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Post by Stacy on Jun 15, 2010 10:08:40 GMT -5
I don't think I'm going to write Sims stories anymore. Valley - if you go and look at the Boolprop thread, it says "I think that this one will end up my Sims magnum opus", and it did. I met the challenges I set for myself and I learned what I wanted to learn and now I'm done. But well - you guys know me, I still need my clicks and comments. So I ventured forth into the online world of original full text. And found it lacking. I just turned to John and said "I don't think there's anywhere for me to go other than submitting my stuff to people who will pay for it." So I went to DuoTrope and, of course, the first thing I did was look at the list of the 25 most challenging markets. I expect to win. Anyone have any experience with or interest in submitting stuff to paying publications?
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Post by raquelaroden on Jun 15, 2010 10:44:22 GMT -5
Actually...not so much.
I find that when it comes to things I really love to do, I can't turn them into jobs/things to pay the bills/things to earn grades from, etc., or I end up burning out. Somehow, it kills my joy. I don't know why--when it's "just" a hobby, I just go along happily doing stuff. The moment it is done for some other end (other than pleasing myself)--the happiness I take in it starts draining away, and I can't do it. If I try to push on and do it anyway, it's nowhere near as good as the stuff I did before.
I do, however, applaud efforts to get yourself published--just because I'm all screwed up like that doesn't mean anyone else is. I wish everyone who wants to write for paying audiences the best of luck!
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Post by thelunarfox on Jun 15, 2010 11:43:21 GMT -5
Rachel, that's my fear too. Suddenly, it would change the whole thing if I were writing for someone who was expecting me to produce.
I think though if I manage to produce a product on my own, and then sell it off, I think I can handle that.
Stacey, there's a reason there's no world of online text-- publishing companies don't like that from what I understand. So no one shares their work online. I would guess what you might want to do is find a writing group near you and join it. I think that's what Laura does with her will-be-published writing.
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Post by lhasa on Jun 16, 2010 9:11:43 GMT -5
I love writing (maybe a little TOO much), but the thought of doing it as a profession sounds so boring. (No offense to those who are writing professionally!) I'd probably burn out quickly.
The thought of publishing a few short stories here and there sounds fairly interesting, though.
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Post by dbloveshermac on Jun 16, 2010 23:44:27 GMT -5
Alas, poor Gunky, abandoned in Zombie Town! ;-)
Stacy, you write compelling stories. You could probably have a kumquat as your lead character and make it suspenseful; it's your gift. I believe you can write stuff that will sell abundantly. Just don't hand your self-worth to the agents and publishers and critics. Many of them may value the profit more than the craft. It's their job. You are awesome. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
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Post by laura on Jun 17, 2010 7:00:45 GMT -5
Good for you, Stacy! Just don't let the rejection get you down. You can't take it personally. I even kind of expect them now (the rejections), so they just roll off my back (most of the time). Cast widely when you're submitting. And it's more valuable to find a fitting market for your particular story than just a market you'd like to be published in. Read, read, read! You can find literary journals to read for free at most university libraries, or otherwise, read their online samples if they have them. If you can afford it, buy a copy or a subscription. Again, because matching up your story with the right market is about half of the game. And also, don't stop with just one. That's my problem right now. I've only got one story out there working for me - I read that somewhere once, you think of them as little soldiers that you send out into the world to work for you. Send out as many as you can. Once you finish a story, send it out, forget about it and write the next one. Are you planning on writing short stories, or a novel? It's not really the writing intended towards publication that bothers me at all. In fact, in the initial process, I hardly treat my play stories and my "real" stories any differently at all. I put more research into my "real" stories. I give them more time to "brew" and maybe a few more rounds of edits. But I pretty much hold myself to the same standards in both kinds of writing. The difference for me is in how they're received. In my play stories, I can write something, post it on my blog, and in the space of a couple days I get back all kinds of encourging and thoughtful comments. In my "real" stories, I can write something, send it off and wait for months, and finally get back a "We enjoyed this, but it's not right for us." Makes you wonder why I bother, huh? lol! Why do I bother? Hmmm... Publication would be like validation for me. Like a badge that says, "Yes, you are a good writer!" I guess the comments are a sort of validation of their own. Comments are like payment, for free stories. It's like saying, "Thank you, I appreciated that you took the time to write this for me." I always try to leave comments when I read something I really enjoy. But then there's the money. Money for my time - I do spend a CRAPLOAD of time on this stuff. Everyone should be compensated for their time, I think. And I have student loans to pay off still. Money would be good. Student loans don't pay themselves off. And I'd rather try to write fiction for money than get any other kind of job
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Post by laura on Jun 18, 2010 11:11:40 GMT -5
And while we're on the topic of going pro, here was an interesting viewpoint on the DGLM blog (a literary agency), on being unpublished, or pre-published, as they call it. Isn't that a nicer term for it? lol! dglm.blogspot.com/2010/06/pre-published.htmlValid points, I think. There is something very special and free about just being a writer and not yet an author.
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