Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Market Research Blues

This is topic Market Research Blues in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by onepktjoe (Member # 2352) on :

I was going to just post this in the "Markets..." forum (and I do intend to put a link there, also), but I thought this thread could be useful for readers, so....

I've been doing some market research lately, and the process is...overwhelming, to say the least. The big market lists (Ralan's, et al) are great, but still just plain huge. So, what I've been trying to do is come up with simplified lists. Those can be found at The Notebored, Liberty Hall's sister site http://rittinger.admiralxp.com/index.php in the "Genre Markets: SF/F" forum. You'll have to join the site to see them, but it's a good community with some fun stuff: Poetry Challenge Mondays, Flash Challenge Wednesdays, plus others (BTW, thanks to Kathleen for letting me blow NB's horn a little here).

The lists are basically just duplicates of the info you can find at any of the big market lists, but I'd like to make them something special. Now, lists aren't a substitute for actually reading any of these mags/webzines, but even trying to decide which ones to read can be daunting.

So, I guess what I'm trying to solicit in this thread is the following:

--Reader Comments, particularly about the editorial tastes of each pub.; for example: (in another thread started by Wbriggs) kdw wrote - "ASIMOV'S often publishes stories with stronger wordsmithing than storytelling. ANALOG, on the other hand, tends to publish stories with greater emphasis on storytelling ... The tendency towards an emphasis on wordsmithing [at Asimov's] is probably attributable to Gardner Dozois, and I imagine Sheila Williams is continuing that trend." Just snippets like this from your personal experiences with these mags/webzines.

--Market Readers (I've started a volunteer thread over at Notebored for this): People who would be willing to go out of their way to pick up (subscribe online to) a mag or two that they ordinarily wouldn't, and then pass on some short, general impressions.

--Snippets from Review Mags: Like Locus et al, who might have done a general review of a particular mag (as opposed to issue-specific reviews).

Any help with this would be appreciated. Post comments in this thread, over at Notebored, email them to me...whatever is easiest.

And please, feel free to use these lists (only pro and semi-pro up now, but paying, non-paying and contest lists are coming) to get your work out there in the market!

[This message has been edited by onepktjoe (edited August 28, 2005).]

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

Thanks for all the work you are doing on this, Joe. It is much appreciated.

I try to pick up different magazines and cruise a few sites from time to time, so I'll keep you posted.

Posted by onepktjoe (Member # 2352) on :

Thanks, Robyn. Nothing in-depth needed, just--What are you reading? What are your impressions of that editor's tastes?

I can see the rest of you out there, pushing and shoving to get in line for this one. Please! No unruliness! There's plenty of room for everybody