|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Hello all!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Welcome to our Friday After
Hours Forum.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Vanilla, you're doing fine
here. I found all your questions on my screen when I logged in.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I wanted to talk about clips,
resumes, writing samples and all that because
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
they can seem very daunting to
the novice writer.
|
|
odilyn
|
What should you send to an
editor if you are unpublished?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That's actually a VERY good
question, odilyn. I have a lot of editor friends and they say, unanimously,
that the most
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
common reason that a piece is
rejected -- fiction AND nonfiction -- is that it does not suit the magazine
at all.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
It is very hard to really know
what an editor is looking for by reading the market list guidelines.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
For example, Asimovs and
Analog both publish SF, but they publish very different types of SF.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Fine Gardening magazine is
looking for very specific types of gardening articles. If you're query is
way outside their slant, the editor won't even respond to it.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
So the most important thing
you as a novice writer can do is to find out what that magazine publishes.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Then send the editor a GOOD
piece of writing that suits the magazine.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If you do that, you're halfway
to being published.
|
|
hauckston
|
Should they ask for a clip, how
do you send what you don't have?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Ah, that is SO irritating
isn't it? It seems like such a catch-22 -- we won't publish you unless
you're published...but how do you get published in the first place?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Mostly clip requests come from
NF editors.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Unlike the fiction market, the
NF editor is buying your idea for an article. That editor is going to
assume that you can write that article well.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
But if that editor has never
worked with you before, he or she wants some insurance that you really CAN
write that article well. Thus you get asked for proof that you can write
publishable material.
|
|
acook
|
Do work related newsletters
count?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
They're certainly better than
nothing, acook.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If you work for a big company,
say IBM or Microsoft, the editor will assume they hired a competent editor.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
So, if you are totally
unpublished what can you do?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
This is where you send a
writing sample. In my opinion, you are best off at this point to simply
send the editor the proposed article in full.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
The worst you can get is a
rejection.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If the editor really likes
your idea, he/she is going to read the piece. And if it's good, it might
just get bought.
|
|
frightwrite07
|
Would a well-written concise
letter to the editor count count as a clip?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Probably not, fright. That
does demonstrate good prose skills, but that doesn't mean you can write a
tight, well structured article.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If the editor rejects your
'writing sample', and tells you they want only clips, well, work on selling
to other magazine and come back to this one when you have clips to offer.
|
|
amyb
|
Should you send clips only from
similar type magazines?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If you have lots of clips you
sure don't want to send a typed list five pages long! Remember, the editor
only wants proof that you can write a decent article.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Yes, offer the clips that are
most like this article, but more importantly, mention any clips from large
circulation magazines.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If you sold a piece to Better
Homes and Gardens, or Newsweek, by all means say so!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Even if that piece is quite
different than the one you're offering.
|
|
destiny8
|
Good Old Days bought my article.
Today, while preparing to publish, says "look for'd to seeing more
submissions frm me" Shall I send ASAP more articles?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Of course! A nonfiction editor
has to fill numerous issues every year. They WANT regular contributions
from you. And this is why freelance nonfiction makes a good rent-paying
career --
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
once you have 'proved
yourself' to an editor, you will start receiving assignments. The editor
will call you to offer work.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That's not so likely with Good
Old Days, which uses mostly personal narratives, as I recall, but it's
usual business with informative magazines
|
|
cherokeeoutlaw72
|
Is it a good idea to have
someone proofread your clip or article for typos, spelling errors, and
grammatical errors before you submit it?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You bet, Cherokee! Would YOU
go to a job interview with gravy stains on your shirt and dirty jeans?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
A lot of typos tell the editor
you're sloppy or that you're simply not a very good writer. Guess what? You
have LOTS of competition out there who ARE careful.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Always proof read. And don't
trust your spell checker.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
The little girl pitted the
cute god on its fiery head instead of The little girl petting the cute dog
on his furry head....is not going to trip your spell checker!
|
|
vanilla
|
new here --what is a clip
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Oops, sorry, vanilla. Always
ask if you don't understand the language I use!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
A clip is a copy of a
published piece.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
They are called clips because
in the days before cheap Xerox, you clipped the piece out of the magazine
and sent it in.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
It is always better to send a
copy of the published piece rather than manuscript copy.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Remember, the editor is
looking for proof that you are published and he isn't going to take the
time to go look up the issue you cite and comb through it to make sure you
really did publish in it.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
He wants to see the actual
xeroxed page. Or include the live link if the piece is up on the internet,
say in Wired Magazine or National Geographic Online.
|
|
acook
|
do you actually send a copy of
the clip or just cite the magazine?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
For nonfiction send the clip. The
editor will look it over to see how you write. For fiction, you just
mention where you were published and when. That's much easier to verify.
|
|
info
|
if you written a piece under a
different name, do you tell the editor that?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Of course. If you tell the
editor you were in the June issue of Redbook and your name is not listed as
a contributor....oops!
|
|
hauckston
|
I read an article from an editor
that stated she wanted to know the writing groups the writer belonged to on
the resume. I belong to 6. Wouldn't that seem like overkill to her and that
I would be too busy to write?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I think so, hauckston.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Resumes are strange things.
Very few major editors ask for them.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You really have to guess what
the editor is looking for.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Often the editor wants to know
what areas of expertise you have. If you're querying a health magazine for
example,
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
the editor wants to know if
you're a medical professional of some sort.
|
|
gail
|
I only received one copy of the
articles I had published in a local newspaper. Can I photocpy the article
(including the date and publication's name) and send that as a clip?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Of course. Never send an
original clip. You probably won't get it back and magazines cost a lot more
than xerox copies!
|
|
joann
|
What if the published piece is
in an internet magazine ?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Hopefully it's archived and
you can send the editor the URL or a live link if you're emailing.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You should send the entire
article unless it is very long, but that's rare in the nonfiction world.
|
|
rae
|
IF you publish an article in a
newspaper or magazine, can you retain the copyrights to your story? or do
you have to give them up?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Rae, you really do need to
understand rights if you're going to sell your work. You'll find an article
on rights on the LR website: in Writing Craft: ePublishing and Websites.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You should not sell all rights
if you can avoid it. Sometimes you can't, in nonfiction.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
But mostly, the magazine is
paying for first rights.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
After the piece has been
published, the copyright is still yours.
|
|
vanilla
|
what is a query new here
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
A query is what most
nonfiction editors want. Essentially you write to the editor and say 'I
have a great idea for an article for your magazine'.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
The editor either says, 'yes,
write it for me' or 'no thanks, don't need it'.
|
|
cherokeeoutlaw72
|
Is it a good idea for someone
with little writing experience to try and do freelance writing?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Sure, cherokee. How else do
you GET experience? But learn how to write a good, tight article and a
strong query letter before you start sending things out.
|
|
k c morlock
|
if you are submitting through
email do you scan the clip and attach it as a file and if so, is it going
to be a tif file?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Good question, KC. Yes, you'll
have to scan a magazine page if you're going to use it as an email clip. I
would convert it to a .jpg file though. That's not hard to do and just
about all computers handle them.
|
|
hauckston
|
Mary, if you don't have a clip,
couldn't you just mention it to the editor/magazine but still send a copy
of something you've written? Or is that denoted as a waste of the editor's
time?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Hauckston, in that case, why
not send them the complete article? The editor can decide right there
whether he/she wants it or not.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That's a writing sample. It's
also the article you're offering.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Do realize that the larger the
magazine, the less patience that editor is going to have with new-writer
mistakes.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
They are paying top
professional dollar, they work with pros, and they are not particularly
interested in educating someone. Their job is pretty demanding.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
A smaller magazine whose
editor has a hard time filling those issues is more likely to give you
advise, or accept a proposal from you even if your query letter isn't
great.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That's not an excuse to do a
poor letter or a sloppy article, but it is a reality that you are more
likely to break in with a smaller circulation magazine than a top pro
market.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
And they don't pay well, but
you figure the clips are worth money as is the experience.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
And you work your way up to
the top-dollar magazines.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Remember that top market
magazines are paying 1.50 per word and UP.
|
|
joann
|
Is it an advantage to have an
agent?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Only the book market, Joann.
Agents don't handle magazine work. Why give away 15% of your income for
something you can do yourself ?
|
|
hauckston
|
The newest thing I've seen when
sending out queries or answering calls to submit, are the editors send you
a generic email saying that if you aren't successful, they won't contact
you, due to time constraints. (actually just a comment!)
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Actually, this has been the
case for awhile, on the snail mail editors don't warn you. They just don't
answer.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
What this actually means is
that if the editor thinks you have potential but they didn't need this
particuliar article, they'll send you a rejection and say 'try something
else'.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
This is what I get if I query
about a NF piece and get a no-thanks.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If you are way off the mark in
terms of what the editor wants, if your letter is sloppy or unprofessional,
you get nothing.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
The editor doesn’t want
you to bother him again.
|
|
hauckston
|
Also, a lot of editors in the
book market only accept email queries.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Sure. Saves a lot of postage.
:-)
|
|
charie'
|
Is there a different response
time for queries and articles that might be accepted?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
In my experience, Charie, it
will take more time to get either an acceptance or a 'thanks no, but send
us more' rejection than it will take to get a 'quick bounce'.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
The 'quick bounce' is the one
look 'this is not for us' decision.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Often, the slow response is
good. Not always. Some editors just get behinds. But often it means that
editor was seriously thinking about it.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
The main thing to keep in mind
is...be professional.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
What does the editor want? A
good article for the magazine.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Offer it exactly like that.
Here's a great article for your magazine. Want it?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Leave out the 'I am a new
writer, this is my first attempt, etc.' The editor does NOT want to hear
it.
|
|
ginas
|
for an average NF article...how
long should it be?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Gina that depends on the
magazine...always read the guidelines and follow them.
|
|
ginas
|
I publish for a site on line.
Can I use that url for a clip?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Sure. Include the URL or a
live link in an email so that the editor can go look.
|
|
joann
|
Is it better to send the article
with the querry?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Don't do that if they say
'query first'....UNLESS you have no clips yet and you tell the editor that
this is a writing sample.
|
|
frightwrite07
|
If you query for NF but only
have clips for F, do you send them?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Sure. It means you write at a
professional level. I write fiction mostly, but I publish with well known
publishers. So I cite those publications when I query about a NF piece and
get treated as a pro,.
|
|
charie'
|
Do magazines post an expected
response time, so you can send the article/query elsewhere?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Well, yes, they do, but
remember, response times are affected by things like the editor's sick kid,
Christmas holidays, a vacation....they're not always accurate, . I'd give
'em fifty percent more than they say on their guidelines before I wrote 'em
off.
|
|
amyb
|
Does it matter if your clips are
all very different types?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Yes and no. Good clips are
good clips. If you write in a particular area, say you write science
articles, the editor of a science mag is more likely to hire you because
clearly you've had a lot of
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
experience writing science
articles.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
But if you have two or three
clips from large circulation articles in very different areas...one
gardening piece, one human interest story, and so on...that's fine.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Means you can write a good
piece, at least.
|
|
hauckston
|
Mary, I notice that some places
which seem easier to get published in are less than reputable? Wouldn't
that count against you with a more professional magazine?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Well, most people work they
way up from the bottom. You start with clips from small circulation or
small ezines and when you sell to something bigger, you use those clips to
sell to something even bigger... and so on.
|
|
vanilla
|
You can't send queries to diff
mags at the same time?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Not for the same exact piece,
vanilla. If an editor says yes, he/she has already reserved space for that
piece in an issue.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
If you have to tell one of two
editors that someone else bought the piece, the editor who has to change
the page layout will HATE you and won't buy from you again.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
But...
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You can get five different
articles from any given topic.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You can propose five articles
with different slants. That's fine.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Do that at the same time.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
One of my students sold a
total of 7 articles on a single topic.
|
|
vanilla
|
Mary, sorry my questions are so
juvenile!!!!!!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Gosh, vanilla. They're not!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Lots of new people come in
here. If you don't ask about what you don't know, how do you learn?
|
|
odilyn
|
Can you send the same ms to diff
mags at the same time?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Not unless they specifically
accept 'simultaneous submissions'. If they don't, then no.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Well, this has been a nice,
fast-paced forum.!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You'll find articles on query
letters and lots of other topics on the LR website.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Go to Writing Craft and click
on 'Nonfiction.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I'll post the transcripts of
this forum in the usual place: Writing Craft: Forum Transcripts.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Do join me on Sunday evening
for our casual chat.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
It's a lot of fun. We just
talk about whatever.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Great way to spend a cold
winter evening. Same time as this forum. See you there!
|
