tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post440398777682179045..comments2023-07-03T07:26:04.780-04:00Comments on The Rejecter: Response to Responses from Previous ResponseThe Rejecterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09087643296072075641noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-82921381209101569092007-06-10T02:53:00.000-04:002007-06-10T02:53:00.000-04:00To anonymous poster #1:The "Compact Oxford English...To anonymous poster #1:<BR/><BR/>The "Compact Oxford English Dictionary" defines "tier" as, "one of a series of rows or levels placed one above and behind the other." OR "a level or grade within an hierarchy." So... quit thinking about animals when you hear/see the word "tier." (Normally I don't tell people what to do, but it's only fair, as you so blatantly instructed the rest of us to "Quit talking about 'tiers'." =)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-58985332742345536462007-06-06T11:17:00.000-04:002007-06-06T11:17:00.000-04:00Yes, there was a publishing forum at UCLA recently...Yes, there was a publishing forum at UCLA recently, and they talked about a "media platform."<BR/><BR/>From what I could tell, it's a very fancy way of saying:<BR/><BR/>"If you have a blog, a column in a newspaper, a following in a newsletter, or if you're a recognized expert in a given field, or if you're the president of a group where members where caps with horns and everyone loves you, then this is the start of your media platform."<BR/><BR/>I think everyone was taken off guard. They'd worked 4 years to write a good book, and now they had to do this? <BR/><BR/>So they're all blogging now, writing reviews in journals, the whole gamut.Kananihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08317494343177263398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-1119692462642159622007-06-06T01:56:00.000-04:002007-06-06T01:56:00.000-04:00Anon #1: Others have already corrected your Englis...Anon #1: Others have already corrected your English, now let me correct your German. German nouns begin with capital letters: it's "Tier" not "tier." The plural of this particular noun is "Tiere" not "Tiers."<BR/><BR/>No doubt some readers will consider this input trivial, but the real point I want to make is <I>learn to talk yourself before publicly criticizing a hardworking blogger's choice of words. Nitwit.</I>Metaphysical Speculatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07160509230417862696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-48820471267811166532007-06-05T12:01:00.000-04:002007-06-05T12:01:00.000-04:00And "tiers" may mean "third" in modern French, 1st...And "tiers" may mean "third" in modern French, 1st Anon - but so what?Bernitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05264585685253812090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-65575894520397174242007-06-04T19:48:00.000-04:002007-06-04T19:48:00.000-04:00Why do you get so many anoymous commenters?And why...Why do you get so many anoymous commenters?<BR/><BR/>And why do they argue so much amongst themselves?Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08466885792177930052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-41914220936129142702007-06-04T15:11:00.000-04:002007-06-04T15:11:00.000-04:00Rejecter, you're a curious one. Why did Ethan Haw...Rejecter, you're a curious one. Why did Ethan Hawke or Macauley Culkin get novels published? Great art? Fabulous writing? Nah. Platform, baby. They can get an invite to The Tonight Show or John Stewart to plug their book unlike the rest of us mere mortals. Howard Stern decides to write a novel. Guess how many houses will jump at that one? Media platform. Tell me, really, that you never think about this stuff when your guy is considering a new client.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-21204969114717530152007-06-04T14:20:00.000-04:002007-06-04T14:20:00.000-04:00Quit talking about 'tiers'. I learned German in sc...<I>Quit talking about 'tiers'. I learned German in school and since I know the word to mean 'animal' in German, referring to journals this way makes little sense.</I><BR/><BR/>Well, y'know, in <I>English</I>, it makes perfect sense. Crack open your dictionary, nitwit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-2876382293052641132007-06-04T13:43:00.000-04:002007-06-04T13:43:00.000-04:00You said re: "media platform":"Otherwise, I don't ...You said re: "media platform":<BR/><BR/>"Otherwise, I don't think it comes up, especially not in fiction."<BR/><BR/>Yes, it DOES come up in virtually EVERY nonfiction topic, and it is also starting to come up in fiction. And I don't think my agent has anything to do with that. He has 100s of editorial contacts at major and minor houses, and all of those editors have been careful to say that the "platform" issue isn't usually an obstacle for them per se----it's an obstacle put up by publishers' sales-and-marketing departments, who now usually have final say (OVER editors) on what publishers actually acquire. (Indeed, I've had editors initially state they wanted my books, and then had their decisions overridden by Marketing). My agent isn't the only agent (or editor) out there who is frustrated by marketing types' commodification of publishing.Jill Elaine Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229618587869637644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-39782789100868233302007-06-04T13:33:00.000-04:002007-06-04T13:33:00.000-04:00Miss Snark says that platform only applies to nonf...Miss Snark says that platform only applies to nonfiction.<BR/><BR/>Picture, for example, the people you see hawking their books on The Colbert Report or The Daily Show (okay, I just gave away my TV-viewing habits... ;) ). Those people have platform. That's how they sell their nonfiction. Note that you don't generally see people hawking fiction there.Reihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17005292189176596201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-51478291754196555572007-06-04T13:11:00.000-04:002007-06-04T13:11:00.000-04:00Not all illegitimate contests lack entry fees. The...Not all illegitimate contests lack entry fees. There's the notorious poetry contest where everyone who enters wins at least publication and then you get the opportunity to spend an outrageous amount of money on the hardbound anthology that they put out.Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08437818869878209929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-24046636420242643382007-06-04T07:06:00.000-04:002007-06-04T07:06:00.000-04:00I was a contributing writer for a technical articl...I was a contributing writer for a technical article published by the Association for Healthcare Research and Quality. I wouldn't think to include that since I was one of three who put the segment together, the nature of the publication and I am writing sci-fi/fantasy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-76330753243113081912007-06-04T00:30:00.000-04:002007-06-04T00:30:00.000-04:00When I published my first book, I had no significa...When I published my first book, I had no significant writing credits (certainly no book). I agree 100% with the Rejectress that it's a much better strategy to leave out legit but subpar credits from proposals -- they smack of desperation and defensiveness.<BR/><BR/>After all, your writing sample directly follows. The purpose of the proposal is to excite the publisher with your book, not to convince them you are qualified to write a book -- your deathless prose will qualify you. We're lucky that we are sending our proposals to folks who might actually read them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-82633662231078661862007-06-03T12:43:00.000-04:002007-06-03T12:43:00.000-04:00I think "platform" the way Miss Snark uses it (and...I think "platform" the way Miss Snark uses it (and the way we used it in the computer industry) means that you already have an audience of some sort and a way to distribute your book or a mentin of your book. For example, you might have a radio show, be a radio announcer or have a regular appearance on a radio show on the topic related to your book because you're an expert. This "platform" allows you to mention the book.<BR/><BR/>In the computer industry a "platform" was: People that had ties throughout the industry--not just with a single company. They might sit on technical boards (boards that decide various computer standards for the industry). These people get asked a few times a year to give a talk or consult--some had books published and sold these books either at the back or as part of the package deal that came with the talk. In other words, a computer company would pay 100+ dollars per head--each attendee would get a nice ad bag that included the book.<BR/><BR/>This "platform" thing is also true in the Wall Street arena. Maybe you're Gary Kaltbulm and you have your own radio show. So you would let the agent and editor know that "hey every day I have a radio show and I can talk about my book." <BR/><BR/>You might have an occasional guest spot on CNBC or Fox News Business block. If you're in good with the people, they throw out, "And her book..."<BR/><BR/>Jim Rogers has a platform because he gets invited as a consultant EVERYWHERE in the world...etc.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Just my understanding of platform.Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-89275716141790620042007-06-03T11:47:00.000-04:002007-06-03T11:47:00.000-04:00Excellent response, Catja.Regarding contests, ther...Excellent response, Catja.<BR/><BR/>Regarding contests, there are some very significant, prestigious contests that charge fees. However, unless those are known by the writer then the safest option to the writer is to avoid any contest with an entry fee.<BR/><BR/>Scams rely upon making themselves appear legitimate by pointing to anything legitimate that does what they want such as collecting a fee. The difference is in how that fee is used. For reputable contests, the fee is used to compensate the judges, who should not be staff members. For scams, the fees generally go only to enriching themselves and providing the prize(s). The really reputable contests often provide the prize out of their own special funds simply because the prize is often larger than they expect to receive as entry fees.Dave Kuzminskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09648935668653562022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-8081066752059770982007-06-03T06:44:00.000-04:002007-06-03T06:44:00.000-04:00I've had one agency ask for a biogaphy which left ...I've had one agency ask for a biogaphy which left me puzzled - what kind of information would you find useful for a fiction author? What might sway you or turn you off? <BR/><BR/>This 'platform' thing reassures me - it seems that some agents are just as prone to look for secret handshakes as the next man... (It wasn't my lack of contacts, honest. Your book is great, you just don't have the platform. Sorry.' ?)<BR/><BR/>My verification starts with 'omg'. How fitting.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14880189747875381022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-87215841297582352782007-06-03T05:16:00.000-04:002007-06-03T05:16:00.000-04:00Quit talking about 'tiers'. I learned German in sc...Quit talking about 'tiers'. I learned German in school and since I know the word to mean 'animal' in German, referring to journals this way makes little sense.<BR/><BR/>Go to a market search engine like Duotrope.com, Ralan.com or spicygreeniguana.com and look for semi-pro markets. They pay a little less than the pro-markets, but they're definitely worth mentioning in a query.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com