Criteria

[JenNipps]

What criteria do you personally use in analyzing markets for your work? I know there are some set ways to do it, but I also know we're all different and put our own stamp on things.

[pdr]

Morning, Jen, still on our own I see!

The most important thing is to read recent copies of the magazines or lit journals!

Meg at Wooden Horse has a great chapter on how to analyse a magazine for an article. I use her recommendation about studying the adverts to work out if the readers who would buy or use the ad article would enjoy my story. Works quite well for me for women's fiction markets and the more commercial fiction for general interest magazines.

Literary journals usually don't have adverts. Then it's a gut feeling after reading several copies or back issues on their web site. If I like the contents and enjoy the stories then that's a good market for me providing I have work that fits their needs.

If I find the magazine dry or pretentious or hate the stories then I usually don't bother submitting as my stories won't be what the editor(s) like.

[JenNipps]

Morning, Jen, still on our own I see!

The most important thing is to read recent copies of the magazines or lit journals!

Meg at Wooden Horse has a great chapter on how to analyse a magazine for an article. I use her recommendation about studying the adverts to work out if the readers who would buy or use the ad article would enjoy my story. Works quite well for me for women's fiction markets and the more commercial fiction for general interest magazines.

Literary journals usually don't have adverts. Then it's a gut feeling after reading several copies or back issues on their web site. If I like the contents and enjoy the stories then that's a good market for me providing I have work that fits their needs.

If I find the magazine dry or pretentious or hate the stories then I usually don't bother submitting as my stories won't be what the editor(s) like.

They just don't know what they're missing, do they? :)

We'll get others involved, eventually.

You're right in that Wooden Horse is a good resource. I was wondering, though, what you personally do to add to/augment what the pro's say to do in analyzing markets.

I have a multi-step process myself. But it will, unfortunately, have to wait until tomorrow to post. (My nephew is here for the night.)

[pdr]

I'm sorry I don't have any magic words or formulae, Jen.

What I do is read the magazines, and if I can't decide between two then I'll check up in detail on the editors. Often by reading what they write or say about writing you can see which might like your story enough to publish it!

[JenNipps]

Oh, that's OK. What I was aiming for was a conversation-starter. :)

[pdr]

You're right, Jen, there must be some good ideas out there for marketing mainstream/contemporary writing. Or maybe no one else submits?

[JenNipps]

You're right, Jen, there must be some good ideas out there for marketing mainstream/contemporary writing.

I hope so. :) Though, I think that really most/any advice out there about writing in general can apply, regardless of genre. I get that. But, maybe because I'm a people-watcher, nosy, curious, or any combination of the above, I like to know/have some idea of the motivations, reasons, and alternate methods people do things.

Or maybe no one else submits?

Yeah, that's the ticket. ;)