I cringe when struggling writers publicly post comments like "I don’t care how much I get paid, so long as I get published" or "I’m just going to build my credits by publishing a in a few token payment markets, then use this to build some credits in the semi-pro market, then use my semi-pro credits to build into my professional markets."
I understand the reasoning. You just want to be published. And in most careers, everyone has to start at the bottom to work their way up to the managerial level. But writing is different. Writing has no "bottom rung" of the ladder. I used to be one of those people who used to say "I just need to get my name in print." A slew of more experienced writers taught me better by sharing their wisdom.
Token payment markets seldom leads to credits that can be used to crack into the semi-pro market. Few semi-pro markets are "respectable" enough to lead to pro-markets. Editors and publishers disregard publishing credits that are from these markets. They will judge your work on your current talent and the strength of any good credits you have. Bad credits can count against you.
"I don’t care how much I get paid?" Don’t ever say those words in public. They can and will be used against you by any publisher or agent who is paying attention. Not to mention the attitude of "I’ll do anything to get published" is what usually leads authors to buy into vanity presses, editorial services, writing scams of all nature, and getting paid a pittance by any legit publishers. By publicly proclaiming that you don’t care about money, you’ve just devalued yourself and your work.
The thing is, you should care about the money. You should care enough to ensure you’re getting the best contract you can for the work you turn in. The money shouldn’t be the be-all, end-all of getting published, but if you don’t care at all about the money, you might as well just self-publish for Kindle, Nook, and iBookstore–without involving a publisher–and give your work away for free while you’re at it.
So don’t start at the bottom to work your way up. Start at the top. If the pro markets reject you, you can still fall back on semi-pro and token payment markets. Of course, there’s always the chance that those pro markets, the ones you didn’t think you were ready for, are going to send that marvelous acceptance letter your way.
One Response
I agree. It totally doesn’t work that way.
Sell to the best and most prestigious market your work is capable of. It’s probably not as good as you think it is, but why would you sandbag if you can get a great story into widely-read magazines? You’re not getting better as a writer when you publish, just more famous.