posted
If this is the wrong place for this question, my apologies; I couldn't think of a better place to post it.
I know that there is commonly wailing and moaning among writers who seek to understand editorialeze. I've just really run into this for the first time, so I hoped to get some input from those of you more experienced writers who have been published in periodicals. I just had an editor tell me "This sounds like an interesting article for some of our readers. Since you have not written for us before, we need to specify that the article would be on speculation." I wouldn't be all that concerned about it if they paid on acceptance, but this publication (BackHome Magazine) pays on publication rather than on acceptance (I've heard the horror stories about groups that take the article, then sit on it for months/years). Do any of you have experience with this publication/response? How seriously should I take their interest, and is there anything I should stipulate in return? Sorry, I'm pretty new at this. Thanks for any input the pros out there have to give.
posted
Payment on publication is quit common. My first publication happened that way and it worked out just fine. I've heard of problems, but not usually and when there start to be problems with a market the market gets serious flack for it. If you have heard bad things about the MARKET you may want to ask questions, but basically, that's the way it is. And when it comes to short stories and articles, you just take it. Read the contract to make sure they don't want your first born child and take it. It's not a writer's market. It's an editor's market. I'd say congratulations on your first publication. Posts: 3567 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
"On speculation" means that they will not promise to take the article once you send it to them.
It's more or less the opposite of commissioning you to write the article for them, with a "kill fee" that they would pay you if they decided not to use what they had commissioned.
Most fiction is written on speculation and a good percentage of nonfiction is commissioned, so all they are saying is that they are not commissioning this article because they don't know you. If what you write is acceptable to them, they may commission something from you in the future.
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