tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post5891558579771151072..comments2024-03-18T19:00:03.047-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Marketing 101Leigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-85678276362332117672013-09-01T18:36:57.954-04:002013-09-01T18:36:57.954-04:00Good advice, Michael! You're right--unlike ma...Good advice, Michael! You're right--unlike magazines, anthologies are often a one-time-only opportunity. Thanks for sharing that information.<br /><br />Georgia, I'm glad you found some of this helpful. Best of luck with your future submissions.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-65799083191035020172013-09-01T18:32:08.188-04:002013-09-01T18:32:08.188-04:00Thank you John and thanks to all the commenters fo...Thank you John and thanks to all the commenters for your advice as well as the info about some more places to scope out markets. This is among the many reasons I'm glad I read Sleuth Sayers!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-56717983691078965242013-09-01T18:00:28.480-04:002013-09-01T18:00:28.480-04:00I have found and sold to many open-call anthologie...I have found and sold to many open-call anthologies by using Google and searching for<br /><br />anthology "call for submissions"<br /><br />(Note how I've placed the quotation marks.)<br /><br />Many open-call anthologies have such short windows of opportunity for submission that they never get listed by sites such as ralan.com.<br /><br />Also, I recently started to search on Twitter for<br /><br />"call for submissions"<br /><br />and have found via Twitter a few anthology calls that Google didn't find.<br /><br />Depending on how busy am I, I may do this search as often as twice a week so that I find calls for submission within a few days of their being posted.Michael Brackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01072019804281421944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-83182096498560026662013-09-01T16:30:44.958-04:002013-09-01T16:30:44.958-04:00John, I am filing this with info that Paula Benson...John, I am filing this with info that Paula Benson put on her Writers Who Kill blog last month. With great tips like this, I keep the faith that I will sell another story. Writers are the most generous of Homo sapiens. Probably because we are competing with ourselves more than with others. Thank you for sharing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06132868985560402724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-87906951198465545902013-08-31T23:36:22.959-04:002013-08-31T23:36:22.959-04:00Alan, I wish you the best with your stories--writi...Alan, I wish you the best with your stories--writing AND marketing. Thanks for stopping by.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-70179996903666858682013-08-31T21:59:30.429-04:002013-08-31T21:59:30.429-04:00Thanks for this great information. I've only r...Thanks for this great information. I've only recently started with short fiction and I'm digging it!Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-29482506813590060842013-08-31T20:37:29.597-04:002013-08-31T20:37:29.597-04:00Rob, I hope the release date is closer to next yea...Rob, I hope the release date is closer to next year than to eternity.<br /><br />As for SHMM, your info may be more current than mine. I'll contact the editor (Marvin Kaye) and ask, and will let you know.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-65410391991509334602013-08-31T20:26:52.528-04:002013-08-31T20:26:52.528-04:00John, I will probably need to pay someone to make ...John, I will probably need to pay someone to make the collection look neat and pretty and I first have to put the stories into a nice form and ad intros, so I would guess they will be ready sometime between next year and eternity.<br /><br />Is SHMM accepting stories currently? Their website says otherwise, unless I am misreading it.<br /><br />I would like to second your recommendation of Sandra Seaman's blog My Little Corner. I will have a story out in September in a new market I heard about through her.<br /><br /><br /><br />Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-53613174683892917652013-08-31T19:13:21.168-04:002013-08-31T19:13:21.168-04:00Just got in from being out of town most of the day...Just got in from being out of town most of the day. Thanks to all for the comments.<br /><br />Rob, I look forward to that collection of Shanks stories. When do you think it'll be released?<br /><br />Bobbi, I feel a little guilty when I say this, but I try to target the largest and highest paying publications first. If they don't bite, I rebait the hook and move on down the list. As for Sherlock Holmes Myst. Mag., I'll send you the contact info.<br /><br />Herschel, I think your payment from SHMM must've fallen behind the piano or something--they've paid me for both stories I've published there, so far. (My payments were made at the time of publication.)<br /><br />Stephen, you've beaten my "longest positive response time." I once sold a story to <i>Grit</i> after two years and one to <i>The Strand</i> after almost two years. Like you, I wait a long time before giving up.<br /><br />Thanks, Bonnie. And congrats again on your recent honors.<br /><br />Terrie, you might take awhile to finish your stories, but you're one of those talented folks who sell most of what you write. As I think I mentioned, I get rejected more than I get accepted.<br /><br />Thank you, Jan--always good to hear from you. And yes, had a good signing today. Glad to be back home.<br /><br />John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-28531834792782751762013-08-31T17:52:00.161-04:002013-08-31T17:52:00.161-04:00Hi, John--great article. I do almost exactly what ...Hi, John--great article. I do almost exactly what you do, but because my acceptance rate is smaller than yours, I also go down into the non-paying markets quite a bit to get my name out there. I never do simultaneous subs--too worried about that egg on the face. I keep a running list of markets, putting in new ones as I find them (usually randomly) and deleting them as they go away (too often, it seems, unfortunately). Hope your latest signing went well.Jan Christensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027877440748580764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-19929297705047645072013-08-31T16:28:27.365-04:002013-08-31T16:28:27.365-04:00Hi John,
Thanks for this very informative post. I ...Hi John,<br />Thanks for this very informative post. I tend to write in response specific calls for submission. I am not prolific so I only write 2-3 stories a year. I'd like to especially agree with you on two points. One--always follow the submission guidelines, and Two--listen to the editor's suggestions. She or he knows their venue much better than you do.Terrie Farley Moranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04980849018232866773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-37596484851671794802013-08-31T16:21:33.163-04:002013-08-31T16:21:33.163-04:00Hi, John--
Thanks for another savvy article with ...Hi, John--<br /><br />Thanks for another savvy article with lots of specific, useful advice. I printed a copy and will put it in my slim file of truly helpful advice on writing, along with other articles by John Floyd.B.K. Stevenshttp://www.bkstevensmysteries.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31565733203010528592013-08-31T14:14:33.249-04:002013-08-31T14:14:33.249-04:00Hey John,
Re: sim subs. I don't.
I just sol...Hey John,<br /><br />Re: sim subs. I don't.<br /><br />I just sold a piece after 918 days, and by being patient I sold to a better market (and a better paying market) than than if I'd jumped to accept publication elsewhere.<br /><br />Stephen<br />Stephen D. Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12356287007864614439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-38472709366092549522013-08-31T12:54:02.734-04:002013-08-31T12:54:02.734-04:00As usual a great post. I will have a story in the...As usual a great post. I will have a story in the next Holmes Issue (#10), but to the best of my knowledge I haven't received payment. Do they pay on publication? Or has my sloppy bookkeeping failed me (again)?Herschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-903302619144483252013-08-31T11:51:27.230-04:002013-08-31T11:51:27.230-04:00Great article, John--thanks! I've always been...Great article, John--thanks! I've always been curious about how other authors would "rank" submissions<br />--like, who do you send a story to first? I haven't seen the Sherlock Holmes magazine in a while; I need to look it up. bobbi c.Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-11398318663904011542013-08-31T10:27:49.492-04:002013-08-31T10:27:49.492-04:00Great piece, John.
I do many drafts of my stories...Great piece, John.<br /><br />I do many drafts of my stories and I always do them single spaced to save paper. I was once mortified to realize i had sent a story to an editor single spaced. He bought it anyway, as it happened, but I felt like a complete newbie.<br /><br />I am hoping to put out an ebook of my SHanks stories and one third of them will be unpublished. Feels like a reasonable use of rejected stories, and a reason for AHMM subscribers to buy the book. My only regret is that they won't be eligible for prizes, which I am certain, ahem, they would otherwise win.Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-89210148215299960892013-08-31T10:16:37.371-04:002013-08-31T10:16:37.371-04:00Paula and Liz -- Thanks for your kind words. Liz, ...Paula and Liz -- Thanks for your kind words. Liz, I think you're correct to always try to target anthology and paying print pubs first, and only then move on to e-zines. It's worth remembering that online magazines are much more receptive to reprints that consumer print mags, so it often makes sense not to try the e-zines first and waste those first rights.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-21502046512086799992013-08-31T10:09:33.657-04:002013-08-31T10:09:33.657-04:00Excellent post, John. I agree--can't be said t...Excellent post, John. I agree--can't be said too often--ignore submission guidelines at your peril! And I think the advice to ignore simultaneous submission rules is meant for novelists, not short story writers. The unstated premise of your marketing method is that you're very prolific and always have another story to send out. I don't know any novelists who are writing more than one manuscript a year without a contract already in hand. <br /><br />The last three stories I've written have been inspired by anthology calls for submissions setting a theme. If rejected for the anthology, I then try the paying print markets first and, if necessary, work my way to the reputable e-zines you've mentioned.Elizabeth Zelvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13944424094949207841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-19280757469760673932013-08-31T09:20:43.007-04:002013-08-31T09:20:43.007-04:00Thank you, Jacqueline--good to hear from you. If ...Thank you, Jacqueline--good to hear from you. If anyone finds these pointers helpful, I'm certainly pleased, but again, this is what has so far worked for ME; others may have a process that's just as good or better.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-84080086345486406692013-08-31T09:12:41.522-04:002013-08-31T09:12:41.522-04:00Great post, John. Thanks so much for all the helpf...Great post, John. Thanks so much for all the helpful suggestions.Paula Gail Bensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08843350597811462936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-22959138826645840462013-08-31T09:02:36.437-04:002013-08-31T09:02:36.437-04:00John,
This is such a wonderfully helpful article ...John,<br /><br />This is such a wonderfully helpful article for short story writers. Like you, I write both novels and short stories. I love both genres equally. I've bookmarked your article because I intend to reread it carefully again.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-57796803902941256532013-08-31T08:44:03.644-04:002013-08-31T08:44:03.644-04:00Thanks, Janice. As for the single-spacing, I'...Thanks, Janice. As for the single-spacing, I've found that most guidelines specify doing it that way in a copied/pasted manuscript for emailed submissions. I too think double-spacing would be better.<br /><br />Better still is just attaching your already existing manuscript file--and thank goodness, most zines that I've submitted stories to have allowed that.<br /><br />By the way, I see that you have a story coming up in AHMM's December issue--congratulations! John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-89342544086290898042013-08-31T07:57:16.327-04:002013-08-31T07:57:16.327-04:00As always full of excellent advice.
I was interest...As always full of excellent advice.<br />I was interested that you single space electronic submissions, though. Even with spacing between paragraphs that seems hard to read.Janice Lawnoreply@blogger.com