The point is we want people to read fiction more often, but, incredibly, reading has become an expensive habit (unless you visit a library on a regular basis—Do you?).
Plebian Publishing exists to get the best new fiction out for you to read, and to do it in a way that makes it convenient for you to read (i.e. your phone or computer). You already read blogs everyday—add us to the list.
What’s the other point?
The other point is the publishing industry’s model sucks. Hard. The gatekeepers live off trends that will sell so they can break even with regard to the cost of printing books and their massive overhead. A writer’s work won’t even be looked at if the query letter doesn’t make the book sound sellable. That one page makes all the difference—forget the other 299 pages.
Times have changed. Just as the music industry was transformed by digital technology, it now costs hardly anything for a writer to get their work out to the public. We want to partner with you to help get your writing out there and get your career started.
What do you mean “partner” with me?
We don’t offer advances; instead, we offer a 50/50 split on any money made. Half of every ¢99 story you sell nets you ¢50 (we’ll eat that other penny). Half of every book you sell goes straight into your pocket. By not offering an advance up front, we force you to realize you won’t make any money unless people are downloading your stuff. This gets your ass in gear to do your own publicity, in addition to the publicity we’re doing. Partners.
Is it 50% of the profits, or 50% of the gross?
Gross. Any operating costs come out of our half of the money. They’re minimal, so we’re able to operate without trying to recoup any costs from you.
So, why do I need Plebian Publishing if I can just do it myself?
You don’t need us to put the work online or on Amazon. The service we want to offer is the same that indie record labels offer musicians—brand recognition and publicity. Instead of investing large amounts of money into the physical production of a book or magazine, we’d rather put that money into specialized promotion, driving traffic to the website and to your story and/or book.
How can I submit my work?
Visit the Submissions page.
Do you publish micro-fiction?
Not really. I know we say between 0 and 3,000 words is a free story, but the reality is the stories we’re looking for are at least 1500 words. If you have micro fiction, our friends over at Nano Fiction would be better suited to your work. Check ‘em out.
Do I have to be in Houston to submit stories?
Not at all. Though Pubs for Plebs is based in Houston, Texas, we’re not necessarily Houston-centric. Many of our writers inevitably come from surrounding areas, but we’re open to writers from around the country and world.
What is the difference between Pubs for Plebs and a literary journal?
Well, we’re only online for one thing (currently, that is). For another thing…well, there’s not much difference on the surface, but have you ever tried getting published in The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, or McSweeney’s? It’s good work if you can get it. So is getting a record out on Warner Brothers, Interscope, Capitol Records, etc. (though the positives of going with a major are debatable, but I digress). For the rest of us, we need a place like Dischord Records, Saddle Creek Records, or Mia Kat (Houston represent!)…but, you know, for short stories.
In addition to helping a writer build an audience, the goal is to get that writer paid for their work. Of every ¢99 Featured Story a writer has published, they will receive ¢50 per download (basically a half and half split between the author and publisher). The hope is that by promoting Pubs for Plebs as a hub (or a brand, if you will) known for publishing quality stories, readers will be willing to take a risk on an unknown writer simply because they are published by us, and the regular readership will translate into multiple downloads per story for each writer. It’s not big money, but it’s something, right? And that’s the point. If the major literary magazines of the world aren’t taking you, who else is paying you for your short story?
A word on why we charge ¢99 for certain stories…
Most websites are funded by annoying advertising. We don’t want to have to resort to this in order to keep the site around, yet we’ve had to find a way to generate some income to pay basic costs (and to compensate the contributors).
How do you keep people from sharing the ¢99 stories with others?
We don’t. These digital files are not encoded or protected, so you could pass them along if you desire. While we want as many people to read the work as possible, and thus don’t mind if you want to pass it along, we appeal to your sense of fairness in asking that you’d compensate the writers (which also supports your local artists!) for their work by at least pointing the people you share the stories with to the website so they might pay for downloads in the future, if they are so inclined.
Do you charge to publish my story?
No, we definitely do not charge to publish your story. Run from anyone who charges to publish your story. Also, we do not require you to generate a certain amount of downloads or anything like that. Simply put, if we like your story, we’ll publish it.
So I don’t make money if my story is under 3,000 words?
Anything under 3,000 words is considered a free story. It’s honestly an arbitrary cutoff point that we had to pick. Ultimately, you will have to decide whether your story will be a free story that you just want to get out to the world to develop a readership, or whether you want to put it out as a ¢99 Featured Story. By this, I mean that if the story is under 3,000 words, but you think it should be a ¢99 story, it’s up to you to expand it to the 3,000+ word range. Successfully. Which might not be possible, due to the constraints the story has placed on itself. Some stories need to be short, others need to be long.
Why do I need Pubs for Plebs if I can offer my stories for ¢99 a piece on my own website?
You don’t. Go right ahead and put your story on your website or blog. Think about this, though—how many individual blogs exist in the world that write about music? Do you visit every music blog to discover new music? Of course not. Yet there are sites such as Pitchfork and Stereogum that have cultivated a readership (and brand recognition) that are trusted voices on bringing new music to the world. It’s all marketing and word-of-mouth and brand recognition. That is what this is about. We all help each other by going this route as opposed to trying to make it on our own.
Do you edit the stories before you publish them?
Yes.
Do I have to accept your edits?
Within reason. In most cases, we believe our edits will get your story to where we would like it to be, quality-wise, to be published as a Pubs for Plebs story. Not accepting our edits might cause us to hesitate to publish your story, as we want to make sure what we put out is of the highest quality. Spelling and many grammar edits are non-negotiable—they must be accepted for your story to be published. Punctuation edits are highly recommended. We want to preserve your voice as an author, though, so if you are intentional about punctuating or not punctuating something a certain way, tell us, and we’ll work with you. Story edits are the most negotiable, as they are the most subjective.
How long does it take to hear whether or not my story will be published?
To be decided. Once we get to the story, we can let you know within a day or so. It’s just wading through the submissions to actually get to it that might take a few days, a week, or a month. If your submission gets accepted elsewhere, but you’re still interested in seeing if we might choose to publish it, drop us a line and we’ll try to get to it quickly.
What are the terms of you publishing my story?
You always, ALWAYS own your story. You are basically leasing us your story and retain the right to have it removed from the site at any time.
Can I publish the story elsewhere after it’s published at Pubs for Plebs?
We request that you grant us exclusivity for a period of one month following the initial publication date, but after that, you are more than welcome to publish elsewhere. Keep in mind that many publications are picky about their stories having already been published, so make sure that you are willing to take the risk of disqualifying yourself from future publications by publishing with us.
Will my story be archived?
Yes, it will. We will create an “Author” page for every contributor, and your story will be archived there, as well as in our Story Archive. You have the right to request that your story (or stories) be removed from our archives at any point following the one-month exclusivity period.
Will you publish a story that has been published elsewhere?
In theory, yes. It is up to you to confirm you are not violating any agreements with the former publishers by republishing with us. When you give us the go-ahead to publish the story, you are making that affirmation and are assuming any legal responsibilities that might arise as a result of the story being republished. To reiterate, Pubs for Plebs is not legally responsible for any violations of prior publishing agreements you may have had once you give us the final go-ahead to publish the story.
Do you need help?
How could you tell? If you feel you have something to contribute, whether as an editor or designer, or in helping with publicizing and marketing Pubs for Plebs, send an e-mail to contact@pubsforplebs.com and let us know what you’re thinking.
How do I get paid for a story?
You must set up a PayPal account, and on the first of every month, we will deposit your earnings from the previous period (up to the 25th of each month) into that account. Each period will run from the 25th of one month to the 25th of the next. If you have more than one story published as a ¢99 Featured Story, you will be paid a lump sum for what all of your stories made that period. We will detail the number of downloads each story received in that period.
Do I have to fill out any paperwork?
If you make over $600 in a given year (and let’s hope you do), you will be sent a 1099 form, as you would be considered an independent contractor hired by Pubs for Plebs.
How long will I continue to get paid for a story?
As long as they’re making money, or until you request that they are removed from our archives.
