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Mary Rosenblum
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Hello all!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Welcome to our Friday After
Hours Forum.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I hope you've all had a very
fine week. :-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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I wanted to talk about the
business of writing today. Not all people who take the LR course or try
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Mary Rosenblum
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their hands at writing decide
they want to go on and do it seriously, but if you do, you really do need
to treat it as a business .
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's especially true if you decide
you're going to go for it, try to make it an income earner, and convince
the tax man that you are a serious writer
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Mary Rosenblum
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who can deduct business
expenses!
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Mary Rosenblum
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But even if you're not there
yet, if you're going to be circulating finished work, you need to keep some
kind of record.
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Mary Rosenblum
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A frosty letter from an editor
reminding you that he already rejected this piece is not a way to endear
yourself to that editor.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You have just come across as
an incompetant boob. Not a nice profile!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Even if you are not claiming
yourself as a writer on your tax form, keep track of your expenses and your
income when you start selling.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That way you'll have a
realistic idea of your actual earned income.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I suggest you keep a log of
all the work you send out. Use a spread sheet on the computer or a
notebook.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Write down the date you sent
the work off, the postage if it was snail mail, and the date you hear back,
plus any comments.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That way you'll begin to get a
realistic idea of actual 'turnaround time' at various publications.
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johnw
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Record keeping/business practice
is not really covered in the LRWG course -- they're teaching you to write
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Mary Rosenblum
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Exactly. That's why I'm doing
this now. :-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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Very few people who take the
LR courses go on to become professional writers. It's too much work for too
little money. I can attest to that !
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wolf122
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If working a full-time job and
part-time writing, when would you be able to state that you are a writer
(to the IRS)? Does the writing income have to be greater than a full-time
job's income to be considered a writer to the IRS?
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Mary Rosenblum
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I can't answer this type of
question, wolff, because I'm not a CPA or tax accountant. You can go read
my interview with John Caton, CPA.
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Mary Rosenblum
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He's my accountant and his
clients are artists, musicians, and writers, so he does know these things.
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Mary Rosenblum
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He covered a lot of them in
our interview.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Surviving and Thriving:
Interview Transcripts.
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Mary Rosenblum
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But what he did stress is that
if you want the IRS to consider you a professional, you have to prove you
ARE a professional.
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barbiq
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Is it really important to keep
records of the time you spend writing on each project?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Only in two cases barb.
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Mary Rosenblum
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One is if you want to prove to
the IRS that you are a pro. If you're not spending full time's worth of
hours writing
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Mary Rosenblum
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they won't consider you a full
time writer.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The other case is contract
work.
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Mary Rosenblum
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If someone asks you to write
something, how do you know how much to charge?
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Mary Rosenblum
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If you know that it takes you
this many hours, usually, to do this kind of project, you and state a
price.
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barbiq
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So putting together your own
forms for sent Queries,sent Manuscripts, clip lists is a good idea.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It's a very good idea. It's
easy to feel as if Nothing is Happening.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It's equally easy to lose
track of where you send queries.
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Mary Rosenblum
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In the nonfiction universe,
you want to send out a LOT of queries for each idea.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You don't want to forget where
you've sent them. And if a certain publication is never getting back to
you, stop bothering them.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You're wasting postage.
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wolf122
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If you do sell a story (say
fantasy) to a magazine or editor, do you have to try selling the next one
to them, or can you submit other stories to other mags/editors freely?
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Mary Rosenblum
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You can sell your next piece
anywhere you want, wolf.
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Mary Rosenblum
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But..BUT...that editor likes
your work. That editor plans to publish more from you or he/she wouldn't
have bought this story.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So if you can't sell it to a 'better'
market, do send it there.
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builder guy
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I would think timing is also a
factor, am I wrong? 9/11, Hurricane Katrina or Barry Bonds breaking the
home run record whatever. It seems to me that you can time and target an
article with current events or popular trends that might add a percentage
to actually getting published. Any advice on this Mary?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Absolutely, builder, up to a
point.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Print magazines have a long
lead time. They don't usually go for 'breaking news' like the papers or the
weekly news mags.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So you have to take a
different slant.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And you're looking at six
months when I say long lead time!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Most magazines lay out the
themes of their monthly magazines at the start of their publishing year...
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Mary Rosenblum
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for the entire year.
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Mary Rosenblum
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They tend to call their
regular freelancers and assign the feature articles that anchor a piece.
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Mary Rosenblum
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They fill in the rest with
stuff that comes in or more assignments.
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Mary Rosenblum
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What you want to do, Builder,
is to pay attention to trends. Propose articles for things that are just
starting to get attention.
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tigger
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How much time per month do you
need to prove you spent on writing to convince the IRS you're a
professional writer?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Go read John Caton's
interview, Tigger. He goes into specific details about what you need to do
in order to be a 'professional writer' in the eyes of the IRS.
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Mary Rosenblum
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He's had several 'new writers'
as clients over the years...myself included...so he does know what they
will and won't accept and he's pretty specific about it.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Surviving and Thriving:
Interview Transcripts.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That will help you with a lot
of the 'will the IRS accept this' type of question.
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Mary Rosenblum
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But if you have any intention
of trying to be a writer to the IRS, then keep LOTS of records.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Expenses. Income. Time spent
and for which project.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Research time. Reading time
(research materials) travel time and miles to do research, buy supplies,
etc.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Keep all those numbers and
record them clearly.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Then you'll have the ones you
need when the time comes.
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tigger
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If you work on three different
stories in one day, would you document how much time you spent on each, or
just document total time spent?
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'd keep 'em separate, tigger.
It's just as easy. You can estimate it. You don't have to use a stop watch.
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Mary Rosenblum
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IT's also useful to know how
you work.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I know how much time I have to
have in order to complete a project.
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Mary Rosenblum
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As a pro, I get anthology
requests all the time.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Mostly I have lots of lead
time, but sometimes I get an 'eleventh hour' request.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I know how long it takes me to
write a story of a certain length. So I know when I have to make sure that
story is started if I want to get it into the editor on time.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That won't interest the IRS
but it sure interests me.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You default on a deadline a
couple of times, you don't get asked to contribute any more. And in the
fiction universe, anthology work is a nice bread and butter aspect of the
market.
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mistery
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What If you have a buisiness
that includes your writing?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Talk to your accountant. :-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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I still have to keep tons of
records, even as someone who has no problem proving that I make my living
writing. :-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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For those of you who self
publish or purchase quantities of your own books to sell locally, you need
to keep an inventory.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Record how many books you have
and if you drop off ten copies at a local bookstore on consignment, record
that.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It's easy to forget where you consigned
books and then the money is lost.
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tigger
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How do you determine how many
queries to put out at once? If they actually all come back asking for you
to write something, you have to be able to meet all the commitments.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Excellent point, tigger, thank
you!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yes, if you are writing
freelance NF, you really DO need to know your own time requirements. I
think it was Chynna Laird, one of my guests, who talked about
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Mary Rosenblum
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having three or four queries
come back all 'yes' and getting rather cramped for time since the editors
all wanted the piece right away.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Make sure that if you send out
ten queries at once, you can write ten articles in a week.
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Mary Rosenblum
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If you have a day job, which
most people do, then you really need to know how much actual time you have
for writing.
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barbiq
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Should you shy away from
multipul submissions when you are starting out in the freelance arena?
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Mary Rosenblum
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By multiple submissions do you
mean one piece sent simultaneously to many markets, or do you mean many
different pieces sent out all at once?
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builder guy
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From what I have learned on
these forums writing is the main thing, Get an Accountant to take care of
Uncle Sam. Just keep writing. I think I would have more fear of my agent
ripping me off than than the IRS giving me hell. What do you think Mary?
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's why I have an
accountant. :-) I don't know the recent rulings on whatever, and mine does.
The IRS does not like writers and you do have to keep good records if you
want them to leave you alone. They audit writers a lot, but good records
work for that, too.
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barbiq
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I was referring to the same
piece sent out to many markets.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You're only supposed to do
that if the markets accept simultaneous submissions.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Does everybody follow that
rule? No. Will it get you in trouble? Yes, if two editors both say yes. The
one you admit you've already sold the piece to will likely not buy from you
again
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Mary Rosenblum
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until your name is so big that
it's worth it. Editors can hold a grudge...up to a point. :-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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It's a bit of a dice roll, but
you have to decide if the risk is worth it.
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taighglean
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Can I email query in lieu of
postal mail?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Read the submission
guidelines, taighglean. Always! If they don't give an email address for
queries, they won't respond to emailed queries.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ezines usually take email
queries and submissions.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The large circulation print
mags rarely do.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Because they are high profile,
they get thousands of queries and submissions every month and most are not
suitable.
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Mary Rosenblum
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They just don't want to be
swamped with email. Clogs the system.
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taighglean
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I live on island in NE Canada. Expensive to
mail to US
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh no kidding, taighglean. You
should see what I pay to send to Europe. Ouch.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Try starting out with the
ezines, taighglean.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The other option is that once
you sell to a particular magazine and the editor has a working relationship
to you
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Mary Rosenblum
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you can probably email your
queries straight to him/her.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I can email the editors of the
big SF mags and ask 'em a question, but I still have to send the manuscript
by snail mail. House policy.
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Mary Rosenblum
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But they'll email me their
response.
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Mary Rosenblum
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builder, send that same
comment to me as a question, will you?
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Mary Rosenblum
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I want to put this into the
transcript along with my answer.
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Mary Rosenblum
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This is a pretty classic new
writer belief.
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tigger
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If one is lucky enough to get published,
how does one acquire tear sheets? Do the editors send you copies of your
article after publication?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Tear sheets are kind of a
thing of the past, mostly. They were essentially carbon copies so that you
didn't have to buy an issue of the magazine to send a clip.
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Mary Rosenblum
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This is before Xerox.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Now you just copy an article
and send the copy.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yes, your contract should
include at least one copy of the publication.
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Mary Rosenblum
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But if it does NOT, you may
not get one. You can add it to your contract.
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rslnwife
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I have heared of
"Clips", it that it.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yep. Clips were the 'clipped
out' article.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The editor wants to see that
a: you really were published in that mag/paper/what have you and b: did you
do a good job?
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Mary Rosenblum
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There are so many NF
publications that editors can't keep track of them all.
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Mary Rosenblum
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In the fiction universe you
just say where your story was published.
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Mary Rosenblum
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This is a MUCH smaller
universe.
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taighglean
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When magazine dies, do I own the
my articles again?
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Mary Rosenblum
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You ask good questions,
taighglean. That depends.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You signed a contract, right?
I sure hope you did.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It specifies the rights you
are selling. Usually they are first world or first north american.
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Mary Rosenblum
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If the article has been
published, the rights are now all yours.
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Mary Rosenblum
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If the article has NOT been
published, then those rights still belong to the magazine. If it goes into
receivership, your piece is part of that process.
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Mary Rosenblum
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YOu can't have it back until
the magazines assets -- which includes the first rights to your story-- are
dealt with.
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Mary Rosenblum
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If the publisher just tosses
in the towel and walks away, you're probably fine.
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Mary Rosenblum
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If the publisher sells or
gives the mag to someone else, you're not fine.
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taighglean
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some were published..magazines
now gone for good
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Mary Rosenblum
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happens all the time.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Okay, I wanted to address
builder's comment on editors and agents, but he hasn't sent it back to me
yet.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ah, spoke too soon!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Thanks builder!
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builder guy
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Just as an observer from these
forums and live interviews it seems like alot of these editors and agents
have a big power trip!!! They can make you or break you while dangeling the
prize of being published right in front of your nose. Any thoughts or
advice to this Mary?
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Mary Rosenblum
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It sure seems like that from
outside.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I thought so. Everybody thinks
so.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You don't find out that it's
not really like that until you get 'inside' , discover how the business
really works, and find out what is actually going on.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Everybody has more or less the
same goal...make a living.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The editors have to do it by
publishing work that increases sales of the magazine or by choosing to buy
books that earn money for the publisher.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The publishers have to make
money to keep the business solvent and in the black.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Most of them are owned by big
corporations now that enforce a bottom line.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The editors have the same ego
that the writer does...
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Mary Rosenblum
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their reputations are made by
the quality of the work they choose to publish.
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Mary Rosenblum
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They don't jerk writers around
on purpose. We are their repuation and their paycheck.
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Mary Rosenblum
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BUT...they do get thousands of
inappropriate junk on their desks every day. They are overworked and
underpaid as a group.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It's not that they're holding
up a hoop just to make you jump through it. They just don't have time to
waste and if you waste their time with inappropriate and hard to read type,
that sort of thing, they must move on to the next in the pile.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Nearly all of them are really
nice people...with a few exceptions. :-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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It's not a fair business. Good
writers get overlooked, lousy writers make money. It can give you an ulcer
really fast.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Nobody is being mean to new
writers on purpose. You're expected to be persistant and if you are, you'll
get noticed.
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tigger
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What percentage of editors are
also writers, facing the same challenges we do?
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Mary Rosenblum
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A lot of editors...I'm not
sure I can say most...started out as writers and went into editing.,
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Mary Rosenblum
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We all live in the same
universe, party together, gossip about each other. :-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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YOu buy your way into this
club by writing well, sending it out, accepting the rejections and sending
more work.
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Mary Rosenblum
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The more an editor sees your
name, the more likely that editor is to buy from you. This is true in both
F and NF.
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Mary Rosenblum
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What do you call a persistent
writer?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Published.
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builder guy
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So these publishers set a bench
mark?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yeah, it's called sales!
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Mary Rosenblum
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If the authors that the editor
publishes don't sell, the editor gets fired.
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tigger
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How long after publication of an
article or story should you wait before offering reprint rights?
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's in your contract.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Mostly I publish with large circulation
print mags and generally that story can't show up in print for six months
after it appears in the magazine.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Then it can.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I've sold the reprint rights,
literally days after selling the original...
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Mary Rosenblum
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but with the understanding
that the reprint has to show up later than the original.
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rslnwife
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How likely is a self-published
book to get noticed, like with the book Eragon?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Eragon was engineered by the
media.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It didn't happen on its own.
It was made to happen.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It is very difficult to sell
many self published books unless you have a strong niche market and it's
almost impossible to get a self pubbed book reviewed by a respected
reviewer.
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Mary Rosenblum
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There are simply too many
really bad self pubbed books out there. You get tarred with that brush.
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tigger
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Is there an example on the LWRG
site of a fiction contract?
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Mary Rosenblum
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If you go to www.sfwa.org the Science
Fiction Writers of America site, you'll find a sample contract, tigger.
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tigger
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I'd like your opinion about
epublishing versus submitting to print markets. Are print markets more
prestigious?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Most print markets are more prestigious,
tigger.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Not all.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Baen Universe is becoming well
respected in SF.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Wired is very well respected.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Many of the big circulation
print mags have a web version and those are top markets.
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Mary Rosenblum
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A freelance friend writes for
National Geographic online.
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Mary Rosenblum
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GOOD money.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Well, we went WAY over time
here, but I got such good questions I had to answer them.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'll do another Forum on
Rights.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's something that very few
new writers know nearly enough about.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'll post the transcripts of
this forum in the usual place: Writing Craft: Forum Transcripts.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do join us Sunday for our
casual chat.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Same time as this, but we just
get together to talk about stuff.
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Mary Rosenblum
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See you then!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Have a good weekend all.
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