posted
Let's not get hung up on cost. If we keep everything down by using volunteers, then the first thing out of the proceeds pot can be 50% to contributors and 50% to out-of-pocket until that's paid off. If we don't make the out-of-pocket then we can consider it a donation to the collective.
I agree with the standards piece. There are only going to be 15 or so stories, so they should showcase our writers group.
I've completed the proposal and you can look at it here:
As I say in the group. We'll give it a week or two for people to comment and then we'll get a timeline/schedule posted.
Posts: 1608 | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Subvention is an acceptable publishing funding practice. Kickstarter is modeled along subvention lines. A subvention is moneys paid by a donor organization or individual for preparing and producing a publication.
Literary journals often charge reasonable, legitimate reading fees in order to fund their publications. The charge is so that a publicly-funded institution, like a university, can open up its publication to submissions by the general public. Many if not all literary journals staff their operations with professor-advisors and student workers who are paid by university funding, plus using other university resources like office space and furnishings, computer systems, mailing services, etc. Otherwise, by law, a journal would have to limit its submissions to members of the institution's academic community. Unless funded by unrestricted subventions or other non-taxpayer funding.
Along with a formal call for submissions, a call for subventions could also be announced for a Hatrack anthology, patently noting that donating a subvention in no way influences any given submission's publication outcomes.
Posts: 6037 | Registered: Jun 2008
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quote:Originally posted by legolasgalactica: scrounge up a hundred or so curious or sympathetic friends and family
A hundred?
I consider myself blessed in both the friends and family department. I think I could sell maybe 5 copies to friends and family.
For example I have blindly bought the works of several members here out of curiosity and also to support my "friends" here; although, in reality, I hardly know anyone here. I will buy more as long as I don't have to dig too far in order to find them. I know I'd be proud to buy anything my family or friends were dedicated and brave enough to publish--assuming their efforts merited such attention. And I believe many of my friends and relatives would reciprocate these sentiments, but perhaps I'm just both strange and naive.
Posts: 164 | Registered: Jun 2013
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quote: I agree wholeheartedly with the good doctor, especially about the quality of stories accepted for inclusion. In my humble opinion, this proposed anthology would not be the place for a trunk story. You see, I wouldn't want to submit a piece that had already been rejected elsewhere unless I had figured out how to fix what was broken about it (and gotten confirmation from others that the story had, indeed, been cured.)
With respect toward and understanding of the sentiment shown here I would just add two things: One, we as writers are encouraged to send new stories to the best-paying markets first...and second, something getting rejected has little to do with its quality (if you believe there is any such thing as a concrete concept of quality for this kind of thing, which I personally don't.)
While I find this to be a neat idea, I am not inclined to write a story specifically to it, or to submit a brand-new story to it if its going to be non-paying (as it probably should be) when said story could first be tried in high-paying markets.
While I once again find this to be a nice idea, I think that whole submission process and figuring out which are the "highest quality" stories is likely to be a bit problematic and a possible sore point....however looking at Owasm's proposal I think it will depend on how people handle their submission process and how much they specifically want to be in this particular anthology. For me, I rarely submit to royalties-only markets, but will do so sometimes with stories that haven't found a home in higher paying markets. From my perspective this would be maybe a little different, but not by a large margin.
Posts: 2626 | Registered: Apr 2008
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posted
There will be a submission process. If you submit and get selected, you accept the terms of the publication. That gives each writer the choice of what story to submit.
If you've got a good 'trunk' story, then you are free to submit it. That's what I plan on doing since I'm not active in the short story market.
Posts: 1608 | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
I don't really have a "trunk" in quite the sense most use the term...and I think all stories (not just mine) are good...this is why I'd make a terrible slush reader. I have a couple of things in possible mind although if you don't want horror that rules out one of my distinguishing groups of work.
Posts: 2626 | Registered: Apr 2008
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posted
Owasm says, "If you submit and get selected, you accept the terms of the publication." Which unless the terms of pub are set in stone up front, also means if you decide you don't like the terms, you can withdraw your work. Fair enough.
Being of the novel-and-serial bent, I have only one short standalone piece -- it was sold earlier this year but the venue's finances went tits-up and we withdrew it. I wrote the first half, a friend wrote the 2nd half (she'd have to agree on sending it here, of course), and I polished it. It's sort of contemporary horror, but creepy rather than gory.
Posts: 782 | Registered: Dec 2010
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posted
If we go the kickstarter route the question is do we have the audience for that? The number one indicator of kickstarter success is the number of Facebook friends the creator has. All my research suggests that you need to bring your audience with you. The percentage of people who discover a project using Kistarter's interface is pretty slim.
Collectively we might have a good network, if we were to attract the attention of some of our more successful alums (Mary Robinette Kowal, Eric James Stone, I'm sure there are others) that would force multiply our efforts.
Posts: 1895 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I was only thinking of kickstarter for the bare minimum mentioned of some $50 to $300. For that hatrack participation would suffice. Any friends who want to preorder a copy would be nice but not essential.
At any rate, it looks like OSWAM is willing to foot it if he gets it refunded.by the proceeds.
But kickstarter is still cool for preselling and generating interest through personal and professional networks we could bring.
It's all or nothing funding and seeing sales before it's published would be very motivating for me to get it done.
Posts: 164 | Registered: Jun 2013
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posted
I've posted the initial timeline for the Hatrack Anthology in the Group section. I haven't heard back if we can use the Hatrack name, but we will steam ahead regardless.
The key dates:
Submissions open on January 15th. Submission deadline is March 1st.
There is more to come, but the initial qualifiers are membership at Hatrack and speculative fiction.
Target for publication is June 1st.
More details on dates at the Hatrack Anthology group forum.
Posts: 1608 | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Can I still submit something? I wasn't able to read through the entire thread, but I have a story that was published a few years ago and I'd like to republish it.
Posts: 440 | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
As long as you have full rights to your story, you can submit. Submissions open on 1/15/14 and end on 3/1/14. The submission window is short, but most stories that will be submitted have most likely already been written (such as yours).
Posts: 1608 | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Owasm, I haven't heard back on the Hatrack name either.
I'd recommend proceeding as if permission is not given. Then, if it is, that's all to the good.
(I tended to use that philosophy when raising my kids. I figured it was easier to change a "no" answer into a "yes" answer than vice versa, so if there was any uncertainty, I would usually say "no".)
Posts: 8826 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Artwork. Don't know if you want to have any. Would complicate things with selection, etc. Maybe a cover design contest?
Maybe once the selection process is done, anyone who's got some talent and is inspired to create art relevant to a story can submit it, with a process similar to that for stories to decide which artworks are accepted?
Posts: 782 | Registered: Dec 2010
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posted
@Kathleen - That's what I've already decided. So we are thinking alike
@Reziac - That's a good idea. We could do that right after the selection and provide participants with titles and blurbs on each story.
Posts: 1608 | Registered: Feb 2009
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