Publisher's are driving me insane!!

[doug]

Hey all,
Normally I refuse to whine (whinge in the UK?), but this time I need some serious advice and since many of you are pros and semi-pros I thought that I would turn to you all.
I’ve been writing my blog since January 2012 and it’s built up a small readership, which ,without being falsely modest, probably has a much to do with my shameless self-promotion as with the quality of the content.
So here is my problem……

I’ve now been approached by two magazines to contribute. The first one is most likely a (very low) paying gig and the other is simply providing them free online content as a guest blogger.
I have no problem providing free on-line content since I do it out of love and there is a small amount of prestige being associated with the magazine in any capacity.

Now here’s where I’m getting really pissed off (Yank for “angry”), the people who might pay and publish in print seem to have any awful problem answering mails. They made the offer back in March and were really chatty for the first few weeks. Then silence. After a month or so I’ll write and ask if things are moving along as planned and if they still need me. No answer. I’ll wait a few more weeks and finally be a bit more forceful with my enquiries. This will get an answer. So yesterday I wrote a piece on Richard Matheson and at first thought I’d pass it on to the magazine soliciting free content. Then I figured, what the heck, I’ll offer it to the folks who might pay. The publisher replied immediately and said “Cool! I’ll pass it on to XXXXX (fairly well-known name)!”

I made it clear to them that if it wasn’t suitable, was un-needed etc. that I would understand and that I could gladly use it in my own blog. No answer. I wrote them back today re-stating that if they didn’t want it I would post it myself. No answer!

It’s the same thing with the other magazine who invited me to be a “guest-blogger”. I spent an entire weekend re-reading Michael Shea’s “The Colour/Color out of Time” and writing up a piece on it. They snatched it up. They haven’t posted it though like they did my first piece that I wrote for them. They jumped all over another suggested piece which they are expecting this weekend from me. I’ve directly asked two times whether or not the Shea article is ok or needs work and if they don’t want it at all then I’ll use it myself. And still no answer to my question!
Now what I want to know from some of you is whether this is completely normal behavior?
I don’t want to alienate potential “employers” or burn any bridges behind me.

I want the exposure and I love doing it.

But to me, this comes across as being rude beyond words!
Writing this stuff is time consuming.

Part of me wants to tell them to piss off. Part of me is afraid though that that would be foolish and counter-productive. As they say, it would be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

I understand completely that as far as the “big picture” goes, I’m a very minuscule part of it all.
But damnit, I would at least like answers to simple direct queries that require nothing more than a simple yes/no answer.

Am I seeing this false or is this simple rudeness?

I really need some feedback on this, so I’d appreciate any and all advice.

Thanks and take care.
Doug

P.S.
and i do understand completely that these are very busy people who owe me nothing and that I'm in no position to make demands to any one. All that I want is a little bit of courtesy for my efforts.

[pulphack]

Hey Doug

yep, this is incredibly rude. It's also not uncommon. The truth is that magazines and publishers - small or large - are only easy(ish) to get on with once you have an established relationship with them, or you happen to know the editor who you're dealing with from some other business or personal relationship. Most magazine editors I ever wroked for were assholes. In publishing, I've had very good relationships with my editors at Gold Eagle, Abaddon, Little Brown, Headline and Element. Creation were tossers, but that's a whole other story. Some of the publishers I've spoke to and not signed with have been good, easy to deal with and straightforward people. Some haven't.

Your case sounds like you've been reasonable and just asked for a straight answer. The fact you haven't got it means you are dealing with wankers. So it's up to how patient you are and how much you want the pieces published by those people, I guess. You can be blunt and not make a difference to you future. However, back in 1992 I worked on a pilot script for a sit-com for a guy at LWT who has since become a major industry figure. Aftre six re-writes where it went from being about a driving instructor to a greengrocer (all being his suggestions) he dropped the project without paying me the promised development fee, saying 'greengrocers aren't sexy'. When I pointed out to im in somewhat forceful language that it had been his idea in the first place, he was less than happy. I've never worked in UK tv since. I wish I'd done what Mark Timlin did when he was asked to write for The Bill and was messed around. One broken producer's nose later, Timlin has ALSO never worked in tv, and his Sharman series was buried for years befrre sneaking into re-runs and dvd.

[Craig Herbertson]

Brilliant reply Pulphack summarizing the key elements of that uneasy dark world of publishing.

There is a reverse side of course which is just how annoying writers must be to some publishers.

But I can't add anything except reinforce what you've said. In my limited experience the personal relationship is everything. Even when that's established things can go awry for the publisher, long delays, loss of sponsors. I never believe anything is in print until i see it delivered to my hands and don't believe that I've been paid until it turns up in the account.

I made it a rule never to seriously pursue anything I'd written or sent away. It's just gone like Voyager until it beams back a signal.

[doug]

Thanks "Pulp" and "Craig"

I wrote to both gentlemen involved and politely but firmly expressed my concerns.
The one published immediately and the other accepted immdiately.
Now i just have to wait and see. Both men seem very nice and I've never heard anything negative spoken about either. Maybe they just don'tlike answering mails? ;-)

Maybe things are truly resolved. Only time will tell. I truly want to work for these people.


Doug

[Craig Herbertson]

Jun 27, 2013 8:36:12 GMT doug said:

Thanks "Pulp" and "Craig"

I wrote to both gentlemen involved and politely but firmly expressed my concerns.
The one published immediately and the other accepted immdiately.
Now i just have to wait and see. Both men seem very nice and I've never heard anything negative spoken about either. Maybe they just don'tlike answering mails? ;-)

Maybe things are truly resolved. Only time will tell. I truly want to work for these people.


Doug

Good one Doug.