Submissions Guidelines
Our mission is to give voice to some of the amazing authors and artists on the web. We provide reviews, stories, poetry, art, and media in any genre, that cross genres, that start new genres, or that intersect mediums and genres combined. We include reviews of works published by small presses in any format, and reviews of ebooks provided by any publisher, no matter the size. We spotlight an author, ‘zine, small press, movement, artist, musician, and/or organization in every issue. We’re here to support their efforts, so if you know of one who deserves the limelight, please let us know.
The submissions period for the next issue has been extended to April 31, 2010, with the issue expected in June. We apologize for the delay.
The upcoming issue’s theme is -Visions- or -The Natural World-. That means you are welcome to send in a work about visions, or about the natural world, or both. What those mean is entirely up to you.
We have added an additional method for submission. You may continue to submit to us by email, or you may use the Ecostamps system. We believe Ecostamps is a valuable tool for authors, but there is an expense for its use. Please choose whichever method is best for you.
Ecostamps:
|
Email:
|
We prefer a short cover letter in the body of the e-mail with any submission longer than 250 words provided as an attachment in RTF. Please note in the subject line if the e-mail is for a submission of flash fiction, fiction, poetry, review, essay, or something else, or if it is a query regarding our interest in same.
When we accept a work, anything available to the public will be archived for at least 6 months. After 6 months, we will remove it from our archive at your request. If you do not request removal, we will keep it until you do. If you need it removed sooner, let us know.
Anything accepted for publication for print cannot, of course, be removed from back issues.
We’ll be providing the reviews and some of the other content for free, but will be providing the entirety of each issue in print or as a PDF for purchase. What is provided free and what is provided for pay is determined by the section editors.
We’re accepting strictly speculative works and non-fiction writing about the speculative field. For us, that includes fantasy, science fiction, horror, new weird, and related. Payment for previously unpublished work is 1/2 cent per word, paid at publication, minimum of $5.00 and maximum of $25.00 per piece, for fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; $10-$25 per art piece and $5.00 per audio or video that is not available elsewhere for free. Reprints start at 1/4 cent per word.
The next issue will be released in September 2009. The following issue will be released in March 2010. The theme for the March 2010 issue will be announced here and on the blog.
Submissions should be 30 days or more prior to publication, and acceptance or rejection will be provided within 15 days of launch. Relevance to the upcoming theme, along with skill and editorial opinion, will improve the likelihood of acceptance, but is not required. If the work you have submitted has been previously published (including on your blog, a webzine, or other online venue), please let us know. Our mission is to introduce our readers to authors, artists, and works they may not have seen before, so, though previous publication is not a bar, it may affect the decision process.
You are also offered an advertisement on the website and in the online archive for the issue in which your work appears. You are responsible for providing the advertisement. If your provided advertisement does not fit with our aesthetic or quality guidelines, it will not be included. The advertisement should not exceed 125×125 pixels, or the area of same in a horizontal or vertical rectangular configuration.
Upon acceptance, please provide a short bio; a picture if you’d like one included; a list of your works and where they may be purchased or acquired, if possible; a graphic ad if you want one included, the site to which you’d like your ad to link; and the URL of your website, blog or favorite networking site profile if it’s different from the URL to which your ad will link.
Spotlight!
We are interested in essays from authors, editors, publishers, scholars, industry professionals, or avid readers showcasing a particular genre, school of criticism, current event, issue, website, or personality. The article should be between 1 and 5k words, though we are willing to be flexible.
Our author spotlight is generally an interview of an author we want to feature. If you’d like to be featured, please email and ask to be interviewed. We give precedence to authors whose work we have reviewed.
Fiction
Fiction submissions should be no more than 5k words and should treat with the theme of the issue. The fiction can be written or recorded in MP3 format. The upcoming theme will always be announced on this page and on the blog.
Flash Fiction
For our publication, we prefer flash fiction of 500 words.
Poetry
Poetry submissions should also be written around the theme of the issue, in any style or length up to 5k words, though shorter works are preferred.
Art
If you would like us to consider including your art in our publication, please send a low-res version no more than 96 dpi and no larger than a print size of 6 inches wide by 6 inches high for review.
Anything larger than 200-250 pixels wide, if accepted for the website, will be published in a clickable thumbnail format. We actually prefer the clickable thumbnail, as it improves the impact of the image when the reader clicks and is able to see the image alone. Your art does not have to fit with the theme of the issue, but is more likely to be accepted if it does.
Art accepted for print should be provided at 300dpi.
Music
In particular, we are looking for music that fits with our style and will best exemplify your work. A link to your website and a profile of the artist will be included. Your website should provide a way for our visitors to listen to at least one additional song for free, but that is not required. A link to where your work can be purchased is also requested.
Reviews
If you are interested in providing reviews or would like to provide your work for review, please see the review guidelines page.
