I think I have number One of your last three goals mostly down, for short stories not for novels though. I have thought about setting aside a certain time just to work on novels, which may be the only way to do it. Getting a laptop would help but that isn’t going to be soon.

#1…How much do they pay?
#2…How big is their readership?
#3…Prestige.

I never go to any market under 3 or 4 cents per word without the other two factors being huge. So yes, not all short fiction markets are created equal by a long, long ways. I tend to always start at the top (New Yorker) and work down (yes, even with sf stories). But I also have a love for the Dell Magazines and F&SF and try to support them, so I often just go there first. But since my stuff is so weird at times, I have a hard time hitting them.

Cheers
Dean

Another great post. It really helped me find a balance between writing, market research, and learning how to be a professional. Write every day, and do the other stuff once a week. I made a chart to help me stay on track.

Another question, this one regarding short stories. How should a new, unpublished writer determine which markets are not to be considered? I’m not talking here about the high end, but the low end. I hear someone like John Scalzi rant about a market that pays 1/5 cent/word…and it makes me think that not all markets are created equal. Any helpful thoughts?

Thanks,
Jerry

The key is to not get into what I call “Clarion Time Stretching.” At Clarion, a week feels like a month, and after six weeks you often can’t remember what it’s like at home. Well, in writing business, this kind of time stretching is normal. You are focused and don’t have any real understanding of how little an amount of time has passed. Business takes time.

Richard Curtis once challenged any New York publisher that some of his clients could write entire novels faster than they could cut a check. No one took him up on it, because it’s true. I can write a novel a ton faster than any publisher can mail me a check. Just the nature of the business. No easy solution.

Cheers
Dean

Oh, hey, someday, if you’re looking for a blog post idea, I’d love one on how to nag an editor for payment without annoying said editor.