We’ve added another way to submit to Membra Disjecta, along with the usual email attachment, we’re using Ecostamps, an online system that allows authors to, in their words”benefits writers by enabling them to search markets, receive automated reminders and alerts for contests and reading periods, track their submissions through the review process, and edit submissions in real-time.” For us, it allows the editors to manage the work of submissions in a very streamlined way and easily give feedback, which is important to us here, but has been increasingly difficult to accomplish due to time constraints, and do it all faster. Frankly, their online submission system seems better organized and easier to learn and manage than the one we instituted for DP.
The only problem I see with it, and I’m not sure it is a problem, is that the author has to pay for the service. Though they don’t tell exactly how much, they do say it’s “about the cost of a stamp” for each submission. However, again quoting, “100% of revenues after expenses directly support literacy programs and provide scholarships to writers to attend workshops and writing programs.” And that seems like it fits very well with who we are as a company.
So, all of that seems like a pretty good deal to me, but then, I’m not paying for it. My questions to you are: would you like a system like that? Does the cost, as it’s explained, seem reasonable to you? Would you like us to offer that system for the DP imprints as well? What do you think?
Well honestly? The reason I prefer to do email submissions is because paying for stamps/postage at this point are outrageous.
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Deena Replied:
July 14th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
@Heather Ingemar, that makes sense, especially if you’re regularly submitting.
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I would do it because I know you. BUT – if I were submitting to someone else, someone unknown to me, I would give it a pass and probably be annoyed, wondering if there was a scam hidden somewhere, no matter the reasons given or where sub monies were being utilized.
Being totally honest here -
Kathi
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Isabelle Santiago Replied:
July 14th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
@Kathi430, I’d have to agree with Kathi. I would be worried it was a publisher scheme to get my money. Not here, obviously, since I know and trust DP. But someone else… eh. Kind of the way agents aren’t supposed to charge to read submissions. It would just seem fishy.
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Deena Replied:
July 14th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
@Isabelle Santiago, I’d almost rather pay the fee than have the authors pay it, just because of that. I think, if it takes off and becomes a service authors love, one that saves a lot of bother in the long run, and then if they found a publisher through that service, that would make it seem less backwards.
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Deena Replied:
July 14th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
@Kathi430, yeah, that would be worrisome to me, too. I like totally honest, thanks.
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I’d actually be happy to support literacy programs; I just wish they weren’t so handwavy about the exact cost to authors. Can’t they state the exact rate or algorithm? But it sounds like it’d be an amount I’d be willing to pay.
If providing feedback is the major time drain– I’m sure all writers would like it, but I consider it a nice-to-have, and secondary to a quicker turnaround.
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Deena Replied:
July 15th, 2009 at 12:13 am
@Karalynn Lee, I love the idea of supporting literacy programs, but you’re right. I am really bothered by their lack of clear and easily understood pricing. I can’t see pricing on a website, I almost always run the other direction.
I do think it would make our turnaround time faster. The back end is very nicely organized. I would hate to have authors wondering what we were up to, though.
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I agree with Kathi and Isabelle. I wouldn’t mind with DP and other respected publishers, but might worry if I didn’t know anything about a publisher. It’s a shame there are so many scams out there for writers – but folks are wary now.
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Deena Replied:
July 15th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
@Heather Parker, sounds like we’re all in agreement, then. I hope they eventually prove themselves to be legit.
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Just an extra titbit I saw on a website. This magazine (link below) offers Ecostamps submissions and explains the pros and cons on their page. They have been told the submission will cost the writer $4 – which would be a problem for me and I think other writers? However, like DP, they are offering both ways of submitting.
http://www.sorceroussignals.com/Guidelines.html
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Deena Replied:
July 15th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
@Heather Parker, thanks for that.
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