Um... Okay, let me preface: I'm totally supportive of M-Brane and of you Chris. I love talking to you on Twitter and I understand how hard it is running a zine, especially in this economic environment. I strongly believe that there is a place for token paying hobbyist markets, because some people are just looking to write as a hobby and token payment and copies are just as satisfying for the level of work and interest they want to/can put into it. There is nothing wrong with hobbyists, or token pay hobbyist markets, and they absolutely should be taken just as seriously as major publications. (First rights means first rights. You know upfront how much you're making from it and if you're not okay with that just don't submit.)
Writing does seem to be moving toward the "Can't support you, but the money is a nice bonus" arena, especially for those in the up and coming category. I'm skeptical of any writing being able to support a person these days (especially since some things we need/do in today's culture, like insurance and paying taxes are just a nightmare to handle as freelancers).
But there's a HUGE difference between "Hey, we're a hobbyist market, in it primarily for the love, but offering token payment because it's the the right thing to do" and "To get anything --- even a pat on the back -- for doing what we love should be enough." Pardon me, but no it's not. What kind of an idiot would I be if I took a mass market paperback deal for a pat on the back. This while idea has for years been used to take advantage of the author so the publisher can make money in certain forums. Encouraging writers to be happy that they got anything at all is keeping them ignorant and taking advantage of them, period.
We all have different goals in writing. If your goal is just to be published, to get your work out there you can't go wrong with a zine like M-Brane, where the editor takes his work and the genre seriously. It is a nice little bonus to get good pay and copies for your shelves.
But if your goal is to grow a career then token pay and copies isn't enough (or quickly becomes not enough). You have to become a hard ass and know what you can get for your work and demand it. I started off as a hobbyist, and it was great, but I wanted more and I never would have gotten it if I didn't demand it from both myself (as far as quality goes) and the markets I submit to (as far as exposure, pay and respect goes). Now that I know I can sell shorts for pro or semi pro money to pro and semi pro markets it would make no sense at all for me to settle for a pat on the back and it's insulting to suggest that a writer in that position should.
This year I've made enough to to pay for my membership for WFC and my hotel, with a little on the side. That's not "money to live off of" but it has made a huge difference and given me the ability to go to the con when I probably wouldn't have be able to on my own. That's nothing to dismiss, and nothing a pat on the back would have helped with.
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rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-23 12:58 pm (UTC)Writing does seem to be moving toward the "Can't support you, but the money is a nice bonus" arena, especially for those in the up and coming category. I'm skeptical of any writing being able to support a person these days (especially since some things we need/do in today's culture, like insurance and paying taxes are just a nightmare to handle as freelancers).
But there's a HUGE difference between "Hey, we're a hobbyist market, in it primarily for the love, but offering token payment because it's the the right thing to do" and "To get anything --- even a pat on the back -- for doing what we love should be enough." Pardon me, but no it's not. What kind of an idiot would I be if I took a mass market paperback deal for a pat on the back. This while idea has for years been used to take advantage of the author so the publisher can make money in certain forums. Encouraging writers to be happy that they got anything at all is keeping them ignorant and taking advantage of them, period.
We all have different goals in writing. If your goal is just to be published, to get your work out there you can't go wrong with a zine like M-Brane, where the editor takes his work and the genre seriously. It is a nice little bonus to get good pay and copies for your shelves.
But if your goal is to grow a career then token pay and copies isn't enough (or quickly becomes not enough). You have to become a hard ass and know what you can get for your work and demand it. I started off as a hobbyist, and it was great, but I wanted more and I never would have gotten it if I didn't demand it from both myself (as far as quality goes) and the markets I submit to (as far as exposure, pay and respect goes). Now that I know I can sell shorts for pro or semi pro money to pro and semi pro markets it would make no sense at all for me to settle for a pat on the back and it's insulting to suggest that a writer in that position should.
This year I've made enough to to pay for my membership for WFC and my hotel, with a little on the side. That's not "money to live off of" but it has made a huge difference and given me the ability to go to the con when I probably wouldn't have be able to on my own. That's nothing to dismiss, and nothing a pat on the back would have helped with.