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First One Publishing / Karen Hunter Publishing

pangalactic

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You know, I think if anything is going to change publishing, it's going to be threads like this one.

Assuming, of course, that the contest is now removed/revamped based on discussion here.

This. Any time a publisher comes on this board railing against the "unfair" way in which they are treated here, this should be at the forefront of everybody's responses. These threads are here for a reason.

I sincerely hope that the contest comes back with realistic rules and a different attitude, because if it simply vanishes we haven't really achieved anything of lasting worth here. (I'm not saying protecting the people who would otherwise have entered isn't of worth, but... you get what I mean, I'm sure).
 

HistorySleuth

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I'm guessing a revamp which would be good to see. I doubt not doing the contest altogether after announcing it on MSNBC cable news. (Link to video is further up in thread)
 

HapiSofi

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I find I can't stop wondering where their winning author is going to be making publicity stops when he or she tours in support of the book. Where do you physically go to promote an ebook? What do you do there? And who turns out to get their electrons signed?
 

smallpresseditor

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This. Any time a publisher comes on this board railing against the "unfair" way in which they are treated here, this should be at the forefront of everybody's responses. These threads are here for a reason.

If publishers treated writers with respect, it wouldn't be such an issue. I'm a publisher, and I'm (and have been) a writer, too. I'm always soliciting feedback on processes. If something's not right, I want to know about it.

It's one of the many reasons I keep an eye on forums like these. I don't want to be a jackhole with both feet in his mouth.
 

pangalactic

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If publishers treated writers with respect, it wouldn't be such an issue. I'm a publisher, and I'm (and have been) a writer, too. I'm always soliciting feedback on processes. If something's not right, I want to know about it.

It's one of the many reasons I keep an eye on forums like these. I don't want to be a jackhole with both feet in his mouth.

To be fair, the majority of publishers I've dealt with - not that that's many, because I'm pretty much unpublished, but I'm very thoroughly rejected ;-) - have been nothing but respectful and helpful. I'd imagine that's pretty much the norm for the industry. There's bad boo-birds in every business, though.
 

Bicyclefish

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This is a bit of a tangent, and it's probably not relevant to her credentials running a publishing company, but I'm curious as to her Pulitzer Prize. I see it mentioned often in statements like:
"In 1999, she was a concurrent member of respective news teams that won the Pulitzer Prize and the Polk Award."

"... journalist Karen Hunter, who was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1999 Daily News Editorial Board."
But I can't find the story it was for. I don't doubt a Pulitzer was won, mind you. I'm just nosy.

[edit] My Google Fu came through after I posted.

Goodwin credited editorial writers Michael Aronson and Jonathan Capehart in particular for "pulling the plow" on the Apollo editorials. The other prize winners are Deputy Editorial Page Editor Brian Kates and board members Karen Hunter, Alex Storozynski and Karen Zautyk. LINK
Pardon my ignorance, but what does a board member on a news team do? Are they ones who approve the stories?
 
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smallpresseditor

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To be fair, the majority of publishers I've dealt with - not that that's many, because I'm pretty much unpublished, but I'm very thoroughly rejected ;-) - have been nothing but respectful and helpful. I'd imagine that's pretty much the norm for the industry. There's bad boo-birds in every business, though.

Yes, I should have mentioned that, too. Most publishers want to look out for your best interests. And the writing community tends to do a pretty fair job of making sure publishers are up to snuff, no small thanks to places like AW.
 

Shrouded

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Good boo-birds - 1 problematical contest - 0
I still didn't get an explaination on how terrestrial is related to print.
 

thothguard51

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One the First One Publishing home page.

http://www.firstonepublishing.com/index.php

I visited the blog page and there is a Karen's Korner, and they list her as, a Prize Winning Journalist.

Don't you have to actually write the article to win the prize? I thought she was on the board of directors of the newspaper that won the award for an article written by two other writers...

Edited to add, doesn't NBC or other new programs investigate those they have on them to make sure their credentials are up to par? After all, if she says it on TV, then it all must be True...
 
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cryaegm

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Um, maybe ebook arm refers to more of a different division within the same company? And offshoot is a completely different company altogether?

The contest was a big enough red flag just with the copyright/"legal information". But I don't see how someone with eight novels under her belt and twenty years in the biz could make all these mistakes.
You're probably trying not to come off as snarky, but I can't help as it read it like that. :tongue I was honestly just curious. I was looking more for examples, but then again, it was late when I asked, too. I've also been sick so my brain is a little slow.
 

HapiSofi

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HapiSofi, you made my day with your analysis. Quite honestly, I was laughing so hard after reading your "Pound sand" comment I nearly couldn't finish the rest.

Hurrah!
Thank you! That makes me happy.
 

IceCreamEmpress

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An editorial board at a newspaper isn't a board of directors. It's a team consisting of the editorial page editor and the editorial writers. Hunter was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial board at the Daily News, which meant that she was one of the people writing the series of unsigned editorials that won the prize.

Now, yeah, the editor singled out two of the other team members' work for particular praise, but that doesn't negate the work done by Hunter and the other colleagues who were not singled out. That particular Pulitzer Prize is awarded for team efforts, as it must be, since it is the custom of US newspaper editorial pages not to run individual writers' bylines.

Saying that she was on that Pulitzer Prize-winning team is not at all a misrepresentation of her credentials. She is representing her credentials just fine, which I know sounds a bit hard to reconcile with some of the unprofessional public comments she had made.
 
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Bicyclefish

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I see. What confused me was that editorial writers and a Deputy Editorial Page Editor were mentioned, so I didn't know what board members were at a newspaper/site. Since the writers and editors appeared covered, my first thought was equating them to a board of directors, but that didn't seem right.

Thanks.
 

HistorySleuth

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Thanks for explaining IceCream

It could very well be she may not have realized how bad the rules were coming across. I'm glad she pulled them to do a fix. Let's hope its more author friendly.
 

HopeWelsh

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Yeah...

Yup, it's down now. They discovered it and realized that the crack-smoking author of the rules had posted them without their knowledge....or something.

A person can be a good writer--and not know crap about doing rules, I guess.

The INTENT might not be to take all rights, etc...but the rules can't even ALLOW it if people are to think it's legitimate.

Can't wait to see the new rules. I loved the comment on Janet Reid--alluding to Ms. Reid not posting her comments--no reason not to post them--there was no way to defend those idiotic rules.

Did you all know that agents are obsolete now? Really. Ms. Hunter says so--and Janet Reid is just afraid she will be obsolete.

Right.

Believe that, and I have a nice bridge...it's in London.
 

jvc

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Hopewelsh, seriously? It's one thing to point out the flaws in the rules of the contest or the publisher's approach and such, but don't make personal comments like that, it isn't helpful at all.
 

Unimportant

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Hopewelsh, I agree that while the contest organisers probably had absolutely no intention of taking publication rights for the submitted manuscripts, the rules did allow for that possibility, which is why everyone suggested the rules be changed. I think we're all looking forward to seeing how the contest gets revised. The publisher has received a plethora of feedback here and elsewhere, and if she uses that info she should have no trouble creating a fair, equitable, reasonable contest that will benefit both the publisher and the authors who submit/win.
 

cryaegm

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Yup, it's down now. They discovered it and realized that the crack-smoking author of the rules had posted them without their knowledge....or something.

A person can be a good writer--and not know crap about doing rules, I guess.

The INTENT might not be to take all rights, etc...but the rules can't even ALLOW it if people are to think it's legitimate.

Can't wait to see the new rules. I loved the comment on Janet Reid--alluding to Ms. Reid not posting her comments--no reason not to post them--there was no way to defend those idiotic rules.

Did you all know that agents are obsolete now? Really. Ms. Hunter says so--and Janet Reid is just afraid she will be obsolete.

Right.

Believe that, and I have a nice bridge...it's in London.
Lolwut? (Sorry, had to.)

Are you being facetious about the Janet Reid comment? Maybe I shouldn't be fueling the flame, but Janet did post Miss Karen's comments. I read them.

I do, however, believe you're being facetious about the last part, where agents are obsolete. Then again, I could be very, very wrong, but the "Right. Believe that, and I have a nice bridge...." says otherwise.

Still, though. There's no need to call her or anyone a "crack-smoking author". That's going below the belt, and it's rude. No one is a crack-smoking author (well, unless they do smoke crack, but that's besides the point), and because of the rules, doesn't make someone that, either.
 

Chris1981

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I hope that the people over at First One took down the rules so that they could re-work them and come up with a better contest. There was never any chance of me entering because I don't have $149 for writing-contest entries (and wouldn't spend it all on one entry even if I did have the funds), but I'd like to see a contest that's good for both the sponsoring company and the writers.
 

Unimportant

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The website still says "Coming February 11" so they may not post the revised contest rules till then.
 

Williebee

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We are writers. We know what it means to edit our drafts, reshape our darlings, if not murder them entirely. We are a community. If the contest returns I hope that we will view it in the spirit that it is then intended.
 

HapiSofi

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I didn't think Hope Welsh's comments were all that bad, but a number of people seemed startled by them, so I won't argue for the point.

I don't necessarily take First One pulling the contest rules as a sign of their imminent improvement. Other sources may have originated sections of the rules; but as they did the swiping, and they compiled the results, they must have been familiar with the wording. It cannot have come as a surprise to them.

To repeat an earlier point of mine, the contest and its rules amounts to an offer to publish, with the recipient of the offer and the title of the work to be named later. This means the publisher/editors of First One either knew what they were demanding of entrants when they sent out the rules, or they sent out a contractual offer without carefully reading over every word of it. Both those possibilities would be a serious lapse in professional competence.