web-zines, good or bad for authors?? - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T20:42:03Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:141395?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A142142&xg_raw_resources=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI don't know if this pertains…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-25:537324:Comment:1423922008-05-25T00:48:10.993ZJohn Weaglyhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JohnWeagly
I don't know if this pertains to Dave's original question, but I found this tidbit interesting.<br />
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I just came from a literary festival and on one panel a High School teacher said that he can't get his kids to read short stories in books, but if he e-mails them the stories they read them every time.
I don't know if this pertains to Dave's original question, but I found this tidbit interesting.<br />
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I just came from a literary festival and on one panel a High School teacher said that he can't get his kids to read short stories in books, but if he e-mails them the stories they read them every time. Most people don't buy magazin…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-24:537324:Comment:1423782008-05-24T22:21:28.178ZClair Dicksonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ClairDickson
Most people don't buy magazines of short stories like they used to. More people are online. Unfortunately, not enough of them realize that there are many good webzines that have great stories in them. And, it's the internet-- people don't pay for things on the internet. I'll even admit it myself-- I have a hard time buying access to a site when I can find the "same" elsewhere for free.<br />
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But these zines have provided me with some good exposer as a writer. Good enough that I had an agent email…
Most people don't buy magazines of short stories like they used to. More people are online. Unfortunately, not enough of them realize that there are many good webzines that have great stories in them. And, it's the internet-- people don't pay for things on the internet. I'll even admit it myself-- I have a hard time buying access to a site when I can find the "same" elsewhere for free.<br />
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But these zines have provided me with some good exposer as a writer. Good enough that I had an agent email me, out of the blue, asking for my novel. (After I finished hyperventilating, I had to email back and tell him it wasn't even started. =(<br />
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I doubt I'd ever get into a traditional, conservative pub like EQMM. Maybe my writing's not good enough. Maybe I have too much sex, too much vulgarity. But the stories are eagerly snapped up by online pubs who are after such rude and crude stories.<br />
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I'm not ready to change my writing flavor and subject to meet a publication that I don't even care much to read. (Nothing against it-- it's just vanilla when I'm more a Moose Tracks.) I'm willing to take less pay for the joy of sharing my work with the world.<br />
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I think ezines have their place. It's about exposure. And, as others have said, they are pub credits that show that someone besides Mom and Aunt Thelma think you're a decent writer. The reason why I started my t…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-24:537324:Comment:1423332008-05-24T18:46:36.866ZMysteryDawghttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/mysdawg
The reason why I started my two sites was to allow writers a place to get work published. I think it allows people to experiment with style, themes and just get it all out there.
The reason why I started my two sites was to allow writers a place to get work published. I think it allows people to experiment with style, themes and just get it all out there. As a recovering professional…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-23:537324:Comment:1422542008-05-23T22:49:01.147ZDana Kinghttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DanaKing
As a recovering professional musician, I can vouch for Angie's comment. Sometimes we'd put a gig together just to play what we wanted to play for a change.<br />
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Also, high school plays charge admissions because they have expenses for sets, costumes, choreographers, etc. The performers don't get paid.
As a recovering professional musician, I can vouch for Angie's comment. Sometimes we'd put a gig together just to play what we wanted to play for a change.<br />
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Also, high school plays charge admissions because they have expenses for sets, costumes, choreographers, etc. The performers don't get paid. The newspaper situation is a…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-23:537324:Comment:1421972008-05-23T18:10:49.047ZAngiehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/slackerwriter
The newspaper situation is a bit different. Their biggest problems are *drumroll* television and the internet. Print publications cannot keep up with the immediacy of the internet and 'breaking news' on television. So...their readership goes down and the advertisers flee to other venues. What suffers is fact checking and in-depth reporting. But, truthfully, I think the decline of the newspaper industry has less to do with the pay issue than with shifts in how people get their info.
The newspaper situation is a bit different. Their biggest problems are *drumroll* television and the internet. Print publications cannot keep up with the immediacy of the internet and 'breaking news' on television. So...their readership goes down and the advertisers flee to other venues. What suffers is fact checking and in-depth reporting. But, truthfully, I think the decline of the newspaper industry has less to do with the pay issue than with shifts in how people get their info. TONS of artists work for no p…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-23:537324:Comment:1421952008-05-23T18:04:53.532ZAngiehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/slackerwriter
TONS of artists work for no pay/low pay. Ask any musician, visual artist, dancer, or performance artist, and they'll tell you that yes, lots of 'em have worked for free, donated their services or products, etc. Why? Because they love what they do, want exposure for a wider audience...pretty much the usual suspects.<br />
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I do think that raising the profile of the genre (or sub-genre) by making low-cost/no-cost venues available is a good thing for the community. And yes, there are a fair number of…
TONS of artists work for no pay/low pay. Ask any musician, visual artist, dancer, or performance artist, and they'll tell you that yes, lots of 'em have worked for free, donated their services or products, etc. Why? Because they love what they do, want exposure for a wider audience...pretty much the usual suspects.<br />
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I do think that raising the profile of the genre (or sub-genre) by making low-cost/no-cost venues available is a good thing for the community. And yes, there are a fair number of antho's that have come out (not just with noir/hard-boiled, though that's my personal preference) as a direct result of e-zines. Let's face it. In the U.S. in particular, we've developed a 'free sample' culture. People like to try stuff out before paying for it. From a strictly marketing point of view (I'm talking about as a whole, not on an individual writer/artist level), it's a good thing.<br />
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So, y'know. Do it or don't. It's up to the individual to decide what's cool with him/her and act accordingly. While I can't compare hits to…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-23:537324:Comment:1421932008-05-23T17:52:36.437ZStephen D. Rogershttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenDRogers
While I can't compare hits to anthology sales, I would suspect that more people pay and read for the anthologies than read online mags for free. That's a guess, based largely on the assumption that the anthos have to be generating enough income for the publishers to continue printing them.<br />
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As to the value of a story, I'm not sure pay is the issue. A story that would be snapped up by Hardluck would never see the light of day at Woman's World, and vice versa. Hardluck would pay $0 for the story…
While I can't compare hits to anthology sales, I would suspect that more people pay and read for the anthologies than read online mags for free. That's a guess, based largely on the assumption that the anthos have to be generating enough income for the publishers to continue printing them.<br />
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As to the value of a story, I'm not sure pay is the issue. A story that would be snapped up by Hardluck would never see the light of day at Woman's World, and vice versa. Hardluck would pay $0 for the story it snapped up, and Woman's World would pay $500 for the story it snapped up. Value, in the end, is judged by the reader that comes upon the story in whatever venue it appears.<br />
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If we're focusing on the reader's perspective, and whether readers accustomed to free online will stop paying for author-paying print, maybe. We've certainly seen newspapers hit hard. But except for flash fiction, people aren't looking for short story soundbites. I think, (and again, just my…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-23:537324:Comment:1421912008-05-23T17:50:32.780ZLoretta Wheelerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/LorettaWheeler
I think, (and again, just my opinion here:) that the noirish trend is just that...a trend. Everything's going retro. We're flipping back in almost everything...You see the old sci-fi movies being redone, the horror movies being redone....or sequels done. So it stands to reason the film noir would be re-visited. With people who are ageing, they're looking back, and the boomer's account for a lot. Even though some of us were very young when we observed these styles, it's still there...and we like…
I think, (and again, just my opinion here:) that the noirish trend is just that...a trend. Everything's going retro. We're flipping back in almost everything...You see the old sci-fi movies being redone, the horror movies being redone....or sequels done. So it stands to reason the film noir would be re-visited. With people who are ageing, they're looking back, and the boomer's account for a lot. Even though some of us were very young when we observed these styles, it's still there...and we like re-visiting.<br />
As far as web-zines, as I mentioned,the topic comes up in writer's groups. A lot of comment has been made about people giving their work away...again, I understand the personal reasons for it...but for the community...I don't know that it's good. Because people do anticipate something for nothing if they can have it. Plus, other than the "personal" benefits, maybe think of it this way...do you see any artist outside of writing just giving their talent away on a regular basis? Artists expect something, even if it's minimal for a piece of work...even high school plays charge to get in...music is the same also....(I know there are some situations that don't follow this to the T, there always are)...overall people in the arts do want/need some form of compensation... My question isn't so much whe…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-23:537324:Comment:1421842008-05-23T17:02:15.214ZDave Zeltsermanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DaveZeltserman
My question isn't so much whether they're bad for an individual writer, because I know there can be benefits for a writer, as has been talked about earlier. What I've been struggling with, and what my question really is, is whether web-zines are bad for the overall community of writers. Would all writers be better off, with print magazines and anthologies paying more for short fiction if web-zines didn't exists? Are web-zines causing a mindset in readers that they shouldn't have to pay for…
My question isn't so much whether they're bad for an individual writer, because I know there can be benefits for a writer, as has been talked about earlier. What I've been struggling with, and what my question really is, is whether web-zines are bad for the overall community of writers. Would all writers be better off, with print magazines and anthologies paying more for short fiction if web-zines didn't exists? Are web-zines causing a mindset in readers that they shouldn't have to pay for short fiction, and in fact devaluing short fiction, or could they be creating more of a demand? I'm beginning to think the latter might be possible when I see all the recent harder boiled, more noirish anthologies on the market. According to Miss Snark, whet…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-23:537324:Comment:1421772008-05-23T16:13:33.739ZPepper Smithhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Reefrunner
According to Miss Snark, whether ebooks count as publishing credits depends on how the e-house acquires them. If your book went through a selection and then editing process before it was published, the way you would expect from a print house, it counts, at least in her eyes. There are still agents who turn their noses up at e-pubbed authors, but not all do.
According to Miss Snark, whether ebooks count as publishing credits depends on how the e-house acquires them. If your book went through a selection and then editing process before it was published, the way you would expect from a print house, it counts, at least in her eyes. There are still agents who turn their noses up at e-pubbed authors, but not all do.