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mary rosenblum
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Hello all and good morning!
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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. We're
talking about what it means to be professional. 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've been at a couple of
writers conferences this month...
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mary rosenblum
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which is what inspired this
particular topic for today.
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mary rosenblum
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One of the things that you
don't really realize when you're starting out in writing...
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mary rosenblum
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is that there is no secret
handshake...
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mary rosenblum
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no gate pass...no thought
police who will tap you on the shoulder and tell you that you don't belong
here...
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mary rosenblum
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and if you simply present
yourself as a professional, you will be perceived as a professional. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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And while a professional
demeanor will NOT sell your work for you...
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mary rosenblum
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it WILL encourage an editor to
suggest you send him/her your novel synopsis without going through an agent
first...
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mary rosenblum
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or send him/her that story
directly.
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mary rosenblum
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It's a great way to get past
that 'agented only' rule if you can make conferences in person...
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mary rosenblum
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and it's a great way to end up
in the semi-pro pile if you're merely submitting your work by mail.
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bengalrose
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tell me about it...i just got my
second rejection from Analog :) I just keep sending 'em. Sooner or later
something is gonna stick!
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mary rosenblum
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Only two, bengal? You need to
get busy. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Seriously, I hope you have
read my 'Soliciting 100 Rejection Slips' on the website.
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mary rosenblum
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But let's use you as an
example, since you so graciously offered yourself, heheh.
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mary rosenblum
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What does it mean to be
professional when you're sending your first stories in to an editor?
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bengalrose
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Sure. Actually I have seven
total rejections, but only two so far to Analog.
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, that's better. :-) Only 93
to go. Of course, you'll probably be selling regularly long before you
score that 100th...
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mary rosenblum
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Actually, I don't think I've
actually received that many....must be getting close by now, though.
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mary rosenblum
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So what makes
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mary rosenblum
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'professional'?
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mary rosenblum
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It has to do with your
attitude.
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mary rosenblum
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Realistically, editors deal
with hundreds and hundreds of aspiring writers every month...
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mary rosenblum
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and to be honest, most of them
aren't even close to publishable.
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mary rosenblum
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As a LR student, or someone
who is really working at craft, you all are probably in the top ten percent
of the slush pile right now.
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bengalrose
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Two to Analog, two to Fantasy
and Science Fiction, one to Wierd Tales (last year), one to Argosy (before
he closed the door on unsolicited subs) and one to Tale Bones (this one was
a nice hand written note asking for more stuff)
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mary rosenblum
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Good linuep, bengal.
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mary rosenblum
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Have you subbed to Strange
Horizons? That's a good online pro market.
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mary rosenblum
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And because editors deal with
so MANY submissions from 'newbies'...
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mary rosenblum
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it's hard not to class them
together and sort of subconsciously assume they're all pretty
unpublishable..
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mary rosenblum
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which they mostly are...
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mary rosenblum
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and mostly because the writer
hasn't really bothered to learn what the magazine publishes or work hard on
their craft...
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mary rosenblum
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they just think one day...'I'm
gonna write a story' and they do, and they send it off without really
paying attention to the guidelines.
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mary rosenblum
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So...
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tory
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So Mary, it has to do with
"attitude." Can you be more specific?
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mary rosenblum
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Exactly, tory...
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mary rosenblum
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It has to do with YOUR
attitude.
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mary rosenblum
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You simply need to decide
you're a pro and act like a pro and you'll be accepted as a pro.
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mary rosenblum
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And you'll be separated from
the herd of 'I'm gonna write a story' submissions.
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gwanny
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I tell myself I am a
writer,,,therefore I am?
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mary rosenblum
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That's part of it, gwanny, but
you have to sort of 'speak writer'...
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mary rosenblum
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And that shows up in your
query letters, your cover letters, your formatting...
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mary rosenblum
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If they all say 'I'm a pro'
the editor takes your word for it.
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mary rosenblum
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Believe me, beginners announce
'I'm a beginner' in every one of those forms!
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bengalrose
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Do editors ever say things like
"Well, this guy keeps sending stuff....maybe next time..."?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, all the time, bengal...AND
they say it to each other at conferences.
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mary rosenblum
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hey, have you been getting
stuff from Joe Writer lately? It's not bad...
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mary rosenblum
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he's getting better.
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mary rosenblum
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They really do..I've sat in on
these discussions. LOL.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors know you by name LONG
before they buy your first story.
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mary rosenblum
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They want someone who will
keep writing so they will build a saleable name.
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mary rosenblum
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They want writers who can and
do keep improving.
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mary rosenblum
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And every editor knows that
writers tend to be loyal to the editor who helped them 'break in'...
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mary rosenblum
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so they don't want to wait TOO
long before they buy from you..
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mary rosenblum
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because someone else might
beat 'em to it, and you might just turn out to be a very famous writer.
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bengalrose
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Hmm, well that's something to
fantasize about! A room full of editors talking about me! LOL
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mary rosenblum
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You never know. :-)
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forest elf
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What I've learned is that it is
more ... it is work. Educated yourself on everything. Work on your craft
and polish your work. But learn about the publishers, guidelines, the
market ..... it takes effort, education, and persistance.
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mary rosenblum
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It is a combination of both,
elf.
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mary rosenblum
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You have to know what the
magazine wants and you know how to prepare a manuscript/query/cover letter
that looks and sounds professional.
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mary rosenblum
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You don't bow and scrape and
say, 'Oh, I'm just a beginner please let me tell you about my story please
publish me!'
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mary rosenblum
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You don't apologize.
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dmm
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but what if you keep sending in
and don't get any response (I'm referring to magazine pitches, not a novel)
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mary rosenblum
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If you're not getting any
responses to your queries, dmm, that probably means that they are not
appropriate for the magazines..
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mary rosenblum
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Editors get TONS of query
letters and many of them simply don't answer letters that are 'off the
mark'...
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mary rosenblum
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that is their way of saying,
'you missed...figure out what I want first'...
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tory
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Mary I read on one website that
editors/agents even look at your submission envelope to decide IF they will
ven open it--if it has a mix of stamps--NO. If the envelope will leak
filler--NO just reject. Makes sense. Any more tips?
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mary rosenblum
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That's not entirely true,
tory...might be true in a few places...
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mary rosenblum
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but professional writers are
mostly poor. They use all kinds of postage...don't worry about that.
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mary rosenblum
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and they hand address, etc...
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mary rosenblum
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I would certainly type a query
envelope address...
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mary rosenblum
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But as to a 9 x 12 with a ms
in it, don't sweat it.
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pmersi
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Is there a chance of being
relatively successful without usi
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pmersi
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using a New York agent?
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mary rosenblum
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Depends on what you're
writing, pmersi.
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mary rosenblum
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If you're writing short, you
don't need an agent.
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mary rosenblum
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if you're writing book length
you DO need an agent if you're publishing with the NY houses...
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mary rosenblum
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because their contracts will
eat you...you need an agent to get you the best money.
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mary rosenblum
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And most NY publishers no
longer accept unagented material..
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mary rosenblum
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UNLESS...and this is a BIG
unless...you meet that editor at a conference and he/she tells you to send
your ms directly to her.
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mary rosenblum
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THEN you don't need the
agent...but you will need one if the house buys it.
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pmersi
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Sci/Fi Horror novel
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mary rosenblum
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You don't need an agent to
submit. You WILL need one for the contract, once you sell.
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mary rosenblum
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Sell it first, get the agent
second.
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mary rosenblum
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You'll have more choices of
agents then.
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gwanny
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that was what I meant. I believe
I am a writer,,,I must make
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gwanny
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the editors believe it as well
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mary rosenblum
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That's it exactly, gwanny.
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mary rosenblum
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You make your queries and
cover letters very professional.
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mary rosenblum
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THat means you take all
personal voice out of 'em until you are on a first name basis wiht the
editor...
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mary rosenblum
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which will be AFTER you've
published with her.
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mary rosenblum
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And you are quite businesslike
in tone.
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mary rosenblum
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You do your homework.
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mary rosenblum
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If you're querying for NF
mags...read EVERY back issue you can get your hands on.
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mary rosenblum
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Try your local library, used
book stores, ask friends to save 'em for you.
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mary rosenblum
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Analyze 'em and write your
query in the style that the magazine uses.
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mary rosenblum
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Create your professional
writer mind...
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mary rosenblum
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You ARE a pro...you WILL sell
this story or article easily, but you're just offering this publisher the
chance to see it first.
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mary rosenblum
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Same thing for pitching to an
agent or a book publisher.
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mary rosenblum
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Don't include too much
information, and leave all personal stuff that will not promote the sale
out.
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mary rosenblum
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If your SF book is about
environmental terrorism, and you're an environmental scientist, you say so!
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mary rosenblum
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But you don't tell the editor
about your family life, unrelated job, or what have you.
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mary rosenblum
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You don't list your
aspirations and you never ever ever say that you are not published...
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mary rosenblum
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unless that editor...like
Janet Hutchings at Ellery Queen...wants to publish 'first stories' for the
magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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Many pros don't bother to list
their publications...they know the editor will have heard their name...
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mary rosenblum
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so you are not shooting
yourself in the foot if you say nothing about publication.
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margieh
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"professional writers are
mosty poor" - an oxymoron? Are professional writers those who get paid
or who just write so much they are familiar with the business?
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mary rosenblum
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Well we get paid, dear, but if
you're going into this business to get rich, go be a plumber!
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mary rosenblum
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Professional writers are
people who write first and do whatever it takes to survive second .
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mary rosenblum
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Most of us do something to
supplement what we get for our prose...I teach for LR. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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If I didn't, I'd write nonfic.
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mary rosenblum
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But I like teaching better.
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mary rosenblum
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BUT money counts, and I have
never met an editor...and I know a lot...who bases any decision about the
ms on the envelope.
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mary rosenblum
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The cover letter can influence
him/her, but not the envelope.
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gwanny
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I have been published,,,do I say
so?
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mary rosenblum
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Of of course! And you never
apologize for where you have been published, say something like 'oh, it's
only a community newsletter', or 'well, it's not for pay, but..' or
something like that.
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dmm
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if I've been published in an RPP
and on a non-paying online site, is it better to list those (if I'm
pitching another parenting pub) or say nothing?
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mary rosenblum
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What's an RPP?
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gwanny
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what exactly constitutes
"published" then?
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mary rosenblum
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Published means that your work
has been posted in a public forum for people to read...
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mary rosenblum
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that someone thought what you
wrote was good enough to share or sell.
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mary rosenblum
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List any publications, whether
they pay or not.
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mary rosenblum
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Now realize that editors live
in the world of publishing, this is their life.
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mary rosenblum
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And they DO know the major
publications, but they don't know ALL the tiny ones...
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mary rosenblum
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so you are telling them that
someone thought you wrote good prose and had something to say.
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mary rosenblum
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And Podunk Community Press
won't impress them the way the New York Times would...
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mary rosenblum
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but it will tell them that you
can at least write.
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t green
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how would you phrase the fact
that one is published monthly in a newletter ... say, a church newsletter
or something like that?
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mary rosenblum
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I write a monthly column for
the Podunk Parish News.
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mary rosenblum
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It means you can write to
deadline. That's something.
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mary rosenblum
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Don't explain what it is,
either!
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pmersi
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How would I submit directly to
pub houses...
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mary rosenblum
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Pmersi, start with the
bookstore.
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mary rosenblum
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Go spend time with the SF
shelves, read blurbs, if the book sounds like yours...
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mary rosenblum
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note the publisher on the
spine and write it down.
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mary rosenblum
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Pick the publisher whose name
shows up most often...
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mary rosenblum
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then go to a writers market
and look up that publisher...
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mary rosenblum
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and read the guidelines for
submission. Follow them to the letter.
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gwanny
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my first article ran
"un-edited". is that a good thing?
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mary rosenblum
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Dunno, I didn't read it. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Means your editor thought it
was fine as is...that's all.
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mary rosenblum
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That won't mean much to an
editor unless he/she knows that editor and admires his/her publications.
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dmm
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sorry...regional parenting
publication
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mary rosenblum
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Oh...then you would certainly
mention it loudly if you are subbing to another parenting mag!
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mary rosenblum
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Look, when I first started
out, I started in NF...and the only thing I'd had published...
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mary rosenblum
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were a couple of pieces in
scientific journals...
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mary rosenblum
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which have virtually nothing
to do with popular mag format!
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mary rosenblum
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But I mentioned 'em. Didn't
hurt.
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jr souza jr
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You often imply (maybe
subconsciously) that writing NF is not a task that you connect with being a
writer but as a method to generate secondary income to supplement a writing
carreer. Wouldn't you think that the quality of writing for mags and
journals, etc would need to be up to if not byond the standard of writing
fiction. Certainly the number of periodicals out there in need of well
researched well written articles and ideas make a prime target for writers.
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mary rosenblum
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Well that's simply the way _I_
view it, jr...
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mary rosenblum
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and that does not apply to
everyone. I spent Saturday at a conference with Tim Egan, a pulitzer winner
for the NY TImes...
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mary rosenblum
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and he is as passionately in
love with nonfiction writing as I am with ficiton...
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mary rosenblum
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which is why he's a NY Times
reporter and I'm a fiction writer!
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mary rosenblum
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NF is a huge venue...and I
suspect that the people at the top are as much in love with what they write
as I am with what I write...
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mary rosenblum
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and to them, fiction might
well be a chore.
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mary rosenblum
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To me, NF is a day job and
there are others I prefer. But if you LOVE it, you'll do well at it.
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mary rosenblum
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If you don't love it, you can
still make a steady income with it.
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dmm
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RPP is a regional parenting
publication. (I answered this before but it didn't seem to go though.)
Since it's a parenting pub, it seems like it would make sense to include
it. But if I wanted to query something else, say a business magazine, is it
better to not list the parenting credits, or to include it since it
shows--like you said--that someone thought my work worthy of publication?
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mary rosenblum
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I take questions out of order,
dmm...
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mary rosenblum
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and yes, you would mention it
to the business mag.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors don't just want to
know that you have the expertise to write this article...
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mary rosenblum
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they need to know if you can
write to deadline, if you can take editing, if you can turn in publishable
articles.
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mary rosenblum
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And your publication in the
parenting mag answers THOSE questions.
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geezer
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What do I look for in an agent?
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mary rosenblum
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Geezer, go to Association of
Authors Representatives webpage and read the FAQ page. That is 'Getting an
Agent 101'. It will tell you.
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mary rosenblum
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AAR homepage
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wingedwarrior24
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how much does an agent get
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mary rosenblum
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Fifteen percent off the top,
winged.
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christopher dale
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So if I was the
"Communications Chairperson" for my local HOA and I had to come
up with the "Communications Report" Do i list the HOA Newletter
in my publishing credits?
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mary rosenblum
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Depends, Chris...if you're
subbing to a SF mag or book publisher and you say that...
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mary rosenblum
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that tells the editor that you
have no fiction publications...
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mary rosenblum
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and it won't really help you,
like it would if you were querying a nonfiction mag..
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mary rosenblum
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writing nonfic doesn't mean
you can write fiction.
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mary rosenblum
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Sometimes it's a judgement
call.
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mary rosenblum
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if you had published with a
big circulation magazine in NF...
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mary rosenblum
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I'd say yes, mention it!
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mary rosenblum
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That says your writing is way
above average.
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mary rosenblum
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But an in house newsletter
doesn't guarantee quality and this is fiction, so it might be better here
to say nothing.
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wingedwarrior24
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at what point do you realize if
you are a writer or not?
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mary rosenblum
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At any point in your career,
winged. When you decide you're not a writer, you are not.
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mary rosenblum
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The people who become pros
never stopped believeing they'd get there, no matter what.
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mary rosenblum
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Some get there sooner, others
later.
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mary rosenblum
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But they simply didnt quit.
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gskearney
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So I couldn't couldn't really
claim any credit for things of my own published my own family newsletter by
my own hand, but other people that I publish could? --gk
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mary rosenblum
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Yep. Not fair is it? But Gary,
if you were querying a NF magazine, I'd sure include a copy of your
newsletter.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors appreciate good
editing...and that's kind of a family, too.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors tend to extend pro
courtesy to other editors. I have no doubt that your newsletter would
impress an editor.
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mary rosenblum
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Wouldn't help you with
fiction, but NF yes.
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christopher dale
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So I wouls say that I write a
quarterly column for the Mason Creek HOA Newsletter?
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mary rosenblum
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If you're going to use it as a
clip, that's how you'd phrase, it chris.
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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. We're
talking about what it means to be professional. 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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christopher dale
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What about something along the
lines of: I have written many technical articles for several high tech
corporations including IBM. I have also published several articles on the
Longridge Writers Group site.
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mary rosenblum
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If you're sending a hard sf piece
to Stan Schmidt at Analog, that might help you out. :-) 'Same with a hard
sf book...it certainly won't hurt you..
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wingedwarrior24
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if the agent fails to sell, does
the writer still pay?
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mary rosenblum
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YOur agent only gets 15 % of
your income. If that agent can't sell your book, guess what your income is?
:-) 15% of 0 is 0. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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ANd THAT is why agents are
reluctant to take on unpublished authors unless they are pretty sure
they'll sell the book.
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mary rosenblum
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They can spend a LOT of hours
hauling it around NYC and not sell it...and then they don't get a dime.
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jr souza jr
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FYI Mary the link you inserted
fro AAR fails because of the index page refrenced. The link will work if
they remove the 'index.html' from it
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mary rosenblum
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Thanks, Jr...
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mary rosenblum
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Let me put it in again.
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mary rosenblum
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AAR homepage
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mary rosenblum
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That works on my computer. :-)
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dmm
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does it help or hurt to mention
being a LR student when querying a pub?
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mary rosenblum
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Depends on whether the editor
knows about LR, dmm. It won't hurt you...
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mary rosenblum
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and if you're subbing to SF
magazines, most of the editors know I teach for it, and know it's a good
school. :-)
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johnnycat15
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How much research would a pub
look for in a non-fic book?
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mary rosenblum
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In a nonfiction book? Lots,
johnny...
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mary rosenblum
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with direct sources, too.
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mary rosenblum
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That means you interview
experts, you don't use secondary sources like the internet exclusively.
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johnnycat15
|
phrased better: How much should
be done prior to sending out to pubs?
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mary rosenblum
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You need to have enough done,
johnnycat, so that if you get a request for the entire book...
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mary rosenblum
|
it doesn't take you a huge
amount of time to get it to the editor.
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mary rosenblum
|
Editors move around all the
time and if you take two years to actually write the book...
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mary rosenblum
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that editor may be gone.
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mary rosenblum
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And you're out of luck.
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mary rosenblum
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Now I do not publish in the
nonfiction book universe...
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mary rosenblum
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but in fiction, publishers
will rarely if ever buy an unfinished book from a first time author.
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mary rosenblum
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Many people start books and
never finish them!
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mary rosenblum
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And I suspect that follows in
the NF world, but I don't know it well enough to be certain there.
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margieh
|
Is there a professional or more
professional response to notes on rejections letters beyond sending the
editor something else?
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mary rosenblum
|
I would immediately send that
editor another story or query or what have you..
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mary rosenblum
|
and point out that you have
taken the advice they gave to heart. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Follow up quickly, while that
editor remembers you! If he/she took the time to write you a note...
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mary rosenblum
|
he/she thinks you're nearly
ready to sell.
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wingedwarrior24
|
will LR texts walk student
through submission format?
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mary rosenblum
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yes, you'll get help
submitting winged. That's part of the course.
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mary rosenblum
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And in the novel course,
selecting a publisher and finding and agent is a BIG part of the course!
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t green
|
how soon is
"quickly"?? within a month or two?
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mary rosenblum
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As soon as you have something
GOOD to send her/him!
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t green
|
I can understand your 'take' on
fiction and nf writing... it seems that 80% of the money in my 'writing
account' is from my article sales - NF of course - vice my fiction sales.
But I still love writing fiction better.
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mary rosenblum
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But I know people who LOVE NF
and can't write a story to save their lives. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I suspect I'll never be
competing for a NF Pulitzer with them! LOL
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mary rosenblum
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I'm good at NF...it just feels
like a day job to me.
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jackie7777
|
An editor in Connetticut would
possibly know LR?
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mary rosenblum
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Hard to say, jackie.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors exchange info at
conferences, so locale doesn't matter much...
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mary rosenblum
|
if an editor has bought work
from LR students and been impressed...
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mary rosenblum
|
that editor will be recognize
and respect the name...
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johnnycat15
|
what if it is a subject that
seems to be a now type of thing? Like writing something about Pope John
Paul II which seems hot right now?
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mary rosenblum
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Publishers are ALWAYS looking
for a writer to get the 'hot topic' to them right now.
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mary rosenblum
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Often they call someone they
know does this sort of thing...
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mary rosenblum
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I've got a few friends that
get those calls...
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mary rosenblum
|
BUT...if you could lay out all
your reasearch...prove that you had the info at your fingertips and agreed
to get the complete ms to them...
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mary rosenblum
|
as soon as they wanted
it...probably a matter of like three weeks...
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mary rosenblum
|
they might take a flier on
you.
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margieh
|
If you have opportunity to
interact with an editor at a conference?
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mary rosenblum
|
Ah, here's a place to really
work on your professional demeanor!
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mary rosenblum
|
If you can meet editors at a
conference (and you do that by looking up the panels that the editor will
be on and then attending them)...
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mary rosenblum
|
then by all means introduce
yourself. Chat about the panel you just sat in on. chat about publishing,
about the weather, about whatever...
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mary rosenblum
|
Mention that you are an
aspiring writer and are starting to send work out.
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mary rosenblum
|
DO NOT say: Can I give you my
story?
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mary rosenblum
|
Editors get that ALL the time
and UNIVERSALLY say no and brand you 'pesky newbie'.
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mary rosenblum
|
BUT...a very smart thing to
say is..."I don't want to clutter your slush pile, so what are you
looking for these days?'
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mary rosenblum
|
I always ask editors that when
I see them, so I can pass on the info to my students.
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mary rosenblum
|
If the editor says she's
looking for romantic mysteries and you just happen to have finished one...
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mary rosenblum
|
you can THEN say, "Oh,
cool, I just finished a romantic mystery about a nurse who encounters a
serial killer picking off the elderly'...
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mary rosenblum
|
and that editor may well ask
you to send it directly to her...
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mary rosenblum
|
voila!...even if the house is
'agented only', this is no longer an 'unsolicited ms'...
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mary rosenblum
|
it is now 'solicited' and you
can send it.
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gwanny
|
so,,,what are editors currently
looking for?
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mary rosenblum
|
Which editor, gwanny?
|
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mary rosenblum
|
be right back...LR on the
phone
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mary rosenblum
|
sorry..I'm back.
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gwanny
|
political mag editors?
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mary rosenblum
|
Tim Egan is the last poltical
writer I"ve hung out with...he's not an editor...
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mary rosenblum
|
BUT...he got hired onto the NY
Times because he covered he Exon Valdeze disaster as a stringer...just
sending stories in...
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mary rosenblum
|
and they were so good the NY
TImes hired him...which NEVER happens!
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bengalrose
|
Mary, I have an unrelated
question about word counts. Kind of a cary-over from a previous chat. How
do I manually count a page? I have never quite understood this. I just remeber
you saying that MS Word counts the words differently.
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mary rosenblum
|
Bengal, I have no idea. I just
use my computer count and round it.
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mary rosenblum
|
Nobody has complained.
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gail
|
RE: Query letters...I'm often
perplexed about what info to offer. I've been told to include the projected
word count and a time when the article could be completed. However, if
querying without writing the article on spec, I rarely know what the word
count will be -- how can I do this? And, some articles come together
quickly, others iinterminably slow -- how will I know before hand which
will be the case?
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mary rosenblum
|
Gail, this is something you
will have to deal with as a pro.
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mary rosenblum
|
You WILL write the article to
the word count and that depends on what you find in issues of that mag...
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mary rosenblum
|
and what department in that
mag you are writing for.
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mary rosenblum
|
if they articles in the mag
seem to run from 1000 to 1500 words...
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mary rosenblum
|
you are not going to sell a
3000 word piece.
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mary rosenblum
|
No matter how much you might
want to make it that long.
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mary rosenblum
|
And you simply have to learn
to work on deadline.
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mary rosenblum
|
When you get a call from an
editor and that editor says, 'Can you get me an article on the Portland
Marathon by Monday?"
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mary rosenblum
|
And it's running on Sunday,
you WILL email it to her on Monday.
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mary rosenblum
|
That's why they pay you. :-)
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|
gail
|
Oh, so am I understaning you
correctly? Do you mean I need to establish the word counts of various
freelance articles to establish the word count each particular mag would
want?
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mary rosenblum
|
oh yes. Gail, you really need
to write for THAT magazine, not a general article.
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mary rosenblum
|
That's why most NF people
query first.
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mary rosenblum
|
Then you write it for THAT
mag...
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mary rosenblum
|
You do your pool of research
first, and then you query.
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mary rosenblum
|
When you get a 'yes', you
write that article to suit the particular slant and audience of THIS
magazine..
|
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mary rosenblum
|
and you might write four or
five articles iwth different slants from that same pool of info.
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mary rosenblum
|
And sell them to four or five
different mags.
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|
aryus
|
what might fantasy editors be
looking for?
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mary rosenblum
|
Depends on the publisher,
aryus...
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|
mary rosenblum
|
Not many short markets...The
classic S & S market is Black Gate...
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mary rosenblum
|
F & SF, Gordon Van Gelder,
is looking for SF more than fantasy right now.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
no vampires!
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|
gail
|
Gotcha. But, if I'm submitting
an article idea "on spec" how will I know WHEN they will require
it? And, do I need to say something like, "I can have this piece to
you by XYZ date."?
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|
mary rosenblum
|
They'll tell you. Just be
ready to write it fast if they want it now.
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mary rosenblum
|
I don't put a date in unless I
CAN"T have it to them before a certain date.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
If they don't give you a 'by'
date, get it to them asap...
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|
mary rosenblum
|
you want them to be impressed
that they can get something from you quickly when they need it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Remember...when you have
established yourself with a NF edtior...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
that editor will call YOU and
request articles.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
The main thing to remember is
to use a businesslike tone...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and format your work
professionally.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Include only what the editor
NEEDS in your letters.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
If it's a cover letter, all
that editor needs is a bit of praise and your publishing credits.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Here is...literally...what I
send a new editor with a first submission.
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mary rosenblum
|
Dear Ms. Editor, I was pleased
to see that you're publishing an anthology of contemporary fantasy. Magic
Realism has always been a favorite of mine. Enclosed, please find...
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|
mary rosenblum
|
The Woman Who Walked with
Dogs. I think it fits the anthology. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for
your time. I've been published...
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mary rosenblum
|
quite a bit in SF and fantasy,
and you can find my pub list [link] if you'd like to take a look.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
And I would insert the link to
the publication list on my website page.
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mary rosenblum
|
That is an actual cover letter
that went out with that story.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
for Modern Magic, a fantasy
antholgy coming out.
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|
gail
|
Okay, Mary. Thanx. One more
BIGGIE. :-) One piece of info I was told to include was "why I should
be the one to write this particular piece." I can't even begin to tell
you what concerns THIS question raises for ME! Yikes! :-) So, how DO we
"newbies" answer this effectively?
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mary rosenblum
|
Yes, you DO need to answer
that for a NF query, gail.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And here's where
professionalism comes in.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Freelancers don't have any
more expertise than you do!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
They research. They interview.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I interviewed Joe Blow and
gained an insight into this issue that you can't get through the media
lense.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I have spent weeks visiting
preschool classes and interviewing teachers...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
about the impact of the new
laws.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Notice that 'interview'
features here?
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
REmember that editors want
that primary research.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Their readers can do internet
research, too.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can use that as a
foundation, but try really hard to include some live quotes or an
interview.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
YOu can find some kind of an
expert somewhere!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
When you meet editors/agents
at conferences, approach them as a pro.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
yeah, you're a NEW pro, but
you're a pro.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Chat with them about the
business...don't be afraid to ask questions.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
We all have egos and we all
love to be respected as experts.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Don't pitch your work to them
directly, unless it's part of the conference and you have paid to pitch
your work.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But if it sounds like they're
looking for something like you have written...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
mention it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
They ARE looking for hot new
books. Always.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Treat your query/cover letter
as a business letter.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Tell the editor what he/she
needs to know.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
And do NOT include any more
than that.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
In a cover letter, do NOT
explain your story or summarize it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The story is right there in
front of the editor!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
In a query, hook the editor
with a hot opening, summarize your topic clearly and tell the editor why
YOU need to write this.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Study issues of the magazine
so that you are sending the editor something she CAN use.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Compare it to a similar
article you saw in the magazine.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I was struck by your article
in the November issue on autism in preschool classes...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
This look at autistic children
in the middle grades takes a look at the problem a bit farther down the
road.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Mention your primary
research...quotes, interview, personal experience...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Pretend to yourself that
you're a full time writer earning good money and then sound like that in
your letter. :-)
|
|
jr souza jr
|
Looking at the people/companies
that advertize in a periodical will help if you can say something like, my
article woudl fit nicely in the issues of your magazine as I see many
advertisers who sell products/services that would be thought about after
readers read my article. Where I read this (probably in the LR course books
;-) escapes me but I thought it was an excellent tack showing that you have
looked at the magazine and made an attempt to analyze the editor's needs
and benifits that the article could have.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
There is also an article on
the query letter that goes into details about this sort of thing...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
it's in Writing Craft:
Nonfiction.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
A friend of mine got a weekly
column at our metro newspaper by pointing out that a lot of readers own
dogs and cats...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
and a pet column would attract
a lot of advertising.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Professionalism is an attitude
and it is HOMEWORK, too.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Believe me, we do more than
simply sit at our computers in an ivory tower and write! LOL
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It has been a fun Oregon
Hour..
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I'll post the transcripts in
writing craft: Forum Transcripts.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Do drop into our casual
chats...
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
M,W,F at 10 am Pacific, 11 Mt,
12 central and 1 PM east coast time.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Or on Sundays at 5 pm pacific,
6 pm mt, 7 central, and 8 pm east coast.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Have a good week, all!
|