Those submission manager services

talkwrite · Aug 15, 2012

I am submitting to literary journals for general publication ( non contests) and I find some have their own submission manager services that are free for submitting your manuscript on line. They are really handy and you can track the response to your submission through them. Then there are those that require a modest payment ( $2-3.00) either by a credit card or paypal. They have you agree to a page of serious legal terms first that includes a lot of what might happen if they are hacked ... which is where I stopped. I understand and empathize with the need for financing these journals but has anyone heard of problems people have had using these services? One example is Manuscript Hub. Thanks!

defcon6000 · Aug 15, 2012

I for one refuse to pay a journal/market just so I can submit to them. I think it's scandalous. Money should flow into the writer's pocket, not out of it. And if they can't support their journal without charging the writer, then maybe they should rethink their business.

I know that doesn't answer your question, but my advice is to skip them. Find a journal who won't charge you.

talkwrite · Aug 15, 2012

Thanks defconn6000, I agree with you as far as non contest or regular submissions go. If they publishe your excellent writing then they can look forward to selling more copies of their journal and it rises in the ranks. But when it comes to the costs of running a contest with notable judges, then I can see paying a fee. But in those cases I wish they would return your submission with comments at least. So few do.

alexshvartsman · Aug 15, 2012

talkwrite said:
I am submitting to literary journals for general publication ( non contests) and I find some have their own submission manager services that are free for submitting your manuscript on line. They are really handy and you can track the response to your submission through them. Then there are those that require a modest payment ( $2-3.00) either by a credit card or paypal. They have you agree to a page of serious legal terms first that includes a lot of what might happen if they are hacked ... which is where I stopped. I understand and empathize with the need for financing these journals but has anyone heard of problems people have had using these services? One example is Manuscript Hub. Thanks!

No legitimate publication in the world will charge you a submission fee to consider your writing. Simply ignore the outfits whose business model is to collect money from you. When you're attempting to place your work you're a vendor/content provider, not a customer.

talkwrite · Aug 16, 2012

alexshvartsman said:
No legitimate publication in the world will charge you a submission fee to consider your writing. Simply ignore the outfits whose business model is to collect money from you. When you're attempting to place your work you're a vendor/content provider, not a customer.

OK You're confusing a fee to submit and the fee for their submission manager service. The latter is what I am talking about. They don't charge a fee if you snail mail your submission. But these are very reputable literary journals- see for yourself :
Glimmertrain charges a fee to submit or a "reading fee" http://www.glimmertrainpress.com/writer/html/index2.asp
And so does Meridian Review at the University of Virginia
http://readmeridian.org/?page_id=45
And here is Ploughshares
http://www.pshares.org/submit/guidelines.cfm

My question is if anyone has had problems or glitches with submission services.

defcon6000 · Aug 16, 2012

Gimmertrain only charges fees for their contests. Every other month you can submit for free.

Frankly, I still wouldn't pay for a fee, reputable or not.

talkwrite said:
My question is if anyone has had problems or glitches with submission services.

If you're talking about not paying fee, like Submishmash or Glimmertain's, then no, I've never had an issue.

Lady MacBeth · Aug 16, 2012

I use Submishmash all the time. I've used a few others too and never had any problems.

V1c · Aug 16, 2012

I don't like the fees for submission managers (since they're not that horrible in price, anyway) but have been too lazy to go to the post office before and used one. No problem.

Wallace Cass · Aug 23, 2012

Re:

I may be old fashioned, but I find the idea of paying someone to manage submissions to be somewhat dodgy and to be avoided. Managing your own submissions isn't all that complicated and generally involves just keeping records of who you submitted to, what you submitted, when you submitted, and what the end result was.

Never pay an upfront fee to have your work considered.

talkwrite · Aug 27, 2012

Wallace Cass said:
I may be old fashioned, but I find the idea of paying someone to manage submissions to be somewhat dodgy and to be avoided. Managing your own submissions isn't all that complicated and generally involves just keeping records of who you submitted to, what you submitted, when you submitted, and what the end result was.

Never pay an upfront fee to have your work considered.

A submission manager service is the service the journal or publication uses to collect, categorize and acknowledge receipt of the submission. So it is not a fee for the sake of submitting. But like we have said, this is a cost of doing business to the publication. Since posting my question I have submitted to 15 highly challenging lit-journals, where I would love to be published and I did not have to use a fee paid service.
Also the times are changing and maybe the word is getting out about free submission services ( submittable for one ). I expect fee paid services will be extinct ...at least before my collection wins the Pushcart.

Those submission manager services

talkwrite

Passion in full bloom

defcon6000

talkwrite

Passion in full bloom

alexshvartsman

talkwrite

Passion in full bloom

defcon6000

Lady MacBeth

Out, damn'd spot! out, I say.

V1c

Hmmmmm

Wallace Cass

Potato Jedi

talkwrite

Passion in full bloom