tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post7778064582437953294..comments2024-03-28T10:16:38.716-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Pull on Your Galoshes, We’re Headed into the Slush PileLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-24430436003526014562019-12-13T09:02:53.442-05:002019-12-13T09:02:53.442-05:00Always good to get your perspective, Michael.
The...Always good to get your perspective, Michael.<br /><br />The rising cost of software is one reason I switched from Windows to Linux more than ten years ago. Linux is free and maintained for free by volunteer programmers. It's designed from the ground up to run better on computers than Windows, meaning it can run on older or lower-end computers than Windows can. Changing from Windows to Linux is an adjustment, but the free word processing and image editing programs can open and save in widely-used formats such as MS Word .doc, .rtf, .jpg, and .pdf.<br /><br />Making the switch isn't for everyone, but I'm glad I did.Gerald Sohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03571407711439433431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-16251608079320469462019-12-11T21:51:54.637-05:002019-12-11T21:51:54.637-05:00Thanks for your comments, everyone.
And, Elizabet...Thanks for your comments, everyone.<br /><br />And, Elizabeth, I'm with you about writers who don't know how to use Track Edits...and even worse are the ones who say they do and then demonstrate that they don't.<br /><br />Unfortunately, software is moving to a subscription/lease basis rather than outright purchase. Microsoft Office is just the latest one I have to deal with. The Adobe suite of tools—many of them necessary for the creation of printed products—moved to a subscription/lease basis a few years ago. The good news: the per-year lease for the entire package is substantially less than what it once cost to purchase them all outright. The bad news: Srop paying and your software stops working. Gah!Michael Brackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01072019804281421944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-76733649138220027892019-12-11T14:37:53.024-05:002019-12-11T14:37:53.024-05:00Liz, Well, basically we do rent MS Office, because...Liz, Well, basically we do rent MS Office, because we have to pay a yearly fee or not get any upgrades, which in turn means that if editors demand certain things that our old version might not have, we'd be screwed. So... yearly fee of almost $100.00.Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-8439139732880403332019-12-11T13:44:49.578-05:002019-12-11T13:44:49.578-05:00Has anyone else heard a rumor that MS is making or...Has anyone else heard a rumor that MS is making or planning to make users RENT Word and other Office applications installed on new computers? I shudder to think what might happen if there are disincentives for us all to use the same program. Also, my beef as an editor of anthologies has been more with authors who don't know how to use Track Changes than with those who can't format Word, still double space between sentences, and insist on using fonts other than Times New Roman.Elizabeth Zelvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13944424094949207841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-76197064040538188482019-12-10T22:45:45.056-05:002019-12-10T22:45:45.056-05:00When editing for a client, Michael, the first thin...When editing for a client, Michael, the first thing I do is format the manuscript into something readable. I can't imagine the extra work it takes to manually press the Return key at the margin of a page.<br /><br />Congratulations!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-74000497148955881152019-12-10T17:03:15.368-05:002019-12-10T17:03:15.368-05:00I hope this advice is taken
I did a little slush ...I hope this advice is taken<br /><br />I did a little slush pile reading back in the 1990s before internet submissions. I remember one woman writer who submitted her short stories printed on heavy-weight pink 50% silk paper and used a hard-to-read cursive font. One man sent his on gray 100% cotton paper. He explained he had to put everything in bold for it to be clear on his nice paper. One 15-year old sumitted an pretty good story on loose-leaf paper. He had excellent penmanship. Although his story was rejected it went with cudos from the editor and lots of encouragement.O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-78295379367731251622019-12-10T14:18:35.815-05:002019-12-10T14:18:35.815-05:00God bless you as you wade through the slush pile. ...God bless you as you wade through the slush pile. Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-69489098366182249142019-12-10T09:14:38.059-05:002019-12-10T09:14:38.059-05:00Wow, I'm shocked. As you know, Michael, I'...Wow, I'm shocked. As you know, Michael, I've also edited a number of anthologies, but I've never — except for once upon a time, way back in the '80s, with one particular author I won't name here — seen the sort of sloppy presentation you describe. I guess maybe that's because the things I've edited have either been reprint collections or by-invitation-only, so I'm getting work that's already passed through the hands of a previous editor or was at least prepared by an author with enough of a track record to know <i>how</i> to prepare a professional ms. Now at long last I understand why it's called a "slush" pile. Bless you for your patience!joshpachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12123432071405643210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-42728089816811507002019-12-10T08:44:18.036-05:002019-12-10T08:44:18.036-05:00Great advice, Michael. I'm happy to say that I...Great advice, Michael. I'm happy to say that I've learned (I won't say "mastered") most of the skills you mention. <br /><br />Now, if I could just figure out how to plot...<br /><br />Best of luck in the slush pile, too.Steve Liskowhttp://www.steveliskow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-26696200249614091422019-12-10T07:39:35.259-05:002019-12-10T07:39:35.259-05:00Best of luck with your new role wrangling the slus...Best of luck with your new role wrangling the slush pile!janice lawnoreply@blogger.com