Is Exposure Worth Giving Away Your Rights?

Posted on November 29, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

As a writer who wishes to one day make a living off his stories, I’ve made the conscious decision not to give away the rights on my work.  The rights to a story are what give them economic value—they’re worth something to me and others.

Yet many publications offer writers no monetary compensation for those rights, which once given can never be reclaimed (in case of first rights, which tend to be the most valuable).  Instead, for-the-love markets generally offer writers “exposure” as compensation.  On the surface, this might seem like a worthwhile thing.  The more readers who see my fiction means more potential readers looking for my stories in the future (and by extension, buying my work).  How can this be a bad thing?  That would depend on how many readers actually read the publication.  The question then is: “Do for-the-love markets actually offer much exposure?”  Or am I just giving away my hard work for nothing?

This is a difficult thing to assess.  Few markets publish their print run or page views, so how do I determine if the exposure promised by a for-the-love market equates to one reader (the editor), dozens of readers (the editor’s friends), or potentially thousands of readers?  One way to do this is to look at page views for electronic publications: the more page views, the more potential readers for a story.  While I’m not sure how to find out page views specifically, I can use the web analytics site Alexa to look at a relative global ranking, which takes into account page views.  I checked the rankings of numerous electronic pro-rate , semi-pro rate and token, and for-the-love markets and compiled the information below (I did not use any print only markets).  This is not meant to be extensive lists of markets, and I pulled many of the pro-rate and semi-pro and token rate markets from my experience submitting stories so I’ll admit its a somewhat biased selection.  I obtained the for-the-love markets by making a haphazard selection from a list of non-paying markets on The (Submission) Grinder.  Some markets didn’t have ranking because their visitation was so low, and so I assigned it the lowest ranking that appeared in my list in order to calculate an average for each category of publication.  I compiled all rankings on November 27th, 2013, so if you go and check them now, they’ve likely change a little.

Pro-rate Markets
Tor.com: 25,475
Daily Science Fiction: 426,219
Clarkesworld: 543,286
Lightspeed: 543,826
Buzzy: 923,063
Apex: 1,355,594
Beneath Ceaseless Skies: 7,063,445

Average Rank: 1,722,847

Semi-pro and Token Markets
Everyday Fiction: 414,878
Kasma SF: 1,989,104
The Future Fire: 2,993,105
Abyss and Apex: 4,393,029
Plasma Frequency: 5,545,776
Stupefying Stories: 6,619,188
Ideomancer: 16,065,587
Giganotosaurus: 16,507,761
Silverthought: no rank
Perihelion: no rank

Average Rank: 9,754,404

For the Love Markets
Bewildering Stories: 1,144,087
Café Irreal: 1,379,463
Revolution SF: 1,436,537
Planetary Stories: 13,723,694
Hyperpulp: no rank
eSciFi: no rank
The Speculative Edge: no rank
Midnight Diner: no rank

Average Rank: 10,464,353

The first thing I see is that for-the-love markets have significantly lower average rank than pro-rate markets.  That’s not surprising.  Two things did surprise me, however:

(1) The variability in ranking for pro-rate markets was high, so while most markets ranked well (especially compared to non-pro rate markets) some of the markets, such as Beneath Ceaseless Skies, had rankings lower than some semi-pro, token, and for-the-love markets.

(2) The average ranking for semi-pro and token markets wasn’t much lower than that of the for-the-love markets, and some of the non-pro markets had rankings that were competitive with, or in the case of Everyday Fiction better than, pro-rate markets.

So what’s it all mean?  In nearly all cases, more people read pro-rate publications (no surprise there), but some non-pro rate publications can get close to the same number of page views, and thus likely have similar readerships.  In terms of readership, non-pro rate markets are a mixed bag—some appear to have a respectable number of readers and others don’t.  So receiving exposure for the a story’s rights might be an okay trade-off, provided the story is given to the right market, and in terms of exposure, that right market might not be one that pays much.

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Inspiration: “The Octopus Garden”

Posted on November 23, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

Two weeks ago, Suction Cup Dreams: An Octopus Anthology was published by obsolescent.info press.  The anthology contains my story “The Octopus Garden.”  I originally wrote this story in 1991 after watching a documentary on Vanuatu.  The documentary had a sequence in which a boy catches his first octopus, and as a rite of passage, must kill it by biting it between the eyes.  That sequence stuck with me for a long.  About the same time, I moved to Hawai‘i and learned about the traditional Hawaiian octopus lure, which is made from sharpened wood or a pig’s tusk, a stone and a cowry shell.  It’s an odd, but beautiful item.

The octopus is an important animal in many Pacific Island cultures and mythologies (e.g., most cultures in the Pacific have a deity that can assume the form of an octopus).  It’s an incredible, enigmatic, and highly intelligent creature.  And all of this inspired “The Octopus Garden.”  In that original 1991 version, I had the basic story I wanted, but I had all the details wrong.  Over the intervening 20 years, I changed the point of view (from third person to first person and back to third), the main character (from a white man to a Pacific Islander), the supporting characters (added some removed others) and the central conflict.  I changed everything except for the basic story idea and scene with the octopus hunt.

“The Octopus Garden” took me twenty years to get right, and I’m proud of this story for many reasons.  If you’re looking for an interesting collection of stories inspired by one of the world’s more fascinating creatures, add Suction Cup Dreams to your wish list, or better yet by a copy today.

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Making Up Ground in NaNoWriMo

Posted on November 21, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

After the first ten days of November, I found myself behind pace to meet my NaNoWriMo target.  I had a good excuse (I was traveling), but excuses are worth less than the paper they’re written on, especially when they’re not written on paper at all!  Since getting home, I’ve been able to focus my writing efforts, and I’ve made up all the ground I lost in the first third of the month.  The words are coming easily right now, so I’m taking advantage of that.  I’ve also been keeping up with novel editing, even if that has slowed a little while the new words are flowing.  All in all, a good middle third to the month.

For those keeping track, here’s what I accomplished:

Nov 11—1,920 words
Nov 12—3,092 words
Nov 13—1,920 words
Nov 14—1,868 words
Nov 15—2,098 words
Nov 16—1,716 words
Nov 17—1,724 words
Nov 18—1,774 words
Nov 19—1,941 words
Nov 20—2,408 words
Middle Third—20,725 words
Total words—35,683 words

That gives me a daily average of 1,703 words, which puts me on track for 51,090 words at month’s end.  That would be well above the NaNoWriMo target and just a bit above my personal target for the month, so I’m feeling good about what I’ve accomplished.  I’ve still got a long way to go, however, so I’m going to get back to it.  Good writing to everyone, whether for NaNoWriMo or not.

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Maybe NaNoWriMo Isn’t for You, and That’s OK

Posted on November 18, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, has grown into a writing institution over the past decade.  Started in 1999 with less than two dozen writers, it now has over 200,000 participants and has taken on a life of its own.  I know a lot of people who consider it an annual “write” of passage (I know, that was bad).  Just a look around at writing websites, it seems like everyone is doing NaNoWriMo—much to the chagrin of some fellow writers.  Posts with word counts abound.  Posts trumpeting finished chapters.  More posts angsting over falling hopelessly behind.

But you know what, NaNoWriMo isn’t for everyone, and it shouldn’t be.  NaNoWriMo is not the be-all, end-all of writing.  In fact, I think it can be counterproductive for some writers.  There is no one way to write—there are as many ways to write as there are writers.  Some people write slowly; others spill words on the page like water.  Pantsers versus outliners…people who draft once and are done; others who need two dozen drafts and even then they might not be comfortable saying “finished.”

I view NaNoWriMo as a tool to aid writers.  Like any tool, it should only be used if it’s the right one for the job.  If needed, it should also be modified to suit a writer’s needs.  Who says you have to write a novel?  Why not write five or ten short stories, instead?  Is 50,000 words too much?  Then write 40K?  NaNoWriMo isn’t a magic bullet to writing success—in fact, I would guess over 99% of the words written during NaNoWriMo will never be publishable—but it can be an effective tool.  If used the right way.

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Wastelands II Anthology Delayed

Posted on November 15, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

The more I publish, the more I learn about the business.  Earlier this year, my story “Dreams in Dust” was accepted as a reprint for an anthology called Wastelands II, originally to be released by Nightshade Books last July.  Nightshade was one of the those small publishers with a notorious reputation—failing to pay author royalties, for example—so I probably should have been wary, but the editor of the anthology is well-respected, experienced, and good, so I figured he knew what he was doing.  Fortunately for me, he does.

Nightshade ran into a bunch of financial problems earlier this year and was eventually bought out by Skyhorse Publishing and Start Publishing.  That put Wastelands II into limbo.  That’s also when the anthology’s editor, John Joseph Adams, kicked it into high gear, and it looks like things are finally sorting themselves out.  While I don’t have the specifics yet, it looks like the anthology will be coming out . . . just not until 2015.  Hey, who ever said traditional publishing was a fast industry?  At least the anthology still looks to be a go, and from what I’ve seen of the table of contents, it looks like it will be worth the wait.

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One-third of the Way There: A NaNoWriMo Update

Posted on November 11, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

For me, succeeding during National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is about consistency.  I need to write every day or risk falling so far behind that I can’t catch up.  For the past five years, that’s how I made it.

If I’m going to make it this year, I’m going to have to do things differently.  I was traveling for the first nine days of November, so I missed a lot of writing time, which has put me pretty far behind in my progress.  On the days I did write, the words came pretty easily, so that’s a good sign that I can get back on track.  I’m also particularly pleased that I’ve managed to keep up with edits on my novel-in-progress.

Here’s what I’ve written so far over the first third of November:

Nov 1—2,614 words
Nov 2—0 words
Nov 3—2,251 words
Nov 4—1,344 words
Nov 5—1,717 words
Nov 6—1,197 words
Nov 7—0 words
Nov 8—222 words
Nov 9—1,983 words
Nov 10—2,023 words
Total—13,351 words

I’m averaging only 1,335 words/day, which is well below the daily average I need to write if I’m going to succeed (1,700 words/day).  So at the one-third mark of the month, I’m a little off the NaNoWriMo pace, but I think I can catch up. I’m about 4,000 words behind, which if I can keep plowing forward every day I could make up in about a week.  Consistency for the rest of the month will be key.

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“The Octopus Garden” Now Available

Posted on November 8, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

It’s been a while coming, but Suction Cup Dreams: An Octopus Anthology has finally been released by obsolescent.info press.  The anthology contains my story “The Octopus Garden,” which was inspired by my time in the Pacific Islands and of course my love of the ocean.  Having seen the proofs of the book, I can honestly say this is a beautiful volume, and I will be making it a gift for some family members and friends who I think will enjoy it.  The book is currently available at Amazon, but I believe it will be available at more stores in the near future.

Here’s a little teaser to pique your interest:

Pieces of sky lay scattered in the rust-red mud. A warm breeze rippled the cotton-puff clouds until the reflections were gone, leaving only puddles. Tomoa, hands in pockets, suit coat flapping in the ocean breeze, stared at a solitary survey flag in the expanse of mud.

“You don’t believe me?” said Pa’ali. The construction foreman looked from Mitchell to Tomoa, as if expecting his fellow Pacific Islander to come to his assistance.

Tomoa pushed at a ridge in the mud with the toe of his Italian leather shoe. Dozens of furrows sliced across the empty construction site to the ocean’s edge. “You must admit,” he said, “you story is hard to believe.”

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Where Do I Stand Heading Into the Home Stretch

Posted on November 5, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

I’ve been unmotivated to write my third-quarter progress report for my 2013 writing goals because I’ve been afraid of what I might see.  I’ve been so focused—I might even say consumed—by doing novel edits recently that several of my other goals have fallen to the side.  I shouldn’t be surprised; in my last update I was concerned that might happen, and indeed that concern has come to fruition.  I’m a little disappointed, certainly, but I’m also happy that I’m finally making tangible progress toward completing my novel, and I think I will get the edits done before the end of the year.  So here’s what I’ve accomplished in the third quarter (July-September) for each of my 2013 writing goals:

  1. Write and/or edit at least 700 words per day.  I successfully wrote or edited 73,714 words this quarter, bringing my total to 203,985 for the year.  This works out to 750 words per day over the course of the year.  I failed to hit my word target in September, but this word-count number is a little hard to interpret.  I credit myself 500 words for a day of editing (usually it’s about an hour), and I’ve spent many days revising my novel-in-progress, so many of these words aren’t “new” words.  I’ve also spent as much as two or three hours in a day editing, yet I’ve only given myself credit for 500 words, whereas if I was writing, I could have written 3,000 words in that time. I’m not reading a lot into this number—it’s simply a way to measure time spent writing, and I’m happy with where I’m sitting.
  2. Finish at least twelve short stories.  I completed no short stories, keeping my total for the year at six.  Again, I am not too disappointed to fall off pace because I have been making progress on my novel.  I also still have several stories in that “nearly” finished stage, but haven’t been able to push them to completion yet, which is actually disappointing to me.
  3. Make at least 60 story submissions or five sales.  This quarter I made 32 submissions, which brings my total to 54 submission this year and puts me on track to make my goal.  For the first, I made a lot of submissions to foreign markets.  Additionally I made two sales, my first ever foreign sale to Nova Fantasia and a second to Kasma SF.  I’ve now sold five stories in 2013, including two sales to pro-rate markets.  I have met this goal with a quarter to go!
  4. Revise and submit my draft novel.  I’ve made tangible progress on revising my novel, and I think I have a good chance of finishing my revisions by the end of the year.  If I can do that, I will submit my novel, perhaps to the open call at Angry Robot.
  5. Develop a series for self-publication.  I haven’t made much progress on this goal, but I intend to write this novella in November as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  I have a rough outline for the novella, and I’m currently targeting about 40,000 words.  Unfortunately, I likely will not reach my entire goal this year; I doubt I will get this story self-published before 2013 ends.
  6. Complete NaNoWriMo (50,000 words in November).  NaNoWrMo is already here, and I’ve fallen a little behind, but not enough to be concerned (I’m actually traveling for the day job now, so I expected to fall behind).  If I can make it this year, that would five straight years that I’ve succeeded.

Overall, I’ve had a mixed bag of successes so far.  I doubt I’m going to meet all my annual writing goals, but I’m happy with my progress.  If I can finish my novel edits, and combined with my pro-rate sales, I would consider this a successful writing year.  The fourth quarter is nearly half over already, and I have a long way to go, however.  So back to writing.

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Ack! NaNoWriMo is Here Already

Posted on November 1, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

Where did October go?  Ordinarily I wouldn’t comment on the ending of a month, but with October ending, it means November is starting.  November means National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.  For those not familiar with NaNoWriMo, it’s a celebration of writing with a challenge for all those who wish to participate: write a short novel (50,000 words) in the month of November.  I use it as a writing challenge to up my productivity for a month, and have succeeded the past five years running.  I don’t always write a novel, and I won’t this year either—I plan to write a complete novella instead.  The novella, combined with my continuing novel edits, should fill my time for November.  I’ll post periodic updates here, but I’ll likely be a little scarce in these parts for much of the month.

If you’ve never done NaNoWriMo before and have always wanted write a novel, I suggest you give it a try.  It has a great community that offers a lot of support and inspiration (if you’re into that sort of thing).  Last year  I even offered a little advice on what I think is needed for success—unfortunately I haven’t followed all my own advice this year!  Even if you don’t succeed, it’s an opportunity to put butt-in-chair, and let’s face it, that’s at least half the battle right there.  Once you start, you might just surprise yourself.  Good writing to you all.

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Do I Have a Title?

Posted on October 31, 2013 by D. Thomas Minton

I originally thought the title of my novel-in-progress was going to be Deep Fire.  I had envisioned writing a science fiction thriller set on a mining station in space, but that wasn’t the novel I wound up writing.  I never bothered to change the title on the file, however, but I knew it needed to be changed.  Unfortunately, I’m terrible with titles, so I’ve been languishing under the old one.

I think I now have a new working title (or something close), and one that may just stick: The Well of Infinity.  Or maybe Infinity’s Well.  I haven’t quite decided which of the two I like better.  If you have any thoughts, I’d like to hear them.

If you’re curious about the novel itself, here’s a book jacket teaser I came up with last year (with thanks to Marc Schuster for some suggested revisions):

A man lost in time.  A survivor of a deadly plague.  A fugitive and her traumatized clonemate.  Captain Halcyon Jonah has assembled them to finish a mission that has already cost his previous crew their lives.  If they succeed, each may find personal salvation.  If they fail, their mission may destroy the galaxy.

If I can get my revisions done before the end of the calendar year, I’ll probably submit it to the open call at Angry Robot.  I’ve got a long way to go, however, so I guess I better get back at it.

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