First Chapter Magazine

And if you want to resubmit after getting feedback, it's $20.

This one's ugly. YADS, except it's a magazine.

- Victoria

Wow, that's awesome. $30 for the privilage of getting NO feedback. Yeah!

Regarding reader's fees: As a relatively new writer, I'm trying to understand why writers don't want to support venues that promote authors by giving a reading fee. I may be missing something. I've entered writing competitions that charge $50 and my check is cashed and I never hear another word. I don't even know who won or anything. If it means the chance of exposure, why not? From what I can tell after visiting this website, it seems to be attempting to help writers. Again, not sure if I'm missing something.

Pentiment0 said:

Regarding reader's fees: As a relatively new writer, I'm trying to understand why writers don't want to support venues that promote authors by giving a reading fee. I may be missing something. I've entered writing competitions that charge $50 and my check is cashed and I never hear another word. I don't even know who won or anything. If it means the chance of exposure, why not? From what I can tell after visiting this website, it seems to be attempting to help writers. Again, not sure if I'm missing something.

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Pen -

Yes, you are missing something. First of all it's not a question of supporting these venues. You support such venues by buying their publications - not paying to be in them. While there are legitimate publications that are devoted to giving exposure to writers - you should always be wary of any publication that makes that claim, as it is often a buzz phrase used by scammers. The truth is that there are many paying markets that will accept submissions by writers with no previous publishing credits. Yes it's hard to get published, but that's because there are far more writers out there than paying gigs. And there are far more people who aspire to write than can do it well enough to succeed as a professional. But it is not the closed world that many of these publications preying on new writers claim that it is. Query, submit, query submit. It's the name of the game.

There is absolutely no excuse for an agent or publication to charge a writer a reading fee. Many of these venues don't even bother to pay writers for the publication rights - that's bad enough. But to charge the writer for CONSIDERATION to be published or to be published is just flat out wrong. Exposure like that isn't worth it. For one thing once it is published - then you've got a problem, because many legit publications who actually pay their writers and/or have prestige demand first publication rights - which you've already paid to have someone else take.

Not all exposure is created equal. Certain types of "publication" are not considered "publication" by the legitimate publishing world and many of these "publishing opportunities" have absolutely no distribution base - so you're not getting any exposure.

As for the writing competitions. There are some legitimate ones, and it is not out of line for them to charge entry fees, because aside from the prizes awarded, there are also administrative costs attached to running such a competition. However, many competitions are a total waste of money and many are total scams. i.e. there are many poetry competitions that charge you an entry fee and the winners get 'published' in a compilation book of the wininng poems. Know who buys those compilation books? The winning poets. It's a total scam.

You need to do some serious research on the world of publishing because you have the exact mindset that makes you easy prey for the scammers out there.

Welcome, Pentiment0. What prompted you to post in this buried thread as your very first post?

If they have to charge a reading fee, they're not likely going to get high quality submissions. Without high quality submissions, they're never going to get readers. Without readers, there's no point to spending money to (maybe) appear in the magazine.

Yeah, you're missing something, your $50!:Smack:

Why didn't I think of that?

That's it. I'm starting my own magazine/company: Last Chapter. Send me your last chapter (thus ending of your novel), $50 cash. I may or may not publish it, but that $50 should cover my time for reading it.

Thank you. And yes, I accept paypal.

Remember the mantra:
Money flows to the writer. Not from the writer.
As far as exposure goes, paying money to get into a magazine with a circulation of, what a hundred, is not going to do you any good. The best kind of "exposure" a writer can get is to have his book on the bookshelves of bookstores. Period. It's not an elitest attitude, it's business sense. Ask any professionally published (and I'm not talking POD or Vanity here) author, and you'll find that legitimate publications do not charge the authors. I know it's difficult getting that first novel published, but that's what we're here for. We are the voice of experience (and believe me, most on this board are more experienced than I, and they'll tell you the same thing).

And Master, I will accept the middle chapter for only $25.00 and I may or may not ever even read it. ( I have a pay pal account )

Hell, if you give me $5, I'll promise to tell the clerk at Albertsons all about your book. Throw in another $2.50, I'll tell the bagger, too.

Oh...the competition is sooooo great. Will have to find another way to put myself through Writers' Camp.

victoriastrauss said:

And if you want to resubmit after getting feedback, it's $20.

This one's ugly. YADS, except it's a magazine.

- Victoria

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hey vicki, its greg i am still trying to collect others who have been scammed by morealmpubs.com and lay into her. i am going ot get a lawsuit ready is that a good idea or jsut send a certified letter saying you can t use my work. and let others get blasted by her crud? your awesome, thanks for looking out for the little guys, and not just to scrape us off your blessed feet lol