Posts filed under ‘OBSERVATIONS & OPINIONS’
INFORMATION FROM A DUOTROPE SEARCH
When I obtain the post for a publisher using a Duotrope search, here is the information I look for.
First on my list is when the publisher was created. I tend to put more trust in a publisher which has been around for a while.
Next is the type of work they are interested in. Along with this, the word count is important. For short stories they may be interested in your genre, but your story may be too long to meet their requirements.
Next I look for whether they accept simultaneous submissions. It seems that lately more and more publishers are accepting them. This is beneficial, for in the past you would send a piece to a publisher and have to wait, sometimes close to a year to receive a reply. Or never get a reply at all. Now you can send your work to multiple publishers at the same time. A definite benefit. Also, you can see if a publisher accepts reprints. This gives you the opportunity to get out some previously published work and give it a new life.
In some, but not all information provided by publishers is the percentage of pieces accepted and how long it took the publisher to reply to a submission. This information could be extremely important in making your decision when sending out your work.
Finally, at the end of a publisher’s post you will find a list of other places where work submitted to this publisher has also been submitted and a direct link to the publishers on this list. Sometimes you may stumble upon a publisher not listed in your search but could be a place which might be interested in your work.
This is the benefit of a Duotrope search.
Give it a try!
WRITER’S FORUM
WEBSITES HELPFUL TO WRITERS
This is a series of posts which, I think, will be beneficial to writers.
But first, I would like to include my usual warning about using websites.
Whenever you check a website you are, in my opinion and I talk from experience, being put on a list for sale. So, expect the possibility of being bombarded by ads from companies you, perhaps, have never heard of and have no interest in.
I hope you find the information offered in this post helpful.
Anyone familiar with my blog is aware of the area, Writer’s Forum, which already offers a host of websites important for writers.
Query Tracker
QueryTracker.net
Source of literary agents looking for manuscripts.
Contains lists of agents, publishers and helpful resources.
This website is also important when sending queries to some literary agencies.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE GETTING OLD WHEN:
You remember when preparing a piece for publication required carbon paper and white-out.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE GETTING OLD WHEN:
You remember, as a writer, submitting a piece for publication would need that you include S A S E.
HOW TO USE DUOTROPE TO FIND PUBLISHERS
INITIATING A SEARCH ON DUOTROPE
To begin your search for a publisher on Duotrope you first fill out a questionnaire. The information you are asked to provide is things such as genre, wordcount, payment type and submission and publication type to name a few.
You then conduct a search which generates a list of publishers fitting the information you have provided and are presented with a list of publishers appropriate for the piece you want to publish.
When you select a publisher on the list a Duotrope listing will appear for that publisher. Also provided is a link to the publisher’s website. The result of your search provides you with the ability to easily and rapidly survey many publishers.
Next, I will cover the information I look in a publisher listed.
USING DUOTROPE TO FIND PUBLISHERS
My experience with Duotrope
I have been using Duotrope to find
publishers for quite some time now. The cost is $50 a year and is well worth
it.
They currently list 7581 publishers
for fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual arts. The website also lists
literary agents which is something I will discuss in a future post.
What I would like to cover now is
how you go about starting a search and what are the factors I look for in the
information resulting from that search.
But first, when considering a
publisher, I feel, you need to be realistic in what you feel is the level of
your talent is when seeking a publisher. As in everything in life, there are
multiple levels of competence. And as you continue publishing your work to
expand your resume, you improve your skills with hard work and experience. This
will increase your level of competence as a writer and expand the number and
quality of publishers you will approach.
I use the website almost
exclusively for finding publishers of fiction. The type of fiction various
publishers are looking for includes flash fiction, short stories, novellas and
novels.
One word of caution when approaching a publisher. Especially a publisher of novels.
To get your work
accepted and published should not cost you anything especially for novels.
Editing, developing a cover and whatever else is involved in getting your novel
to market should not cost you a cent.
DUOTROPE: A GREAT WAY TO FIND PUBLISHERS
Before introducing a website, I usually warn you to be warry of unsolicited ads, which for me can be very annoying. Duotrope, after many years of use, has never caused this problem for me. So enjoy a extremely useful for writers worry free.
Duotrope
Duotrope.com
Excellent source for finding publishers for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts.
Also, for locating literary agents.
Currently, listing 7581 publishers.
THE WALKING STATUES OF EASTER ISLAND
CONTINUED
Now, let’s get the big guy to walk.
The walking stature was demonstrated in the book Easter Island Easter Island (*).
A statue was constructed out of concrete, 15 feet long. Not as big as many of the statues on the island but served the purpose to demonstrate the process.
Two ropes were attached one to the head and one to the base. With seventeen people on each rope, the rope on the head pulled the statue slightly forward, then the rope attached to the base pulled the entire statue forward. With practice the statue was made to waddle and walk forward.
The process was later tried on an actual statue nine feet tall and weighing 4 or 5 tons. With three men to tilt and five to pull forward, the statue ‘walked’.
Thus, the legend of the walking statues of Easter Island has some validity, but it was not a supernatural event.
(*) Paul Bahn and John Flenley, Easter Island Easter Island, 1992, Thames and Hudson, pages 141, 142.
THE WALKING STATUES OF EASTER ISLAND
I have always been intrigued by the culture of the remote Easter Island. Especially by the huge, magnificent statues associated with the island.
Legend has it that they walked to the sites where they now stand. A supernatural occurrence to be sure.
WHICH IS TRUE, to some extent.
Now, before they can walk they must stand.
I have seen them stand, going from prone to erect. But it was not a miracle. The statue went from lying on its back to standing up with the use of rocks (*). While lying on its back, using levers rocks were placed beneath the statue and the ground until the statue was lying on an inclined plane. Once it was raised to a significant height, ropes were used to finish the process.
*Paul Bahn and John Flenley, Easter Island Easter Island, 1992, Thames and Hudson, pages 158, 159.
WORKS BASED ON THE NOVEL
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS
As I have mentioned in previous posts my interest in alien life, apparently looking at the vast amount of material generated by interest in H. G. Wells’ novel, The War of the Worlds, I am not alone.
Here is a partial list of efforts based on the novel.
Theatrical (movies) 3
Direct to video 7
Television productions 8
Radio productions 17
The first being the famous radio adaptation by Orson Wells.
Music productions 7
Comic books 12
There are also ten other various types of efforts related to the novel
Here is a link for a more detailed list.
List of works based on The War of the Worlds – Wikipedia
In a future post I will discuss the discovery of the possibility of alien life in our solar system.
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