Southword - submissions now open

A quick note to say that my new role as Fiction Ed for 2010 of Southword, Munster Literature Centre's esteemed literary journal, has begun, and submissions are now open. I have copied and pasted the Submission Guidelines are as follows (please don't submit directly to me):

Submission Guidelines

Southword has published the likes of Haruki Murakami, James Lasdun, and Colm Toibín if you would like to join their esteemed company carefully read the directions which follow.

1 All manuscripts must be sent via email to the appropriate editors, during open reading times only. Email addresses will be made available during open reading times on this page. (See item #6). Submissions are no longer accepted by post, as Southword is now an online journal.

2. Work should be submitted as an attached document. The end of the Microsoft Word file name should read ' .doc' ONLY. Please be aware that if you have the most recent Microsoft Word program, it will automatically save as a ' .docx ', which we do not accept. Please manually save the file using 'Save As' as a 'Word 97 - 2003 Document'. If you are a Mac user, please send us an ' .rtf' file or paste your work into the body of an e-mail.

3. If submitting poems and prose simultaneously they will be considered by different editors at different times, so to be sure of a response please email the appropriate editor. To submit poetry, please e-mail poetryeditor@munsterlit.ie. To submit short fiction, please email fictioneditor@munsterlit.ie.

4. There is a strict submission limit of 5 poems or 3000 words in short stories. If submitting multiple poems, they should be contained within one document please.

5. Attach an up-to-date biographical note with a cover letter, keeping with the document format instructions in point #2.

6. Both Poetry and Fiction are considered between January and March 15th each year for our summer issue. Poetry alone is considered between July and September 15th for our winter issue. PLEASE NOTE after the close of the submission date the poetry editor will make a selection. Because of the number of submissions it may not be possible to reply individually. If no response has been received by the end of September please assume that your submission has been unsuccessful.

Visit Southword online to read the current issue. But in terms of my personal tastes, I am open to everything from the very tiny right up to 3000-word stories as long as you surprise me, you never give me a minute to think, Hmm, do I want to carry on reading this? I love experimental work, but not for the sake of it. It's still got to be a great short story. Is this helpful? Probably not! I read so many short stories for review for The Short Review, so much that I would never have read because it is shelved under some "genre" or other, that I would never say that there is any type I won't read. My mind is open. Delight me.

In Appreciation of Swiftly-Responding Lit Mag Editors!

This morning's response to my "surprise and delight me" request was the new issue of online literary magazine Elimae. Yes, I knew it was coming, but I had forgotten it was today - so it is possible to be surprised and delighted by something that you knew about, if your memory is a little faulty! I want to take a moment to appreciate Coop Renner, Elimae's editor. There is often much grumbling between us writer-bloggers about the slothfulness of magazines' responses to our submissions. Grumbling turns into gnashing of teeth when months or even a year has passed with no response at all. Why can't they just send out an email? we wail. Just to let us know if... maybe... or a direct no. How hard can it be.

Coop Renner puts them all to shame. Not only does he send personal and gentle rejections, he replies within 48 hours, often within only a few hours. I don't know what sacrifice he has made in his life in order that he can do this, but I do know that it has elevated him to mythical status in the eyes of many of us. We feel appreciated, our needs understood, even if we are rejected and rejected and rejected again. And again.

I was one of these rejectees who felt almost apologetic, sending flash story after flash story and receiving swift but polite "This doesn't quite fit" emails. I kept on sending them, and was utterly astonished when, a few weeks ago, the prompt response was actually

"Let's do this for the May issue, which should post about the 15th of the month. It's almost a poem."

Shocked, surprised and delighted. Here it is, my almost-poem, Up Far and Everywhere (thanks Nik for the inspiration). The whole issue looks wonderful, some names I know, some I look forward to getting to know.

Submit to Elimae. Vote with your feet/short stories. Thanks, Coop.

Follow-up: Writers' rights?

Following up on my previous post, the first thing is that I discovered that another writer had a similar experience with this publication, so it does seem to be their policy to "copy edit" without sending a writer any proofs or galleys before publication.

I received a private message in response to my blog post from an experienced writer and editor who told me that in fact I am in the wrong, that the journal once I have agreed to publication and despite the fact that I signed no contract, can do what it wants to my story. She suggested I take down my blog post, and apologize to the editors in question.

I decided that I had to look into this further. Can this be the case? And, if so, how many writers know this? If this is the case, why do so many decent and reputable literary magazines send writers proofs to approve if they don't have to? Purely out of respect, not of duty?

I posted queries on all my online writing groups... and of these hundreds of writers, the majority of whom have had many stories published, no-one knew the legal situation, our legal situation. I received another, very lovely, email from another highly experienced writer, artist and editor, who unfortunately said that she too believes that the magazine can do whatever they want to a story once accepted for publication.

Where are the lawyers? I thought to myself. I don't often say this, but we need to hear from a lawyer.

And, as if by magic, here is a lawyer, posting in response to my query, to say:

They absolutely do not have the right to change your work without your permission. When I was a first-year law student we read an appellate decision about a case brought by Monty Python against a tv network. The tv network had acquired the rights to broadcast some Monty Python footage, then "edited" the footage in significant ways without even telling Monty Python in advance. The network was liable for damages, because they had altered the work without the author's consent. Don't remember if it was a copyright violation, tort, breach of contract, or what, but the bottom line is they can't do that.

The actual case is here. And it says:

Although American copyright law did not recognize a cause of action for violation of artists' moral rights, the Lanham Act protected against mutilation of artistic works as a false designation of origin of goods.

My questions now are: does this apply across the Arts? And outside the US? And how is "mutilation" defined?

If anyone can clarify this situation, please post a comment here. If I know that a magazine has the right to "mutilate" my work, I will stop submitting anywhere. And I would really rather that wasn't the case!

Shortlisting & new (unpaid) job

Well, it seems that when I despair, something comes to lift me up. My story has been short-listed for the Philip Good Memorial short story competition. That news is pretty much enough to buoy me along for a week or so. The results will be announced in a few days, but the fact that it got this far is enough for me. I also wrote a quick flash story today which made me laugh, and that also made me happy. What a joy, to be able to make yourself chuckle, eh?

Thank you to the Writing Deities!

I am also giving a little back - I've just been accepted as a reader for a flash fiction publication. That means they'll be sending me a bunch of submitted stories each week and trusting my opinion about which are worth publishing. I feel a heavy weight on my shoulders. I hope I am up to it. But I believe that being on both sides of the divide will be good for me - I learn a great deal from reading other people's writing. And I love flash. I won't mention the name of the publication because I am not - I repeat, not - open to bribery.

Not even banana waffles with caramel....