Posts tagged ‘using Duotrope’
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!
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.
Walttriznastories's Blog 