Saturday 18 May 2013

The Editor as Stranger

Sometimes people tell me that I should go to cons. Specifically,  that meeting editors will help my writing career.

Now, I'm not ragging on cons. If you like them go to them, enjoy. I like small cons and meetings, the big ones not so much.

But I don't think that it's important to meet editors to sell short stories.

I've sold *runs off and checks* 159 short stories. (Yay!) And I've met in person, none of the editors. I do network a bit, through my blog and twitter. So I can tell you that before selling, I'd interacted with electronically with three of the editors.

So, it doesn't seem that networking is paying a big part in the sales. Of course, if I'd been going to cons it might be that I'd have sold even more. Maybe. Impossible to tell, really.

What do you think? Has networking, electronically or in person helped your career? Is it more important if you're trying to sell a novel? Am I in denial about the whole thing?

10 comments:

  1. I think you're completely right. I've only been to one convention so far (last year) and it was more about meeting up with friends you'd met online and drinking.

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  2. If so, then I'm in the same Nile. I spoke about W1S1 at a local writers' conference last year and helped out with consultations, but I didn't see anybody making any big deals with agents or editors. I haven't been to a convention yet (not even Comic Con, and it's in my home town every year), but I might when there's a Captain Quasar novel or something for me to hawk. Does 159 include reprints? If not...HOLY FREAKIN' COW! I'm quite a ways behind you with only 72.

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  3. The 159 includes reprints. So that's *goes and checks* 112 originals. Come and catch me!

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  4. I've never been to a con, but can't imagine striking a deal with an editor with all that's going on. Meeting them might make a good impression, but the opposite is true, too. Plus, if I'm going to a con, I rather spend the time seeing panels than selling stories.

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    1. Hee hee. Your're quite right, maybe you might meet your dream editor and alienate him/her. You don't hear much about that.

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  5. I haven't been to any cons but I did meet Michael Pennington of Aurora Wolf when he vacationed in Hawaii. All my stories had already sold to him by that time I think 4 or was it 5? I think I have 70 something stories under my belt now. This might just sound like common sense but certain editors seem to like my stories more than others and I spend more effort sending them stories than just flying stories out in wishful random hopefulness like at first in my writing career.

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    1. Mark, a new submission strategy is slowly forming along very much those lines. Thanks!

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  6. I don't think your in denial; surely the editors are looking for good stories, not stories from folks they know and like? Seems to me you should carry on doing whatever it is you're doing.

    But speaking of cons, WFC is quite big you know...

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  7. Seems like my post wasn't as controversial as I thought it might be. I'm sure people are always telling me to go to cons to help my career. Maybe I dreamt it.

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