Sunday, May 8, 2016

Market Frustration

Some days I get so frustrated looking for markets.  Today I found an anthology call looking for flash fiction pieces.  It all sounded good until I reached the paying part of the guidelines where they "might possibly" pay the writers two dollars but since the money was coming out of the publisher's pocket this could change to no payment at all.  Now, if a publisher can't afford to pay twenty or thirty writers two bucks a piece, that publisher shouldn't be in business. 

6 comments:

Manuel Royal said...

I'd honestly rather submit to a nonpaying amateur publication, rather than one that maybe just might give me a tiny token payment.

Jacqueline Seewald said...

I don't agree unless you want to keep amateur, hobby status. But many of us write professionally and would like to see writers paid decently as in other profession.

Elizabeth said...

I worked for an online newspaper that paid everyone at first, then stopped paying, didn't tell anyone anything, & let people keep working for free. That really bites.

sandra seamans said...

I think the point Manuel is making, Jacqueline, is that a decent non-paying like Needle is much better than a press that can't or won't pay their writers. I tend to agree with him here as a press is a business set up to make money and they should pay their writers instead of pocketing all the profits. And I do agree with you that all writers should be paid for their work but there can be exceptions that don't take away from being a professional writer.

Wow, that's really a kick in the butt, Elizabeth. I'll bet they didn't keep writing for long :)

Leroy B. Vaughn said...

Good morning,
It may just be me, but it seems that I have received more petty or brutal rejections from Editors of token or non-paying markets, as compared to good paying markets.

sandra seamans said...

It's not just you, Leroy. I find that many of them are so fussy with their guidelines that I don't bother to submit. The worst is when they act like they're doing you a favor by even looking at your work :)