J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
Why is it the small, obscure magazines (that pay nothing) are flaming assholes about submissions, and the prominent mags (that pay 5-6 cents a word) are significantly easier to work with?
Boxlicker101
Licker of Boxes
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Why would anybody send something to an obscure mag. that pays nothing and who pays five or six cents a wored?
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
BOX
I guess you make a lot more than 5-6 cents a word for your masterpieces. Lets see, an 8000 word story comes out to $480. Yep, I bet most writers here piss on that kinda money, then submit here for free.
Go back to sleep, BOX.
I guess you make a lot more than 5-6 cents a word for your masterpieces. Lets see, an 8000 word story comes out to $480. Yep, I bet most writers here piss on that kinda money, then submit here for free.
Go back to sleep, BOX.
Selena_Kitt
Disappearing
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I think he was actually asking you... like, he wanted to know who was paying that much...
Salvor-Hardon
A kiss is still a kiss
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5 cents a word? Oh hell yeah! I'll take that action! I'd even write for Fox news for 5 cents a word.
Boxlicker101
Licker of Boxes
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I was. At five cents pwer word for all my stories, I would now have about 100 grand.
Of course, that would require axctually selling them all. 
manyeyedhydra
Literotica Guru
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The small magazines are often run by individuals as a hobby. The responses you get (if you get any) depend on how much time they have available and their current level of enthusiasm. I find they have a nasty habit of accepting the story and then the magazine dies before it actually makes it to print. The market was rather volatile like that.
The big boys actually have staff, but the response still varies. Some give the flat rejection letter, others are more personable. They still take months to get back to you.
Unless things have changed dramatically I think it's virtually impossible for an unknown writer to get into the 5-6 cent market. A friend of mine took a subscription out with one of the top sci-fi magazines he was interesting in submitting to. Over a one year period he saw only one story from a writer that either hadn't been in the magazine before or wasn't already an established author with at least one novel under their belt.
My experiences are some years out of date, but I would suspect it's more likely to have got worse than better.
JackLuis
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J
JAMESBJOHNSON
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SELENA
ANALOG pays 5-6 cents a word. Small submissions get 6, novellas get 5.
CEMETERY DANCE pays 5 but closed submissions for all of 2009.
ANALOG pays 5-6 cents a word. Small submissions get 6, novellas get 5.
CEMETERY DANCE pays 5 but closed submissions for all of 2009.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
HYDRA
Since I'm new to horror & sci-fi, I recconoitered a pile of possible publishers to see what's up with guidelines and money.
Culling the ones that dont pay or pay in free copies, the magazines that appeal to me seem to be the oldest publications like WEIRD TALES and ANALOG. They pay pretty good, are flexible about word counts, and they have pleasant attitudes about the business. The small-fry act too much like government bureaucrats with big rolls of red tape.
Since I'm new to horror & sci-fi, I recconoitered a pile of possible publishers to see what's up with guidelines and money.
Culling the ones that dont pay or pay in free copies, the magazines that appeal to me seem to be the oldest publications like WEIRD TALES and ANALOG. They pay pretty good, are flexible about word counts, and they have pleasant attitudes about the business. The small-fry act too much like government bureaucrats with big rolls of red tape.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
BOX
I'll stipulate that youre a gentleman and a scholar, and apologize for biting your ankle; but I still read your comment the same as the first time.
I'll stipulate that youre a gentleman and a scholar, and apologize for biting your ankle; but I still read your comment the same as the first time.
jomar
chillin
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Huh. I've written about 1000 words on a sci-fi thing that might have some potential. Think I'll look into Analog and what's what.
slyc_willie
Captain Crash
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Back when I was getting more callouses writing cover letters than from actual writing, I submitted to a few dozen small-market sci fi mags such as Dark Tides and Ravenheart. Never heard of them? Neither did I until I got my first copy of Writer's Market. They paid diddly-squat (about $50 to $100) and the turnaround time was often close to a year.
Then, somehow, I happened to get a piece accepted by the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. They paid pretty well, about 4.5 cents a word I think. But the best part about that first publication was having the first page of my story facing Isaac Asimov's editorial. I figure if anyone read my story was because they happened to see it after reading Asimov's offering.
After years of getting a handful of publications out of hundreds of attempts, I got a little burned out. I might try to get back into mainstream publishing some day, but after reading the OP, it doesn't seem like much has changed.
Then, somehow, I happened to get a piece accepted by the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. They paid pretty well, about 4.5 cents a word I think. But the best part about that first publication was having the first page of my story facing Isaac Asimov's editorial. I figure if anyone read my story was because they happened to see it after reading Asimov's offering.
After years of getting a handful of publications out of hundreds of attempts, I got a little burned out. I might try to get back into mainstream publishing some day, but after reading the OP, it doesn't seem like much has changed.
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