In the two years we’ve been doing this, the volume of incoming material has steadily increased. While it’s nice to have so many people interested, it’s becoming clear that we need a more systematic approach if we’re going to stay on top of things. So here you have the new and improved 2009 Fantastic Horror Submission Guide. This page will explain the basic framework of our operation and what to expect when you participate. YOUR QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS HELP US IMPROVE THE SYSTEM! FH#10 Published FH#11 Deadline March 15 FH#12 Deadline May 15 FH#13 Deadline July 15 FH#14 Deadline Sep. 15 FH#15 Deadline Nov. 15           We recommend the Inside the Community Forum is a members-only section known as the Contributors’ Workshop. It’s where we plan upcoming issues, collaborate on special projects, and exchange constructive criticism on individual works.     Forum registration is necessary for access to the Workshop, while the rest of the Forum is open to unregistered guests.   FIRST THING FIRST: CREATE YOUR FORUM ACCOUNT. LOGIN WITH YOUR MEMBER NAME AND PASSWORD. New to the Workshop? Knock for assistance. If you have something to contribute, we’ll give you a key so you can come and go as you please. Note: the Contributors’ Workshop is for active participation, not lurking. (The Lurkshop is closed until somebody scrapes the mold out of there.) Already a member? Let yourself in. Post your submission(s) for critical review and likewise provide feedback for others. Want more involvement? Your Contributor status enables you to make a difference in every department. Use it or lose it! Not interested in membership? Submit your work via e-mail and we’ll appraise it. You’re not likely to get detailed feedback this way, but you might still make an appearance in an upcoming issue of Fantastic Horror. . . . E-mail to submissions@fantastichorror.com           C O N T E N T   In keeping with the site’s title, we prefer dark or dreamlike fantasy, horror and science fiction, with a sense of atmosphere and attention to detail. S K I L L   A N D   S T Y L E   The realistic and idealistic, the concrete and the abstract, the formal and the colloquial, and any mere opposite may be legitimate when skillfully used. As a consequence, we will judge style not by the supposed validity of its principal leanings but by the calibration and unity of its execution. We hope this point will be faithfully underscored by the work presently on display. F O R M   A N D   L E N G T H   We accept prose or verse, fiction or nonfiction (to 10,000 words; work of greater length may be serialized), illustration, audio or video, as long as the work is reflective of our preferred content. C O P Y R I G H T S For one year, FantasticHorror.com should be the only place online where your piece of work can be found.* On the anniversary of the release date of the issue in which your work appears, this obligation expires and you are free to republish your work elsewhere. We ask this courtesy for the sake of our own relevance; but you always retain executive control of your intellectual property. * Excepting “scouted” content for which we seek permission to use. C O M P E N S A T I O N   FANTASTIC HORROR DOES NOT PAY ITS CONTRIBUTORS. We hope that they will be compensated by the quality presentation of their work, by lively editorial attention to fact and exactness, and by the community of varied but like-minded artists. S I M U L T A N E O U S   S U B M I S S I O N S   We prefer to avoid the waste of energy that can result when more than one publication is considering the same piece of work. Without some assurance that editorial attention will not be in vain, it would be unfair to draw the focus away from other submissions.   Meet the Following a degenerative period of laissez-faire in the Contributors’ Workshop, it was decided once again to institute the Office of the Secretary of Submissions.  Anna Haney joined us in the Forum late last summer, and soon contributed her first submission. She took an interest in the workings of the Workshop and made herself a model Contributor. One day she let it slip that organizational skills could also be counted among her assets—and then it was too late. She was darted and tagged like a Smoky Mountain black bear:     Now she’s chained to a desk in the mail room, keeping in touch with contributors who, for various evil reasons, don’t frequent the Workshop.     Thanks Anna! Keep up the great work! Contact via Forum / E-mail How to prepare text for a good first impression • To the best of your ability, eliminate spelling and grammatical errors. • Separate paragraphs with one blank line. Indicate section breaks distinctly. • Emphasize italics _like this_ so they’re harder to miss in transcription. Some have interpreted _this_ to mean this, but we’re talking about _these._ • Insert special instructions [in brackets] where necessary. • For e-mail attachments, use a file format that can easily be read on most computers (TXT, RTF, DOC, HTML). img src   Posted in Workshop for critical review • With Workshop access you can start your own review thread with or without a poll:   Example: poll   Example: thread   Feedback from fellow Contributors • Review period not to exceed 4 weeks • Consider advice for improvement, use at your discretion   Official response by editorial staff • One Custodian declares outcome, two more confirm and finalize • If opinion is split evenly, debate ensues until a majority is won It’s not a complicated system, but things can still fall through the cracks. If you feel that your submission has waited too long for a conclusive response, tell someone! We have ways of minimizing further delay. Submission data checklist This information will improve efficiency in scheduling of accepted submissions and facilitate other improvements throughout the site. Title: Full title, including subtitle or part number Medium: Fiction/Poetry/Illustration/etc. Byline: Full name (or pen name) as it should be displayed Tags: Words or phrases to help categorize Web searches Teaser: For text submissions, an excerpt to be previewed on the issue cover (not much more than 30 words)

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