Article submissions

Hi Steve

Posts that do nothing to help others may be removed or the threads get unwieldy.

regards David

Hi Sid

I have tried passing subscription problems to the office.

A week later I get an email from the complainer and still have to sort it out.

Otherwise I get unhappy readers.

regards david

Hi Eric

I am not overstretched, I just work 7 days a week to supply readers with decent magazines.

The magazines are proof read and drawings are checked against submitted drawings.

Rarely does the illustrator get them wrong and we usually pick up the errors.

What we don't do is redesign the drawings or alter them from the contributor's originals.

regards David

David

None of your last three replies really address any of the points raised by contributors or prospective contributors, instead you have just sidestepped them and made some others which are much less relevant (to this particular) subject.

If in the course of you job you do not get sufficient time to read emails than surely that classed as are being overworked?

Ian (an ex potential article submitter)

I do get time to read emails.

I just said some do get missed for various reasons.

I am not overworked, just short of time.

regards David

Ian.

I think your'e flogging a dead horse. I think in DC's world that not having enough time to carry out his editorial tasks is not being overworked.

Maybe if he gave up moderating this site and appointed a new moderator he would free up more time to other duties.

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole - stop digging"

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole - stop digging"

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole - stop digging"

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole - stop digging"

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole - stop digging"

Hi There

Diane is web editor and moderator.

Not me.

I just have moderator access.

If I don't answer certain questions, I get accused of ignoring them.

regards David

Gents,

I must say I'm in general agreement with the majority of "dissatisfied" postings here.

A L-O-N-G time back I contacted DC and offered a write up on the German live steam show (now Karlsruhe was Sinsheim). In an E-mail I explained basically what I planned both re the text and pix. I got a go ahead from DC so proceeeded to write about 1,000 words and submitted that text together with about 20 or so pix (in hi-res .jpg format). All was sent just after the show closed.

NIL acknowledgement of receipt was received, so after MANY weeks waiting I chased DC (by E-mail) and asked A) if my submission had been received, and B), if it was likley to be published. DC's answer to both was Yes (I should perhaps add that DC had already sent me the "contributor's agreement" doc which I had duly filled in and signed).

After a further LONG period with my article not appearing (and nothing being heard from DC or anyone else at ME/MEW) a post from Dianne appeared on this forum asking anyone who had made a submission and who had not heard anything further to contact her.

Perhaps unwisely I did not bother to respond to Diane's post.

Why not?

My submission concerned the January 2011 Karlsruhe event and Diane's post here was dated, roughly speaking, sometime in mid 2011 - i.e. I thought it far too late by then for my article to be on any interest to anyone anymore.

To speak now directly Mr. to David Clark I have to say that in the professional world Sir, it is my considered opinion that:

A) It is completely unforgiveable and unprofessional in the extreme not to reply to ALL messages received/acknowledge submissions received - and that within 24 hours (as we used to say in the RAF, failure to comply due to illness or holidays is no excuse and only a Doctor's certificate will suffice in the case of death);

B) 300 E-mail messages per day is NOT a lot really, (especially bearing in mind that some, guess at least 10% of those will be obvious Spams); AND IF one is properly organised (e.g. pre-prepared standard "form" E-mail replies will suffice for many of the above). In my professional life I often handle 300 E-mails a day during an aircraft Lease project - BUT I should add that I do not do that all the time, only for a period of "a few weeks" perhaps 6 or 7 times a year. If it was a question of having to do that level of work all the time then I'd make 100% sure I had some assistance because no one can work at that pace all the time.

C) There is no logic whatsoever in saying "I'm not over-worked but I don't have time to read all the E-mails I get" - as Eric Clark has said above, that comment (and a number of the other weak excuses for non-responses which you have offered above) are simply excuses and are NOT (IMHO) good reasons for failing to get yourself properly organised. Do please "stop digging" Sir.

In closing I should add:

A) I do contribute fairly regularly to other magazines and do not experience the problems with other Editors that I've outlined in your case above;

B) No matter what, I shall not offer another contribution to ME/MEW. Life's just too short and writing's too hard to make it worthwhile to go through all the actual writing hassle and then still have to chase up publications afterwards. AND as someone above has already pointed out, by signing your contributor's agreement doc before making a submission, all contributors are in effect giving ME/MEW carte blanch to do what you like, when you like with their work. God help any free lance journalist who's trying to make some sort of living out of writing for ME/MEW!

But personally speaking I find that MEW is an excellent magazine and I shall continue to subscribe. But it cannot be correct that to produce that result (and apparently for 2 other mags as well) just one man is regularly doing all the production, admin, website, and general dogsbody work that you're apparently doing Mr. Clark.

AES

Must be a deep hole Eric ?

John S.

.

Edited By John Stevenson on 20/05/2012 15:50:25

Question:

Surely "I am not overstretched, there just is not enough time to do everything" is just the same as saying "I am not out of my depth, it's me legs that are too short"??

MAT

I was merely agreeing with the other posters on this site, The articles I wrote was for Stapleford Miniature Railway (29 aug 2010, 1700 words, 10 hi res pictures) and the NSMEE Visiting clubs rally (4 and 5th sept 2010, 1250 words, 12 hi res pictures). I feel the same as AES, I have put my valuable time into writing and producing these articles (the NSMEE was requested by you) for zero return. When I questioned you on the 3/1/11 whether they were still going to be used and your reply was that they were 'high on the list to be used'.

The rest as they say is history.

Hi Steve

They are still on the list to be used.

All articles will soon be uploaded into an archive for use.

regards David

Surely David, they are too old to be used now? All of my contributors details will have changed since then anyway, I have moved both house and bank since they were submitted!

Steve

Hi AES

Why is it not correct?

My job is to get the magazine out no matter what.

Everything else tasks second place.

I did not say I don't read all emails, I said sometimes for various reasons they get missed.

If I stopped answering stupid questions on this forum and stopped correcting long links and stopped sorting subscription problems and stopped taking directory enquiries from internet users who can't be bothered to use Google I would get a lot more work done but would have a lot of unhappy readers.

However, I will give it a try for a week.

I will not look at or answer any more postings, I will forward subscription queries to

"paul Molyneux"

Directory inquires will be ignored.

Let us see what happens.

As for me being out of action when I was ill, I was working over the internet from my hospital bed.

regards David

Edited By Katy Purvis on 01/06/2015 12:34:11

Sorry about the repeated message I did not do this intentionally.