#sales qualified leads

[martech-news-blogs]

Strategies to Generate More Sales-Qualified Leads

Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) are valuable; they are at the heart of any company. Why? Because they are the kind of leads, the sales team can woo and convert into high-paying clients. However, the road from an unqualified lead to a sales qualified lead is arduous. You ask, why?

Research shows that 96% of people visiting your website are not prepared to purchase from you.

Another survey found that just 44% of marketing qualified leads are suitable for sales.

This means that you will have relatively few sales-ready leads when you move your website traffic through the marketing funnel. Don’t be overjoyed if thousands of leads come into your funnel because, at the bottom, there will only be leads who will purchase from you.

But there is no need to worry. Let’s understand what sales qualified leads are. We will also deliberate on some of the best sales qualified lead strategies that can fill your pipeline.

Table of Contents

SQL in Brief

Implement lead scoring after careful thought

Create targeted content for each funnel

Tap into Your MQL’s Intent Data

Collaborate with others

Follow-up with the leads

Wrapping it up

SQL in Brief

SQLs are leads that are prepared to be reviewed by your sales team. As a result, any leads that show the eagerness to learn more about your product or solution or connect with the sales team to know more are sales qualified leads.

However, your lead scoring system will determine whether a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) will be deemed a SQL. Lead scoring is a ranking method that assesses a lead’s suitability to become a potential customer. Every firm establishes unique lead scoring criteria depending on its internal and external dynamics.

Generally speaking, businesses use two forms of lead scoring systems, BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing) and CHAMP (Challenges, Authority, Money, and Prioritization). Here are a few professional sales qualified lead strategies that can boost the proportion of SQL generation in your funnel.

Implement lead scoring after careful thought

Lead scoring is a crucial step toward SQL. High Qualified Leads cannot be identified or nurtured without an undefined lead scoring system. Start by creating a lead scoring system. And to do this, gather as much information as possible about potential customers. Build a buyer persona to understand your customers better.

A buyer persona will help you categorize your ideal customer based on job title, income, gender, age, location, etc. This data will help you determine a lead’s readiness to purchase from you. After gathering sufficient information about your potential consumer, you can start thinking about criteria that can help make a lead your perfect sales material.

For instance, if a lead downloads your eBook, it means they’re interested in your product. However, this doesn’t mean they’ll purchase from you. But if that person contacts you after downloading your eBook, they might be interested in buying your solution.

Consider using an automatic lead generation solution to make your lead scoring efficient. Lead generation software parameters can be set to locate high qualified leads. In this manner, when a lead is ready to make a purchase, you will get notified instantly.

Create targeted content for each funnel

Content marketing is one of the best ways to nurture your leads at any level. However, creating content relevant to a lead’s position in the sales pipeline is essential. Each piece of content has a unique intent and engagement value. You may quickly generate more sales qualified leads by producing appropriate content at the right time.

For instance, blogs are a great way to spread the word about your product. You can write engagement or how-to blogs to inform and retain your potential clients. Contrarily, the most effective technique to convert MQLs into SQLs is through case studies.

The best sales qualified lead strategy is to create a content marketing strategy for every sales funnel stage. Therefore, keep a comprehensive content gallery of varied elements like case studies, blogs, or events on your website.

Tap into Your MQL’s Intent Data

As it is known, marketing qualified leads are converted into SQLs. To increase the conversion rates, businesses can use buyer’s intent data to gain insights about the MQLs. This will also facilitate the creation of funnel-specific content and lead to a better lead-scoring system.

Intent data offers crucial insights into the online behavior of potential customers. For instance, the web pages they visited on your website, the kind of content they looked for on the web browsers, and what similar brands’ websites visited by them, among others read more

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[abhibaj]

How To Use the BANT Framework to Qualify B2B Leads in 2025?

In 2025, as businesses continue to seek high-quality leads that yield meaningful conversions, the BANT framework (Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline) remains a cornerstone for effective lead qualification. However, the approach to BANT has evolved, particularly within the digital B2B landscape, which is now more data-driven and customer-centric than ever. This guide will cover how to leverage the BANT framework for better lead qualification, focusing on how to align it with your ideal customer profile (ICP), ensuring efficient lead generation that drives results.

What is the BANT Framework, and Why is it Relevant in 2025?

The BANT framework is a widely recognized methodology for assessing whether a potential lead is a good fit for a sales engagement.

Get full insights@ https://itechseries.com/blog/leverage-bant-framework-lead-qualification-2025/

Originally developed by IBM, BANT helps sales and marketing teams assess leads based on:

Budget – Does the prospect have the financial resources to invest?

Authority – Is the contact in a position to make purchasing decisions?

Need – Does the prospect have a pressing need that the product or service can fulfill?

Timeline – When does the prospect intend to make a purchase?

In 2025, lead qualification is essential for companies aiming to maintain a high conversion rate. The BANT framework allows for a structured approach to pinpointing which leads have genuine buying intent, thereby enabling sales teams to focus on qualified leads who align with the ideal customer profile (ICP).

How Do You Align the BANT Framework with Your Ideal Customer Profile?

Before diving into lead qualification, it's crucial to establish a clear ideal customer profile (ICP). This profile represents your target audience, defined by specific demographic, behavioral, and situational characteristics, such as industry, company size, and annual revenue. Once the ICP is defined, BANT can be applied to filter and qualify leads who match this profile.

Using BANT within the ICP context allows sales teams to understand where each lead fits within the ICP’s boundaries. This alignment provides a foundation for assessing a lead’s potential while ensuring that marketing and sales efforts are directed at accounts likely to convert.

For instance, if your ICP includes small businesses with a need for automated scheduling tools, BANT will help determine if a lead has the budget, authority, need, and timeline that align with your goals, providing a clear roadmap for the engagement.

How Can You Effectively Assess Budget in Lead Qualification?

Assessing budget is often the first step in the BANT framework. Knowing if a lead can realistically afford your product or service is essential in determining if they’re worth pursuing. While budget conversations may seem daunting, they can often be framed as a way to align expectations.

Get the latest marketing and tech insights@ https://itechseries.com/gtm-library/

In 2025, data is key in understanding a lead’s budget. Sales teams can leverage tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) software to review historical budget trends for similar businesses. Additionally, publicly available information, such as annual revenue and funding status, can provide insight into a prospect's purchasing potential.

Who Holds the Decision-Making Authority, and How Do You Identify It?

Understanding authority is critical to lead qualification. The goal is to confirm that the lead has the power to make purchasing decisions or, at the very least, significant influence over the decision-making process.

In 2025, identifying authority may involve researching company hierarchies and analyzing LinkedIn profiles to determine the appropriate point of contact. Additionally, sales and marketing automation tools can help track interactions within an organization to see if the lead engages with high-level discussions or is delegated to lower-level stakeholders.

To ascertain authority, a question like, “Who else will be involved in the decision-making process for this purchase?” can help establish the lead's role within the buying process. This allows you to either pursue the lead directly or ask for an introduction to the relevant decision-makers.

What’s the Importance of Timeline, and How Do You Evaluate It?

Understanding a lead’s purchasing timeline helps in prioritizing follow-up actions. Knowing when a prospect plans to buy is essential to nurturing leads without over-investing in those who are months away from making a decision.

In the context of B2B, where sales cycles are typically longer, the timeline can reveal how quickly the lead might progress toward closing. In 2025, businesses can utilize predictive analytics to assess a lead’s purchase intent based on similar past data. For example, a prospect’s readiness may be inferred if they are actively seeking vendor information and attending industry webinars.

A useful question might be, “What’s your ideal timeframe for implementing a solution like this?” This provides the sales team with a clear understanding of whether they need to engage immediately or nurture the lead until they’re ready to buy.

How Does BANT Complement the Lead Generation Process?

Lead generation is about finding leads, but lead qualification through BANT ensures those leads are worth the effort. By using BANT, sales and marketing teams can focus on leads that not only fit the ICP but also show a strong likelihood of converting.

Implementing BANT alongside lead generation helps you identify where prospects fall within the customer journey. It allows teams to identify the exact stage each lead is at, and how likely they are to progress to conversion. This fine-tuned approach aligns sales and marketing efforts, minimizing wasted resources and maximizing conversion opportunities.

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Conclusion

The BANT framework, when combined with a robust understanding of the ICP and enhanced by data analytics, remains a powerful tool for lead qualification. In an era where efficiency is paramount, BANT allows businesses to prioritize high-potential leads, align with ideal customer profiles, and better understand the customer journey.

[henrymacro]

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[cohoai]

Product Led Growth Framework - Coho Ai

What are the frameworks for product led growth?

Product-led growth (PLG) is a strategy where the product itself serves as the main vehicle for customer acquisition, conversion, and retention. Several frameworks and methodologies can be applied to facilitate product-led growth. Here are some key ones:

RICE Framework:

Reach: How many users will be affected by a particular project? Impact: What impact will the project have on users or the business? Confidence: How confident are you in your estimates? Effort: How much effort will the project require to implement?

North Star Metric:

Identifies the one metric that best captures the core value a product delivers to customers. It aligns the team and focuses efforts on delivering the most value to users.

OKR (Objectives and Key Results):

Objectives: Clear, qualitative goals that are ambitious, inspirational, and time-bound. Key Results: Specific, measurable, and verifiable metrics indicating progress toward objectives.

HEART Framework (Google):

Happiness: User satisfaction, often measured through surveys or Net Promoter Score (NPS). Engagement: The level of user involvement with the product, including metrics like active users and session duration. Adoption: The rate at which new users are adopting key features or functionalities. Retention: The rate at which existing users are returning to the product. Task Success: How well users can complete tasks within the product.

Jobs to be Done (JTBD):

Focuses on understanding the underlying motivations of users. People "hire" products to get jobs done in their lives, and understanding these jobs can lead to product improvements.

User Onboarding Frameworks:

Effective user onboarding is crucial for PLG. Frameworks like the Aha! Moment, User Activation Framework, and User Onboarding Tear Down provide structured approaches to optimizing user onboarding processes.

Product-Qualified Leads (PQL):

Identifies leads who have experienced value within the product, using product usage data to qualify potential customers.

Viral Loop Framework:

Encourages existing users to invite new users, creating a viral growth effect. This is often achieved through referral programs and social sharing features.

Freemium Model:

Offers a basic version of the product for free with the option to upgrade to a premium version with advanced features. This allows users to experience the product before committing to a purchase.

Growth Loops:

Focuses on creating loops where the product's usage leads to more users, creating a self-sustaining cycle of growth. Viral loops, engagement loops, and paid loops are common types.

Implementing a product-led growth strategy often involves a combination of these frameworks, tailored to the specific product, target audience, and business goals. Companies iterate and refine their approach based on continuous feedback and data analysis to drive sustainable growth.

[salesmotivationideas]

MQL vs SQL

When you hear the acronym “SQL”, you might immediately think of structured query language. This is a popular database manipulation language used in computer science, and while SQL can refer to structured query language, it can also refer to sales qualified lead. In this context, someone who is an SQL is a person who most likely will convert to a customer.

In general, a sales qualified lead means that the person is someone who has expressed interest in making a purchase, has the right budget in place to make the purchase and is in a position of authority to commit to the purchase. SQLs are a hot commodity in the sales industry as they are often easier to convert since they have already checked all the right boxes that sales professionals look for in a lead.

Marketing Qualified Lead

There’s another type of lead that also factors into the sales process, and that’s the marketing qualified lead or MQL. An MQL is someone who has been qualified due to their interaction with marketing materials. An example of this could be when someone visits your company’s website and signs up for your monthly newsletter. In this case, the person may be classified as an MQL based on their engagement and interest.

The difference between an MQL and an SQL is that an MQL has not been thoroughly vetted. They may have an interest in making a purchase, but you don’t know whether they have the budget or authority to make the purchase. Therefore, MQLs are less valuable in terms of potential since SQLs are ready to make a purchase and have the ability to do so. An MQL may like to make a purchase, but since you don’t know if they check the other boxes, it may be a waste of time trying to move them further down your funnel.

Don't Neglect MQLs

Even though an MQL may be less valuable for sales professionals to pursue, you may want to consider devising ways to keep an MQL engaged. Measuring continued engagement may signal that the MQL can be converted into an SQL, but this can only take place after you have vetted the prospect. You won’t be able to do this if you write off MQLs entirely.

Read a similar article about sales enablement platform here at this page.

[bizkonnect]

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[robertreich]

How Amazon Is Ripping You Off

Shopping on Amazon? Stop! Watch this first.

Amazon is the world’s biggest online retailer. This one single juggernaut of a company is responsible for nearly 40% of all online sales in America. In an FTC lawsuit, they’re accused of using their mammoth size, and consumers’ dependence on them, to artificially jack up prices as high as possible, while prohibiting sellers on Amazon from charging lower prices anywhere else.

They’re accused of using a secret algorithm, codenamed "Project Nessie," to charge customers an estimated extra $1 billion dollars,

If this isn’t an abuse of power that hurts consumers, what is? So much for all of those “prime” deals you thought you were getting.

Project Nessie isn’t the only trick Amazon has been accused of using to exert its hulking dominance over the online retail industry — leading to higher prices for you.

Much of the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit centers around the treatment of independent merchants who sell items on Amazon’s online superstore — accounting for 60 percent of Amazon's sales.

Amazon allegedly uses strongarm tactics that force these sellers to keep their prices higher than they need to be. Like barring them from selling products for significantly less at other stores — or else risk being hidden in Amazon’s search results or having their sales stopped entirely.

And Amazon is accused of engaging in pay-to-play schemes and charging merchants excessive fees that end up costing you even more.

Independent sellers are effectively forced to pay Amazon to advertise their products prominently in search results. If they don’t fork over cash, then their products get buried underneath products of companies who do. This hurts sellers but also harms shoppers who have to parse through less relevant products that may be more expensive or lower quality.

And to be eligible for the coveted “Prime” badge on their items — which is considered crucial for competing on the platform — independent sellers are pushed into paying Amazon for additional services like warehousing and shipping, even if they could get those services cheaper elsewhere. If sellers forgo trying to qualify for Prime, their goods apparently become harder for customers to find.

When all of these extra fees are added up, Amazon takes around a 50 percent cut of each sale made by a third party. It’s projected that Amazon will earn around $125 billion from collecting fees in the U.S. in 2023, most of which get passed on to you.

By charging all of these extra fees and stifling independent companies from selling their products for less elsewhere, Amazon is using its dominance to essentially set prices for all consumers across the internet.

And when you combine Amazon’s control of ecommerce with all of the other industries it has entered by gobbling up companies — such as Whole Foods, One Medical, and MGM — you’re left with a behemoth that simply has too much power.

This is all part of a much larger problem of growing corporate dominance in America. In over 75% of U.S. industries, fewer companies now control more of their markets than they did twenty years ago.

The lack of competition and consumer choice has resulted in all of us paying more for goods because corporations like Amazon can raise their prices with impunity. By one estimate, corporate concentration has cost the typical American household $5,000 a year more than they would have spent if markets were truly competitive.

This power isn’t just being used to siphon more money from you. A giant corporation has the power to bust unions, keep workers’ wages low, and funnel money into our political system.

It’s a vicious cycle, making giant corporations more and more powerful.

But under the Biden administration, the government is making a strong effort to revive antitrust law and use its power to reign in big corporations that have grown too powerful.

We must stop the monopolization of America. This FTC lawsuit against Amazon is a great start.

[imawitchywitch]

Here’s some tips from a trans person who moved from a red state to a blue state by myself, across the country:

Start applying for jobs in every blue state, near and far, in any field and job role you think you’d qualify for. I know this SUCKS and takes forever, but this is where you inevitably have to start.

After you have potential cities in mind and some job leads, start saving for moving expenses and researching potential apartments! If you don’t feel comfortable interviewing for an apartment from afar, there are extended stay hotels you can stay at while you solidify your search.

Get a sense of how your future state and city’s government, taxes, documentation, and healthcare works. It will be a bit different from your previous state, and you're going to have to do the whole change of address, new driver's license, new car registration switcheroo.

Have a garage sale, get rid of excess, and make your moving preparations! You can ship your stuff in a storage container or road trip it with a friend and a Uhaul.

Map your route for the trip. Break it up, book hotels, stay away from red rural stops, DO NOT stop at those trucker rest areas, and stick to busy gas stations around many businesses. Oh and find some fun and picturesque spots!

Once you’re in your new town, find some local group and event postings, maybe have a list of medical providers and car repair shops to check out, and stores you already know you enjoy in your neighborhood, and start your new life my friend!

It’s very scary right now but we have states fighting for our rights, and very few of us have the resources and contacts to even consider moving overseas. I don’t know how helpful my list is, I’ve moved states several times so it is less eventful for me, but this may be your first time considering moving!

[yurimother]

Live-Action 'She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat' Drama Adaptation Gets Second Season

On Monday, NHK announced that its live-action drama adaptation of Sakaomi Yuzaki's slice of life Yuri Manga She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat (Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna) is getting a sequel. The new series will have 20 total episodes, an increase from the first season's 10-episode run, and premiere in early 2024.

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat is based on Sakaomi Yuzaki's manga of the same name. It follows neighbors Nomoto, who likes to cook to destress, and Kasuga, who loves to eat. The two women bond over their shared love of food and slowly develop a more intimate relationship.

NHKs announcement makes She Loves to Cook and She Love to Eat the first program in the Networks "YoruDora" drama block to get a sequel. It will air Monday through Thursday at 10:45 pm.

Leads Manami Higa and Emi Nishino are set to reprise their roles as Nomoto and Kasuga, respectively. They will be joined by, as of yet, unannounced newcomers as new characters Yako and Nagumo from the original series' third volume.

The first season was broadcast from November to December last year. It was directed by Yui Matsusaki and Niroyuki Nakata, with script writing by Yuri Yamada, and music by Gorou Itou. The staff is also returning for the second season.

The manga's creator commented on the announcement, saying, "It's an honor just to have my work made into a drama. But I am extremely humbled to have it be the first in the block to have a sequel produced..." They went on to say, "I want to sit in front of the TV not just as the original author, but also as a fan and viewer. I'm really looking forward to it!

Both lead actors also commented on the announcement, expressing their excitement about the second season and the opportunity to reprise their roles and work alongside the crew again. Translations of their full comments are below.

Scriptwriter Yuri Yamada teased the contents of the upcoming second season, "In Season 2, we are increasing the elements of the original drama. What will happen to Nomoto's affection for Kasuga, will there be any progress in their relationship, and what sort of dishes will they eat together this time? We hope you look forward to it."

The original She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat manga is serialized digitally by ASCII Media Works' as part of its COMIC It label. Yen Press licenses the series in English and is scheduled to release the third volume on October 17, 2023.

You can check out She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat volume 1 and 2 digitally and in paperback today: https://amzn.to/3qFrgtE

Reading official releases helps support creators and publishers. YuriMother makes a small commission from sales to help fund future coverage.

Full comments from Manami Higa (Nomoto):

A sequel has been announced!! Of course Nomoto loves cooking, but there is only a sense of accomplishment when there are other people to eat the delicious food. It's the same in the world of entertainment, and it is because there are so many people supporting us that we can create something worthwhile. We are happy to share it with you. In addition to Emi Nishino, who played Kasuga-san and because a close personal friend after we worked together on the previous season, new cast members will be joining us this time. I'm so looking forward to meeting them and to delivery the sequel to you.

Full comments from Emi Nishio (Kasuga):

I'm home! I am Emi Nishio. Continuing on from the previous season, I will be appearing as Kasuga. I was overjoyed when I got the news about the decision to produce a second season. I am so grateful that I'll be able to continue. Thank you very much. I'm really looking forward to working with Manami Higa, who plays the main character, and everyone I love from the She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat team. I'm excited to imagine how the story will progress and what new friends we will meet. It is the first sequel in the night drama block, and I'm very happy to say it is also the first "sequel" in my life. I value the opportunity and will focus to face Kasuga-san with new feeling. I hope to second season of She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat can reach many people.

Sources: Mantan Web, Cinema Cafe

[roo-bastmoon]

Suspicious Treatment of Jimin: What am I forgetting?

I have serious medication-induced brain fog so my memory is swiss cheese these days. I am trying to map out something so I can understand what is happening with our Jimin....

So far:

Hanteo deleted hundreds of thousands in sales; company did not comment.

YouTube froze and deleted millions of streams every day; company did not comment.

Jimin's Spotify profile was not properly listed. It still has no description or link to merch.

Jimin's works are not added to the company's playlist for days and sometimes weeks while other members' works and collabs are added immediately.

Spotify froze and filtered millions of his streams; company did not comment.

His title track was deliberately split, despite qualifying to count as one unit.

His in-ear devices failed to work during a live performance.

He was allowed only 9 days of promotion.

He was denied when he requested more than 2 music videos.

His historic Hot 100 #1 was not acknowledged by the company except for one single retweet the day-of.

He had no celebrations, no formal acknowledgement by company leadership of his achievement or of the resulting huge increase in stock prices.

Billboard changed their charting rules in Week 2; company did not comment until it was time for a different album to sell.

His albums did not ship to China and have not been restocked on WeVerse for weeks (whereas other artists' albums have).

His instagram was shadow banned. His videos on TikTok are also soft-blocked from being boosted.

All other members' YouTube focused views for Take Two auto-generate a preview photo; his does not (this must be deliberately selected not to generate an image). *Apparently they have fixed this issue after enough fans called it out on Twitter.

Some have observed that since Hybe took over, Jimin has been given fewer lines in group songs and less time dancing center as well.

A recent WeVerse article about Morgan Wallen downplayed both Yoongi's tour and Jimin's album as achieving "some partial success in breaking up [Wallen's] domination of the Hot 100."

Add to this the company "omitting" his bills four times, which lead to late payments on insurance premiums, which led to his apartment being "seized," which led to a smear campaign in the press the very same day his OST With You dropped... followed by his personal address and national identity number being doxxed online... and this honestly looks suspicious as hell.

What am I forgetting?

I'm not a manti but if I don't get reasonable explanations I'm gonna become one.

How can it look like anything other that deliberate sabotage so that one member does not outshine the rest?

How is this good business sense?

Jimin is a humble, hardworking team-player with no ambitions to go solo and leave his members. Why would anyone have it out for him?

It's possible there's prejudice and bigotry at play, but deep enough to span multiple departments and cut into the company's bottom line?

And yet how can it not be deliberate? How can any company be THIS incompetent for just ONE member?

And yet if we raise hell, we look like victimizing solos. Yet look at this laundry list!! And it just keeps happening. What can be done??

Can we not organize a quiet mass-email campaign? Can someone not write up a well-researched UCC article to share in English and Korean and keep tagging Hybe? Would it not be possible to comment respectfully about this in WeVerse?

Or would acknowledging it at all make it worse for Jimin?

I don't understand all the politics at play here.

I have no real idea what is happening but part of me is quietly terrified they have it out for him during contract negotiations for some reason.

What is BTS without all our beloved seven?

I'm genuinely very deeply upset.

[gridfreedom]

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[duckprintspress]

I feel like I need to start talking more about how one of the big things that Duck Prints Press does is open the door to people who could never even get a foot in with traditional publishing or even most medium/"small" presses (we're a small press, but we're really more of a micro-press, I see places calling themselves small presses that are fucktons bigger than we are).

I've got some anecdotal evidence that people avoid the publications of Presses like this one because they think our writing and editing standards are lower - that we're the people who failed to make it in bigger presses because we weren't good enough - and that, consciously and unconsciously, gatekeeping biases on who is and isn't qualified to write lead people to support small presses less than they might support a more established organization.

So...y'all realize that there are a lot of reasons people wouldn't pursue working with trad pub, right? and I don't even mean ethical doubts, and I don't even mean "trad pub doesn't want to publish certain kinds of stories," though those are definitely factors - we're able to give more space to play with themes and genres because we don't focus solely on "is this marketable" as a sales rubric.

But that's not what I consider the biggest difference.

Hi, I'm Claire, and I own Duck Prints Press, and I have a massive history of clinical depression, including being suicidal in the past. I'm a great writer, and I'm not just tooting my own horn, I've got almost 150,000 kudos on AO3 that suggest that just maybe, I know wtf I'm doing stringing words into sentences. I don't need a big press to tell me I'm competent, I already know that. What I do need is to not end up suicidal again. If I face the gauntlet of rejections that's supposedly "required" as part of gatekeeping trad pub, it will do severe damage to my mental health, and probably destroy my ability to write as depression-induced self-deception eats through what I know to be true.

THAT'S what's different about a micropress like ours. Yes, our founding vision was to work with fans, but the vast majority of the people who work with us have mental illnesses, physical disabilities, neurodivergence issues, and/or other "meatsuits are terrible actually" issues that strict publishing environments can't or, really, won't accommodate. We say "fuck that noise" and go out of our way to accommodate people, granting extensions and ensuring everyone can work on their own schedule. We're able to be very flexible, which means we bring in a lot of people whose incredible skills are overlooked, ignored, looked down on, kept out of, more mainstream publishing options.

If someone has trouble with deadlines? We still work with them.

If someone has an illness that flares irregularly and unpredictably? We still work with them.

If someone needs frequent reminders? We still work with them.

If someone works slowly because they can only do a little at a time? We still work with them.

If someone needs extra time, additional support, special software...we have thus far been able to accommodate literally everyone who has come to us.

As long as the creators who work with us keep communicating and keep showing at least a little progress, we will find a way to make things work, because we want to be as inclusive as possible, and because we know that most people with these challenges, no matter how good they are at writing or art or whatever it is they do with us, would face many more hardships to have these opportunities with a larger, more strict organization.

Just, every time I see indications that people think we're "less" because we're not HarperCollins or Penguin or Tor or something, I get so angry, because it shows so little understanding of how gatekeepy and especially how ableist trad pub is, and I wish more of the people who are thinking things like that would recognize that their behavior is, essentially, snobbery.

And to be clear I'm not saying "people with these challenges never get trad pubbed," that's clearly ridiculous and untrue, but I am saying, people with these challenges shouldn't have to be The Most Exceptional just to have a chance, and we deserve to have a place that will accommodate us instead of having to perform health, perform neurotypicalness, etc. just to succeed. We deserve to not have one flare-up potentially ruin our careers, and we deserve the same opportunities and respect as people who choose other directions.

Between trad pub, small press, and self-publishing, no one route is inherently "superior." Backing one over another doesn't guarantee you're only going to get good stories, or good editing. Trad pub publishes utter schlock sometimes, and self-publishing is fantastic sometimes, and some small presses do have lax standards, and some small presses are exceptional, and I feel like maybe people just really don't understand why places like Duck Prints Press try to exist - it's because we're trying to create spaces that meet us where we are, instead of focusing on rigid conformity, marketability, hard rules, etc.

The only way we'll get a diversity of voices in publishing is by supporting a diversity of publishers. The only way we'll be able to make space for everyone is by supporting the places that carve out new spaces to fit those who didn't fit elsewhere.

I wish more people would understand what we do and why we're here, and that folks would at least try our publications before assuming that we're "like big press but worse at writing/arting/editing."

Idk. I'm just tired, and sick, and still working even tho I'm sick, and frustrated with how hard it is to get anywhere, so here, have a rant I probably shouldn't post.

(this post brought to you by me seeing Chuck Tingle - entirely reasonably, to be clear, Chuck Tingle is awesome and I support him entirely! - celebrating the Camp Damascus release to thousands of notes, and Tor posting a poll about some Locked Tomb short story and getting 1300+ votes, and how I have to claw our way out of the background tumblr noise to get 100+ notes even on our biggest releases)

[galaxysharks]

Office Au.

Wildcat Youth Employment program. High school students intern as a collective at a local office to gain real world experience for credit.

Directors/Coaches

Miss Jenn - in charge of Sales and Marketing Teams

Mr. Mazzara - in charge of Tech and Building Events Teams

Dewey - Building Facilities Manager

Teams

Sales

EJ Caswell - being the CFOs son has it's perks, as evidenced by EJs immediate inclusion to the program. Make no mistake though, EJ has more than earned his keep, quickly proving to be the best young salesman in the programs history and leading the team to record breaking profits. EJ has since joined the company full time, following his graduation. When not in the field, EJ likes to hang out with his former unit, giving out tips and tricks of the trade.

Gina Porter - with the leave of EJ, Gina has finally claimed the top spot in Sales. Unfortunately now she has to acclimate the new blood while being short-staffed after Nini's transfer to the California office. And if that weren't hard enough, the student leader of Building Events is proving a persistent distraction.

Mack Alana - Mack has recently been offered a position in the program. His simulation numbers were fantastic, but he's a little out of touch with what really makes a salesman. He'll have to buckle down if he's to survive Gina's intense training, and his natural charm won't work on every sucker on the street.

Former

Nini Salazar Roberts - While not as competitive as Gina, Nini maintained a respectable lead in sales for several months. Nini has since transferred to a sister office in California, coinciding with her move to pursue music in her spare time.

Marketing

Valerie Donnelly - Like EJ, Val has moved up the ranks to the company proper. While not as involved as EJ, Val takes pride in her mentoring role and is always just a text away. Which might be necessary if Miss Jenn can't cut through the drama and whip these kids into shape.

Kourtney Greene - Having been in the program for a few years, Kourt is logically the next in line for Student Leader. Bold and Beautiful, Kourtney knows what works and how to make it work for you. There's just one problem, Kourtney is graduating in a few months and she's not sure if the company offer is where she's meant to go. This on top of wrangling the large personalities on her team have made this season more stressful than anticipated.

Carlos Rodriguez - Out and Proud, Carlos tends to fill every room he's in. High class, high maintenance, the office Instagram Page looks good and Carlos would kill before letting someone else touch his baby. Carlos operates as the Student officer of Diversity, and previously spent two seasons as Miss Jenn's shadow. In a loving relationship with Seb from Building Events.

Ashlyn Caswell - as the name implies, Ash is also a legacy member, but while her cousin shines flexing his skills and seeing the sights in the field, Ashlyn much prefers the view from her desk. Surrounded by her chosen family, Ashlyn is a stable and reliable member of the team, even if she did get a rough start with Val. Now if only she didn't get stuck with the computer most prone to breakdown.

Dani Cantrall - Like Mack, Dani is a new select from the class runner ups. She has good instincts, and brings a respectable following right out the gate. But it's her abrasive personality and short temper that's going to put her to the test.

Former

Lily Keegan - Lily was once a promising addition to the marketing team, but quickly proved a toxic influence. Miss Jenn asked her to leave after her snapshot 'Autism in the Workplace' nearly got the team, and the company itself, in hot water with the press.

Building Events

Ricky Bowen - How Richard Bowen qualified for the student outreach program is still a mystery. Constantly late, and shamelessly careless, many outside observers have wondered how he's maintained his offer, let alone achieved Student Leader. But his work speaks for itself, dozens and dozens of successful events on the books. Ricky has a unique ability to get the many divisions to work together in harmony. Now if only he could manage to organize his life enough to ask out the superstar Saleswoman Gina.

Sebastian Matthews Smith - Strong and reliable, Seb's slowlife mentality makes him an asset in the whirlwind of the office. While not always the most intuitive, Seb is highly skilled at the routines of event set up and breakdown. Seb spends most breaks in the Marketing office with his partner Carlos.

Jet Curda-Lyles - Jet is new to the Building Events team. Low energy and snarky, Jet doesn't speak often, but makes sure he's heard when he does. Hired on with his sister, he can sometimes feel like he's living in the shadow of her savant gifts with technology. Some unknown drama with the siblings can make meeting tense, but both are first to defend each other. Spends breaks dozing in the lounge or sitting with his sister's service dog, JJ.

Tech Support

Maddox Curda-Lyles - Maddox has a gift, and can make any technology sing. Now if only she was so talented at communicating with people. JJ is Maddie's constant companion, providing support and protection from the outside world. Maddox has quickly risen up ranks and become the Student Leader. Rumor has it, the company is looking to scout her early into their ranks. Not that Maddie's noticed, she's got her eye on a certain Marketing Student, with unfortunate luck with computers.

Big Red Redonovich - While Maddox has a natural agility with tech, Biggie earned his way over several seasons. Sweet and gentle, Big Red is everyone's friend, though he does clash with the foreign exchange employee Antoine. Big Red and Ricky were scouted together, with some saying that Ricky only made it in due to Red refusing to leave him behind.