[eZine] Bent Masses

alvin123 · Aug 22, 2011

Quick question. I have a story that was just accented at Bent Masses. I'm happy but cautious to since this is my first acceptance ever of anything. The editor's name is Jessie White.

two questions:

1. Is this a good place for my short story to have a home?

2. Will I get author's credits here.

http://bentmasses.com/

alvin123 · Aug 22, 2011

I've never had an acceptance before. Please look at this thread. (especially short story writers)

Okay, so this is my very first acceptance. (Mind Control)

Editor Jessie White, for Bent Masses gave it a shot. He said the story was VERY entertaining.
http://bentmasses.com/

two questions:

1. Should I pat myself on the back?

2. This can count as my first true credential, right? (Ignoring the fact that I published on smashwords and lulu)

thothguard51 · Aug 22, 2011

Is this a paid acceptance?

No matter, yes you should feel good that you got accepted, paid or otherwise.

thothguard51 · Aug 22, 2011

You might want to ask a mod to merge this post with your other one or vise versa. They both are related and ask the same basic questions...

CACTUSWENDY · Aug 22, 2011

I don't think it counts as a 'credential' other than him saying he liked it a lot. What kind of credential were you looking for? I may not understand your question.

thothguard51 · Aug 22, 2011

I think Alvin is asking does this count as a professional publishing credit. One he can mention in Query letters and such over his self publishing ventures...

alvin123 · Aug 22, 2011

thothguard51 said:
I think Alvin is asking does this count as a professional publishing credit. One he can mention in Query letters and such over his self publishing ventures...

Yes.

CaoPaux · Aug 22, 2011

About Us

Bent Masses was created to show case great works of fiction from both known and unknown authors. It is tirelessly run by Jessie White who edits, markets, and designs the site. Many of her co-workers before she was taken over by pod people. However, I assure you, she is simply sleep deprived.

Given the conflict of interest of the editor publishing her own work, the level of editing on display, and the 4theluv nature of the venue, I doubt any pro mag would consider this a credit.

Marian Perera · Aug 22, 2011

thothguard51 said:
I think Alvin is asking does this count as a professional publishing credit. One he can mention in Query letters and such over his self publishing ventures...

I checked out the website. There seem to have been five issues of Bent Masses put out so far, and the submission guidelines don't mention payment. I tried reading one of the stories but stopped when the floor made an abrupt switch from cement to dirt.

Alvin - if you do decide to let this website feature your work, you're better off not mentioning it.

alvin123 · Aug 22, 2011

Queen of Swords said:
I checked out the website. There seem to have been five issues of Bent Masses put out so far, and the submission guidelines don't mention payment. I tried reading one of the stories but stopped when the floor made an abrupt switch from cement to dirt.

Alvin - if you do decide to let this website feature your work, you're better off not mentioning it.

okay. So does this mean --even though she doesn't ask for the rights -- I can't get published elsewhere?

Marian Perera · Aug 22, 2011

alvin123 said:
okay. So does this mean --even though she doesn't ask for the rights -- I can't get published elsewhere?

You'd have to check with someone who knows about reprint rights regarding articles.

Whether or not you would get published elsewhere also depends on the quality of your work and the standards of whatever other places you're looking at.

alvin123 · Aug 22, 2011

Queen of Swords said:
You'd have to check with someone who knows about reprint rights regarding articles.

Whether or not you would get published elsewhere also depends on the quality of your work and the standards of whatever other places you're looking at.

okay. Thanks. I'll give it a bit more research and give it another try.

Thedrellum · Aug 22, 2011

As soon as it's published on-line (or in print), you've given away first publication rights whether they've specifically asked for them or not. Other places might accept your story as a reprint.

Polenth · Aug 22, 2011

From the looks of it, it's a non-paying hobby market that started up this year. It's not something you'd include as a publishing credit in a letter. And it will take first rights, which means any further sales will be reprints (it's generally not that easy to sell stories as a reprint, unless the first printing was somewhere awesome).

The main reason to submit to a market in this situation is because you particularly like the market.

slicing_angel2003 · Sep 9, 2011

Hello, I've just found this thread. I should really watch this board more often. As far as the first electronic rights, yes we do require those, but because this market is brand new it would be easier to reprint it. Authors have the right to contact me if they publish the piece with another venue. I will take the piece they wrote off the site.

Bent Masses is new, and I am running this site solo. I hope to raise the level of work that is published, but that takes time and money. The largest reason I publish my own work on the site is to flesh out the issues. I hope to remove my work from the site once submissions start coming in more often.

Also, in the future I hope to pay writers for their stories. At the moment that date seems far off, but I do hope to pay writers at some point.

alvin123 · Sep 14, 2011

slicing_angel2003 said:
Hello, I've just found this thread. I should really watch this board more often. As far as the first electronic rights, yes we do require those, but because this market is brand new it would be easier to reprint it. Authors have the right to contact me if they publish the piece with another venue. I will take the piece they wrote off the site.

Bent Masses is new, and I am running this site solo. I hope to raise the level of work that is published, but that takes time and money. The largest reason I publish my own work on the site is to flesh out the issues. I hope to remove my work from the site once submissions start coming in more often.

Also, in the future I hope to pay writers for their stories. At the moment that date seems far off, but I do hope to pay writers at some point.

If you don't mind, I could write some stories for this site, maybe one per issue. Of course, it's still up to you to accept or reject it, but I'm always up for writing. (If I get the chance, I'll let writers and readers know of this site.)

jimr · Oct 4, 2011

Yes, it is a legitimate publication credit, and you should be very proud. Some of the negative responses to your question seem to come from frustrated, supercilious writers. Ignore them. Pat yourself on the back, brag a bit, and get 99 more stories published.
-Jim

Polenth · Oct 4, 2011

jimr said:
Yes, it is a legitimate publication credit, and you should be very proud. Some of the negative responses to your question seem to come from frustrated, supercilious writers. Ignore them. Pat yourself on the back, brag a bit, and get 99 more stories published.
-Jim

We're not saying what we're saying because we hate the market or we're frustrated, etc, etc. There's nothing wrong with submitting to non-paying hobby markets. I've done so before when I've liked the market, and the work is listed on my full bibliography.

But that's not what Alvin was asking. He wants credits to include in query letters to agents. This is not a market you'd include in those credits. It doesn't mean the market is bad. It just means agents aren't interested in knowing about it in a query letter.

Filigree · Oct 4, 2011

Not supercilious, but realistic. The hard, cold truth is that we send stuff to hobby markets as a labor of love, because we enjoy the publication and have an emotional stake in it. And we're not ashamed to cite it in our bibliographies. But to become an attention-getter citation, it has to come from a market large enough or respected enough to be an industry standard.

Otherwise, it's not worth the effort to mention it to an agent, and may well damage our case.

I'm looking at Bent Masses, as something fun. But I have to try some bigger markets first, if I want to leverage them as publishing credits.

James D. Macdonald · Oct 5, 2011

When you're submitting your stories always start at the top and work down.

CaoPaux · Nov 5, 2013

Did not survive '12.

[eZine] Bent Masses

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

A Gentleman of a refined age...

A Gentleman of a refined age...

An old, sappy, and happy one.

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Mostly Harmless

starting over

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

starting over

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Grr. Argh.

Mushroom

Author of Hell to Pay (Blood for S)

Mushroom

Mildly Disturbing

Your Genial Uncle

Mostly Harmless