7 ms·

I like the idea, but it's a bit disheartening to submit stories to an unknown organization whose website includes zero details about who the publisher will be o

by eamann 11y ago

I like the idea, but it's a bit disheartening to submit stories to an unknown organization whose website includes zero details about who the publisher will be or how the stories will be published. I get that it's a "self-funded hobby," but it could just as well be a scam by a nameless, faceless group of con men. Considering the domain is registered anonymously through Amazon, there is absolutely no information available for prospective writers to vet the "we" referenced on the only 2 pages of the site. I'd love to be wrong, but I've been burned enough in the past that, for this site, I'll be an observer only.

nkrisc 11y ago
Even if there is no malicious intent, well-meaning hobbies have ended in heartbreak before. I hope this is legitimate and succeeds but the skeptical side of myself is always there.
mojoe 11y ago
I'm disheartened that my site seems scary to you -- the "we" referenced is myself and some friends who have signed up as slush readers. I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know what information I could publish that would give you confidence in the site. It sounds like I should put up an 'about' page with some information about myself and my readers. For now, here's my linkedin page, to put a face to the facelessness: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joestech https://www.linkedin.com/in/joestech
- embwbam 11y ago
  Writers are paranoid. I played around with a self-publishing site last year (http://webfiction.co http://webfiction.co) and was surprised more than once by how worried writers were about getting ripped off, losing control of their work, etc. I think there are so many shady characters in the space that everyone has been burned. Basically everyone wants someone else to take a chance on you to provide social proof. Consider tracking down a well-regarded writer and commissioning something?
  - mojoe 11y ago
    Getting some social proof is a great idea. I have some author friends in real life, so maybe having endorsements from them on social media will help instill confidence. I think the first few months will be the hardest, but eventually we'll have a track record.
    - bozdar 11y ago
      No, don't do that. Writers do not need social media endorsements for publishers. Show yourself and if you are new in the field then what's your roadmap? Have you raised any funds? If yes, how and if no then how you'll pay. Your website has only two pags mentioning nothing about you at all. If your website is hosted on a shared-hosting then it'll be taken down by your "human and bot" visitors collectively after publishing your first issue. Precisely, tell writers your raodmap so a trust bond can be created between you (as a publisher) and writer. Do you agree?
      - mojoe 11y ago
        You're right, I need more roadmap details on the site. I will add detail this evening.
        waterlesscloud 11y ago
        All you really need to do is publish good work and pay 6 cents a word for it as promised. Writers will beat your door down if you do that much.
        striking 11y ago
        Chicken and egg. The majority of good writers are paranoid and would rather publish with established platforms. Providing proof that this is legitimate is pretty necessary.
        gargravarr 11y ago
        Just creating an 'About Us' page with some info on who you guys are would help. Currently the site is pretty much a faceless oblivion. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept, and would be interested in writing for you to get my name out there, but as others note, losing control of our work is a huge fear - if we as writers willingly submit our work into a black hole, that's it.
- eamann 11y ago
  It's a matter of us not knowing who "we" are. We don't know who you are. We don't know who else is involved. Aside from your comment that this is a personal hobby, we have no idea what your intentions are with the site. Nor do we know your experience or qualifications. I'm not the only writer with an experience being ripped off by a prospective publisher. Again, while I'm sure and hoping everything here is on the up and up, there are zero details on the site itself to help assuage any concerns. Linking to your LinkedIn profile here of all places only helps those who discover the site via Hacker News ... that will be a tiny sliver of your traffic.
  - mojoe 11y ago
    Thank you for your advice, you're absolutely right. I will add some more personal information to the site this evening.
- lmm 11y ago
  A start would be your name, the legal entity's name, an address - that way at least you're putting your personal reputation on the line. Glad that you're trying something - will try to submit if I have time to write and am happy enough with the result.
- astrodust 11y ago
  You want to be a publisher? That sounds great, writers need opportunities and someone willing to put in the effort to make that happen is something to be encouraged. Yet that's a terribly sad page. No theming, no brand, no idea at all about who's running this thing. Spend fifty bucks and get yourself a logo at least. Show that you care about your identity.
- motdiem 11y ago
  I agree a bit more information about yourself and your plans would be interesting. It doesn't have to be much, you can look at what other publishers are doing in this space. For example Mothership Zeta [0] which is positionning a bit differently, has short FAQ and submission guidelines. It's not much more content than on your page, but they hit on all the important points for writers. [0] http://mothershipzeta.org/ http://mothershipzeta.org/
- c0riander 11y ago
  As a writer familiar with SF&F short fiction markets, I agree that more information is needed. Including more biographical information on the website about yourself and any editors making acquisition decisions would help. You don't need to have industry cred already (though that helps), but writers like to know that (a) you're not a publisher/editor known not to pay, has a bad rep, etc. and (b) that you're a real person. It's also very helpful to know how long the magazine is funded for when it's not yet established -- so you have confidence that if you submit and are selected, it won't go under before you get paid. Also, you should include what the publication format is, what specific rights you'd be buying, whether they're exclusive, etc. You say "first English publication rights" -- I'm assuming you mean exclusive First English Language serial rights? Print or digital? Or would it be nonexclusive? Are audio rights exclusive or nonexclusive? If you have a template contract you plan to use, you could link to it. You have an expected response time, which is great; consider also including time to payment/publication. If you have formatting guidelines/preferences (i.e. standard manuscript format like Vonda McIntyre's), include those. You can take a look at the guidelines/sites of established short fiction magazines to see what best practices are -- i.e. Asimov's, Clarkesworld, Analog, Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Daily Science Fiction, etc. Hope that helps! Always exciting to see more short fiction markets!
  - mojoe 11y ago
    Thank you, this is very helpful. I will be adding much more information to the submissions page based on the great advice I've received on this thread!
    - SolaceQuantum 11y ago
      I am in fact interested in publishing with you since you pay pro rate, but I'm interested in who you are and what experience you have in editing. What kind of narratives are you looking for? How do you plan to market your work? Do you have a turnaround time I should contact you in case my manuscript doesn't go through?
      - mojoe 11y ago
- Animats 11y ago
  So you're not a publisher, you're a broker? You buy stories and resell them to other outlets?
  - mojoe 11y ago
    I will be publishing electronically both on compellingsciencefiction.com and through ereader markets like Kindle. I just opened the submissions page yesterday though, so we don't have any published material yet. I have no plans for physical (paper) publishing. I'll be adding more detail to the site this evening based on feedback I received here.
- mabbo 11y ago
  Give them some way to prove that they sent you their work, and that it remains their property. I've contemplated sharing some writing before, but I trust Kindle Direct Publishing far more than I trust nameless website with an email address and some nice sounding promises, even if I might make less money. Big publishers who might reject me still have a reputation to uphold, and won't turn around and take me stories, pay me nothing, then start publishing them with their own name on it.
- carapace 11y ago
  FYI, any website I visit that doesn't tell me the name of a responsible human being on the landing page or at most within one clearly-labelled click is automatically assigned to the B.S. bin. For example, luna-lang.org came up on HN the other day. Looks amazing. But the only sign of WHO is a line at the bottom that says, "Copyright © New Byte Order 2016" and it's not even a link! Searching quickly takes you to http://www.newbyteorder.com/ http://www.newbyteorder.com/ which also tells you nothing about WHO is involved. Lame. The most important part of any message is the name of the messenger.
- TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
  You should definitely put up an About page. With a photo. And personal contact details. And some idea of the kinds of fiction you like. There are plenty of publishing sites, but they all have an angle. There's no point submitting certain kinds of stories to certain sites because they don't fit their niche. (E.g. Strange Horizons doesn't do space opera.) It would be useful if you worked out what your angle is, so authors understand it. Just having an angle would make you seem more like someone with a genuine interest in fiction. Don't link to LinkedIn. Most authors won't be interested. Include payment terms ("on acceptance", "on publication", "30 days after publication", etc.) Make a few purchases and get yourself on the SFWA approved market list: http://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/sfwa-membership-requirements/ http://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/sfwa-membership-requiremen... When you have all of that, consider soliciting material on writer forums. You'll get so much keeping up will be a full time job, and at least 90% of it will be - not so great. Welcome to publishing...
Ninjalicious 11y ago
I write throwaway stories for my own entertainment. I edited one and tossed it down the rabbit hole, about 1500 words. Assuming they are legit I made $80 on less than an hour total of work if they accept my submission, I retain my rights to my work, and voila. They could steal my shitty work but I guess I would consider that a win as well.

by eamann 11y ago

nkrisc 11y ago

Even if there is no malicious intent, well-meaning hobbies have ended in heartbreak before. I hope this is legitimate and succeeds but the skeptical side of myself is always there.

mojoe 11y ago

I'm disheartened that my site seems scary to you -- the "we" referenced is myself and some friends who have signed up as slush readers. I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know what information I could publish that would give you confidence in the site. It sounds like I should put up an 'about' page with some information about myself and my readers. For now, here's my linkedin page, to put a face to the facelessness: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joestech https://www.linkedin.com/in/joestech

embwbam 11y ago
Writers are paranoid. I played around with a self-publishing site last year (http://webfiction.co http://webfiction.co) and was surprised more than once by how worried writers were about getting ripped off, losing control of their work, etc. I think there are so many shady characters in the space that everyone has been burned. Basically everyone wants someone else to take a chance on you to provide social proof. Consider tracking down a well-regarded writer and commissioning something?
- mojoe 11y ago
  Getting some social proof is a great idea. I have some author friends in real life, so maybe having endorsements from them on social media will help instill confidence. I think the first few months will be the hardest, but eventually we'll have a track record.
  - bozdar 11y ago
    No, don't do that. Writers do not need social media endorsements for publishers. Show yourself and if you are new in the field then what's your roadmap? Have you raised any funds? If yes, how and if no then how you'll pay. Your website has only two pags mentioning nothing about you at all. If your website is hosted on a shared-hosting then it'll be taken down by your "human and bot" visitors collectively after publishing your first issue. Precisely, tell writers your raodmap so a trust bond can be created between you (as a publisher) and writer. Do you agree?
    - mojoe 11y ago
      You're right, I need more roadmap details on the site. I will add detail this evening.
      - waterlesscloud 11y ago
        All you really need to do is publish good work and pay 6 cents a word for it as promised. Writers will beat your door down if you do that much.
        striking 11y ago
        Chicken and egg. The majority of good writers are paranoid and would rather publish with established platforms. Providing proof that this is legitimate is pretty necessary.
      - gargravarr 11y ago
        Just creating an 'About Us' page with some info on who you guys are would help. Currently the site is pretty much a faceless oblivion. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept, and would be interested in writing for you to get my name out there, but as others note, losing control of our work is a huge fear - if we as writers willingly submit our work into a black hole, that's it.
eamann 11y ago
It's a matter of us not knowing who "we" are. We don't know who you are. We don't know who else is involved. Aside from your comment that this is a personal hobby, we have no idea what your intentions are with the site. Nor do we know your experience or qualifications. I'm not the only writer with an experience being ripped off by a prospective publisher. Again, while I'm sure and hoping everything here is on the up and up, there are zero details on the site itself to help assuage any concerns. Linking to your LinkedIn profile here of all places only helps those who discover the site via Hacker News ... that will be a tiny sliver of your traffic.
- mojoe 11y ago
  Thank you for your advice, you're absolutely right. I will add some more personal information to the site this evening.
lmm 11y ago
A start would be your name, the legal entity's name, an address - that way at least you're putting your personal reputation on the line. Glad that you're trying something - will try to submit if I have time to write and am happy enough with the result.
astrodust 11y ago
You want to be a publisher? That sounds great, writers need opportunities and someone willing to put in the effort to make that happen is something to be encouraged. Yet that's a terribly sad page. No theming, no brand, no idea at all about who's running this thing. Spend fifty bucks and get yourself a logo at least. Show that you care about your identity.
motdiem 11y ago
I agree a bit more information about yourself and your plans would be interesting. It doesn't have to be much, you can look at what other publishers are doing in this space. For example Mothership Zeta [0] which is positionning a bit differently, has short FAQ and submission guidelines. It's not much more content than on your page, but they hit on all the important points for writers. [0] http://mothershipzeta.org/ http://mothershipzeta.org/
c0riander 11y ago
As a writer familiar with SF&F short fiction markets, I agree that more information is needed. Including more biographical information on the website about yourself and any editors making acquisition decisions would help. You don't need to have industry cred already (though that helps), but writers like to know that (a) you're not a publisher/editor known not to pay, has a bad rep, etc. and (b) that you're a real person. It's also very helpful to know how long the magazine is funded for when it's not yet established -- so you have confidence that if you submit and are selected, it won't go under before you get paid. Also, you should include what the publication format is, what specific rights you'd be buying, whether they're exclusive, etc. You say "first English publication rights" -- I'm assuming you mean exclusive First English Language serial rights? Print or digital? Or would it be nonexclusive? Are audio rights exclusive or nonexclusive? If you have a template contract you plan to use, you could link to it. You have an expected response time, which is great; consider also including time to payment/publication. If you have formatting guidelines/preferences (i.e. standard manuscript format like Vonda McIntyre's), include those. You can take a look at the guidelines/sites of established short fiction magazines to see what best practices are -- i.e. Asimov's, Clarkesworld, Analog, Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Daily Science Fiction, etc. Hope that helps! Always exciting to see more short fiction markets!
- mojoe 11y ago
  Thank you, this is very helpful. I will be adding much more information to the submissions page based on the great advice I've received on this thread!
  - SolaceQuantum 11y ago
    I am in fact interested in publishing with you since you pay pro rate, but I'm interested in who you are and what experience you have in editing. What kind of narratives are you looking for? How do you plan to market your work? Do you have a turnaround time I should contact you in case my manuscript doesn't go through?
    - mojoe 11y ago
Animats 11y ago
So you're not a publisher, you're a broker? You buy stories and resell them to other outlets?
- mojoe 11y ago
  I will be publishing electronically both on compellingsciencefiction.com and through ereader markets like Kindle. I just opened the submissions page yesterday though, so we don't have any published material yet. I have no plans for physical (paper) publishing. I'll be adding more detail to the site this evening based on feedback I received here.
mabbo 11y ago
Give them some way to prove that they sent you their work, and that it remains their property. I've contemplated sharing some writing before, but I trust Kindle Direct Publishing far more than I trust nameless website with an email address and some nice sounding promises, even if I might make less money. Big publishers who might reject me still have a reputation to uphold, and won't turn around and take me stories, pay me nothing, then start publishing them with their own name on it.
carapace 11y ago
FYI, any website I visit that doesn't tell me the name of a responsible human being on the landing page or at most within one clearly-labelled click is automatically assigned to the B.S. bin. For example, luna-lang.org came up on HN the other day. Looks amazing. But the only sign of WHO is a line at the bottom that says, "Copyright © New Byte Order 2016" and it's not even a link! Searching quickly takes you to http://www.newbyteorder.com/ http://www.newbyteorder.com/ which also tells you nothing about WHO is involved. Lame. The most important part of any message is the name of the messenger.
TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
You should definitely put up an About page. With a photo. And personal contact details. And some idea of the kinds of fiction you like. There are plenty of publishing sites, but they all have an angle. There's no point submitting certain kinds of stories to certain sites because they don't fit their niche. (E.g. Strange Horizons doesn't do space opera.) It would be useful if you worked out what your angle is, so authors understand it. Just having an angle would make you seem more like someone with a genuine interest in fiction. Don't link to LinkedIn. Most authors won't be interested. Include payment terms ("on acceptance", "on publication", "30 days after publication", etc.) Make a few purchases and get yourself on the SFWA approved market list: http://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/sfwa-membership-requirements/ http://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/sfwa-membership-requiremen... When you have all of that, consider soliciting material on writer forums. You'll get so much keeping up will be a full time job, and at least 90% of it will be - not so great. Welcome to publishing...

Ninjalicious 11y ago

I write throwaway stories for my own entertainment. I edited one and tossed it down the rabbit hole, about 1500 words. Assuming they are legit I made $80 on less than an hour total of work if they accept my submission, I retain my rights to my work, and voila. They could steal my shitty work but I guess I would consider that a win as well.