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Message From Diana Sheridan
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AJA/Sportomatic/Bridge Street are are no longer a viable market for any new material for any of their titles. Former editor Diana Sheridan sadly says this is permanent and will be shortly contacting all writers who have material that was not used, to let them know that those stories were not published and rights for these stories are reverting to the writers. As Diana edited from a home office, not the publisher's office, she will keep the EMail addy active for a while yet to field inquiries from writers, but scratch AJA/Sportomatic/Bridge Street off your list of possible markets. (Note that AJA/Sportomatic/Bridge Street has NOT gone out of business, and so if you previously sold them a story, relinquishing all rights, that arrangement still stands.)

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--- The Nonfiction Corner ---
--- By Don Vaughan ---
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I've been screwed to the tune of about $1,000 over the course of my writing career. A San Diego-based publisher of adult paperback novels (hey, I was young and needed the money!) ripped me off for $800, and a now-defunct Florida-based women's magazine never paid me the paltry $200 I was owed for an article I wrote on how to overcome fear of public speaking.

A thousand dollars is a lot of money, but considering the number of articles I've sold and the diversity of the markets for which I've written, my loss really isn't that bad. I know writers who have been ripped off for a whole lot more, so I consider myself lucky. But that didn’t make the loss any easier to bear.

My response to this shabby treatment was simple: I complained to my friends, ate the loss and kept on writing. And most other writers with whom I have commiserated have done likewise.

After all, what else can you do, except warn others to avoid the offending publication? Angry letters are usually just a waste of a stamp, and threats of legal action are only as strong as your ability to carry them out. Most publishers know that hiring a lawyer will cost you more than the amount you're owed, so they merely laugh at your empty threats and toss your note into the garbage with a cavalier flick of the wrist.

Well, I'm here to tell you that there ARE steps you can take to get your hard-earned money from tight-fisted, irresponsible, thieving publishers. My $1,000 loss has turned me into a crusader for the publishing underdog, and nothing makes me happier than stories of writers who have beaten publishing weasels at their own game.
Here are a couple of my war stories:
A few years ago, I was offered $200 by Skyline Magazine to profile a Palm Beach couple who had built a successful airline cargo company. I wrote the piece as asked and was pleased to see it in the very next issue.

When my check didn't arrive as scheduled, I called my editor and was told it would be arriving any day. A week passed and then another, but still no check. So I called again. And again. And again. Each time, I was told my check would be forthcoming.

I quickly realized what was going on -- Skyline had over- extended itself (a common problem among start-up publications) and writers were suddenly very low on the editorial food chain.

Had my editor (and later, the publisher) been up front with me and explained what had happened, I would have been more than happy to work out a deal that was acceptable to both of us. But rather than be truthful, everyone involved tried to stonewall me in the hope I would go away.

Well, they were wrong. I don't like being lied to and I don't like being stonewalled. So I called my editor constantly. Every time another promise fell through, I was on the phone, stunned and amazed that my check had failed to materialize. Every time I was in the neighborhood, I dropped by the editorial offices, anxious to talk about "the problem." After about three weeks of this, my editor was so tired of my presence that she cut me a check from her personal account just to get rid of me. Not surprisingly, Skyline Magazine went out of business shortly after.

More recently, I found myself in a similar situation with a true-crime magazine based in Gainesville. The publisher approached me to write a profile of Heidi Fleiss which, against my better judgement, I agreed to do. It ran in the magazine's second issue.

I was supposed to be paid 30 days after publication, but the deadline came and went without a check. I wrote, I called -- more promises, but no money.

I realized that I was being stonewalled again when the receptionist would ask who I was, then immediately tell me the editor and publisher were both unavailable. Again, they were hoping I would go away. And again, they were wrong.

I always try to play by the rules before making up my own, so I left one more week's worth of unanswered messages and faxes. Then I took the game to another level by calling directory assistance for the editor's home phone number (most editors live fairly close to the magazines for which they work, unless the magazine is based in New York). I called about 8 p.m. and left a message on the editor's answering machine telling him I was anxious to discuss the money owed me -- then apologized for calling him at home, adding that I had no recourse since it had become impossible to reach him at the office.

The editor called me back about 10 p.m. with interesting news - - he had just been laid off. Having nothing to lose, he spilled his guts on the whole operation, including the fact that the publisher was planning to run for Congress and was terrified of negative publicity.

That was all I needed to know. The next morning I faxed the publisher a terse note demanding payment immediately or I would turn the matter over to my attorney AND go to the press with information on how this Congressional candidate was screwing poor, hardworking writers. He called me an hour later to tell me my check would be cut that afternoon.

Every magazine has a different pay schedule. Some pay on acceptance, while others pay on publication. Most freelancers try to avoid the latter because it can take a while to get your dough, though payment on publication is not always a bad deal, nor is payment on acceptance always a little slice of heaven. I’ve written for a number of mags that offer payment on publication, and have received my money in a remarkably timely fashion. At the same time, I’ve written for mags whose idea of payment on acceptance plays fast and loose with the concept.

This is an issue that should be addressed at the time an assignment is made. Ask your editor what the magazine’s payment policy is, and whether it’s open to negotiation. Some magazines will pay a little faster if you prod them, but most will not because it tends to upset their accounting system. However, it can’t hurt to ask. Another option is to offer to take a little less money if the company will pony up the dough a little faster. Personally, I’d rather wait a few more weeks and take the full amount, but your situation may be different. Again, it can’t hurt to ask.

While discussing the pay schedule with your editor, ask specifically when you should expect payment. Does “acceptance” mean when the editor receives your manuscript, signs off on it or sends it to layout? If payment is on publication, does that mean the month of release or the month on the cover? And when during the month does the company cut freelance checks? If you don’t like the answers you’re hearing, try to negotiate a better deal. You work hard for your money and you deserve it in a timely fashion. Many editors and publishers tend to forget that we have bills to pay, too.

Here are a few more tips on how to get your money from less-than-honest publishers:

• Try to work through your editor first. Theoretically, he's on your side and will strive to get the money you're owed.
  
  
• Be tenacious. Let the offending editor and publisher know through faxes and phone calls that you're not going to go away. Document the time, date and content of every call, just in case you need it later. Don’t give up!
  
  
• Be sweet before you get nasty. The adage that you get more flies with honey than vinegar is true, especially in publishing.
  
  
• If you have a friend who's an attorney, ask him to write a letter to the editor or publisher on your behalf -- especially if he's willing to follow through with some low-cost litigation (you'd be surprised how many billable hours you can get for a good dinner and a six-pack). Often a note with many imposing names on the letterhead is enough to shake a few dollars from a stingy publisher's wallet.
  
  
• Make sure you always send an invoice with your manuscript, even if you aren’t asked to do so. Many publishing companies won't process payment without one.
  
  
• Become good friends with the people in the magazine's payroll department. A friendly phone call regarding your "misplaced payment" will often get the ball rolling.
  
  
• Stay away from start-up publications. New magazines traditionally don't last very long, and when problems begin, it's usually the writers who get hosed first. A good rule of thumb: Work only for magazines that have published a minimum of 12 issues.
  
  
• Don't hesitate to take the game to another level when it becomes obvious that conventional efforts are getting you no where. If an editor refuses your calls at the office, do what I did and call him at home. He'll be a little pissed off, but at least you'll have his attention and he'll quickly realize you're not going to disappear without a fight.
  
  I recommend the latter tactic only as a last resort. The vast majority of editors are fine, hard-working people who have your best interests at heart. Save the guerilla tactics for the obvious jerks.
  
  
• Join the National Writer's Union (www.nwu.org). It offers an invaluable grievance service to help members resolve disputes with book and magazine publishers. Dues are based on how much money you make annually as a writer.
  
  Finally, make sure you share any payment problems with your fellow writers. Networking isn't only about those fabulous, well- paying markets -- it's also about warning others of unscrupulous publishers. A note regarding your payment hassles could save hundreds from a similar fate.

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Don Vaughan is a highly respected freelancer living in North Carolina.

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--- Market Listings ---
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IN TOUCH/INDULGE: 13122 Saticoy Street, North Hollywood, CA 91605. FAX #: (818) 764-2307. Website: www.intouchformen.com. Email: glen@intouchformen.com.

CONTACT: Glen Bassett

In Touch and Indulge are monthly adult magazines catering to gay men. They feature male nude pictorials, fiction and adult video reviews. In Touch features younger looking men while Indulge features more muscular, mature men. Circulation: 60,000. Works with new writers. Responds to submissions in four to six weeks. Send a completed manuscript, typed, double-spaced, with some basic information on the first page - name, address, e-mail address, pseudonym, if any, and word count of ms. - and a self addressed stamped envelope for reply. Fiction may also be submitted via e-mail. Purchases First North American rights and limited electronic rights for use on website. Pays on publication. Publishes manuscripts between four to six months after acceptance. For sample copy write to: In Touch/Sample Copy, 13122 Saticoy Street, North Hollywood, CA 91605. Specify if you would like a sample copy of In Touch or Indulge and include a check or money order for $7.99.

CURRENT NEEDS: Fiction

PAYMENT: $75 flat fee, upon publication

WORD COUNT: 2500 to 3500 words

REPRINTS: No

HINTS: Before submitting, thoroughly check your manuscript for proper grammar, tense, and spelling. Clarity is the key. I am as willing to accept a complex, unusual story as I am to accept a simple fuck story as long as it can be easily read. Safe sex must be depicted in all submissions. Target the magazine you'd like to write for. In Touch features young men, so young men (18 to 25 approx.) should be featured in the fiction. Indulge features the more muscular, fully developed man. Age isn't as important as the impression of masculinity. Enjoy the writing, even if you aren't published, and have fun with it.

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Website: Heated Rush
Contact: enid@heatedrush.com
Guidelines: Guidelines

Heated Rush Submission Guidelines

Our tagline is a journal for what's between your ears and legs. So in short, this is what we are looking for;non-published intelligent, literate well-written erotic stories and poems that are steamy, sexy, tragic, funny, romantic, queer, kinky, edgy, subversive, speculative, dark, light, etc. In other words, make sure it's literate smut.

We want stories with strong characterization and compelling plot lines which mirror diverse perspectives and backgrounds. In essence, we want stories that blur the lines between what is normal, abnormal, and everything in-between.

We are also looking for essays about sexuality, gender issues, and other aspects related to human sexuality. Make your essays raw, edgy, and provocative.

Our NO-NO list:
Please do not submit stories that feature underage characters, rape, scat, golden showers, snuff, incest, gratitious violence, necrophilia, and bestiality.

Formatting Issues:
We sometimes receive stories with attachments, no titles, no e-mail addresses, etc. These submissions have found their way into the trash. Please adhere to the guidelines.

We prefer stories to be left margin justified with one line break between paragraphs. Submissions should be sent in the body of an e-mail. PLAIN TEXT ONLY! NO ATTACHMENTS!! PLEASE PROOFREAD! Send your best story. We are editors here not miracle workers.

Use the following headers: FICTION or POETRY and the Title of your submission. E-mail your submissions to enid@heatedrush.com. Also, we no longer accept simultaneous submissions or reprints unless you retain the copyright or they appear on your personal web site.

Please include your real or pen name which ever you prefer to use, word count, 50 word or less bio in third person, e-mail address, previous publications and website URL, if both are applicable.

Compensation: We offer no payment at this time, just a forum for your work. Rights and Archiving: We offer First Serial Rights. Your rights return to you upon publication. After an issue is put to rest, your story is put in our archives where it remains until you request its removal.

Length and Deadlines: Min. word count is 100-1,000 words for micro fiction. For stories 1,200 words is our min. and the max. count is 5,000 words. Anything bigger will be serialized. Poems should be no longer than 100 lines. Please do not submit any more that two poems and two stories at a time. Our deadlines are on-going. We publish on a quarterly schedule. Our next issue will be uploaded on or around Aug 22nd.

Please cut and paste the following statement: I state that I am of legal age and that I own the copyright to the following submission and hereby permit Heated Rush to publish my work.

Response Time: You should hear back about your story in a month's time. If it becomes longer than that, please send an e-mail querying the status of your story.

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THE BLOWFISH UPDATE: E-mail: Fiction Editor. Website: http://www.blowfish.com/.

CONTACT: Fiction Editor

Weekly E-mail newsletter, oriented around the products of Blowfish Mail-Order. We try to include one piece of fiction per issue. Fiction is 100% freelance written. Works with new writers. Circulation 10,000. Pays on publication. Pays $75 (US) by check or $150 (US) in product credit on acceptance. Buy unlimited on-line and print reprint rights. Responds to submissions within 8 weeks. For guidelines contact editor@blowfish.com. (Or See Below) To sign up for the newsletter (may not include any fiction) send an email to add@blowfish.com. Submit complete manuscript of up to 1,500 words (as a plain text file.) NO ATTACHMENTS; they will not be read. Submit to fiction-editor@blowfish.com; submissions sent to editor@blowfish.com will not be read.

WRITER’S GUIDELINES

Blowfish occasionally publishes short erotic fiction in its weekly email newsletter, the Blowfish Update. We encourage submissions from writers, including first-time authors. Please read these guidelines carefully.

1. Length of work. Our maximum is 1,500 words. This is an absolute maximum. We will reject unread any works that are longer than 1,500 words, by our count.

2. Type of submissions. We accept all kinds of erotic fiction, with any degree of explicitness. Please do not query for "exactly what" kind of work we accept; all we can say is that we accept things that we like. If you would like to subscribe to the Blowfish Update to get an idea of what we print, send an email to "add@blowfish.com".

3. Method of submission. Please send all submissions to "fiction-editor@blowfish.com". Please send all submissions as *plain text emails*. Do *not* send *any* kind of attachments; those will be rejected unread. Please also make sure that your submission does not contain "curly quotes" or other special characters.

Please put the *title of your work in the subject of your message*. Please do NOT send something with a subject of just "Submission" or the like; we can figure out that part ourselves. Please submit one piece per email; multiple submissions are fine, but please send them individually.

4. A word of warning. Your chances of acceptance are greatly increased if your cover letter and submission conform to the standards of good English. Please proofread your work, and use proper punctuation, capitalization, and form proper paragraphs. Any work which does not will almost certainly be rejected. We can tell the difference between errors deliberately inserted for artistic effect and sloppy writing.

5. Payment. We pay $75 (US) by check or $150 (US) in product credit, upon publication. A social security number (or W-9 substitution form for those who don't have one) and mailing address will be required of U.S. citizen authors in order to remit payment. Foreign authors will have to file a W-8BEN before we can remit payment.

Please contact fiction-editor@blowfish.com if you have any questions.

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PAYING FOR IT
SEX WORKERS AND FORMER SEX WORKERS -- CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Greta Christina and Greenery Press are seeking submissions for an upcoming anthology. The book, tentatively titled "Paying For It," will essentially be an etiquette guide for sex work customers, written by sex workers and former sex workers.

I'm seeking submissions from men, women and transfolk, from all kinds of sex work that involve customer interaction: prostitution, professional domination and submission, phone sex, interactive video sex, stripping and dancing, talking to a live nude girl/boy, etc. (I'm also seeking submissions from sex work support staff -- front desk staff, order takers for phone sex lines, etc.)

This is your opportunity to tell your customers whatever you've wanted to tell them but felt you couldn't if you wanted to keep their business. Your submission should describe how you do and don't (or did and didn't, if you're not doing sex work now) like to be treated by customers: what behavior from customers has made you like them, and what behavior from customers has made you dislike them. You can describe general principles (such as "Respect my limits") as well as specific examples (such as "Don't keep trying to touch me when I've told you that you can't").

In addition, if you've ever given customers extra service, special treatment, or just a more friendly and enthusiastic time because you liked them and appreciated how they treated you -- or if you've ever given them the bare minimum, short shrift, or refused them service altogether because they annoyed you or offended you (even inadvertently) -- please say so and give specific examples. If you've done more than one kind of sex work, you can either focus on just one or talk about them all -- if you do the latter, I'd love to hear any overall principles or guidelines you might have to offer about what makes for a good sex work customer in any area of sex work.

My hope for the book is that it will help close what I see as a major communication gap between sex workers and customers and make sex work better and more pleasant for both, helping sex workers get better treatment from customers and helping customers get better service as a result of treating sex workers better.

Original work of 1000-3000 words is preferred, but shorter and longer pieces will also be considered, as will reprints. Send submissions or inquiries to:

PO Box 411544
San Francisco, CA 94141-1544.

Include SASE, with sufficient postage if you want the manuscript returned. Submissions and inquiries may also be emailed to book@doubtfulpalace.com. Please email the text of the submission in the body of the email -- DO NOT email attachments, they will not be read.

Deadline 9/1/2003; earlier submissions will get first consideration.

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