Do You Duotrope?

If you write shorts, factual or fictional, you should seriously consider joining Duotrope. On site, you’ll find up-to-date information, with links, for 4588 publications. The information is extensive and gives a really useful guide to help you decide whether to visit the publication’s website for more details. This is a real time-saver. Magazines, journals, online publications, anthologies and some contests are all listed here. You can search by publication name, subject, genre, word length and many other search topics.

BUT, here’s the real clincher. I bet you have difficulty keeping track of your work once you send it out there into the wild world of publishing. Well, fear not; Duotrope has a very efficient and comprehensive submissions tracker. Use this, and you’ll never again wonder where or when you last sent that story, or whether you’ve already sent it to the publication you’re currently considering. No more egg on face, no more embarrassing responses from fed-up editors telling you they’ve already seen this piece, thank you, and ‘no, they still don’t want it, and, oh, by the way don’t send the effin’ piece again! In fact, don’t send me anything again!’

Now, none of us want that sort of response from an editor, I know I don’t. It’s never happened to me, but I’ve kept my own spreadsheet of submissions for over a hundred years, so it isn’t likely. But I make use of Duotrope’s submission tracker as well, as it’s actually easier and more comprehensive than my own. And, since it’s online, I won’t lose all those details next time my PC takes a nosedive.

No, I’m not on commission for Duotrope. I doubt they’ll even know I’ve done this piece. I just think that when one of us finds something that’s clearly of use to writers, we should share the information, spread the word, encourage the usage. The site, once a free resource, has recently become a subscription service, costing £31.51 ($50)per year or £3.15 ($5)per month.

So, there you have it.

Have a look, and if you feel you can’t spare £31.50 on spec, try it for a month and see whether you feel it’s worth that small annual sum. If you’re a serious writer, you’ll make the subscription back with your first sale anyway, and it’s tax-deductable! 

Related articles

• The Duotrope Dilemma
• No Duotrope? Now What?
• Duotrope To Go "Pay to Play"
• Duotrope's Gonna Want Some Money, Honey! $$$

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Daft

Horse Fair Lane

Daft: adjective - meek, humble, mild; lacking in intelligence, silly, stupid, reckless, wild.

‘I tell you, Donald, that politician is as daft as they come; I mean, expecting us to believe a word he says is as daft as a vicar standing stark naked in the pulpit and expounding on the virtues of modesty.’

Anxious or Eager

Away from the desk and all things computer for the moment. So, I’ll keep things going with scheduled blogs dealing with the language we use as writers. I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t reply to any comments for the time being, but I’m having a very well-earned (I think so, anyway) rest from work for a couple of weeks.  

When to use Anxious or Eager.

anxious: nervous, uneasy, unquiet.  ‘She was anxious about meeting the new boss, as rumour had it that he was going to dismiss anyone in the workforce who failed to come up to his expectations.’

      
      eager: showing keen interest, intense desire, impatient expectancy. ‘As the new boss of this important    company, he was eager to show the workforce how fair he was.’

Author Interviews, Revisited.

I have been running the author interviews on here now for long enough to review the process. So far, more than 20 published writers have shared their ideas, inspirations, methods and thoughts with us. There are another 8 lined up so far, with promises of more in the pipeline. What has come across from those so far posted has been the incredible mix of opinion on topics that beginners might have expected to be uniform. The attitudes to grammar are really varied, as are those regarding editing of finished work. Other aspects, the presentation of the MS, for example, have been very uniform with everyone emphasising the importance of a clean, complete and well-presented package to send to agents/publishers. There is no surprise in this. It is doubtful that a writer would get past stage one of the competitive process if they presented a MS that was less than perfect. Unpublished writers take note.

I have enjoyed this exercise, in spite of the extra work involved for yours truly. Through it I have ‘met’ a large number of good writers who have been willing and eager to share their methods with a wider audience. Without exception, they have been generous of spirit, eager to participate and willing to spread their know-how in order to help others along this rocky path we all tread toward publication. Some; those with minimal technological skill, have needed a little help along the way but others have presented work I can transfer straight to my blog without correction or intervention.

Authors from many different lands have been involved and this makes the whole process even more interesting. The internet, the world wide web, open up opportunities for interaction on an international scale and demonstrate that people are more similar than they are different.

If you’re a published writer reading this (published is anything that has reached the public in any form, by the way) and you’d like to get involved, please contact me. There’s a handy little link at the top of the page. It’s up there under the ‘Home’ tab, just below the Welcome and in a fetching pale purple and invites you to ‘Contact Me’.

To the rest of you, let’s have your comments and, if you’ve found this a useful contribution to your attempts to get your work out there to your adoring public, please follow the blog.

Another interview tomorrow.

Writers Plus Writers Equals Writers

Reading the following article from the weekly newsletter of Funds For Writers Small Markets, by C. Hope Clark, I thought it deserved as wide an audience as possible. So, with her kind permission, I reproduce it here for your consideration. The website, by the way, has been one of Writers’ Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers for the past 10 years.

Writers have an incestuous relationship with other writers.
Ever noticed how writers sell to each other? Read each
other? Study each other?

I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me to
advertise his fiction. FundsforWriters has nothing to
do with fiction. The readers aren't seeking fiction when
they visit the website or open a newsletter. FundsforWriters
is a bad advertising choice for anything other than writing
products.

Writers feel more comfortable amongst other writers.
Writers painfully open their creative souls to criticism
when they publish. So instead of baring themselves to
complete strangers, way too many writers remain protected
in their circle of fellow scribes, knowing their peers
understand what it takes to publish. The fear is less
palpable.

Step back a moment and analyze what type of writer you
are. Identify your market. Usually it's not writers.
You go to websites, forums, chats, and so on to find
writers. Do the same with similar venues, only find
those containing your stereotypical reader.

I have news for you. It's easier to appear as an expert
to nonwriters than to your peers anyway. Be bold. Promote
yourself to the folks who need your information, your
stories, your entertainment and inspiration.

Another newsflash . . . writers aren't wealthy. We
can only sell so much to other writers. Ever been to
a writers conference and seen the endless tables of
books for sale? Writers trying to sell to writers when
they ought to be seeking their true readership.

Step out. Target your reader. Go for them and draw
them in. Camaraderie is one thing; incest is another.
Expand your gene pool. You'll be stronger and more
successful when you do. Other writers aren't going
to make you more famous. They're too busy clamoring
up the ladder themselves.

    Hope Clark

Preditors And Editors Website

Image via Wikipedia

The Preditors and Editors website is a huge resource for writers. They list hundreds of contests, magazines, publishers, agents and many other organisations and topics of interest to writers. They have a slightly odd attitude to contest which charge entry fees and whilst I understand some of their reasons, I can’t agree with the idea of ignoring such highly respected competitions as the Bridport Prize. However, they are true to their policy and advertise contests without entry fees and give details of others they do not recommend for reasons they state on the site. They are equally honest and open about the other markets they display on the site. So, if you’re considering sending a piece of work anywhere at all, and you are unsure of the pedigree of the destination, I’d suggest you visit this site first and get the latest low-down. It might well save you wasted time and money. And, on a positive note, it might introduce you to a lucrative contest you didn’t even know existed.

http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/pubctst.htm

 Word of the Day: genre; in the literary world, this is the sometimes derogatory term used to describe fiction that can be pigeon-holed into a slot bearing a label. It actually means a style, type or kind of novel, story etc.  ‘I have written in the genre of romance, under the sub-genre of romantic thriller, and am currently writing in the adult fantasy genre.’

 

Funds For Writers website, a review.

Image via Wikipedia

C. Hope Clark runs a very useful, generous and informative website in Funds For Writers. Here you will find concise information about grants, prizes and other funds available for writers. She produces 3 newsletters:

Funds for Writers, lists higher paying markets, contests and grants, covering both USA and UK.

FFW Small Markets lists smaller markets, but they always pay.

Writing Kids is a useful tool for younger writers from elementary to college level, and has found favour with teachers and parents.

She does phone consultations with writers – of course there’s a fee for this and you need to know that she’s located in the USA.

She lists a huge number of indexed links to other websites of interest to writers. These are divided into different categories to make it easier to search.

There is also an extensive list of books, both printed and in ebook format, for writers.

The newsletters and site usage is all free, but there is an option to join Total Funds For Writers, which will cost you $15.00 a year and brings other benefits.

I can recommend the site and the newsletters to anyone wanting to make some sort of income from their writing.

http://www.fundsforwriters.com/

Word of the day: Cacophony - discordant sound, as in, ‘The school brass band had not rehearsed enough and their rendition of Abba’s Thank You For the Music was more a cacophony than a tribute. Of course, you can use it in metaphor as well; a cacophony of colour – suggests something garish, don’t you think?

The day after

OK, so I'm old enough to know it's not a good idea to eat or drink too much. But, it's only once a year and I knew I had today booked as leave to recover. So far, I've managed to do some more updates on my website; a venture intended to help readers and writers as well as to bring attention to my writing; have a look - http://www.stuartaken.co.uk - if you're a reader or writer.