This is topic What do editors want? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.


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Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :
 
A writer named Jim Harrington started a blog that I thought was a great idea. Called "six questions for..." the entries query the editors of various publications. So now you _can_ know what editors want. The hard part, of course, is delivering it.

Six Questions For...
 
Posted by Merlion-Emrys (Member # 7912) on :
 
quote:
So now you _can_ know what editors want. The hard part, of course, is delivering it.
Well...sort of. Even though the 6 Questions blog is great and can help you when deciding where to send what, generally the editors answers to the questions still don't tell you what their particular idea of whatever it is they say they want is. I realize that sentence was a bit odd, so here's an example from the Q&A with Daily Science Fiction


quote:
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a story and why?

JL: An engaging, captivating character. I want to miss him or her as soon as I finish the story. I want to want to be her or him (or get as far away from her or him as possible) while reading.

That's nice and all but it doesn't tell us what this person's idea of an engaging, captivating character is. However, it does tell us that character is of paramount importance to this editor...and don't get me wrong the 6 Questions blog is a great read and far more informative than most such things I've seen. But, I don't feel that the hard part is delivering what editors want...I think the hard part is finding the particular editor who is the right fit for a particular story and the only way to do that is write a bunch and submit until your ears fall off.
 
Posted by LeetahWest (Member # 9402) on :
 
That is a great idea! Thanks for the link. Now I have more stuff to read so I can put off writing . . . wait a minute . . . *whimpers*
 
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
 
Interesting...but, I've got to admit, I've never heard of these markets. I don't go the online route for marketing---though I might reevaluate my position someday.
 
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
 
Another place to find editor interviews is on Duotrope (the online fiction and poetry resource listing). Duotrope currently lists 437 editor interviews (linked below) and adds more regularly. Each interview consists of 10 to 12 questions and answers.

http://www.duotrope.com/interview.aspx
 


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