Finding markets

[dalehileman]

Since I quit my magazine-writing career decades ago (finding that it was a form or work, while retirement is supposed to be free of that kind of thing), I am unaware of the new ways in which writers find markets

Back then you first had to identify the market, such as a magazine, then study it for style, now write the article accordingly, and finally type and submit it with self-addressed return. Just a whole lot of turmoil

And not often successfully. Ayn Rand submitted her first book to 12 pubs before one finally accepted it. Imagine if she were to try that today

Now I'd think it's easier what with the Internet and all. However, word processing has so increased the load on publishers that they are probably reluctant or unable to invite unsolicited MS's; while sites such as Helium.com don't pay as well and deprive your article of its identity

Thus if you as a WW participant are active in this sort of thing perhaps you can advise a course of action. For instance I have written an article, beginning

Care and Maintenance of a Swimming Pool
Don’t have one

Dale Hileman
Apple Valley


What with the price of gas, instead of tooling off to the beach–where reports of shark attacks are becoming more frequent– or even to the municipal plunge, if you have the spread to accommodate it, you might contemplate installing a pool. Nonetheless I would advise you against it, pool technology and accessories being so primitive and service so expensive as to astound the potential owner. For instance a recent AP story describes how a 6-year-old girl was disemboweled by a swimming-pool drain,...

Thus any insights muchly appreciated, especially venues where submission can be made by email

[Tony Farg]

I have no insights to offer, but PLEASE tell us more about the disembowelment!

[JANE DOErell]

The disembowelment was a big story. About 125 ghits at news.google.

Here is an attempt to post a link to one: Tried and failed.

Here is another attempt. http://wcco.com/topstories/Minneapolis. ... 68697.html

"The suction had caused a two-inch tear in her rectum and had basically disemboweled her by pulling out her small intestines, almost all of it," ....

[dalehileman]

Jane thank you for saving me the trouble. Another interesting aspect of modern technology, like the tranquilizer that causes suicide, is the solar cover made of a material which is dissolved by chlorine

[Tony Farg]

Jane, thank you, but when I tried it I got a page from Forbes which said "something's gone awry, your page could not be found".
I tried searching with no results.
Any chance of another address?
Thanks
Tony

[Tony Farg]

Ah! I carried on searching and found it after all. How awful. I'll never go in a pool again.

[Bobinwales]

I'll never go in a pool again.

Not even Llyn Ddraig Tony?

[Tony Farg]

Well.O.K., but only because it hasn't got a Ddrain!

[JANE DOErell]

I edited out the Forbes link and posted another link to the disembowelment above. Google has cached the second link I posted so it should be valid much longer, I think.

According to forum protocol should I have posted the new information here or referred back to the edit above?

[Bobinwales]

Oh good grief, if I had seen that before I wrote the flippant bit to Tony I would never have done so. Is there any news of the poor child a year on?

Llyn Ddraig (Dragon Lake) is a piece of water near to Tony's home that cannot be found on a map.

[russcable]

She died in March (about 9 months after the incident) due to some complications of transplant surgery.

[Bobinwales]

Sad indeed, and a warning worth remembering,

[dalehileman]

I might add as further evidence that pool engineers are hardly rocket scientists: The typical 115-v underwater light system is designed specifically to electrocute the swimmer. Try Googling:

swimming pool underwater light electrocute

and you will get thirty thousand hits. After an unpleasant swimming experience (which I shall not detail because it makes me look suicidal), as a retired aerospace engineer (though not into rockets) I rebuilt ours using a 12-v sealed-beam headlight powered through a stepdown transformer which also provides isolation between power line and pool. Then for additional safety I replaced the switch with a GFI, but I wouldn’t know what to tell the typical pool owner who doesn’t know about stuff like that

However I'm still interested in hearing from anyone who actually participates in writing of any sort for the media market