Date: April 1st 2004

HANDY JOB HUNTER FOR WRITERS
ISSUE #6 (4/2004)
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Compiled by Michael Arnzen, Ph.D.
http://www.gorelets.com

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AFTER PUBLICATION
by Michael Arnzen

Publication is a process and it doesn't end when ink splashes on the page. It seems that way because our name is on the "marquee" so our moment in the spotlight has arrived. And because writing and submitting can be such a long, arduous, ego-bruising process, we talk about "getting published" as if seeing our name in print was the reward awaiting us after so much suffering and struggling. Publication is an important reward, true. It's at the crux of what we do as writers, because it enables us to reach an audience. But our "work" is not yet done simply because we've been published.

Naturally, however, when your contributor's copy finally arrives in the mail, the first thing you need to do is celebrate. Whether you hug your significant other, show your copy to all your friends, or pop the champagne cork, it's important to mark the occasion. That's the easy part. And if that copy came to you with a big paycheck attached to it, consider dedicating part of that check to buying a gift for yourself (rather than a fancy meal, I recommend something solid that you'll see around the house for years to come, like an appliance or some other object you might not normally buy...it will become a token reminder of what you can accomplish as a freelance writer).

The longer your career in publishing, the more jaded you're likely to become to the vision of your name in print. The thrill never completely evaporates, but the less likely it will be that you'll chug champagne after every instance of publication. You'll have learned by then that writing is its own reward. But at the same time, it's important to somehow mark the occasion, no matter what stage of your career: whether it's allowing yourself to break your diet with a piece of chocolate for the day, or performing a bizarre ritual dance as you place that contributor's copy on your "brag shelf" in the den.

Indeed, archiving your work is an important first step in the housekeeping that needs to be done when your contributor's copy arrives in the mail. When I began publishing, I kept my contributor's copies out on the coffee table for all to see. After a few magazines accumulated, I moved them to a part of a bookshelf I reserved just for my own titles (the aforementioned "brag shelf," sans silly dance). I still keep that shelf, though it's expanded to occupy half a bookshelf unit and it's only dedicated to spare copies of books (not magazines) that I might want to show visitors. Beyond that, I keep a cabinet that I think of as an "archive." I'm not the best archivist, but I have learned that pages yellow over time, and that not all publishers use the best acid-free, archival quality papers to display your work. So I try to keep a few copies of each of my books and the most important magazines in an airtight Rubbermaid cabinet, and several of the titles are enclosed in plastic she
aths. (I usually try to archive two copies of each title, minimum. Don't be shy about trying to negotiate extra contributor copies from a publisher during the contract phase; but also realize that buying extra copies (always at a contributor's discount) can often pay off later. Regardless, try to keep the elements -- smoke, liquids, mold and mildew -- away from the pages. Airtight Ziplock-styled bags will do, but if you're really serious you should purchase professional slipcases, catalog binders, and other magazine holders, which you can probably acquire from your neighborhood copy center, office supply chain, or stationary store. If not, ask a specialty bookseller for advice (I find that comic book aficionados are pretty smart with this stuff).

If all this sounds needlessly narcissistic or fetishistic, then remember that no matter how famous you are, it's very unlikely that someone out there -- even your biggest fan -- is actively being your librarian or archivist for you. Even dedicated collectors don't have access to all of your writing and you're your own best librarian. Assume that you're your only collector. Do it for your heirs, if not for posterity. They'll thank you for it, whether they're managing the financial elements of your literary estate or simply sharing your legacy with their offspring. And who knows -- maybe your collection will end up in the local library some day, giving something back to your community.

Although less thrilling, there are other business matters that need to be attended to upon publication. In addition to managing contributor's copies with the same conviction that you would your bank book, you should record the full publishing information of the publication in some document. Like updating a resume, this should be routine. Maintain a working bibliography of your published works and keep it current. At first you will be humbled by how few publications you have; when it reaches several pages you will be proud of all you've done. In either case, the bibliography can be an incentive to keep at it, and provide an easy means for keeping tabs on your productivity. This document, too, becomes useful when compiling a biography for a publisher, approaching an agent, interfacing with collectors, and more.

In addition to preserving the actual magazines and books, make a few photocopies of your short published works in order to build a file of your "clips." Often these clips prove useful whenever writing samples are required by agents, publishers, graduate schools, booksellers and so forth. You can even include these copies with mailings to your fans. Some writers keep a press book -- a professional scrapbook -- in a binder for display or showcase purposes. Photocopies will do, but tearsheets from the original sources are best -- if your publisher offers "tearsheets" you can get unbound pages from the actual production line. If your work appears in a free city newspaper, grab a stack of them and pull out your piece on the original page to include in your clippings. Authenticity always impresses and in some cases tearsheets outlast photocopies because they're on higher quality paper.

Any electronic publication (web site article, e-book file, etc.) should be archived to both an electronic disk (just as you'd perform a back up of your own word processing files). Don't neglect printing out a copy of any web publication to add to your clip file. Sometimes hard copy is the only evidence that your publication actually ever existed, because -- as you probably know full well -- websites go down, pages get moved or deleted, whether by the publisher or by an act of god. I keep roomy 9"x12" envelopes near my desk which I fill with printed web publications as they come out, and I archive the folders by year. This is a very easy element of publishing to neglect -- especially if you're a working journalist who publishes daily online. In the very least, be sure to save your web publications to your hard drive and back them up to a disk whenever you perform document backups. Saving a web page can be a clunky affair if the site has lots of graphics and other multimedia el
ements. Although it's proprietary, you might consider using Microsoft Internet Explorer's ".mht" file extension: go to the page where your publication exists, select "File | Save as..." and then from the dialogue box pick the "Save as type | Web Archive, Single File" option. You'll need Internet Explorer installed to open it again in the future, however, so if you're making a true archive, consider including a bare bone version of the browser software on the disk (CD? DVD? Tape?) that you're backing up to, in case of emergencies.

Don't neglect other housekeeping matters that impact your career. When I get a contributor's copy, I spend some time reading the whole thing over, contemplating whether I'd like to appear in the magazine again. If I'm really impressed, I brag about the appearance all over the place, even though a magazine or web appearance often won't pay royalties for all my free publicity. If they make me look good, I want to do my part to make them look good, too. (But there's an art to publicity -- too many new writers overdo it... be classy and don't over-toot your own horn). I typically write a letter to the editor to either thank them or -- particularly with new editors or when working with the small press -- to provide feedback on the magazine. When providing feedback, it's probably best to focus on what you enjoyed in your correspondence rather than to offer corrections on minutiae. Don't burn bridges if you're unhappy with the layout or other minor issues -- it's probably too late t
o make changes and even if you decide not to submit to the magazine again, you never know when you might need to be in the good graces of that editor for some other reason (like, say, if they edit an anthology for a major publisher). Don't expect a long dialogue with an editor, however; they're often too busy to reply or too far into the next issue of the magazine to care so much about the last. Still, like a thank you note after a kindness, a short note to the editor might be appropriate. And realize that "letters to the editor" often get printed in the magazine...so write in a way that you wouldn't mind sharing with the public-at-large.

One element of publicity that writers sometime neglect is tracking reviews. With book publication, often the publisher will do this for you -- but even publishers miss reviews of their own books. You should research the major review publications in publishing-at-large (like Publisher's Weekly) and those magazines in your genre which feature reviews. Anthologies and collections are often reviewed, and even magazines sometimes receive commentary in the trade. A small short story you place in a semi-pro genre magazine could end up getting a lot of attention in a mention -- and thus provide you with a valuable book blurb in the future...but only if you've found it. Publicists can be hired for this purpose, but such research is relatively easy enough to do on your own if you're well-networked in your genre and both search the web and visit the library regularly.

Needless to say, you should double-check your records to make sure that if payment was promised on publication, that it actually arrived. If not, then you definitely need to send a message to the editor. Most writers usually would automatically notice if they neglected to get paid, but since so many publishers disburse payment in different ways, if you publish in a lot of disparate places, you can overlook money that's due you. This is true, too, for the long haul: with book publishers, especially, it's important to make sure that your royalty payments are coming in according to the contracted pay calendar (usually twice a year). And you need to keep in touch in case of future sales (sometimes licenses overseas or reprints occur when you least expect it, generating surprise windfalls). Thus, when you move, it's important to write to each and every source of income, no matter how trivial, to let them know your new address.

In addition to tracking payment over time, you also need to track rights. When reprint rights become available to you, act on them. This is a major form of income that's often overlooked by writers -- particularly as new electronic markets emerge. Since different publishers contract for different licenses, keeping track of what's available for resale can be a difficult or arduous process if you've got a lot of publications under your belt. But it pays to check regularly -- say, once a month -- for new opportunities lurking in your old archives. And if a book publisher has put your book out of print, be sure to formally request a reversion of rights -- and to claim any foul matter, publicity materials, warehouse copies, or other materials that are lying in waste at the publishing house.

The important thing to remember is that everything you produce as a writer is not just a matter of publication, but a matter of literary property. And just like you work to protect and maintain your own home or land or car or other personal belongings, you also need to do a little maintenance work with your published material. Keeping things organized upon publication, and putting this organization into a ritualized tracking system is part of what it means to be a professional, working writer. Getting published is only part of a much larger process; it's only one element in a lifelong career.

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THE HANDY JOB HUNTER FOR WRITERS

key
± = new/revised entry
SF/F/H = Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
$ = requires fee or subscription
Likely Dead = website non-responsive

>>GOOD OVERVIEW TO GET STARTED<<

Writer's Guide to Finding Jobs Online
http://www.sunoasis.com/tutorial.html

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>>JOURNALIST-ORIENTED<<

Power Reporting
http://powerreporting.com/category/Journalism_shoptalk/Jobs

Journalism Jobs
http://www.journalismjobs.com/

Job Link for Journalists (Newslink.org)
http://newslink.org/joblink/

Detroit Free Press Job Portal
http://www.freep.com/jobspage/links/jobboard.htm

J-Net
http://www.journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/

Journalism Net
http://www.journalismnet.com/jobs/

Media Bistro
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/

New York Times Media Jobs
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/jobs/jobs_media/index.html

Society for Technical Communication ($)
http://www.stc.org/

Sun-Oasis Job Bank
http://www.sunoasis.com/

Nat'l Diversity Newspaper Job Bank
http://www.newsjobs.com/

JournalismNext for Persons of Color
http://www.journalismnext.com

NewsJobs
http://www.newsjobs.net/usa/default.asp

Nat'l Assoc of Broadcasting Career Center
http://www.nab.org/bcc/

Publishing News (UK)
http://www.publishingnews.co.uk/pn/pnc/index.asp

American Copyeditors Society Job Bank
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ACESjobs/

Non Profit Times Jobs Bank
http://nptjobs.nptimes.com/search.cfm

Just Tech Writer Jobs
http://www.justtechwriterjobs.com/JSSearchJobs.asp

Detroit Free Press Jobbank
http://www.freep.com/jobspage/

American Society of Business Publications Editors Job Bank
http://www.asbpe.org/jobs/joblist.htm

TV Jobs
http://www.tvjobs.com/jbcenter.htm

± Editor and Publisher Career Center
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/classifieds/index.jsp

± Write Link Job Board (UK)
http://www.writelink.co.uk/Jobs/jobs.html

± Paying Writer Jobs
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PayingWriterJobs/

± Association of Alternative Newsweeklies
http://aan.org/gbase/Aan/helpWanted

likely dead: Writer Classifieds

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>>CREATIVE WRITING-ORIENTED<<

The Write Jobs
http://www.writejobs.com/jobs/

WriterFind Jobs
http://www.writerfind.com/freelance_jobs/

About.com's Job Listings
http://freelancewrite.about.com/cs/assignmentboards/index.htm

Preditors & Editors
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubjob.htm

Telecommuting Jobs for Writers
http://www.tjobs.com/new/writers.shtml

Writer's Resource Center
http://www.poewar.com/jobs/

Society for Scholarly Publishing
http://sspnet.org/classifieds/

Creative Hotlist
http://www.creativehotlist.com/index.asp

Sharp Writer
http://www.sharpwriter.com/jobmarket.htm

Burryman's Freelance Opportunities
http://www.burryman.com/freelance.html

Work for Writers Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorkForWriters/

Support for Writers Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/supportforwriters/

Craig's List - Community Classifieds for the City
(check New York for publishing house needs)
http://www.craigslist.org/about/cities.html

Writer's Weekly
http://www.writersweekly.com/markets_and_jobs.php

Publisher's Weekly Job List ($)
http://publishersweekly.reviewsnews.com/index.asp?layout=classifiedsJobsPub&category=Publishing+Jobs&publication=publishersweekly

Writer's Retreat (beware of popups)
http://www.angelfire.com/va/dmsforever/main.html#jobs

± Publisher's Marketplace Jobs
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/jobs/

± WriteMovies Job Board
http://www.writemovies.com/jobs/

± Absolute Write Water Cooler
http://pub43.ezboard.com/fabsolutewritefrm29

± Artist Resource
http://www.artistresource.org/jobs.htm#Writers

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>>GENERIC JOB-HUNTING<<

Monster.com (aka Jobs.com)
http://www.monster.com

HotJobs (@ yahoo.com)
http://www.hotjobs.com/

Career Builder (aka Headhunter.net)
http://www.careerpath.com/

JobHunt.org
http://www.job-hunt.org/general.shtml

Job Hunt Resources by Academic Major
http://www.uww.edu/stdrsces/career/jobsearc/d12.htm

Job Star
http://www.jobstar.org/

Dice
http://www.dice.com

4Jobs
http://4jobs.com/

JobPilot: European Job Market
http://www.jobpilot.co.uk

± Job Hunter's Bible resources
http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/jobs/regions.shtml

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>>GUIDELINES & MARKET LISTINGS<<

Writer's Write Paying Markets
http://www.writerswrite.com/paying/

Poets & Writers Classifieds
http://www.pw.org/mag/classifieds.htm

Writer's Weekly Updates
http://www.writersweekly.com/markets/markets.html

Writer's Digest Guidelines
http://www.writersdigest.com/guidelines.asp

Worldwide Freelance Writers
http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/

Writing for Dollars
http://writingfordollars.com/Guidelines.cfm

Art Deadlines List ($)
http://artdeadlineslist.com/subscribe

Mary Wolf's Guide to E-Book Publishers
http://my.coredcs.com/~mermaid/epub.html

Piers Anthony's Survey of Electronic Publishers
http://www.hipiers.com/publishing.html

Gila Queen ($)
http://www.gilaqueen.us

Ralan's SpecFic & Humor Webstravaganza (SF/F/H)
http://www.ralan.com

Write Market (SF/F/H)
http://www.writemarket.com/

The Market List (SF/F/H)
http://www.marketlist.com

Fleming's List of Markets (SF/F/H)
http://home.att.net/~p.fleming/Sfmarket.html

Speculations Rumor Mill (SF/F/H)
http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/

Hellnotes (H/$)
http://www.hellnotes.com

Horror Scripts (H)
http://www.tcnj.edu/%7Eberes/horror.htm

FlashFictionFlash (very short stories)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlashFictionFlash

Funds for Writers
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Places for Writers
http://www.placesforwriters.com/archives/cat_calls.html

Engen's SF&F Market Engine (SF/F/H)
http://engine.freeshell.org/

Dark Markets (H)
http://www.darkmarkets.com/

Spicy Green Iguana (SF/F/H)
http://www.spicygreeniguana.com/index.asp

SpecFicWorld's Market Listings (SF/F/H) ($)
http://www.specficworld.com/sfme.html

Writer's Resource
http://www.writersresource.net/listings.php3

Tucows News Directory
http://www.newsdirectory.com/

likely dead: littlebehemoth.com

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>>WRITING TEACHER ORIENTED<<

Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/jobs/

Academic Position Network
http://www.apnjobs.com/

Association of Writing Programs
http://www.awpwriter.org/careers/careerlinks.htm

Adjunct Nation
http://www.adjunctnation.com/jobs/

Internat'l Teacher Recruitment
http://www.teachers.eu.com/

Academic360
http://www.academic360.com/

Agent K-12 (Education Week)
http://www.agentk-12.org/

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>>FREELANCING FOR HIRE<<

Elance -- Auction Your Services
http://www.elance.com

± Guru.com (fmr. e-moonlighter)
http://www.guru.com/

likely dead: freeagent.com

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>>ACADEMIC PUBLISHING CALLS<<

UPenn's Calls for Papers
http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/

E-Server's Calls for Papers
http://eserver.org/calls/

Tech Comm Calls for Papers
http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Academic/Calls-For-Papers

Custom Conference Alerts
http://conferencealerts.com/

Papers Invited
http://www.papersinvited.com/

APA Online
http://www.apa.udel.edu/apa/opportunities/conferences/

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>>INTERNSHIPS<<

Internships.com
http://www.internships.com

College Central
http://www.collegecentral.com

Internship Programs
http://www.internshipprograms.com

Get That Gig
http://www.getthatgig.com/media/index.html

Envision
http://www.e-magnify.com/envision/

BackDoor Jobs -- Adventuring
http://www.backdoorjobs.com/

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Compiled by Michael A. Arnzen, Ph.D.
http://www.gorelets.com

Look into the low residency Master's Degree program
in Writing Popular Fiction @ Seton Hill University:
http://fiction.setonhill.edu/

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE UPDATES
roughly every three months:
http://gorelets.com/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi

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>>MICHAEL ARNZEN'S LATEST<<

100 JOLTS: Shockingly Short Stories
http://store.yahoo.net/shocklines/100jobymiaar.html
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Available now for just $12.95!
Raw Dog Screaming Press | April 2004.
Cover Art by Matt Sesow
ISBN 0-9745031-2-6 | 156 pp. trade paperback

Available at your favorite online bookstore.

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>>YOUR COUPON FOR SUBSCRIBING<<

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Try WRITE AGAIN manuscript organizing software
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"Each time I write, each time the authentic words break through, I am changed. The older order that I was collapses and dies. I lose control. I do not know exactly what words will appear on the page. I follow language. I follow the sound of the words, and I am surprised and transformed by what I record." -- Susan Griffin

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Congratulations to any and all graduating writing and journalism majors reading this issue! Good luck on the job hunt.
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