See also the main SAAFE.info site for more Support And Advice For Escorts

Author Topic: How much can I trust the media?  (Read 2418 times)

lucy ann

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3
How much can I trust the media?
« on: 06 September 2008, 06:20:38 am »
If any of you read my previous post you will understand when I say that escorting wasn't for me. It really has ruined my life and made me very depressed.
I know it can be great for most of you, some people obviously deal with it better than me.
Because Adultwork is so easy to use I do think more people are starting to escort. I know you will all probably think that this is a positive thing. However as I can testify, it isn't the right thing for everyone.
I really want to turn my life around and if possible make something positive come from my bad experience. So I was thinking of writing a bit down about my experiences and sending it to some magazines, hoping they publish a short article about my bad time. Im not thinking of doing this for money, but because I hope girls who are thinking about escorting, will read it and realise that escorting isn't always like Belle de jour (which inspired me to escort).
I know you will probably all disagree with me doing this, but I just wanted some advice about going about it, Im hoping someone out there may know as i don't have a clue. I will send my article with a fake name, but Im guessing at some stage, if they decide to publish it I may have to give my real name. I know magazines also love to publish real life stories with pics of the person involved. But I certainly don't want that. I also know some papers love to expose working girls. I just wondered does anyone know, if a magazine tells me that I will remain anonymous, will they be telling the truth? Can I trust them do you think?

Welsh Lass

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 417
    • www.swanseaescort.co.uk
Re: How much can I trust the media?
« Reply #1 on: 06 September 2008, 11:03:48 am »
Hi Lucy Ann,
To be quite honest with you, if you wish to be published at all, your going to have to work at it.
Your writing has to be top notch to even get noticed among the piles of other submissions. Your grammer perfect. Your sentence structure absolutely on the ball.
Evey fact you give has to be backed up with evidence (obviously not talking your own personal experience here, I mean other factual matters you bring up). You must make reference to copywrite every slice of information you have that has come from another source.
The only chance you may have is to go to erotic publishers, they will publish you under a pseudonym and keep your personal details to themselves but this is not always the case as mistakes can and do happen and your name might be right there at the top of the article!
Magazines may seem the easy way into publishing but they are as strict as book publishers. If you have not got the basic knowledge of how to format an article/story, they will not even bother to reply to your submission, it will get put in the bin.
Most regular, mainstream mags will, if they think the story relevant enough, agree to your being anonymous, but really, that is very rare indeed.
The thing about publishing is this: They do not need you. You need them. You have to sell to them, they make the rules, you go along with them until your a JK Rowling that is.
You have to research every magazine thouroughly to ensure your sending your story/article to the right people or it will simply, again, go in the bin.
You need to send a letter for their guidelines, they all differ, how many words they want, topics they will accept, even down to what size envelope you send it off in, yes, I am serious, even that will get your article in the bin before it's even opened.
Do a google on magazines or better still, if your serious, buy the writers and artist handbook for this year. That is crammed full of editors and publishers and will give you information about who will and will not accept your story and how much they pay and what format to submit it in, some only accept drafts through the post, some only via email, everybody is different.
I really think you need to look at an erotic publisher for this.
There are a lot of good paperbacks out now on erotic fiction/non fiction guidelines, look through amazon or go to erotic readers and writers ass. Google it, it's a brilliant site for writing this sort of thing.
Darkerotica.net is another one worth a read. Katy Terraga does a good book on this subject and also has a site you can visit.
Be wary of accepting offers as most will insist you do not publish the article again with somebody else and most will not take it if you have an agreement with another company.
Good luck. It's a minefield out there, do not forget that the above mentioned JK Rowling was turned down several times before she got a deal. I know that is a series of books not an article but articles are just as tricky to publish.
Jo

They're working on Viagra for women. Are they crazy? That's been around for hundreds of years - its called cash... Alonzo Boden.

xw5

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,850
    • I should be updating this instead...
Re: How much can I trust the media?
« Reply #2 on: 06 September 2008, 12:24:22 pm »
I don't think she's talking about writing the next 'I was a prostitute' book, more about having her story in a 'true life stories' magazine.

In the latter case, although it's often written in the first person, it's almost invariably written by one of their staff following an interview. It's the person's human interest (their 'I suffered, but I survived!' story) that matters to such publications, not their literary skills.

They will want some photos, and some (but not all) will want some face shots.

Your grammer perfect.

Oops! :) The school I went to was a grammar school. Once, the pupils who edited the school magazine spelt the g-word with an -er and the head made them handwrite correction slips for all of the thousand-odd copies. My spelling and grammar aren't perfect, but I don't think anyone who was at the school at the time has ever spelt that word wrongly again.
'The Ian formerly known as SW5'. What they said: "Indispensable", "You are our best resource", and (hours later!) "I'm afraid that you're being made redundant..."

Winding down YourEscortSite.com

Anika Mae

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2,323
    • brighton escort
Re: How much can I trust the media?
« Reply #3 on: 06 September 2008, 02:54:33 pm »
Evey fact you give has to be backed up with evidence

I'm not so sure about that. The "reporter" who wrote that Cosmo article about me blatantly missused facts to fit her agenda.

brandy@saafe

  • Guest
Re: How much can I trust the media?
« Reply #4 on: 06 September 2008, 04:46:20 pm »
I wouldn't trust them, short and simple.

Welsh Lass

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 417
    • www.swanseaescort.co.uk
Re: How much can I trust the media?
« Reply #5 on: 06 September 2008, 09:28:17 pm »
For some reason, reporters can get away with writing whatever they wish and a 'new' writer has to really toe the line.
Grammar. I know. All the time, I am terrible with it, it's laziness.

They're working on Viagra for women. Are they crazy? That's been around for hundreds of years - its called cash... Alonzo Boden.

tallsally

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: How much can I trust the media?
« Reply #6 on: 06 September 2008, 10:53:41 pm »
In my experience you can't trust the media, ever! Every article, big or small, that I've been in or involved with, has had something added, exaggerated or left out.
Have you ever read an article in a newspaper or magazine that has been totally factual ?