out'
the actual article and send it (or a xerox copy).
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mary rosenblum
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For fiction, you just mention
what you published and where and when.
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mary rosenblum
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Let me detail the 'slush'
process.
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mary rosenblum
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The ms arrive in the mail room
and are opened.
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mary rosenblum
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There they are sorted into
three piles:
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mary rosenblum
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the pro pile. (that's me)
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mary rosenblum
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The semi-pro pile (you won a
contest or have a couple of small sales)
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mary rosenblum
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the slush (that's everybody
else).
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mary rosenblum
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Some editors read ALL their
slush. Others have an assistant editor or first reader do the slush and
sometimes the semi pro pile.
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mary rosenblum
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So a contest win or even
publication in a tiny market, such as here on the LR site...
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mary rosenblum
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will get you into a lot of
semi pro piles.
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writermom
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when you say a couple of small
sales does that include publications that don't pay or pay in copies
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mary rosenblum
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Yep. Because you don't TELL
the editor that and the editor doesn't know every mag out there...
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mary rosenblum
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You simply say, "I
published in Cat Lovers Digest' and you don't add that it's a for free mag
that pays isn copies!
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mary rosenblum
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Never put anything in your
cover or query letter that does not actively promote you.
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mary rosenblum
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'I am unpublished.' Nope.
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writermom
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so being a regular columnists
for a magazine is definately helpful
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mary rosenblum
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It's an excellent clip,
writer.
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mary rosenblum
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Somebody likes your work
enough to keep publishing you!
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writermom
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cool
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mary rosenblum
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Yes. Very. :-)
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silver571
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I just started LRW. Would
entering the Christmas Contest be helpful to my writing skills?
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mary rosenblum
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Absolutely, silver!
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mary rosenblum
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Writing ANYTHING is helpful to
your writing skills!
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mary rosenblum
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It's like playing piano...do
you get better by staring at the piano?
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mary rosenblum
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Or do you get better by
playing notes?
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mary rosenblum
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Writing is NO different than
playing piano...
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mary rosenblum
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the more you practice the
better you are.
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t green
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about the Christmas contest...
can you remind us of the deadline? is it midnight Christmas eve?
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mary rosenblum
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Yep. Midnight Christmas Eve.
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mary rosenblum
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And do realize that some
servers can take up to 24 hours to actually transfer email...
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mary rosenblum
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and I am going by when it
shows up in MY email.
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mary rosenblum
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So if you send your story to me
at 11:55 PM on Christmas Eve don't hold your breath!
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mary rosenblum
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I simply have to close it
sometime and you've all had plenty of time to send stuff...
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mary rosenblum
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so I really won't accept stuff
that shows up after that no matter when you emailed it from your end.
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mary rosenblum
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So don't wait until the last
second, unless you LIKE Russian Roulette cyber-style!
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mary rosenblum
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Real publishing deadlines are
just as rock solid,
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helen h
|
since editors (or more likely
mailroom) can't know everyone personnally, how do they make the
pro/semi/slush determination? From the few line bio on the query or cover
letter?
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mary rosenblum
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They learn who's who very
quickly, helen, but that's where it's a good idea to mention your
publishing credits...
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mary rosenblum
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the first time you sub to a
new magazine.
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t green
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can we submit more than one
story?
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mary rosenblum
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nope.
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mary rosenblum
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I'm going to have enough to
read!
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silver571
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Whats the PRIZE?
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mary rosenblum
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publication on the website.
tha'ts it, silver.
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mary rosenblum
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If you know a paying market,
send the story there, not to me!
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silver571
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Sounds great!!!
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mary rosenblum
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I'll give 'oral reasons' for
why I placed my top ten stories, too...
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mary rosenblum
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although I really can'
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mary rosenblum
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can't critique them all.
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mary rosenblum
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silver, and any of you who
don't know the rules...
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mary rosenblum
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the story cannot be longer
than 500 words...
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mary rosenblum
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and no 'to be' verbs except in
dialogue.
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mary rosenblum
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And it must be IN the body of
your email...no attachments.
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arfelin
|
The contest is a great excersie
and fun all in itelf:-)
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sweett
|
so you know, we all want first
place Mary
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mary rosenblum
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No duh, sweett. :-)
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sweett
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But Speck is fighing for it the
hardest. . .
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mary rosenblum
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Well, this is no different
than all submitting to the same magazine...
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mary rosenblum
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you're judged the same way...
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mary rosenblum
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by what I"m looking for
as a good story...
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mary rosenblum
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and nothing else. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Well, I need to do the line
edits and get this story off to Gordon at F & SF, so I'd better go.
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mary rosenblum
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I'll post the transcript of
this in the usual place: Writing Craft: Forum Transcripts.
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mary rosenblum
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See you all tomorrow for our
casual chat...same time same place!
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mary rosenblum
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Have a good week!
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speckledorf
|
Is Gordon looking for any
fantasy?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, not real hard...
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mary rosenblum
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but good is always saleable...
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mary rosenblum
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however he gets a LOT of
traditional fantasy subs and a lot of dark fantasy/horror.
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mary rosenblum
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See you all on the website!
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