What Creds Do You Count?

[Chicken Warrior]

So, for those who query agents, specifically, what writing credits do you list? I'm not asking 'what credits should I list', but I just want to get some stats on how many people list how many things. Also, has this worked for you? Do you ever get comments or questions on your credits? Do you think agents would rather see that you write and follow through to the publishing stages if you're self/vanity pubbed, or would rather believe you're good enough that you'd be guaranteed 'real' publishing?

[aadams73]

I would only list things I'd been paid for. The rest don't count.

[MidnightMuse]

You can list anything you were paid money for, that's it.

[scarletpeaches]

Easy for me to answer this question. I ain't got Jack shit to list.

[Jamesaritchie]

So, for those who query agents, specifically, what writing credits do you list? I'm not asking 'what credits should I list', but I just want to get some stats on how many people list how many things. Also, has this worked for you? Do you ever get comments or questions on your credits? Do you think agents would rather see that you write and follow through to the publishing stages if you're self/vanity pubbed, or would rather believe you're good enough that you'd be guaranteed 'real' publishing?

Generally speaking, if you aren't paid for it, don't count it as a credit. Self-publishing "credits" not only do not impress, they tend to be laughed at. The exception to the pay only credits is certain, very prestigious literary magazines that are tough to crack, but that don't pay.

A credit is considered good because it was tough to get, and you had to compete against other pro writers to make the sale. The bigger and more prestigious the magazine, the better it is as a credit.

I not only sold my first novel because I had good short story credits, I've also made two other novel deals in other genres based on good short story credits within those genres. So, yes, good credits help.

Bad credits are better left unmentioned.

[donroc]

Paid for, every dance; selling each romance. $$$ only.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

[Deirdre]

Pick three (and only three) that you've been paid for. Pick the most relevant, the most prestigious, or the most recent.

[Deirdre]

Generally speaking, if you aren't paid for it, don't count it as a credit. Self-publishing "credits" not only do not impress, they tend to be laughed at. The exception to the pay only credits is certain, very prestigious literary magazines that are tough to crack, but that don't pay.

Yes, and please don't say you're marketing your self-published work. I personally loathe that in a cover letter.

[Shadow_Ferret]

I listed everything.

[KTC]

I wouldn't do POD, Vanity, PA, Self-Pub.

The only thing I do that would fall into one of those categories is the poetry chapbook. I make up small quantities when I'm doing a reading...but that's it.

[Deirdre]

I listed everything.

Listing too many things makes you look at least as amateur as listing nothing at all.

[KTC]

I only list what is relevant to each market I am querying. I probably only use 3 or 4 credits each time..always different ones, as I write Health & Wellness, Finance, Interior Decorating, Careers, etc, etc, etc. If I am querying a health issues mag, I'm not going to tell them about my last travel article.

[Shadow_Ferret]

Listing too many things makes you look at least as amateur as listing nothing at all.
I am an amateur.

[KTC]

Sadly, most ferrets are.

[Shadow_Ferret]

I think it's a conspiracy to keep us down.

[Chicken Warrior]

So you think ebooks should be listed? I know there's a lot of prejudice against them somtimes is all.

And what about somewhere like Whiskey Creek that pays regardless, but charges for paperbacks if you want one? Also, what about web pages that pay well but aren't particularly well known.

The problem with the pay method is that agents aren't going to know what you've been payed unless you tell them. Which you're not going to do unless it demonstrates sales figures.

Thanks for your answers, BTW.

[Deirdre]

Speaking as an editor, I don't care if it's an e-book, as long as it's a paying e-book (then again, I read for an e-zine, so take that with a grain of salt). Most publishers charge authors for physical copies of their books; I just got a shipment from BenBella of the anthology I'm in.

If someone lists only credits of markets I don't know, I might look one of them up. I probably won't look all of them up. Which one is entirely random.

Even if I've heard of the market and love it, it doesn't say anything about the quality of the work in front of me -- it just says the person can write, other editors agree that the person can write, and they think enough of the writer to pay him or her for a given story.

What does that really translate to? If they've sold to a major market in my field, I might give them an extra paragraph or two before I give up on the piece.

[Provrb1810meggy]

I think if you get a novel/short story published with a legitimate, royalty paying e-publisher, then you should include that. Magazine credits are also good.

And I've had an agent comment on my credits once when they requested some of my work. She basically said congratulations, and that it was a nice magazine, etc. I definitely think the credits helped me get the manuscript requested, seeing as she had a concern about the length of the novel.

[PeeDee]

They're goig to know if you got paid because they can go to the web-site where it'll say and we pay .00000001 cents per word and know that it's a paying market. A lousy one, but a paying market.

I list the credits I get paid for because as was said, the rest don't count. The only things I don't list are several sales I made to BBT Magazine and that's because I think it would look silly for them to see these sales and then go to the BBT web-site and see me on the staff. (And I'm not going to explain that the sales were made BEFORE I worked, or even spoke, with BBT. So I just leave them out.)

[KTC]

I think it's a conspiracy to keep us down.

When you're that far down to begin with you don't need a conspiracy to keep you down.

[Chicken Warrior]

Speaking as an editor, I don't care if it's an e-book, as long as it's a paying e-book (then again, I read for an e-zine, so take that with a grain of salt). Most publishers charge authors for physical copies of their books; I just got a shipment from BenBella of the anthology I'm in.

What I mean with Whiskey, is that I believe they charge (or rather their 'printer charges') a one-time set up fee for paperbacks. There are several ebook pubs that offer this, but pay royalties on ebooks and let authors publish e-exclusive if they want. However, an agent might go to Whiskey's site and go 'hmm, they charge $100 for POD set up, that's vanity, and be done with it.

Just a thought.

[kristie911]

I'll come back and vote when I have some credits.

[Deirdre]

What I mean with Whiskey, is that I believe they charge (or rather their 'printer charges') a one-time set up fee for paperbacks. There are several ebook pubs that offer this, but pay royalties on ebooks and let authors publish e-exclusive if they want. However, an agent might go to Whiskey's site and go 'hmm, they charge $100 for POD set up, that's vanity, and be done with it.

Yeah, I get your point now, and I'd definitely consider them vanity.

[PeeDee]

What I mean with Whiskey, is that I believe they charge (or rather their 'printer charges') a one-time set up fee for paperbacks. There are several ebook pubs that offer this, but pay royalties on ebooks and let authors publish e-exclusive if they want. However, an agent might go to Whiskey's site and go 'hmm, they charge $100 for POD set up, that's vanity, and be done with it.

Just a thought.

Total vanity, I'm afraid. Sorry.

[Chicken Warrior]

Okay, so here's the revised golden rule:

Paying markets by publishers that NEVER charge ANY fees for publication.

[PeeDee]

Bingo bango!

We'll take five dollars for helping you get there. :D

[maestrowork]

I would list newspapers and magazines, including online e-Zines if they pay. Absolutely no vanity or pay-to-publish.

[Jamesaritchie]

Pick three (and only three) that you've been paid for. Pick the most relevant, the most prestigious, or the most recent.

Perfect advice.

[Shadow_Ferret]

Wish this thread had popped up a week ago before I just sent off my bio to an agent as:

Shadow Ferret’s writing credits include several short stories, “Reason Enough” published in The Horror Show; “Death Takes a Layoff” published in the online magazine, Quantum Muse (www.quantummuse.com); and “Hills Like White Teeth” published in the online magazine, Writer's Gallery (now defunct). He was co-editor/publisher of a local small-press fiction magazine called Mid-Coaster in which he published several short stories and poems. He also wrote a long-running personal opinion column for the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Times student newspaper called “Upon Reflection.”

It's enough I'm worrying about rejection for the material itself without thinking I just committed a bio faux pas.

[PeeDee]

I dunno, that sounds fine to me...