Editors Notes: Time For A Literary Calling Out: Time For Some Professionalism

I was speaking with a writer friend and am glad he sees this landscape the way I do. This is at least tells me I am not suffering from the same kind of narcissism that these hacks enjoy.

As I have mentioned before much of the hack-a-rama that is the publishing scene at this point in history has to do with quick shot and short shelf life anthologies that essentially use the writer, who is either paid nothing, or less, to make the publisher money. These anthologies appeal to new writers for recognition but use more established writers in a less than socially acceptable way.

Many of these anthologies are published through anthologists who claim the book is 'by' them as opposed to 'edited' by that particular anthologist. This essentially strips the by-line from the contributor author and leaves all credit with the anthologist.

This is dishonest.

Another characteristic of these memorable tomes is the lack of recognition to the receipt of a story as well as the refusal to address queries and even to notify someone of either inclusion or rejection. Facebook and blogs by the publisher's friends and confidantes will publish a Table of Contents without the publisher or anthologist certifying the choices.

Sure life is harsh but these publishers, many of whom cavort about proclaiming how we have to have 'fairness' and 'diversity' in their art won't recognize the existence of contributors even as they count their sales.

So it is time to start calling out them out. Many inside publishing sites rate these publishers via response time and correspondence so what I propose here is nothing different. If anyone knows of any drop me a line as we will look to shed the light on the 'sludging' of this business.

First up is Skywarrior Books. For their anthology using the much tread title, "These Vampires Don't Sparkle". There was nary a response to either receipt or query. A review of their website has nothing about this anthology but some friends of the firm list their pieces within and one even published a table of contents. From a look at the proposed cover....well I had to shield my eyes from the glare.

Were we accepted? No, but we weren't rejected either. I have no clue if my story was even read.

Can we please be a little more professional? Is that too much to ask?  If you don't want me -- tell me. Answer emails.

This is not a gripe but an epidemic and more will follow. Anyone who wishes to contribute to this line of posting, please contact me. Unless we take the bull


 

My Manifesto Going Forward And A Change Of Direction

I posted this on Facebook this morning to the two or three people who actually might care:

"Well it looks like anthology entrant has bit the dust. What looked like to be a break out year I have lost eight anthologies between November 2013 and now because either publishers have gone belly up or have just given up on the project because they been distracted by another shinier new penny. Since this was the last of my stories sitting and rotting for the better part of the year I have definitely learned my lesson. As I have told a number of good people I am changing the way I do things. I understand the problems publishers have in this present business climate; but I also understand that I am not chasing they way I did and will spend more time building up my catalogue again of available tales and will only do business with people I trust rather than what appears on its face via submission sites to be a good fit."

Good things have happened but great things have been stalled. So few anthologies and publishers thereof are trustworthy these days. Within the last year, as I have stated, we have seen the growing trend of 'a friends only anthology' as well as 'token' anthologies where characters beliefs, race, religion and sexual preference are mandated.

These have added to the erosion started by the unprofessional who for some money given them by the parents, grandparents or a doting aunt or uncle can set up publishing companies with no clue.

Writing should stand the test of time and that means beyond the shelf life of the next book and until publishers take that to heart they will continue to fly into the proverbial glue strip hanging under the naked light bulb of history to be forgotten.