The Duotrope Thread

[Project Deadlight]

I don't think we have one of these and I think it would be useful to share thoughts on this rather wonderful resource.

I don't know if any of you noticed, but they have changed their search engine in a way that now precludes markets like the Washington Pastime from advertising as a pro market! You now search based on a market's minimum pay which is much better.

Many users here suggested this when we were discussing TWP in an old thread and it is great they have listened.

 

[areteus]

I find it useful when I have subs out... mainly because I forget response times (deliberately, I blank them out of my memory) and so it is useful to be able to look and see what is overdue so I can know to chase.

Not been on since the change you describe... most of the work I have been doing recently has not been recorded on there because the market does not exist on there...

 

[O'Dandelo]

I noticed the new payscale function last night. Quite pleased. Although it's no fun to have only 8 markets pop up in some searches now.

 

[W.L. Marks]

It's a nice change. I love Duotrope. Makes me seem like a functional adult in spite of my lack of organizational skills.

 

[bdwilson]

Oh nice! I hadn't noticed the change, but that's a good one.

I love Duotrope, and I'm another one that forgets response times. It's a nice way to check in one them.

 

[Deizelcore]

Who doesn't like Duotrobe? It saves you time and effort.

 

[Haggis]

Duotrope, like AW is well worth supporting with your $$$$$.

hint, hint, hint

 

[Darkwing]

I really love Duotrope. Really, the submissions tracker keeps me sane, and also drives me insane as I check and re-check it regularly.

I will admit I'm a little bit miffed with them, just because of something that happened recently. I sent them a suggestion regarding a possible new feature of the site--a favorites list for each of your listed pieces. I'm constantly getting markets in my searches that are inappropriate for one story but could be appropriate in the future, so I don't want to just add them to my ignore list. But inevitably I forget the next time I want to sub the story and have to wade through all the chaff in order to get to the wheat. If I could just click on the appropriate ones and add them to a "To Sub To Next" list, it would be awesome. Less fooling around when the rejections roll in. I already do this on paper, ranking places by response time and pay. But it's a hassle to take the extra step to write it all down.

I must have written my suggestion badly or something, though, because the e-mail I got back basically said: "You can add markets to your favorites list. Just click on the link at the market's home page."

-sigh- I have added markets to my favorites in the past. Unless something has changed and I'm stupid, there isn't a way to make a SPECIFIC list of markets for a SPECIFIC story.

Otherwise, though, Duotrope is AMAZING, and as soon as I make my first significant sale, they're getting a donation from me.

 

[sarahthegrey]

I will admit I'm a little bit miffed with them, just because of something that happened recently....I must have written my suggestion badly or something, though, because the e-mail I got back basically said: "You can add markets to your favorites list. Just click on the link at the market's home page."

If I recall correctly, they've been curt with others who've emailed with suggestions. I still rely on them, but considering they're dependent on users for donations, you'd think they'd tread more carefully with their responses.

 

[Project Deadlight]

Sarah - yeah, I've had a really curt response from them. Also had a few really nice ones so it's perhaps dependent on who you speak to.

 

[Darkwing]

Hmm...I admit I'm really tempted to reply back/send in another suggestion that's like, "No, no. You completely misunderstood what I was saying. You see, this is what I have in mind . . . "

I really think it would be a feature that lots of writers would like and use. But oh well.

I do find it surprising that they're sometimes curt like that with people. I guess maybe they get a lot of email from people who don't know how to use the site and haven't bothered to use the FAQ? Even still, I kinda think the person who replied to me didn't even bother to read the whole message. I think they just saw I was suggesting a "favorites list" and was like, "we already have one of those."

 

[Project Deadlight]

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO DT!!!!! I hate the new layout... oh well. At least it is still free.

 

[gettingby]

I agree with you, Project Deadlight. And what do all the new symbols mean?

 

[Izz]

Heh--i've been spending the last 10 minutes trying to get my head around it. I'm sure i'll get used to it, but it's so very different.

 

[fihr]

It's going to take me a while to get used to it too. At least you can hover the mouse over the little letter symbols to get their meaning. That's probably quicker than scrolling up to the top of the page, though it takes a second for the meaning to appear.

There's a prompt for donations at the top of every page... I think it would save space if they put the 'state of the Duotrope' green button up the very top on the same line as the logo, and got rid of most of its text (except maybe on the author home page or main search page), because it pushes everything else down the screen. If your screen is small like my laptop, the title and donation panels take up one third of the available space. (Speaking as someone who does donate to Duotrope.)

Anyway - all my subs are still there!

 

[defcon6000]

It use to be that once you made a donation, the "we need money" message would disappear, but here we are again. Bleh.

The layout is okay, but it's hard on the eyes with the white background. They should make it a pastel blue or something eye-friendly.

 

[Aggy B.]

Hmm. I didn't find it that different. I mean, it looks different, but it's basically all the same. (The addition of the symbols for "acknowledged", "simsubs" etc is actually easier to follow than the older layout which always had me scrolling to the top to remind myself which column was which.)

I also found, when I went to run a quick search of the database, that the reorganization of the search columns puts all the things I almost never use (like subgenre and subject) in the second column making the selection of search terms quicker.

The white is a little annoying but overall it's not nearly as noxious as the recent change to One Forty Fiction's color scheme. And maybe it's meant to keep us all from sitting there staring at our submissions stats.

My guess is they want to look more like a pro site in order to boost the effort to raise more money (since they've been constantly short for however long I've been using them). The new graphics are more like the current renovations to Google/Paypal/Ebay/Twitter/Facebook.

 

[Niniva]

Ugh, I'm not good with symbols. I've been on AW how long and just now learned there's a rep button...

 

[CL_Hilbert]

I just saw the new Duotrope layout. I don't like it, but it is very "modern." At least, I can see it's following the trend of other websites. I find it hard to read though. :/

 

[Datepalm]

The red is no longer red. It's orange! Much less dramatic this way. "I have six subs in the orange" just doesn't have the same ring.

 

[Eliza C]

One feature I see that I really like is the New and Updated Listings. It drives me nuts every week going through the e-mail list of new markets and flipping back and forth searching Duo to find out if they're token or semi or pro markets. This way I can see the payscale icon in the list. I've always wished they listed the payscale in the e-mail update of new markets.

 

[O'Dandelo]

The red is no longer red. It's orange! Much less dramatic this way. "I have six subs in the orange" just doesn't have the same ring.

Hahaha. Exactly!

 

[defcon6000]

One feature I see that I really like is the New and Updated Listings.

Err, they've had that for a while.

I feel like I'm doing more scrolling on Duo. It's not nice and compact like it use to be. And for the record, I tried to resist Gmail changing on me till I was forced to accept it. Bleh. Never upgrading my blogger interface, tho.

 

[Eliza C]

Err, they've had that for a while.

I'm sure it was there before - under search? - I just always forgot about it and labored thru the weekly e-mail updates to find the new higher tier markets. Silly me.

 

[Izz]

A duotrope policy change:

Attention Editors: Policy change! 06 SEP 2012
Effective September 6th, we will no longer create new listings for publications whose guidelines are only available on third-party websites, such as Submittable. Also, starting October 6th, we will start disqualifying already listed publications whose guidelines are not posted on their official website. If this affects you and you do add your guidelines to your own site, please contact us to let us know where we can find the new, official guidelines. Thanks for your cooperation!