For the record, I've got no problem using Duotrope. I have used it in the past, but when they began charging for membership, I felt like I had to stand my ground on that $5 per month because, frankly, I'm a stubborn jackass. That was a long time ago, or at least it feels like it's been a long time. It looks like the website's undergone a lot of change, so I feel like a bit of a novice all over again.
Here's what I do remember about Duotrope and what truly, finally made me give it and fork over the membership cash.
Duotrope is unlike any other website for writers. It's a database of hundreds if not thousands of publications. You can search through these publications by genre and sub-genre. That all seems like pretty standard stuff.
But the Duotrope that I remember (and apparently the revamped version I see before me) are so much more than that. The listing tells you which titles are the new ones, those that are more likely to be eager for incoming submissions. For each listing in the database, the site tells you the likelihood of an acceptance over a rejection, the desired submission length, the pay rate, how they feel about style. Some of them include average response times, but all seem to include a link to the publication's website for more information.
The listings even tell users where other submissions have been sent to as well as where acceptances have gone on to write for. For example, if you look at the listing for Analog Science Fiction and Fact, you'll find that people who've submitted there have also sent their work to places like Strange Horizons and Tor. People who've had their work accepted by Analog have had similar success with Interzone and Corvus.
Duotrope seems to have upgraded itself with even more goodies beyond the database, and I think this is probably why they've begun charging a fee. In addition to the listings, members also have a submission tracker available to them to help keep an eye out on what they've got out floating around. You can even choose to ignore certain publications if you'd like. This is where I start going into the dark on because Duotrope didn't have a submission tracker when I last checked it out, so best of luck to both of us.
In any case, if you're not of the mindset that you need something like this, I say suck up your pride and just give in. Duotrope's membership fee is just $5 per month or $50 per year, and is as useful a resource as Writer's Market.
No comments:
Post a Comment