Writer's Guidelines
What we're looking for
Even though we have temporarily suspended publication, we still welcome
submissions with the understanding that they will be considered once we
re-open. So, if you are willing to wait awhile to see your work in print,
you may want to send us something to squirrel away for future
consideration.
We are not, at this time, purchasing any rights to the works we accept. The
copyright remains with the authors, as do all rights regarding reuse, reprinting, etc.
Some basic things to consider before you submit:
We want to give people stories and poems they can enjoy and that they will want to share with
friends. We want people to read us from cover to cover, watching their
mailboxes for the next great issue.
We seek to be relatively mainstream, so pornographic or seriously demented material will
simply be rejected out of hand. This is not to say that you can't get experimental
with us. On the contrary, we are very interested in stretching the fictional
envelope in new and interesting ways. We just don't believe in shock for it's own
sake. Fair enough?
Length is open to negotiation, but we do tend to favor stories in the 3,000-or-so
word
range. This is not to say we won't consider anything longer - it just needs to hold
up its own weight from start to finish. Too much longer and a single work tends to
threaten to take over an entire issue. We can only fit so much into our 48
page format, after all.
We are now requesting that you limit your short story submissions to one piece at a time,
while poets should limit the number of submissions to three (3). Also, submitting to other
publications at the same time you submit to us is fine. Please let us know if
someone else takes over the rights, though.
A good idea might be to send for a sample issue, so that you can really see what we're
all about and make an informed decision about whether what you do will fit in with who we
are. Just go to our "Subscriptions" page for all the information you need
to send for a sample copy.
The subject of payment
"And what about payment?" you say. Alas, this is where our story turns
rather somber for the time being. Because we are so new, we cannot offer monetary
payment yet. We will happily offer every published contributor a complimentary copy of the issue in
which his or her work appears, along with the inherent satisfaction and exposure that
comes with publication.
How to submit
Option 1 (perfectly acceptable, but less preferable):
Mail your contributions to:
Submissions - Reader's Quarterly, SORRY - DURING OUR HIATUS WE CAN ONLY ACCEPT
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS. THE PO BOX WILL RE-OPEN WHEN WE DO.
Option 2 (our preferred method to receive your work):
Submit via the internet as a Microsoft Word attachment. To do this, stick to the basic manuscript guidelines
below and send it to:
submissions@readersquarterly.com
Please send any e-mailed work as an attached file in Microsoft Word format,
if at all possible. We can also open Microsoft Works, although it's a bit
more complicated and runs the risk of having problems. Sending in the body of an e-mail tends to cause all sorts of formatting problems, making
it difficult for us to appreciate your work.
We will respond to your e-mail submission by e-mailing a reply to the address from
which it was sent. If you want your response sent to a different e-mail address than
you are sending from, please include the necessary information.
Manuscript format
By standard mail, please send manuscripts typed, double spaced, using a standard font such as Times Roman or
Courier or Arial, printed on single sides of standard 8 1/2 by 11 white bond paper (simple
typing paper or copier paper is best) and stapled in the upper left corner. Make
sure you include a cover page that has your name, phone number, address, and e-mail (if
applicable), as well as the title of the piece and an approximate word count.
If you want the manuscript returned to you, please include a stamped, self-addressed
return envelope of appropriate size and with sufficient postage. If you simply want
a written response but not the actual piece returned, please include a brief note to that
effect as well as a standard-sized stamped, self-addressed return envelope.
For e-mailed manuscripts (and remember, this is the PREFERRED method), please
don't use headers and footers. Just your contact information on the first
page, then the work itself on subsequent pages is fine.
Standard disclaimer
We will absolutely take the best possible care of anything you send us, and by and
large we don't expect any problems. Nonetheless, we cannot accept responsibility for
loss or damage to anything sent to us.
A final, encouraging word
Whatever submission option you choose, please remember this: we want to hear from you.
No, we cannot guarantee that if you send us your work we're going to use it, but we
can guarantee that we will give it a good, honest reading, and we'll get back to
you as quickly as possible.
In other words, don't be afraid to send us your stuff. We don't bite.
Good luck. We look forward to hearing from you.