(no subject)
Another update post! And this one isn't even dog-related. It's writing-related! Because I'm trying to do that again now! This week I sent out three, count 'em, THREE, stories to various publications. And I've decided to stop really targeting the "pro payment" markets like I was originally. For one, I'm tired of getting rejections (ha). For another, it's not like I'm trying to make a living off this, so I'd rather sell more stories to markets where I get paid $15-25 that are still widely read, than spend months and months trying to get one story into a pro-payment market. While pro markets have thousands and thousands of readers, lots of SMALL markets, including online ones, are totally respectable and have a fair amount of readers. PLUS, they are part of a closer-knit community, and I think I'd rather get into small presses and make writer friends than spend forever trying to get one story in Daily Science Fiction. (That's still going to be a dream market for me though. And I'm still going to submit there first whenever I think I wrote a really good one, because JUST IN CASE.)
I also was targeting pro payment markets because if I make three sales to those, then I can join Science Fiction Writers of America. But there's been some hubbub about them lately, and I decided - maybe I don't want to join so much. There's been some huge sexism issues, and I'm not super sensitive about sexism (probably because I've been lucky enough to not have faced a large amount of it, just here and there and mostly it's just stupid and amusing), but I read some of the stuff and I was like, "Uh, this was published in their bulletin? In the year 2013?" I mean, some of it reads like 50's sexist trash. There was an article about "lady" editors and writers, that was almost entirely about how pretty they were, how nice they were to look at, it mentioned how they looked in bathing suits. Did it mention anything they had written/edited or the contributions they'd made to the science fiction genre, a genre in which women have been historically overlooked and tend to publish with just initials so that no one knows they're women? Nope. Turns out, women who have made major contributions to SF are STILL having a hard time getting credit for it. In 2013. Like I said, there's been a lot of outcry (by both men and women) trying to get this fixed, so I'm sure improvement is in the works - but at least it's made me less focused on joining SFWA as soon as possible, because as of right now it seems to be run by people I don't care to join.
So, I'm seeking out some more of those smallish markets to submit to. "The Gods of Mecrie" is coming out in the July issue of Bards & Sages, which is exciting, and hopefully that will get a little attention. To be honest, I have come to the conclusion that my first publication was in a magazine that no other writers actually read, other than the ones who are published in it. (This may sound terrible but I don't have a hard time thinking that my story was one of the best ones in there. By far, in some cases.) The other publication was in a book, and since it was titled "Bronies," I think a lot of people that might have liked it passed over it, so there's not much going on there. So now I'm getting a better feel as to which smaller markets are "worth their salt," I guess, and Bards & Sages is a good one that maybe some other writers will read and I'll get some actual comments about it. So that is exciting! And, of course, I've got three out right now, so that is also full of potential! Of course, all three have been previously rejected by other markets, so.....yes. *cough*
I also was targeting pro payment markets because if I make three sales to those, then I can join Science Fiction Writers of America. But there's been some hubbub about them lately, and I decided - maybe I don't want to join so much. There's been some huge sexism issues, and I'm not super sensitive about sexism (probably because I've been lucky enough to not have faced a large amount of it, just here and there and mostly it's just stupid and amusing), but I read some of the stuff and I was like, "Uh, this was published in their bulletin? In the year 2013?" I mean, some of it reads like 50's sexist trash. There was an article about "lady" editors and writers, that was almost entirely about how pretty they were, how nice they were to look at, it mentioned how they looked in bathing suits. Did it mention anything they had written/edited or the contributions they'd made to the science fiction genre, a genre in which women have been historically overlooked and tend to publish with just initials so that no one knows they're women? Nope. Turns out, women who have made major contributions to SF are STILL having a hard time getting credit for it. In 2013. Like I said, there's been a lot of outcry (by both men and women) trying to get this fixed, so I'm sure improvement is in the works - but at least it's made me less focused on joining SFWA as soon as possible, because as of right now it seems to be run by people I don't care to join.
So, I'm seeking out some more of those smallish markets to submit to. "The Gods of Mecrie" is coming out in the July issue of Bards & Sages, which is exciting, and hopefully that will get a little attention. To be honest, I have come to the conclusion that my first publication was in a magazine that no other writers actually read, other than the ones who are published in it. (This may sound terrible but I don't have a hard time thinking that my story was one of the best ones in there. By far, in some cases.) The other publication was in a book, and since it was titled "Bronies," I think a lot of people that might have liked it passed over it, so there's not much going on there. So now I'm getting a better feel as to which smaller markets are "worth their salt," I guess, and Bards & Sages is a good one that maybe some other writers will read and I'll get some actual comments about it. So that is exciting! And, of course, I've got three out right now, so that is also full of potential! Of course, all three have been previously rejected by other markets, so.....yes. *cough*