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Topic: Plenty Magazine
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| Author | Message |
| nycjournalist | Posted – 5/20/2005 12:06:44 PM | show profile Please be warned when applying to jobs or pitching stories to this new environmental magazine. Many writers and past employees have been lied to and screwed by this publisher/editor who is funding the mag out of his own pocket. It's not worth the time and frustration involved. |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 5/20/2005 12:26:30 PM | show profile I was just about to apply.. PLEASE ELABORATE. I definitely don't want to go through that --I've been screwed by startups before-- and appreciate the heads up very much. But, can you be more specific? ------ Lotus665 |
| kh | Posted – 5/20/2005 4:59:52 PM | show profile pitching stories hmmm...that must be why my query hasn't been rejected OR accepted, despite guidelines stating that it's a quick response on the part of editors. i sent it earlier this year. thanks for the head's up. |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 5/20/2005 5:30:50 PM | show profile Well actually, hearing nothing either way on a query appears to be the norm at many pubs these days, unless you nag. ------ Lotus665 |
| zinny | Posted – 5/20/2005 5:37:01 PM | show profile Give us details, nycjournalist. Those are serious allegations but no back up! |
| kh | Posted – 5/20/2005 10:23:31 PM | show profile not hearing anything yes, i realize that ... just chiming in ... and am curious to know if others had responses to their queries. |
| nycjournalist | Posted – 5/21/2005 8:12:28 AM | show profile more on plenty... I've had significant experience working with the editor and many of my professional writer friends also worked for Plenty in some capacity and all but one have had really frustrating experiences, including having well-executed stories rejected (for no good reason, and without satisfactory explanation) after months of hard work, very late checks (and unpaid expences after verbal promises were made), unreturned calls, random firing, difficulty communicating with an awkward editor who says he wants one things and then changes his mind after the work is done. The mag pays relatively well which is how they've hooked quite a few professional and talented people but in the end, all have renounced the effort, and the magazine from what I can tell won't be around much longer. The CEO and executive editor quit shortly after Plenty launched, leaving just the editor/pubisher and 3 young women with little experience in publishing. I hope this doesn't come across as slanderous or vicious but simply a warning to all those about to invest in this publication or look for a job there—look elsewhere! I'm happy to answer specific questions if you have them. |
| Marie | Posted – 5/21/2005 1:29:10 PM | show profile That's a great post, and more people should reveal these kinds of experiences--and yes, name names--on this board as a warning to other writers. Thanks. |
| westcoaster | Posted – 5/21/2005 2:25:56 PM | show profile Plenty I find these posts very disturbing, as I contracted a $2000 article with Plenty two weeks ago. Any advice? Should I tell the editor about my concerns and inquire about the magazine's financial resources? What are the ramifications of backing out of a contract? |
| Marie | Posted – 5/21/2005 2:37:09 PM | show profile Most contracts have a clause that allows either party to back out, or at least all the ones I've signed do. |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 5/21/2005 4:53:36 PM | show profile Considering the scuttlebutt, you're well within reasonable to inquire about their financial situation. I'll doubt they'll appreciate the inquiry but better to pull out now, before you've done any work if you feel queasy. My question for nycjournalist is, what complaints did the staffers have? Freelancers, unfortunately, tend to be treated worse than employees. ------ Lotus665 |
| kh | Posted – 5/22/2005 10:21:03 PM | show profile talking to editor i disagree. do not try to get this editor involved in a discussion about how the magazine is failing, unless it's directly related to the work you are doing, or have done, for him. i'm not saying the previous posters are wrong, it's just that why ruin a potentially good working relationship? you may strike gold with plenty! |
| nycjournalist | Posted – 5/23/2005 2:28:18 PM | show profile more on plenty I think employees doubted the publisher/editor's judgement/skills/taste/competancy and were frustrated with so much indecisiveness, bad treating of freelancers, etc. If you are already involved with them, all I can say is make sure you have everything in writing, and before you invest major work, check in frequently to make sure all is a go. The kill fee is very low so even if they take it and kill it, it's not going to be worth your time. |
| westcoaster | Posted – 5/23/2005 3:17:22 PM | show profile Plenty Perhaps against my better judgement, I did email the editor about the magazine's committment to meeting the terms of my contract--and its ability to do so. I received an affirmative but snappish reply. I've decided to stick it out, even though my gut instint confirms everything NYC journalist has been saying. who knows, perhaps the magazine will get its act together after a rocky start. I'll keep everybody posted. |
| jesse.hicks | Posted – 5/24/2005 12:16:00 AM | show profile Please do keep us informed. I've had a query in with three different editors for almost two months. It's seemingly stuck in limbo; after reading your posts I'm less confident in it getting to production and will start seriously shopping the idea around. |
| tim_sprinkle | Posted – 8/9/2005 5:02:55 PM | show profile Just checking in on this one. Has anyone had any recent experience with Plenty? I know they hired some new staff a few months back. ------ Run, climb, hike, etc. www.timsprinkle.com |
| elessdee | Posted – 8/19/2005 2:49:56 PM | show profile Not my experience I can see how some would have this experience, and I've received several warnings about the magazine. The eic is inexperienced, and possibly indecisive, but I've written two stories for them, and have been very happy with them. They're very open to my ideas, and I really like my editor there. I think they do have money, though it's bankrolled by the eic's father, and that could pose some editorial problems. Still, I feel I ought to defend them, since I've had such a good experience with them. It's also a very, very good idea for a magazine, and one with a lot of potential. But I'd like to hear more about others' experiences, and keep measuring them against my own. |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 8/19/2005 5:26:35 PM | show profile One poster to these boards, Starre Vartan, wrote for them. Are you out there, Starre? What do you think? ------ Lotus665 |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 8/28/2005 3:31:35 PM | show profile New negative info about Plenty This was posted on the freelancer e-zine Writers Weekly: http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?t=4947 ------ Lotus665 |
| Victoria-E | Posted – 8/28/2005 9:25:39 PM | show profile It sucks to hear that there are so many issues with the magazine - the stories that they do have in there are great! ------ Model, Writer, Environmentalist http://victoria-e.com/ http://victoria-e.blogspot.com/ |
| starrevartan | Posted – 8/29/2005 11:03:26 AM | show profile So far so good, but I haven't seen anything in print yet....but it IS bimonthly, so it always takes longer with those. |
| starrevartan | Posted – 8/29/2005 11:06:01 AM | show profile I really believe in the ideas behind the mag, so I'm willing to be patient. |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 8/29/2005 11:09:48 AM | show profile But I must ask, if the ideas behind the magazine are noble but the real world treatment of employees and writers is negative, what matters most? I hope it works out for Starre and for this magazine, but publishers like Plenty's seem to take advantage of the goodwill of writers and employees on the basis of their supposedly progressive goals. Magazines should walk their talk... ------ Lotus665 |
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