I would
really like to hear what
@AgentPete has to say regarding this.
Frankly, I’ve never heard of any magazine, UK or US, asking for potential contributors to pay for the privilege of being read.
They’re doing what - until quite recently - would have been considered by many
prima facie evidence of literary dodginess – charging for submissions, and also running an editorial consultancy. Until
recently, that would have been enough to be labelled a vanity press.
However, today this doesn’t mean that the operation is a scam. The whole industry is experimenting with new financial and business models now.
It’s easy to cry “Scam!” – and quite a few bloggers have established some personal visibility in the writing community by doing precisely that – but the truth is actually more nuanced.
So, you need to ask yourself (
“do I feel lucky...?” – damn, that just slipped in...) questions like these; not just about Carve, but about any new operation that’s not run along traditional lines...
- Where is their income stream predominantly coming from? And is there solid evidence that they have a proven market for your work? If a publisher presents themselves as being able to take an author’s work to a substantial readership, then that’s one thing... but if they are mostly in business to take funds from hopeful writers, and aren’t focused on (or forthcoming about) their distribution/readership, then beware.
- You should speak to other writers who have been through their process from start to finish. Their names shouldn’t be too hard to find. Contact half a dozen. Ask them candidly about their experience. What did they actually get out of it? And did this accord with their expectations (or the sizzle they might have been sold)?
- Ask yourself, what is the best outcome – and then, the most likely outcome? Then in the light of these outcomes, consider whether your personal investment would be justified. And finally, ask yourself – where will this actually get me? Will it advance my career?
For example, if you get an offer from a PRH (Penguin Random House) editor for your ms, then the best outcome would be a shot at the bestseller lists... and the most likely outcome that you would be reasonably well published. OK, so what’s your personal investment on this? Not much, really, since you presumably have already got a fairly complete manuscript. Where would it get you – would it advance your career? Yes, it most likely would: it could open up publishing contacts, give you the status of being a published author with a respected house, and would certainly put your next book on the agenda.
The thing about many of these online literary magazines (perfectly well-intentioned, I’m sure) is that few people really care about them. MFAs are often the same... I’ve lost track of how many folk I’ve spoken to who have completed degrees of one sort or another in creative writing... and the world didn’t change. Neither of these things are in the least scams. But... they may not represent a very effective use of your personal writing investment, either.