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Old Hack

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I think everyone but you was out, Frank.
 

CaoPaux

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Traditional fair warning re: Spring cleaning of publishers imminent. Govern yerselves accordingly.
 

mrsmig

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Thanks for doing this, CaoPaux - again. I know it's a fiddly and time-consuming task, but I appreciate your hard work in keeping the index up to date.

Is it my imagination, or are we seeing about a 50% failure rate thus far? I know we're only up to the Bs, but still. Maybe we need to have a special emoji in the title line for each failed publisher's thread. Like ☠️ or ⚰️.
 

CaoPaux

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As in 50% of the threads I bump are to announce a (probable) demise? Wouldn't surprise me. I figure for any given thread, the choices are no update; update with new URL, imprint, or other item of seeming significance; or record closure/inactivity.
 

Richard White

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Trust me, Cao, I highly appreciate the work you do keeping this updated. It's a major point at the end of my Writer Beware presentations at conventions to come check the Index for any agents, publishers, editors, designers, etc., people are thinking about querying.

Always better to do the homework first rather than fighting to regain your money and rights later.
 

muse

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Appreciate all your hard work, CaoPaux. :Clap:
 

Ludens

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Thanks for doing this, CaoPaux - again. I know it's a fiddly and time-consuming task, but I appreciate your hard work in keeping the index up to date.

Absolutely. Thanks for doing this for us, Cao!
 

CaoPaux

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Aaand, done. Latest tally: 2507 pubs, 1197 inactive (agents 1201/537).
 

AW Admin

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Thanks so very much. Truly going above and beyond.
 

Richard White

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What would be an interesting (albeit a time-consuming) endeavor would be to see what the average life-span of an agency/publisher was (the on-going ones and then the closed ones)--especially with the closed ones.

I think an actual listing of Opened X - Closed Y would be rather eye-opening.

Obviously some of the older agencies and publisher were established well before the Index, but I think it might be useful to get some ballpark figures for the next time someone says "Well, we should give this or that a chance". Empirical evidence is usually much stronger than anecdotal.
 

Frankie007

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What would be an interesting (albeit a time-consuming) endeavor would be to see what the average life-span of an agency/publisher was (the on-going ones and then the closed ones)--especially with the closed ones.

I think an actual listing of Opened X - Closed Y would be rather eye-opening.

Obviously some of the older agencies and publisher were established well before the Index, but I think it might be useful to get some ballpark figures for the next time someone says "Well, we should give this or that a chance". Empirical evidence is usually much stronger than anecdotal.

i agree.

and sometimes i wonder, for those that just came into existence and have no history.... i've seen some people post that one should be weary and maybe wait to query them. but, someone has to be the first in order to give the new agent/pub a history.
 

Richard White

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Frankie,

I have to disagree. New publishers should already be set up and ready to go LONG before they open their doors. They should have experience in the publishing business already - learning how to do it by working for a publisher. Then, they should have enough experience that they can have authors lined up so that when they open their doors, it's to say, "Hey, we're a new publisher and here are our new books."

Of course, we want new publishers and we want publishers who want new authors, but publishers should not get to practice on new author's books. Authors should respect their own work enough that they're certain the publisher can do basic publishing stuff (editorial, marketing, distribution, covers, design). Otherwise, why not just do it yourself and keep all the cash, because an underfunded and inexperienced publisher is unlikely to provide anything worth the amount of money they're going to earn off your book.

Publisher and Agent are not entry-level positions.
 

Old Hack

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Cao, you are wonderful. Thank you for the work you do here. It's huge.
 

Siwyenbast

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Question: If there's a non-paying market, such as a university literary magazine, out there but not on the list here, would I need to poke someone about it? Because I don't see my university's (University of Houston) literary magazines (Glass Mountain, Gulf Coast, Shards [on staff this semester for that one]) on the master list.
 

CaoPaux

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Absence just means no one's discussed them yet, so feel free to start a thread.
 

CaoPaux

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Yo, y'all! I'm aiming to update agents (later) this week. Closed-toed shoes recommended.

ETA: Done! Stats - Agents: 1226 active / 604 inactive, Pubs: 2608 active / 1202 inactive
 
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CaoPaux

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A belated welcome back to y'all!

I'm about done stubbing my toes on the rearranged furniture, so updating will resume Real Soon Now.
 

CaoPaux

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Welp, it's finally come time to make a new Index. My current plan is to make a new thread for each category (Agents, Publishers, etc.), with a post (or two) dedicated to each letter of the alphabet. Which will hopefully last us another 20 years.

So, now's the time for complaints/comments/suggestions re: changing symbols, colors, and/or formatting.

Excelsior!