It’s the end of another year, and it’s time to look at all the writing done and beta-read, tweaked and edited, primed and primped. You want to send those babies out into the world. You see calls for submissions everywhere, but you’re just not sure… I’ve got a few tips for you.

You’ve written a short story. The story is good—very good—and perhaps you’ve run it through a workshop or put it through the editorial friend test, polished it within an inch of its life. Now it’s ready to submit and you know just the market to send it to.

Success! They’ve accepted it, sent a contract which is brief but to the point and covers the bases, given you a publication date and expected payment date.

And now you’re waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

A friendly email to the editor or publisher returns nothing more than a pat on the back and an excuse of a few more weeks.

And you’re waiting again.

And waiting*.

A second email, months later, bounces back to you as undeliverable. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, since email issues occur on such a regular basis, you check into their website. It too, seems to have encountered troubles. That nagging feeling in your stomach turns into acid reflux when you stop by your favorite message board and see that the editor and/or publisher has disappeared, taking your story with ‘em.

Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought it might. Like I said, we’ve all been there, and frankly we’re all real tired of raking the subject over the coals. Even those of us who run small press houses or magazines are tired of it, let me assure you. See – one bad egg makes all of us look like we’re going to stink up the barnyard.

Oh, we can wax poetic about how we should have known, how we should have seen the signs and blah blah blah. The thing is, there are no sure-fire signs about any market that’s under five years old. There are even markets older than that that run scams occasionally – you just don’t see ‘em because you trust ‘em. They bank on that trust, just as much as the true scam markets do. And while it’s true that some of these scam markets don’t mean to end up that way, they have to know they are heading in that direction long before the hatchet falls on their plans. Usually it comes from taking on too much, too soon, or from trying to pay semi-pro to pro-rates right off the bat.

Why do they do it? I wish I could tell you, but I’ve only seen the innards of two markets I have on my scams list, and at this time I plead the fifth (lol). Some of them must be thinking they’re going to make big money doing this (HA!) and bolt when it doesn’t happen. Some must think it’ll be a way to be accepted into the ‘inner circle,’ the ‘big boys club,’ the ‘room beyond the golden door.’ When that doesn’t happen, they pout and become belligerent with their critics and sometimes even with people who’ve tried to help. Some markets are created simply as a vehicle for the owners’ own writing, whether openly or not, and take on others’ work in a half-assed attempt to legitimize their own.

Nine times out of ten, these markets fizzle and die within the first few months, some make it as long as a year, others could go for years before someone finally pulls the light cord. Generally, they fold because they can not or will not face detractors or injured parties with honesty and use what little integrity they may have left to make amends.

If you see problems coming in your day to day life, do you pack up and run, or do you face them head on? They run.

There are so many warning signs that should tweak your bell and stop you from hitting the send button on that sub. The problem – the big problem – is that they are also things that occasionally apply to legitimate, well-respected, well-paying markets as well. There just is no set and sure way to pin-point the bad markets.

1. 4theLuv – not all 4theLuv markets are a scam! One just needs to practice due diligence when considering them. Are they run by a known entity (either being or company)? Are they well-known, well-respected? Check them out before giving your work to them.

2. Free web space/badly designed site – this seems to be less an issue now that some web hosts have folded, however some free web space is hidden by a purchased domain name. Occasionally you can look past a poorly designed website and move on, but really…in this day and age one should be able to find better graphics and templates. There are free and cheap courses in design as well. Please gods, no more purple on yellow and red on blue!

3. Numerous ad blocks on website – if there is more room dedicated to advertising of any sort than there is dedicated to content, you’ve got to question the

4. Combo punch: 4theLuv AND free web space AND more ads than content – do I really need to warn you off this one? Really?

5. Unknown editor – ding ding! This is not necessarily a bad thing, we’ve all started somewhere as unknown, but unproven editors have occasionally turned out to be writers in disguise or out and out scammers looking to nab free content/steal content/make money off you.

6. Online behaviour – if the person representing your market choice has a reputation for bad behaviour online, eventually they’ll be ostracized and as much as boycotted by the industry. And you’re submitting your work in order for it to be read, right? Not just for shits ‘n giggles?

7. Buying your contributor copies – if you are expected to buy your own contributor copies with or without a discount, that’s a major warning bell. It’s not a ‘contributor copy’ if you’re buying it. It’s a flat purchase of material your work is in.

8. Runners – if the market you’re looking at is owned and/or staffed by people who worked at other bad markets and did a runner in the night… you might want to just mark them off the list of possible publishers until and if they prove themselves.

Each and every one of those can apply to legitimate, well-respected markets. However, the trick to knowing who is going to screw you and who isn’t is…

Well, you’re not going to know. Again, due diligence. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and fellow authors if a market is solid. Don’t be afraid to go to former contributors and get their opinions. Frequent message boards (you can lurk and learn a lot of stuff), keep your eyes and ears open.

We’ve all been there, and we’ll lend a hand.

’til Monday…
<3 JL