Editor's Note: Please keep a few things in mind when considering writing for Irvington Reader. Our publication is aimed at a broad and general readership. Are you writing a good story? Would a stranger be disturbed it his twelve year old daughter reads your story?
Guidelines for Submissions We are looking for short fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and art. Previously published work is acceptable as long as it meets the goals of the magazine. Fiction and non-fiction word limits: 2,500 to 7,500 words We are a general fiction magazine; genre fiction is welcome as long as it conforms with the thematic requirements of our individual seasonal issues. We acquire one-time rights upon acceptance. Contributors receive one copy each of the issue in which their work appears. Irvington Reader will also publish contact information in the form of email addresses and/or websites for contributors, should they wish to have that information known to our readers. All submissions are to be made made electronically. Email messages to Irvington Reader are to carry the subject line “Story Submission,” “Poetry Submission,” “Article Submission,” or “Art Submission,” as appropriate. Submissions are to be sent by email to the following address: irvingtonreader@gmail.com. Submissions are to be made as attachments using two of the following three formats: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), rich text format (RTF), or PDF. Submission must be in manuscript format as follows:
ADDRESS PHONE NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS APPROXIMATE WORD COUNT
General advice: Read, write, and rewrite. Also, understand that not every word you write is golden: you must be ready to rewrite or discard, including on the advice of your editor, words, sentences, paragraphs, or whole passages that do not work or do not adequately convey your meaning. Finally, be kind to your readers by saying what you mean, concisely, accurately, and with style and genuine thought and feeling. Irvington Reader is aimed at a general readership. If your twelve-year-old daughter or son, sister or brother, or niece or nephew cannot read your work without encountering extreme adult language or situations, then you should rewrite it as needed to meet a general readership. Our editor’s opinion is that a mature writer does not require extremely graphic images or coarse language to properly express himself or herself or to convey complex ideas to a general readership. It is his opinion that these things may actually diminish the quality of an author’s work. ART Art is to be submitted as a portfolio of digital images, including but not limited to images associated with the themes of an upcoming season. Artists submitting their work should indicate whether they are available to receive assignments for illustrations or other images. Photographs and photo-collages are acceptable as part of an artist’s portfolio.
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Christmas/Winter Issue - Issue #2
Language and topics: Please understand that we are aiming at a general audience and so rough language, graphic sex and violence should be avoided. Skill negates the necessity for the rough and the graphic. Please exercise your skills and tell a good adult story that your 12 year old daughter can read. There will be four issues of the magazine each centered around a different holiday and themes associated with those holidays. If you are telling a good story and it doesn't fit the holiday themes, don't worry, we have an online edition and our editor is considering a special edition, if we can find enough quality authors telling good stories to fill it. Length: Short stories should be between 2500 and 5000 words. Rights: We will use the story once for the issues for which it was submitted unless there is already sufficient material for that issue, then it will be held for the next appropriate holiday issue. You will be notified in the case of any delayed publication. Christmas/Winter Themes: Family, generosity, holiday conflict, togetherness...etc. Most of us are familiar with all the hazards of Christmas and especially familiar with the hazards of winter in Indiana. Your story does not have to be about Christmas, though it is the central holiday of the winter season. If you have a good winter themed story we would like to see it. Remember above all else, it is about telling a good story. Remember also that "A Christmas Carol" is a Christmas story about salvation, redemption, generosity and family. It is also a ghost story. Genre stories fit well with Halloween, obviously, but they can fit any number of themes if well imagined and well written. Where to Submit Your Finished Story: all submissions are by email to irvingtonreader@gmail.com Deadlines: Story Submissions:November 15th, 2016 Art/Photo Submission:December 1st, 2016 Publication Date:December 23rd,2016 Issue #1 will be for sale on October 29, 2016 at the Irvington Halloween Festival street fair.
Last year that street fair attracted an estimated 25,000 people. We are a sponsor of the Festival and will have a booth set up to sell the Irvington Reader. Language and topics: Please understand that we are aiming at a general audience and so rough language, graphic sex and violence should be avoided. Skill negates the necessity for the rough and the graphic. Please exercise your skills and tell a good adult story that your 12 year old daughter can read. There will be four issues of the magazine each centered around a different holiday and themes associated with those holidays. If you are telling a good story and it doesn't fit the holiday themes, don't worry, we have an online edition and our editor is considering a special edition, if we can find enough quality authors telling good stories to fill it. Length: Short stories should be between 2500 and 5000 words. Where to Submit Your Finished Story: all submissions are by email to irvingtonreader@gmail.com Issue #1 Halloween August 31st - Story Submission Deadline September 15th - Art Submission Deadline October 29th - Issue #1 goes on sale Themes: Halloween is a complex holiday associated with childhood fun, rowdy teenage pranks and even rowdier adult parties. It is international in scope and flavor. It is filled with candy, toilet-papered trees and goblins. Scary stories are the currency of the day. A good chiller, thriller, ghost or terror of some other stripe is always good soil into which a story can be planted. Feel free to make your story one of warmth and fear. If you can scare yourself, you can scare someone else. Irvington need not be your setting, but its old homes and dark, narrow brick paved streets are enough inspiration for a hundred Halloweens. |
Dennis HanleyEditor Archives
October 2016
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