Why work for free?
The short answer is – because we all do around here. This little lit mag is built on blood, sweat, and tears (seriously, you should see some of the papercuts we get 😉
There’s no money to give. Trust me, if we did, we’d be paying the editorial team first. And maybe cover some of our office expenses. Then we’d pay the guy who takes our photos and look at our regular contributors…
The truth of the matter other really great magazines are all in the same boat – they’re run by folks who love what they do so much they’re willing to sacrifice time with family, friends, or doing other things that normal people do to sit and read (and edit) your submissions, post them for the world to see all while worrying about things like html and SEO.
They do it for love, not money.
Free WordPress site aside (and free Gmail address too) this lit mag is run on beyond a shoe string budget – we’re in the hole just floating this thing. We earn no income for ads (and if we did, it would be nominal) but we shell out for electricity to run laptops, internet service to upload stories and access the web, cellphones for quickly responding to queries and dealing with all things social media, as well as the costs of printing work out for final editing because we tend to do things old school around here. (That paper, ink, and printer’s gotta cost somebody something, and you can be assured, it does. Lots.)
This tallying of office expenses doesn’t even begin to account for the hours spent (still unpaid) reviewing, editing, and writing.
So why the heck would we do such a thing?
For love. For love of writing, seeing things grow, and for seeing the potential in a piece (and a writer) unfold. For the love of seeing different voices come together to be something beyond themselves.
And, my friends, we invite you to be part of it. For love, not money.
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Be sure to check out Liz McAdams hanging out with some serial killers and psychopaths over at Yellow Mama today, because she kind of gets around like that. It’s all for love, baby.
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Further proof that we’re not alone – here’re some other great online publications that don’t pay their contributors, just the old bragging rights only approach to earning some kind of publication cred and gaining an audience in hopes of working toward bigger and better things.
- A Twist of Noir
- Beat to a Pulp
- Black Petals
- Gemini Magazine
- Near to the Knuckle
- Shotgun Honey
- Spelk
- The Flash Fiction Offensive
- The Horror Zine
- Thrillers, Killers ‘N’ Chillers
- Thrills, Kills ‘N’ Chaos
- Yellow Mama
If you want even MORE — check out The Horror Zine editor, Jeani Rector’s list.
NOTE — Some of these sites might not be actually accepting submissions now or may be closed (I have enough to worry about with this site, I can’t be responsible for everybody else’s 😉 Just check them out and give ’em a read — you’ll be glad you did.
Don’t forget about these awesome posts around our site — The Truth About Twisted Sister (you’d be surprised) and We Want YOU!
If you’ve found your way here because of our Back to School, Rock n’ Roll issue, be sure to check out these other great reads.
Hit me fast, hit me hard, hit me write where it hurts (pun intended). Check out more on the craft of writing back here. And don’t forget our New Releases and Greatest Hits – crank ‘em up and let ‘em roll.
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