I’d like your opinion of the new Reptile Media site posted online. Writers are supposed to post unpublished articles on the site. Editors are supposed to look at the site, pick the ones they like and make an offer to the writer. This saves the trouble of writing a query letter or targeting a publication. Besides writing on spec, it seems like it would be open season for the people that steal other writers’ work. Your opinion?

This is an old idea that new companies keep trying. It usually doesn’t work. Why? Because the pubs that pay writers real money aren’t searching the Internet for articles. Their slush piles keep them too busy. Also, if they publish your article online where so-called editors can shop…that is, technically, publication. So, you may not be able to sell first rights anymore.

Worse, Reptile charges writers $10 per month (after the initial one-month teaser, of course). They also charge publishers $10/month. Believe me – real publishers (the ones who pay respectable fees) aren’t going to be happy about paying someone else for the privilege of vetting articles!