Ellen Million Graphics

EMG-columnists get $75 a year, for features people get between $10 and $20. Artwork isn't paid, but the artists may be able to earn royalties if the work is selected for the Anthology.

But people writing fiction pieces or poetry do not have that opportunity.

I know EMG-zine is primarily an art-orientated e-zine, so it is understandably that fiction is mostly just filler or an added extra. But writing short stories or poems does require a certain deal of time and effort, and I'm sure they too are enjoyed by the EMG-zine readers.

So, would it be possible to consider some compensation for the fiction writers? Without unbalancing the EMG-zine budget, of course. Maybe $1 for a poem, and $2 for a story? Or $1 for an entry below 1000 words, and $2 for one above? Or $1 for a re-printed story, and $2 for a new, unpublished one? Maybe just in EMG-credit? There are a lot of possibilities.

I am all ears for bold suggestions! And I agree - and when I polled readers some months ago (nearly a year, I think - it may be time for a new poll!), fiction was one of the higher-ranking bits! It would only be fair to give some token fee.

Do note that fiction writers are eligible for credits - the subscription system underwent a change a while back, and subscribers get most of their fees back in 'credits' that they can pledge to any writer. I need to code in the last few steps to automate that system, but fiction writers can (and do!) get these fees, as well as feature writers and columnists. (Artists are still a step off - that's a little trickier, on the coding end of things!)

But I still agree that even some EMG credit would be lovely - especially since fiction isn't included in the anthologies and therefore not able to get royalties that way.

I'm willing to start out with $2 credit for reprints and $5 credit for new stories, which I still agree is little more than token, starting in March, to be fair.

The budget... is flexible. I haven't recouped costs from EMG-Zine, if you strictly budget it by itself. But I've always considered it something of a loss-leader for EMG proper - good advertising, consistent new content, things to interest and draw people in... and hopefully they stay around and buy something. It's a package deal. I do this instead of dumping money into (worthless) googleads.

Maybe, if there's enough interest, I could do a 5-year anthology of the best fiction and poetry, too! That's the end of this year!

Wow, that's even more than I suggested. Thank you.

I did know about the credit-system, but I was under the (wrong) impression that it wasn't yet implemented.

Laaaate reply, sorry! The credit system is very manual right now - I have to send a credit link, and we exchange emails to figure out what you get and have to spend. I am working on automating the system right now, and it should be much, much easier to use by the end of the month.