WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS
Writers and illustrators will at least be paid something for the full
for-sale
edition, after all costs have been met - but it
won't be much. (As a published writer of short stories myself, I know what
it is like not to receive any payment at all for my efforts.) Down the track
this may change for the better.
None of the stories and comic strips are to have been published anywhere
else, at any time, nor should they currently be accepted for publication
elsewhere, nor displayed freely on blogs and other websites etc.
All submissions of material must be the contributor's own work. Copyright of
story and art remains with writer and illustrator after first publication in
the magazine. However, it would be courteous not to sell or display
elsewhere any material published in the magazine until an "acceptable" time
after first publication is available for sale or subscription. If a
situation is likely to arise, please first contact the magazine for
discussion.
WHAT IS REQUIRED?
Writers may submit short stories of up to 5000 words, emailed as an attached
file in Rich Text Format (RTF) only, double-spaced, page-numbered. (Why RTF?
See details in yellow box, opposite.) The
author's name, contact details (including a necessary and current email
address), and title of story must appear only on the cover page.
Currently the magazine prefers a minimum word length of 2000 words.
(Whatever the word length, a common problem with many submissions is
that sequences of writing can easily be edited out. The object is to
make every word count.)
Sometimes the magazine will provisionally accept a short story provided
it is either revised by the writer on request from the magazine, or
edited by the magazine on request. If the latter, the magazine will send
the writer the edited manuscript, and ask for permission to publish the
story in its edited form.
Illustrators should
initially email only two or three sample line-art illustrations,
while
comic strip writer-illustrators should
initially email two or three pages of
sample story-art that can be viewed on a computer monitor (TIF, JPG, GIF, PDF).
Alternatively, upload the samples to a website, and email the website
address so that the work may be viewed. Display samples may have been previously
published or not. For comic strip illustrators, it is
likely that the page dimensions of the magazine will be B5 (176 mm width, 250 mm length),
with margins.
Comic strip stories that appear in the magazine will be between eight and
twelve pages in length (although this can be negotiated). For the magazine's
initial for-sale edition they should be
self-contained, not serialised.(Continued
right-side column, under yellow box.) |
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Writers and
illustrators invited to enquire!
Email to:
magazine@rmsed.com.au
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To return to main magazine page, CLICK HERE.
For details about the magazine and
types of stories preferred, CLICK HERE.
***
For some personal comment, CLICK HERE.
CURRENTLY PREFERRED:
* Written stories of over 2000 words in length,
preferably 3000, up to 5000.
* Written stories that are NOT in science fiction
or fantasy mode.
The magazine has received more SF/fantasy
than any other type, and can't accept more at present.
(Retro SF - stories set in the historical past,
however, are of interest, as are stories that blur genre boundaries, and may be sent.)
Welcome: pirates, spy tales, schoolgirl mysteries,
Sherlock Holmes-style tales, intrepid aviators
and jungle explorers, lost cities etc.
Robin Hood adventures? Sinbad the Sailor?
Masked avengers (serious, rather than spoof mode)?
Unforced humour within a story, however,
is always welcome.
WHY RTF?
Rich Text Files are less likely than MS Word files to
contain viruses etc.
Open your Word file,
select Save As, scroll down the "Save As Type" list
then select Rich Text Format (RTF).
Close the newly-saved RTF document then attach it
as per normal to your
outgoing email.
If you have any problems with this,
email the magazine about it.
*** Updated 16 October 2009.
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Please note that if your contribution is not accepted for publication you
will be informed by email. Unless the magazine has an army of
volunteer manuscript readers the email will generally not include a written
assessment of the contribution nor the reason(s) for why it has not been
accepted.
Sorry, but graphic violence, gore-fest and sex fantasy is not really
wanted! This may seem intolerant, but the magazine is not aiming to
shock, titillate nor to gain notoriety, nor to appeal only to a niche
audience; its aim is to offer a wide range of readers from older
adults downwards a mix of well-written, well-illustrated, entertaining
story-telling.
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