Scavenger's Newsletter
$2 (sample copy) $15.50/yr (12) from
Janet Fox
519 Ellinwood
Osage City, KS 66523-1329

Let's take a moment and jump back in time, back to the late 1960's, and explore a brief episode in the history of Rock and Roll.

A young music group who called themselves The Kinks wrote and recorded a song entitled 'You Really Got Me'. The song went to the top ten. From that point on, The Kinks had a career and a name that was commonplace amongst all those who were young enough at the time to enjoy the magic that was blazing through the music scene.

In terms of genre fiction market-info, Scavenger's Newsletter is that classic version of 'You Really Got Me'. It contains all the components that made it a hit over ten years ago, and has resisted the test of time.

Janet Fox, the creator of Scav's, has quoted the monthly magazine as being for "those SF/Fantasy/Horror/Mystery writers and artists with an interest in the small press." The principal component here is 'small press'. The 26-page newsletter caters particularly to beginners and semi-pros searching for a suitable market to offer their work. You will infrequently see a pro listing in Scav's, such as a Hitchcock's or a mass-market anthology. Scav's is primarily filled with info pertaining to the multitude of small press fiction zines in circulation, all of whom are anxious to publish the promising amateur. And for that ambitious writer in us all, Scav's delivers.

Five invariables show up in Scav's pages every month. The Scroungings, which comprises the bulk of the newsletter, are updates and new market listings sent in by the editors of the publications themselves. The material is fresh and up to date, and is a great way for the prospective contributor to choose which market to send that new piece of fiction or art to, before they become overstocked.

Another ongoing feature is Slim Pickin's. These pages contain juicy little tidbits of chatter sent in from various sources (mostly writers) hinting as to which markets have been naughty, and which ones are nice. Here the submittor can make comparisons, such as whether other writers are having similar experiences with the same editors and magazines as they are, as well as get some feedback on routing times, response disciplines, and editor character. This section is very helpful when trying to 'feel out' who to send that story to.

Anchoring the rear pages is the letters column, called Junkmail. These are highly enjoyable rants and raves from those writers/editors who have a bone to pick with someone, or have had a really good experience they can't help but share with all their fellow genre enthusiasts. For those who haven't read the last four or five issues, the letters column has treated us with an ongoing soap opera war between a writer and a very defensive "I didn't plagiarize her story" editor. Entertaining stuff.

You also get a reviews column that highlights the contents of about a half dozen publications, whether they be fiction or poetry, and the Flea Market, a classifieds listing of recently released issues.

Other highlights, which can vary from month to month, include lists of routing time averages, an essay (or short-short), filler poetry and art, and a biannual index listing of all the publications that have been listed in the Scroungings.

But with all the good that can be said, there's a chink in Scavenger's Newsletter's armor. Getting back for a moment to 'You Really Got Me'. Ten years after the Kinks' recording, a new version appeared, a single from the debut album from a band called Van Halen. Van Halen had better recording equipment, instruments, and musicians, and in turn 'You Really Got Me' took on a whole new personality, intrigued a whole new crowd. It was grander, more detailed, filled with fresh ideas from a group of young musicians who were brimming with originality.

Scav's still continues to get its playtime. But the Van Halen's are all out there-- Gila Queen, Speculations, and The Market List --using all the current technology, remaking what Ms Fox started ten years ago. They're bigger, with more markets--including professional listings--and contain additional features like interviews, essays, articles, expansive reviews and writing tips.

A great deal of their information is gathered through the utilization of on-line services, webpages, and E-mail addresses. This can pose a problem for the non-cyberspace Scav's. Editors and writers, with all the available alternatives, may choose to simply E-mail one or all of the other market zines before putting a stamp on an envelope in effort to get their info to Scav's. Unless Janet Fox incorporates an E-mail address, you may see the contents in Scav's getting slightly thinner in the future.

For now Scav's will continue to exist because of its loyal fans--Janet has bragged 900 subscribers. But as Gila, Speculations, The Market List, and even Lisa Jean Bothell's Network flourish through the advent of on-line technology, those fans may slowly turn their heads until Scav's shows a willingness to change and participate in the on-line world. If and when that happens, Ms Fox will no doubt be inundated with more information than she has ever had in the past, and Scav's will surely grow again, in size and in subscribers. Remember, everyone went out and bought those classic Kinks recordings when they came out on CD.

Copyright © 1996 by Michael Laimo. All Rights Reserved.