My Night with Bukowski

[Andrea Reyes]

So happy to find this hard-to-find place. Any friend of his is a friend of mine! I was worried he might be losing appeal.
I'm new, but intend to read every post, respond if I can, this is truly great.
I'm a writer who let him get under my skin, and I've written a story (better late than never). Attaching it here (from Substack)

My Night with Bukowski

My Night with Bukowski

open.substack.com

With love and gratitude,
Andrea Reyes

 

[zobraks]

Welcome aboard.

I'm new, but intend to read every post

That's the spirit!

 

[Rekrab]

Enjoy the forum!

 

[Andrea Reyes]

Yes, I feel a kinship. My story is a fiction about a chance meeting with him. I was hoping to get some feedback here.
I'm sending it to a few lit mags, but I don't think too many of these young kids are fans

My Night with Bukowski

My Night with Bukowski

open.substack.com

 

[Andrea Reyes]

Welcome aboard.


That's the spirit!

Thanks. I was able to make a link to my story, it seemed to work. I don't want to break any forum rules:)

 

[Rekrab]

Bukowski may be too real for the majority of today's younger editors.

 

[Andrea Reyes]

Hey Rekrab. So true. Were you able to view my little tale?

 

[unclefett]

Keep at it. Good stuff. Have you thought of sending it out to ECCO?

 

[Rekrab]

Andrea, not yet, but I'll try to check it out. I've been crazy busy trying to raise cash after a $22,000 plumbing job. The sewer line for my century old house died a hard death.

 

[Andrea Reyes]

Keep at it. Good stuff. Have you thought of sending it out to ECCO?

Thanks. No I haven't heard of this. I have a list of (supposedly) Bukowski-friendly online lit mags. I'm getting closer. . . just a few more revisions!
Can you tell me more about ECCO? I did a quick search not sure I found the right one.

Andrea, not yet, but I'll try to check it out. I've been crazy busy trying to raise cash after a $22,000 plumbing job. The sewer line for my century old house died a hard death.

Oh no!!! I got a leak too, here in Philly, but not like yours.
No rush at all. Hope your work goes smoothly.

 

[unclefett]

Ecco has been publishing Bukowski since 2002 or so, after John Martin sold the rights to
not only Bukowski but other authors as well for just under 2 million dollars.

ECCO is a subsidiary of a larger publishing conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch, who is not thought to contribute to this discussion group.

 

[Andrea Reyes]

Checked this out, they don't accept unsolicited work. But it's interesting to see them trying to be good stewards.
I have definitely enjoyed reading about John Martin over the years. So wild to imagine such a task-- the choices he made (for better or worse) to deliver Bukowski's greatness to us.

 

[unclefett]

Checked this out, they don't accept unsolicited work. But it's interesting to see them trying to be good stewards.
I have definitely enjoyed reading about John Martin over the years. So wild to imagine such a task-- the choices he made (for better or worse) to deliver Bukowski's greatness to us.

The next step might be to get an agent. Some people have told me that publishers prefer someone who makes an effort to be represented by a professional. I have also heard, anecdotally, that one can hire a literary agent for a kind of retainer of 5,000 dollars. This retainer is a strong incentive for an agent to not only read one’s manuscript but to “flog it around town”.

Good luck in your endeavors!

 

[unclefett]

Update: I’ve just been told, anecdotally of course, that one should never pay an agent any upfront fees. They get a cut of your earnings only AFTER your work sells. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me knows more about this. There are a lot of published authors on this site.

 

[Andrea Reyes]

Holy shit 5000 bucks?
I've written many stories, but my motivation to get published comes and goes. I prefer showing my stories around and getting feedback. I've been in an online critique group here in Philly, forever, and I have a few sporadic one-on-one critique partners. Substack is interesting, but vast, it requires serious networking. I'm too old for networking, lol! It would be wonderful to say I'm published of course, but the real pleasure for me is finding readers (and writers) to talk to, maybe on a site like this?

 

[unclefett]

Of course! Your own contentment is what matters. I’m no writer myself, but I’m sure that many posters here have similar experiences as yourself.

 

[Rekrab]

I'm told that getting an agent is harder than finding a publisher. I mean a real agent. Fake agents abound.