(no subject)

[alg]

Submission

A look at submission guidelines -- what they mean, how to read them, how to find them, and much encouraging to follow them.

Comments

[itshardtosay.livejournal.com]

These posts don't really do much for me right now, other than making me aware, or reiterating things I already know, but I'm loving the fact that it's you writing them. Maybe it's a trust thing since I've known you for so long, who cares. I'm putting them in my memories for when they will actively mean something to/for me.

xoxoxoxo!

[dthon.livejournal.com]

Talk about service!

It's also good to see that the method I used to get my ms out of solitary pretty much matches up with what you said here. It is an incredibly uncomfortable situation, and remarkably awkward in places. I'm just glad I could pull out of the relationship with some element of grace.

-Dthon

A Cheesey Post

[laast.livejournal.com]

I am commenting about the cream cheese. My best friend is Lactose Intolerant, and she asks for a lot of stuff without cheese. The looks people give her piss me off. "No cheese on your quesadilla? Are you sure?" "No cheese on the pizza? Did I hear you right?" I almost hit some lady when she gave her a mean look when she ordered something without cheese... she gets it. there is cheese on it. UGH.

sooooo.. I feel for you about this cream cheese thing, and thanks again for all of this info. It may seem basic, but it's nice to be like "oh yeah, I know" to "Finally Getting It". I'm glad someone out there is pounding it into my brain.

[joannemerriam.livejournal.com]

I've been doing this for unsolicited periodical submissions, too, but I usually give them a deadline, like, "if I haven't heard back from you in sixty days, I'll assume you aren't interested," just in case.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're going to write about sending things out to readers. I won't ask now--I'll just note that I've been keeping an eye out for the next industry professional's blog that invited questions, to ask about exactly that.

Thanks for another lively, informative post!

I think...

[the-lady-m.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of reactions that you are seeing from writers, is due to the fact that each individual writer can only see the "I" - the "me" in the big picture.

Most of us do not realize that it takes a gaggle of people to create one published novel.

So, for that individual writer, who is sitting on his/her hands, counting the seconds as they go by, hoping that you've reached their own MS - those months seem an eternity.

The seconds turn to months... then a year - and for writer, that is forever as they hope for some news of what has happened to their story.

Hope becomes lost, dreams crash. The demons of "no one likes my writing" echo through our heads.

We don't see that you have literally hundreds of other writers who are doing exactly the same thing - and there are only a few of you to make the process happen, one MS at a time.

We don't see the horrible stories that are sent in.

We don't know the truth about the unsolicited projects shipped to you.

We don't know about the constant irritation of buzzing bees calling you to check on their one little, itsy-bitsy MS in your empire building tall stack of Stories.

All we know is, that like a dog, we are waiting obediently for someone to take us for a ride in the car. Or like a cat, waiting for the catnip to be brought down from the shelves.

So - thank you for posting this. It (the publishing industry) makes more sense, the more I learn about every facet. And I'm glad you're taking the demystification seriously. It gives me hope that one day, I will see my creativity in print - and that I will make it through the system with as much knowledge as possible, giving me a leg up on the competition... *g*

You're a pretty awesome person for taking the time to do this for everyone - and I hope that somehow you're rewarded for it. For all of the agents/editors/publishers taking the time to do it - it is very much appreciated.

Lady M

Stuck in the requested slush

[arielan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for answering at least part of a question for me. I have, alas, a manuscript there at Tor that you guys asked for. My problem is that the request was signed "the editors" so I can't even address my queries (3 in 18 months) to anyone in particular. So, they get dropped on poor Patrick Nielson Hayden as the guy who got the proposal way back in Nov '03, and, after 21 months since the MS went out, still no answer. Is it possible to find out if it's even still there? My mailman is a cretin and it's truly possible he just lost the damned thing. Can you tell us the best procedure to find out such things without having to bug the editors to death? I was so excited to get a request that I forgot my usual procedure of putting a "we got it" postcard in with the MS. Yeah, writers get buck fever too!