Breakaway Books

JennaGlatzer · Oct 5, 2006

I have no idea whether or not Breakaway Books is a good publisher or not. What I do know is that they're holding a "contest" that I find unethical.

From the bottom of breakawaybooks.com:

-- RUNNING AND SEX --
Personal essay, 750 to 2000 words.
First prize $1000, second prize $500, third prize $250.
The top 40 essays will be published in a book.

Running is a great sensual act, honing body, mind, and soul -- so how does it affect your love life? The nearly divine feelings of a good run are not so different from the mind-altering bliss of sex. Any stories of romance, eroticism, or sexuality (combined with some good running) are welcome. R-rated is fine, maybe even NC-17, but please no XXX.

Our prior writing contests have resulted in these excellent books:
How Running Changed My Life, Bicycle Love, and The Runner's High.
Deadline February 14, 2007 (but submit earlier if you can so they don't all arrive at once). Entry fee is $5. To submit an entry, mail it to...

Basically, you're paying for them to consider your work for an anthology.

That's a reading fee.

And if they choose your work for the anthology, the odds are very high that you will not get paid anything for it-- instead, YOU WILL HAVE PAID to be in the anthology. Only the "top 3" will get paid. The other 37 people chosen for the anthology are not compensated, but instead have spent $5.00 plus postage and used up the first rights to their piece as well as the time spent writing an essay on this specialized topic.

You should never have to pay to have your work considered for an anthology. Calling it a "contest" doesn't change that.

DeadlyAccurate · Oct 5, 2006

I must be running wrong, because the only thing I feel when I get done is bone tired.

JennaGlatzer · Oct 5, 2006

LOL! And I mostly feel like I'm gonna puke. Yep, I think I'm doing it wrong, too.

Patricia · Oct 5, 2006

Not to mention the blisters. From running, that is.

janetbellinger · Oct 5, 2006

One of the best books I've ever read is called "In Memory of Running," by Ron Mc Larty. I try to avoid running. I'd rather dance.

Soccer Mom · Oct 5, 2006

I take the dogs on walks. Sometimes I run, but it makes me feel sweaty and tired. After that I don't anything else to add to the sweaty and tired feeling. I want a shower. Alone.

James D. Macdonald · Oct 5, 2006

This all reminds me of an Inappropriate Joke.

mdin · Oct 5, 2006

Um, wow. That's unfortunate. I've had nothing but good (though very limited) experience with them. I've seen their books out in the wild on real-life shelves.

I have a story in How Running Changed My Life. It was a similar setup other than the entry fee. it was a contest advertised, I believe, in Poets and Writers. I did not give nor did they ask for an entry fee. Only the "best" three stories got money. I did get two (I think. It's been a couple years) copies of the book along with a letter from the editor talking about how much he liked my entry.

It's a fantastic book, especially for runners.

JennaGlatzer · Oct 5, 2006

Thanks for weighing in, Matt. It's unusual for a good publisher to "go bad," so I hope they'll figure out this is a dopey way to supplement their revenue. They don't even mention giving any copies to the writers who get published.

Mac H. · Oct 5, 2006

And I mostly feel like I'm gonna puke. Yep, I think I'm doing it wrong, too.

I'm glad it's not just me who has that reaction.

I think I'll just stick to running, instead ...

Mac

TwentyFour · Oct 5, 2006

No no no, you guys are doing it all wrong!

You hold your breath for five seconds, run and run and run, and run some more, then you slow down and feel that high, that above the clouds, floating, dizzy feeling, pounding chest...then you pass out.

Just like sex! Hmmm...maybe it's the sex I'm doing wrong then since I'm dizzy and passing out?

Kentuk · Oct 5, 2006

They could award the also included 25$ and cut the top three to 500/250/125 and avoid the problem. They probably don't realize it is a problem and that's disturbing.

TeddyG · Oct 6, 2006

dont know about you guys...
but running or swimming...
when those endorphins are released...
when you get through the first couple of months of pain....
oh boy does it do wonders for everything not only for your sex life...

if you cannot stand running try laps in the pool....
Until a few months ago I used to swim 100 laps a day (2 km.) for speed and endurance...had to stop cause my leg really cramped up for a few days...and the doc said that i should give it a rest for a few months
But running or swimming are great - also for the head too....

as to the "contest"....the net is populated by these pay as you write contests...
the old PT Barnum adage proves itself again "there is a sucker born every minute"

HapiSofi · Oct 6, 2006

James D. Macdonald said:
This all reminds me of an Inappropriate Joke.

That's funny. The minute I saw it, I thought of the same inappropriate joke.

Roger J Carlson · Oct 6, 2006

HapiSofi said:
That's funny. The minute I saw it, I thought of the same inappropriate joke.

Great minds run in the same gutters.

Tiger · Oct 6, 2006

Well, this is a strange place for me to suddenly pop in--concidering that I don't run much any more.

But, does this mean I prefer exercise to writing?

Tiger · Oct 9, 2006

Sorry, folks... Didn't mean to kill the thread...

Soccer Mom · Oct 10, 2006

It was about time to put it out of it's misery anyway, Tiger

CaoPaux · Jan 14, 2010

Adding link: http://www.breakawaybooks.com/

No sign of the anthology.

Breakaway Books

JennaGlatzer

wishes you happiness

DeadlyAccurate

Absolutely Fazed

JennaGlatzer

wishes you happiness

Patricia

California Dreaming

janetbellinger

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

mdin

The late, the great XThe NavigatorX

JennaGlatzer

wishes you happiness

Mac H.

Board Visitor

TwentyFour

practical experience, FTW

Kentuk

I want to write what I want to write

TeddyG

The Other Shoe Will Fall!

HapiSofi

Hagiographically Advantaged

Roger J Carlson

Moderator In Name Only

Tiger

AKA: "Gums of Steel"

Tiger

AKA: "Gums of Steel"

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless