I've got to wonder what John Scalzi is thinking when he writes a post like this http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/12/01/in-the-spirit-of-the-pulps-and-paying-even-less/
Then comes the Black Matrix Publishing response http://blackmatrixpublishingllc.blogspot.com/
And finally, Scalzi again http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/12/02/black-matrix-publishing-responds/
Of course we'd all like more money for our work or in some cases to even be paid no matter how prestigious the damn zine or review is. What I haven't figured out is why Scalzi is pointing his finger at only one publisher when there are hundreds paying at the same level. Black Matrix is putting out four print magazines and that's a whole lot of stories and they're not out there begging everyone to donate like the other sci-fi magazines were doing of late. Do you remember those "pros", Mr. Scalzi? "We need $10,000 or we're going to fold." Hey whatever trips your trigger at least they're (?) paying pro rates. Or how about those college "Reviews" that don't pay their writers. They're subsidized by Federal grants, the workers aren't paid and the college pockets the change. But hey, they're top of line.
But what really bites is the latest bit coming from both zines and anthology markets. They'll pay a penny a word for a story but if you're a "pro", they'll pay you 5cents or negotiate higher. WTF? If I follow the guidelines and submit a clean story that gets accepted, why can't I get paid the same as someone like Mr. Scalzi? If all the pros ( you know, the ones with a track record or a famous name ) took the stand that everyone should be paid equally, that would be something worth screaming about rather than how little one publisher is paying. My god, imagine how many novels could be published if King, Brown and Patterson didn't need millions in advance money.
In the end, it's up to each individual writer as to where they want to submit. When Mr. Scalzi says writers should boycott this market, he's instigating the downfall of a market that might be of interest to writers who can live with such a small amount. There are more writers at the bottom of the food chain than the top and some of them are pretty damn good but still can't crack the top rank. There is a need for these small markets because it's where new writers learn their craft and build their reader base.
11 comments:
Bravo. I followed the links and read the posts and have to agree with your comments. There are a lot of writers who would rather be paid $25 or even $5 for a short story and be published, than not published at all. And as you say, there are a lot of us writers who are at the bottom of the heap scratching our way up, and we treasure the small press because it gives us a toehold. We can't all make a million on our first book and we can't all get $500 for a short story.
I'm willing to settle for less and support the smaller 'zines because they do give us opportunities we would not otherwise have.
Thanks,
Amy Corwin
http://www.amycorwin.com
"But what really bites is the latest bit coming from both zines and anthology markets. They'll pay a penny a word for a story but if you're a 'pro', they'll pay you 5 cents or negotiate higher."
This isn't new. Magazines and anthologies have, for years, paid higher rates to better known/professional writers than to lesser known/non-professional writers.
I suspected that, Michael, but I've been seeing it stated right in the guidelines recently, which I hadn't seen before. It's rather like getting a slap in the face when you read something like that.
Sandra, the magazines and anthologies have always said they pay higher for pro authors because they bring more readers with their name recognition to the publication. However, I've always wondered how they determine what constitutes better known/lesser known as Michael puts it. Is there some secret number of sales? And as an avid reader of short stories, I rarely, if ever, only read "known" authors. I like discovering different voices.
Must...bite...tongue.
As one who is down here at the bottom, I like getting published and paid anything. It's better than submitting for years to AHMM or Ellery Queen and not getting published at all.
BTW: I had a short story published in an e-zine for no compensation and it went on to be included in the Best American Mystery Stories 2009.
I admire the people who are giving authors a place to show their work. Keep on keepin' on.
Conda, I don't know what constitutes "well-known" but I do know that some of the novelists who's shorts I've read aren't worth reading. I wish that stories could be judged blind with only the best making it in but I know that the names bring in the bucks so they'll always get preference.
Careful you don't bite it off, Cormac!
I still sub to EQ and AHMM on occassion, r2, but I don't hold out much hope for ever breaking in. I had some back issues of EQ I was reading through once and was discouraged to find that with the exception of two or three stories every one had been written by a novelist or a multi-award winning writer. That leaves me out of the running. And congrats on the Best American Mystery Stories spot. That is too cool!!
The guy sounds a right buffoon and of the majority of the 154 comments that are rallying at his words seem to have the mentality of a pitch-fork wielding mob. It's up to every individual to decide what to do with their writing. I think at the heart of the matter he's angry because he's one of these that thinks every word he writes is worth an ounce of gold each and he's only not getting that because there are publications like these. Whatta'goon
When you take a step back, Lee, and look at what he, and many of the others who have weighted in, writes, we're not even in competition with him. In one of his other posts he lays out where and when he has shorts published and those markets aren't even in a newbie's league.
And I totally agree that every writer has to pick their own path. The truth is, some writers are just playing around with writing shorts and don't ever expect to be a professional. Those who choose the professional track will submit to the top markets and request and recieve a much better paycheck than those who dabble. They're not competing markets by any stretch of the imagination.
Oops maybe I should have clicked that side link bar lol. I stand corrected. Humbled in fact, doh lol.
Don't feel bad, Lee! I had the same knee-jerk reaction and thus the rant. While I don't agree with all he had to say, he's at least got people talking about pay rates and short stories. So that's a plus.
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