Monday, December 22, 2008

Does it suck?

A question for the published writers:

Do you think it sucks that writers might be hitting you up for recommendations to get into TJ? At first, I thought it would be a way to get more people to read your work and send you feedback, but now I'm wondering if that's sort of an unfair thing to ask of you. Maybe it would even start to come off as sleazy.

I'm trying to figure out how hard to push that particular angle with all these people who are sending email, trying to find ways to get us to read their work.

5 comments:

Brad Green said...

For writers suffering from a deficit of attention, I think it'd be great. I've found it a little difficult to actually foster discussions with other writers. Imagine that. Anything that might further community would be a good thing.

Like anything else, it could, and likely will be exploited to some degree.

Spencer Troxell said...

A better policy might be to ask writers you trust to recommend other good writers that they have found. This would also encourage discussion & discovery, but wouldn't be so obviously solicitous. You could still keep your submissions 'by request only', and the nice emails that us writers get from time to time could retain some of their innocence.

Plus, you would have a little volunteer writer-corps out there looking for good things to suggest to you.

Steve Barker said...

I don't see anything wrong with it. I think it's actually a pretty cool policy. A writer can easily say no, or that they don't have anything at the moment. It doesn't suck.

THOM YOUNG said...

i hate other writers but i'll give them advice

Anonymous said...

how many young writers have contacted alum. and been solicited to you?

hasn't happened to me. i think it would be cool if it did. i.e., not suck.