I guess my feeling is just that patronage should come from readers, not writers, even if and when there’s overlap between the two groups. - ThreadSky

kaleidotrope.bsky.social • 14 days ago

I guess my feeling is just that patronage should come from readers, not writers, even if and when there’s overlap between the two groups.

Reposted from Michael Hill

I don’t mind submission fees that make a publication sustainable. I view both my rarely-accepted submissions and my few dollars as patronage. Your last point, however, is key. Submission fees should be situational.

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retech.bsky.social•14 days ago

Really appreciate this. A writer could go hunger because of fees.

I sculpt as well. Shows that require a fee are off my list. They usually take a cut of the sale, or they charge gate admission, charging a fee to us as well, that is predatory extortion.

karinalutz.bsky.social•14 days ago

Tell me which journals are only read by their writers and I'll cross them of my list.

karinalutz.bsky.social•14 days ago

*off

ccprof.bsky.social•14 days ago

Ideally, but I suspect many publications would not have much of a readership if it were not for writers or the family members of writers. We are a self-sustaining eco-system.

elijah.mea.rs•14 days ago

I don't have the data on hand myself, but my sense from what people who actually run the magazines tend to say is that this isn't really the case

elijah.mea.rs•14 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/fusionfragment.bsky.social/post/3llc5isfd4s2z

was thinking about this today after seeing this post from Fusion Fragment about the subject

elijah.mea.rs•14 days ago

personally I won't submit to any market that has to sustain itself on submission fees because that tells me no one is actually reading it, and if I wanted my writing to be somewhere no one will read it I could just put it on my website for free

joshuamannix.bsky.social•14 days ago

Been wondering this for a while, how would you (or other magazines) feel about having a fee for feedback? Dont pay anything its as usual, but if you pay something, you get an amount of personalized response.

bcsmagazine.bsky.social•14 days ago

IMO it conflates paid critique with submissions, which exploits writers and connects access to privilege. IMO money and submissions should be kept 100% separate. Offer crits as a fundraiser or give feedback for free. (BCS does, on every sub. Other zines do only on close subs. But no money involved.)

trollbreathmag.bsky.social•14 days ago

It also implies that a magazine only rejects for flaws. Sometimes it is a matter of "already have a space battle story" or "too much like one in our last issue."

Plus, there are plenty of freelance editors who can critique for pay. The author shouldn't be paying the publisher.

joshuamannix.bsky.social•14 days ago

Excellent points from you and @bcsmagazine.bsky.social

Thanks for the responses giving great perspective!

retech.bsky.social•14 days ago

Great POV on this.

ecfuller.bsky.social•14 days ago

I’ve utilized this option and found it helpful. I like being able to support a magazine, and it helped me get solid feedback on my work from a potential market for future work when I was between writing groups.

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