Posted Guidelines and Author Demands…
I should be finishing the magazine processing, but had to take a break.
I have a choice to make about the magazine contests and issues from now on. Either the magazine publishes only those stories that win the paid slots, or I’ll have to make a special disclaimer at the beginning of the guidelines.
There’s been a few authors who sent me stories and said that they only wanted the story considered for the paid slot, sometimes specifying that they only wanted the first place. And now, I’m finishing up and another author pulls his story because it placed fourth, which is publication only and he’s not willing to give it for anything not paying.
Why submit then? I just don’t get it.
As an author myself who submits my own work, I read the publisher’s guidelines and I understand that there’s no guarantee that I’ll get the exact placing I want. The guidelines is what the publisher offers. By me submitting my story, I’m accepting the publisher’s offer.
Am I the minority in thinking this way?
The process from gathering emails to choosing the winning submissions is a long process, involving various individuals. There’s no good way to guarantee a certain placing. And there’s no time to give said author special consideration. It just wouldn’t seem fair, even if there was time. I put every author, every story through the exact same process. Only time I alter this process is if I’m doing a special project.
Guess this means I have some thinking to do.
I would add a couple of lines to the guidelines: If you are not willing to finish fourth and gain publication without payment, then do not submit your work here, as no special considerations will be given to authors requests for work to only be considered for paying slots. Submitting your work to this publication is acceptance of the above statement and no further correspondence will be entered into.
Harsh – but fair (and professionally stated up front, not like the unprofessional behaviour of people who think they deserve to only finish in the paying spots).
…but that’s just me ;c)
I always thought that by reading the guidelines (we do all read the guidelines, right?) we as writers are to understand and accept that someone’s writing may, in fact, be better than our own. It is part of the process and to have been selected at all in a contest situation is an honor not to be taken lightly. I have had many stories published in paying and non-paying markets and I try to maintain relations with editors of both; someday they may be the editor that can help further your aspirations.
Just my 2 cents worth.
You are not in a minority.
Thanks…was beginning to really wonder there…