Post by Dabeagle on Dec 16, 2015 8:47:14 GMT -5
Submissions are always welcome! In fact, I have posted before encouraging you to send folks my way who might fit well. Even some of you, dear readers, have taken the plunge - like Steve T who gave us the Halloween story 'Not All Angels Have Wings', or JAmes Savik who recently gave us the sci-fi read 'The Nordia Incident'
What to expect with a submission: First, I'm going to read it. If it's a serial, I'll want it to be complete or nearly so. Unless you're an active guy like Cynus who writes a novel a day. I do look for plot, character development and follow certain ground rules which can be found on the Submissions page. I may send it back with suggestions or feedback, which are always meant to be constructive. I will engage in a dialogue about your story if you want that - just because I see it one way, doesn't mean others will.
Even though creating a story and putting it out there for public view is personal, comments about it or feedback or even rejecting the story, isn't. I do reject stories. You might think 'But Dave! You're asking for stories to post, why would you turn them down?' The answer is both complex and simple. Some stories are well written, but are more at home on Nifty than with me. There isn't anything wrong with that - Nifty serves a purpose and is huge for a reason. However, I'm not a carbon copy of Nifty and I do draw that distinction. Some stories express unique ideas, but aren't thought out well or are incomplete. Having made myself a victim, repeatedly, of posting without having completed the story, I avoid that whenever possible, now. Editing is also something I look for. Self editing works to a point, but most of us know what we intended to say so an extra pair of eyes never hurts. Plus, mistakes we make (to, too) we tend to ignore because we thought it was right the first time. I do catch some things on formatting for posting, but I'm not an editor.
If anything, I'd consider myself more of a beta reader. Some mistakes can yank me right out of a story. I've read enough online material to recognize some common mistakes or 'done to death' tropes, and so I counsel others in avoiding them. Yes, they can be useful and a new spin can be put on them - and I'm guilty of having used some of them myself. In general, though, if your story opens with your protagonist hearing the alarm go off (BZZZ! BZZZ!), running into someone in a hallway (literally) describing themselves in detail, right down to length, girth and circumcision date...I'm probably going to suggest you review and modify the scene/story.
If you've thought of submitting but weren't sure, go ahead. What have you got to lose? And if you read something you think would be well read here, please suggest to the author that they send me a note. I do not, as a rule, approach authors I know are hosted elsewhere lest it be seen as 'poaching'. However, it was also pointed out to me that the more places an author is hosted, the wider their reach. I'm still choosing to err on the side of civility as far as that goes.
Submit away!
What to expect with a submission: First, I'm going to read it. If it's a serial, I'll want it to be complete or nearly so. Unless you're an active guy like Cynus who writes a novel a day. I do look for plot, character development and follow certain ground rules which can be found on the Submissions page. I may send it back with suggestions or feedback, which are always meant to be constructive. I will engage in a dialogue about your story if you want that - just because I see it one way, doesn't mean others will.
Even though creating a story and putting it out there for public view is personal, comments about it or feedback or even rejecting the story, isn't. I do reject stories. You might think 'But Dave! You're asking for stories to post, why would you turn them down?' The answer is both complex and simple. Some stories are well written, but are more at home on Nifty than with me. There isn't anything wrong with that - Nifty serves a purpose and is huge for a reason. However, I'm not a carbon copy of Nifty and I do draw that distinction. Some stories express unique ideas, but aren't thought out well or are incomplete. Having made myself a victim, repeatedly, of posting without having completed the story, I avoid that whenever possible, now. Editing is also something I look for. Self editing works to a point, but most of us know what we intended to say so an extra pair of eyes never hurts. Plus, mistakes we make (to, too) we tend to ignore because we thought it was right the first time. I do catch some things on formatting for posting, but I'm not an editor.
If anything, I'd consider myself more of a beta reader. Some mistakes can yank me right out of a story. I've read enough online material to recognize some common mistakes or 'done to death' tropes, and so I counsel others in avoiding them. Yes, they can be useful and a new spin can be put on them - and I'm guilty of having used some of them myself. In general, though, if your story opens with your protagonist hearing the alarm go off (BZZZ! BZZZ!), running into someone in a hallway (literally) describing themselves in detail, right down to length, girth and circumcision date...I'm probably going to suggest you review and modify the scene/story.
If you've thought of submitting but weren't sure, go ahead. What have you got to lose? And if you read something you think would be well read here, please suggest to the author that they send me a note. I do not, as a rule, approach authors I know are hosted elsewhere lest it be seen as 'poaching'. However, it was also pointed out to me that the more places an author is hosted, the wider their reach. I'm still choosing to err on the side of civility as far as that goes.
Submit away!