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[eZine] Daily Science Fiction

K_Woods

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Looks like an ambitious new market - 8c/word, aiming for daily output, possible further payout via anthology later (more info here). I think they just opened for submissions a few days ago, given the short wait times and few responses listed on Duotrope thus far.

However, the author/artist account creation form is not secure. The information they ask is what you'd expect (name, email, address, etc -- what you'd put in the top left corner normally), but I don't know that it's a good idea to send that information unsecured through a web form. (ETA: On a more recent look, the 'contact' section (address and phone) is optional.)

Does anyone have further info?
 
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nkkingston

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Google delivers! A little, at least. They produced a print zine back in 2005, which appears to have lasted at least three issues. They've advertised DSF across various SF sites, and we're not the only ones slightly confused by the financial aspect.

I have to admit, I'm not sure how they're going to manage to keep that rate up when, at least to start with, they're giving the results away for free. No wonder they're erring on the shorter side, but that's still a minimum payout of $8 a day, with potential to go up to $800. Maybe they're rich and want to spread the love? Or maybe they're expecting the app thing to really pay out? There's not even any ads.

Neither editor appears to have a background in publishing (though they manage to strike either side as writers and booksellers). Not sure about the unsecured form thing - I have to admit, I've probably done worse entering competitions without thinking, but I do prefer to submit by email where possible. There's quite a few daily-digest style pubs about (I have a soft spot for Flashes in the Dark) but most don't pay. It's great that this does, and so well, but without any obvious revenue stream all I can assume is that the owners have very deep pockets.

Anyway, I have some short SF stuff knocking about, and I think I will submit. Might as well strike while the iron is bafflingly hot.
 

Mac H.

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The information they ask is what you'd expect (name, email, address, etc -- what you'd put in the top left corner normally), but I don't know that it's a good idea to send that information unsecured through a web form.
Why not?

I know - that's the current trend to be worried about things like this, but back in the old days they had these things called 'phone books'.

They listed people's names and address and phone numbers.

And they were insecure - they didn't limit who could access the information.
There was no outcry that they published information to people who weren't on your 'friends' list. Your contact information was public ... and the world survived.

Yet now because technology has moved a little and it makes it easier to limit who we give information to, we are suddenly convinced that having that same information 'public' is not a good idea. Sure, making information public has a downside.

Why is using 'https' instead of 'http' for their webform important?

Would that make it any more secure? It would make it more difficult to impersonate them in a certain type of web phishing scheme - but it wouldn't make much difference overall .. especially since if anyone wanted access to the information they could just volunteer to help them out as an intern and manage their mailing list !

I'm always bemused by how much we value certain symbols of 'security' ...

Mac
 
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Terie

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I know - that's the current trend to be worried about things like this, but back in the old days they had these things called 'phone books'.

Back in those days, identity theft was much more difficult and therefore rare. Also? Many people were unlisted even back then.
 

K_Woods

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Okay, looking at the form again it looks like the stuff in the 'contact' section isn't required - and I don't remember if that was the case when I looked last night (but assume it was). That was what had me worried, but since it can be omitted I'm a lot less nervous.

Note to self: don't check new markets out at 12:30 AM in the future.
 

HistorySleuth

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https means it is a secure encrypted communication between your computer and the site. You'll notice it if you do online banking, or ordering something from amazon for example with your credit card. If you are buying something from the internet and it isn't https, and its regular http I wouldn't input personal bank info as it's like a party line.

***Back to regular thread topic***
 

scottVee

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Looks okay to me. Yeah, I wouldn't put too much personal info into an unsecured form either. Though setting up what looks like a magazine just to harvest names seems a bit out in left field. (j/k) Who knows how long any attempt at a zine will survive? Could be gone a month from now, or still be read by cavemen on clay tablets long after our world collapses. Although the quantum flux points to something in between. The half-life of zineium is about a year.

Joking aside, what bugs me more is having to create user accounts with dozens of these markets, just to submit things to them. But the end result is probably more secure and reliable than overfiltered, often-vanishing email.
 

Dolohov

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I just came from their site (via Duotrope) looking to see if anyone here knew these folks. Looks like an interesting market, and that 8 cents a word is mighty appealing -- that might be an introductory rate to get things revved up and reward their first authors? Or maybe they're planning 1,000-word-a-day serializations? However they do it, I wish them success.

I signed up for their email list: if they really do manage to publish a story a day, and manage to attract the kind of quality that that rate promises, that could turn out to be a great market.
 

Katrina S. Forest

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Looking for any updates on this market. For the people who submitted early on, did you receive a reply yet? For anyone who had their work accepted, were you paid promptly?

I have to admit, I'm not happy with the insecure form either. Not so much for my name (I signed up with my pen name, since that's the name on my manuscripts.) But more for the fact that I'm submitting my story in plain text. I've had my work stolen and posted online without my permission before, so I'm extremely protective of the first electronic rights for my newer work.

Is this a legitimate concern? Or is it the digital equivalent of me worrying that the guy at the copy center is going to keep an extra copy of my manuscript for himself and put his name on it? (Which is not a legit concern, in my mind. I think the copy center guy has better things to do.)


EDIT: Okay, I just realized that Fantasy Magazine and Clarkesworld have an insecure form as well, they just take attachments instead of plain text. But I'm still wondering about the response/payment time, if anyone has any insight on that.
 
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Shiny

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The rejections I've had from them took 5 day, 10 days and 9 days. Speedy! The submission I've sent them most recently has taken 17 days so far, so it could be they're slowing down as they get more subs.

Their stats on Duotrope:
http://www.duotrope.com/market_4702.aspx

Hope that helps :)
 

Vincent

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Count me confused by this one, too. A pro-level story a day? I just can't figure how they'll maintain the quality of stories at that breakneck pace.
 
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MiloMinderbinder

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They're now up and running, and have published three stories so far.

I enjoyed the first one, the second was okay, but the third dragged forever.

There's still no advertising on the website or delivered with the story, so I am still unsure how their business model works.
 

MumblingSage

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A story of mine has been accepted and will be up the 24th. In the submission tips they say they prefer shorter stories, even if they accept everything up to short novellas, but I'm still as puzzled as everyone else as to how they expect to generate a revenue stream. I do hope they do, though.
 

Mr. Anonymous

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congrats sage. I subbed yesterday. :)
 

Izz

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Count me confused by this one, too. A pro-level story a day? I just can't figure how they'll maintain the quality of stories at that breakneck pace.
Well, there've been just on two weeks worth of stories so far, and i have to say (in my uneducated opinion) that the quality has been... mixed. Hopefully that'll iron out to 'great' once all the AWers stories that've sold there get published ;)

Of those of you that've sold to DSF, have you had any issues with payment? Or is the contract one of the 'payment within thirty days of publishing' ones, in which case nobody will've been paid yet and my question is currently redundant?
 
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Manuel Royal

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Well, there've been just on two weeks worth of stories so far, and i have to say (in my uneducated opinion) that the quality has been... mixed. Hopefully that'll iron out to 'great' once all the AWers stories that've sold there get published ;)
Well, they do publish some pieces that it baffles me anybody would pay for (at least, pay eight cents a word for). I'm not just saying that because they've rejected me three times.

But I'll look for MumblingSage's story tomorrow. Congrats!
 

Mr. Anonymous

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They've rejected two of my stories so far. :/ One was about Jews in space. JEWS IN SPACE!1 How could they reject that one? lol.
 

MumblingSage

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Now my story is out and all the subscribers have probably lost faith :p. However...

Of those of you that've sold to DSF, have you had any issues with payment? Or is the contract one of the 'payment within thirty days of publishing' ones, in which case nobody will've been paid yet and my question is currently redundant?
The contract says "Payment will be sent upon publication". They gave me the option between a check or PayPal, and when I requested PayPal they paid through an eCheck (which I confess I don't have much experience in, or how it's different from ordinary 'send money through paypal' but it seems to work out just fine).
 

Izz

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The contract says "Payment will be sent upon publication". They gave me the option between a check or PayPal, and when I requested PayPal they paid through an eCheck (which I confess I don't have much experience in, or how it's different from ordinary 'send money through paypal' but it seems to work out just fine).
So you've been paid, then?

Reason i ask is i'm still very curious as to how they're going to sustain this financial model. However, this is probably a question i should be asking after four or five months.
 

MumblingSage

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Technically, the payment is still pending, but it should go through in a few days. If it doesn't, I'll be sure to post here, of course. I'll be keeping an eye on this market (partly because I'd love to get another contract for 8c/word) and maybe as the months pass we'll have some clue how they're sustaining themselves--at least, I sincerely hope that's the case. It would be a disappointment to lose this one.
 

Izz

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Melissa Mead

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Of those of you that've sold to DSF, have you had any issues with payment? Or is the contract one of the 'payment within thirty days of publishing' ones, in which case nobody will've been paid yet and my question is currently redundant?

I've been paid for the story that's already come out, with no problems.