tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post8127237730153857911..comments2023-06-12T17:08:36.320+01:00Comments on How Publishing <i>Really</i> Works: WordHustler Asked If I'd Be Interested....Jane Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-50163844030904493622009-07-27T17:37:25.434+01:002009-07-27T17:37:25.434+01:00Very Mean Grin....
Word verication:
nosilit
Lit...Very Mean Grin....<br /><br />Word verication:<br /><br />nosilit<br /><br />Lit for nosey peopleSharon Maashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242218167706605535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-89543471640651207372009-07-25T09:54:10.545+01:002009-07-25T09:54:10.545+01:00Maybe you should try searching on Kimberly Sockpup...Maybe you should try searching on Kimberly Sockpuppet.nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-12713148970251576922009-07-24T20:32:42.360+01:002009-07-24T20:32:42.360+01:00Buffy, I think we might be twins. Or something.
I...Buffy, I think we might be twins. Or something.<br /><br />I tried PA, and Amazon (UK and USA), and Google. I found no record of Kimberly but according to Sitemeter someone from Wordhustler was visiting this blog at the same time as she left her comment. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.Jane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-46076862635742090752009-07-24T20:09:13.381+01:002009-07-24T20:09:13.381+01:00Jane, did you check PublishAmerica?Jane, did you check PublishAmerica?nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-10113479846334915732009-07-24T18:10:07.785+01:002009-07-24T18:10:07.785+01:00Congratulations on your publishing deal, Kimberly....Congratulations on your publishing deal, Kimberly. Who is your publisher, and/or agent? When is your book due to hit the shelves? Did your deal come about as a direct result of your use of WordHustler? And how much did using WordHustler cost you? <br /><br />I'm interested to know because your answers might well help disprove some of my scepticism about WordHustler; and because despite my valiant attempts I can find no record of a writer called Kimberly Gyatso with a publication pending.Jane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-83981485243947404422009-07-24T17:57:40.562+01:002009-07-24T17:57:40.562+01:00Jane,
I am new to the literary world and have do...Jane, <br /><br />I am new to the literary world and have done a lot of blog reading and research to familiarize myself with the subculture and your latest post sadly solidifies what I have found. <br />The mean-spirited snobbery associated with what is supposed to be a creative, open-minded community is ridiculous. Here is a woman trying spread the word about her business (are people really that uptight that WordHustler is an obscenity?)and you are going out of your way to gossip about her. Are you a professional or still stuck in high school? And for the record I used their services to send out my first submissions ever and guess what IT WAS GREAT. I'M GETTING PUBLISHED. So I'll stick with Anne and let her continue to hustle my words for me. Kimberly GyatsoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-44730299465037474762009-07-24T11:15:44.424+01:002009-07-24T11:15:44.424+01:00I had no idea who Bnet.com, who apparently endorse...I had no idea who Bnet.com, who apparently endorsed this service, were, so I looked them up. Ah, we sqrls!<br /><br />They're a site for business professionals all about getting it done better, faster, more efficiently etc. So this would probably get their approval cos it looks efficient...and cos they know nothing about publishing.nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-28670813849200137792009-07-24T10:08:04.602+01:002009-07-24T10:08:04.602+01:00Manuscript postage can, of course, get very expens...Manuscript postage can, of course, get very expensive. Especially if you live in Australia, but increasingly agents are now quite happy to accept full manuscripts electronically. Although I always give my agent a proper print-out, I've discovered that subsequent submissions, especially to potential foreign publishers, are almost always done via e-mail. Apparently hand-held readers (blackberries?) are now a standard. That said, full unsolicited manuscripts should never be sent to agents of publishers. The personal inquiry must be done first, usually by letter. So I have to agree that a 'submission service' is likely to be worse than useless where most writers are concerned.Philip Singtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395386990829014579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-45216638314464766652009-07-23T23:33:09.715+01:002009-07-23T23:33:09.715+01:00Living in Australia the postage is also an issue. ...Living in Australia the postage is also an issue. It is not always possible to work through an Australian agent - and, in the end, you pay anyway. I still do not think that is an excuse to use something like Wordhustler.catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-35376095429451510102009-07-23T23:14:14.220+01:002009-07-23T23:14:14.220+01:00I can see that there could well be a market for a ...I can see that there could well be a market for a service that prints and mails hard-copy manuscripts within the USA for overseas writers. I live in New Zealand, and it costs me about a hundred dollars in postage to ship a full manuscript to the US. If someone would print out my exact documents and post them with a SASE for the agent's/publisher's response (with airmail stamp) in a box bearing my name and address -- yeah, I'd pay a fee for that, because it'd be bound to work out cheaper than paying international postage. <br /><br />But it doesn't look like that's what WordHustler is about, unfortunately.<br /><br />Fran WalkerFran Walkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-53958332525764441642009-07-23T22:36:14.328+01:002009-07-23T22:36:14.328+01:00At the end of the day, if a writer can devote time...At the end of the day, if a writer can devote time to the actual hard graft of writing a novel, then they can find the time to write their own query and synopsis. Researching agents and finding out about their own particular requirements is all part of the learning curve. <br /><br />No one should feel tempted to cut corners because an agent will spot it a mile off and you'll be rejected before you are even out of the blocks - and all that hard grafting in the first place has just gone down the toilet!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-75495633241953804122009-07-23T22:36:08.576+01:002009-07-23T22:36:08.576+01:00I received a nearly identical email asking me to r...I received a nearly identical email asking me to recommend the service to the students in my agent workshop.<br /><br />I guess there are more than words being hustled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-92038342084141354002009-07-23T22:09:50.803+01:002009-07-23T22:09:50.803+01:00I'd never use a service like that, ever. And, ...I'd never use a service like that, ever. And, as Co-Editor/Publisher of the Rose & Thorn zine, if I received something from a service instead of from the writer, chances are I wouldn't consider it.Kathryn Magendiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863595228298349863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-54016508203654453782009-07-23T21:17:02.943+01:002009-07-23T21:17:02.943+01:00Like Nicola, I thought you'd lost your marbles...Like Nicola, I thought you'd lost your marbles or were trying for an April Fool's repeat.<br /><br />The sad thing about these "services" is that agents and editors can smell them a mile away. So now not only do we hold our nose at companies such as WordHustler, but we do the same toward the author. <br /><br />As much as authors detest writing their query and synopsis, it's a fact that no one can do it better than the author. This is just another scheme to separate authors from their wallets. The pox on all of them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-32005099304001873812009-07-23T19:18:00.906+01:002009-07-23T19:18:00.906+01:00Megan said she thought WordHustler's heart was...Megan said she thought WordHustler's heart was *probably* in the right place. I'm sure it was. <br /><br />In her wallet.<br /><br />A word about 'Hustler.' In the U.S., that's the name of a porn magazine.<br /><br />'nuff said.Maggie Danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09397320196343147825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-54396916101476126112009-07-23T18:14:26.426+01:002009-07-23T18:14:26.426+01:00Agents are in business (the one that makes money)....Agents are in business (the one that makes money). They want a professional letter, addressed to them personally, in the appropriate form. How much mail do you bin per day because it is addressed to 'The Occupier', 'The Homeowner', or the previous tenant? Even if WordHustler isn't doing this, they cannot possibly match each agent with a writer's work. It isn't what they are about. Unfortunately, as a writer, you need to seek out the right agent (usually by knowing their preferences from the writers they represent), scrub your submission and slick its hair down properly before sending it in, on clean white paper.miss pitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00872788817006104999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-76070500494580128762009-07-23T17:42:48.773+01:002009-07-23T17:42:48.773+01:00I don't think I could ever trust my work and s...I don't think I could ever trust my work and submissions to a stranger.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17401931638397651614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-50625860137532216742009-07-23T16:35:37.388+01:002009-07-23T16:35:37.388+01:00Great post, Jane. Glad you took up her suggestion ...Great post, Jane. Glad you took up her suggestion to mention her company on your blog - but I bet she isn't!Teresa Ashbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15350697922935549188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-30777597917222553472009-07-23T16:27:20.883+01:002009-07-23T16:27:20.883+01:00You did right by pointing out the scam of this pro...You did right by pointing out the scam of this prospect besides the fact, as others have said, it will likely not be successful for the writer.Laurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112458658109887868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-46078409010804016162009-07-23T16:10:33.497+01:002009-07-23T16:10:33.497+01:00Vanessa - I don't think you're naive, ju...Vanessa - I don't think you're naive, just kind-hearted. <br /><br />But I happen to think there's nothing advantageous to authors about the hustlers business model at all. It simply does not provide a service which would be more likely to get an author picked up - in fact, I strongly suspect it would make the author less likely to be taken on. To be honest, it's a version of spam - so the agents and publishers all get bombarded with submissions from a digital intermediary? Wow, that's really going to help. <br /><br />I have no problem at all with people coming up with money-making ideas, or with people helping authors get properly published, but this doesn't do the latter.<br /><br />Ironically, while claiming to demystify the publishing process, the wordhustlers have only succeeded in displaying their lack of understanding of the crucial part of it: how to get a publisher or agent.Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-40038242698513389902009-07-23T15:26:41.556+01:002009-07-23T15:26:41.556+01:00'Hustler' isn't a great start as a nam...'Hustler' isn't a great start as a name, is it? Makes me think of those scammers on BBC3 who pinch people's wallets from bars and so on.<br /><br />[word ver: 'prighep' - someone who is simultaneously uptight and a cool cat.]Daniel Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07487799866651688342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-87752227979784831212009-07-23T15:11:25.156+01:002009-07-23T15:11:25.156+01:00Jane, in a wonderful case of timing, could I point...Jane, in a wonderful case of timing, could I point you and other readers to the latest post at BookEnds:<br /><br />http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/<br /><br />where the blogger makes it clear that the hint of multiple submissions is the very first thing to spark an instant rejection. I think anyone thinking of spending on this service would do well to read what an agent says on the matter, which offers a ringing endorsement of your post.Dan Hollowayhttp://www.danholloway.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-30673045914420759592009-07-23T15:05:43.158+01:002009-07-23T15:05:43.158+01:00Just to avoid confusion I've edited in a littl...Just to avoid confusion I've edited in a little para at the top of my original post, to make it clear that I don't support these services. Thanks for that suggestion, Jarred.Jane Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411253302725735470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-62487848706909143482009-07-23T14:58:36.976+01:002009-07-23T14:58:36.976+01:00I'm amazed that writers have been published at...I'm amazed that writers have been published at all without this 'online submission management platform'. It sounds great.<br /><br />Personally, I can't wait for 2010 and the launch of the 'Digital Submission System' (caps?).<br /><br />(Can anyone enlighten me on what the 'hassles related to International Shipping' (caps?) are? Thanks.) <br /><br />Hmmm.TOM VOWLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00436338454781485164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5519912440753252776.post-83386708025247313052009-07-23T14:56:43.362+01:002009-07-23T14:56:43.362+01:00Interesting. Being my usual naive self, I suspect ...Interesting. Being my usual naive self, I suspect it is well-intentioned at base, with an overlay of 'I may have spotted a gap ing the market'.<br />I would not use something like this, though. I have no idea of the standard of their final submissions.<br /><br />Would it be cheeky to ask for a breakdown of the numbers of sumbissions they have made in the last 12 months, on behalf of writer - and then the numbers of successful ones that have led to someone's work being picked up?<br /><br />Would they give such stats anyway?<br /><br />Oh the world is full of questions!Vanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.com