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| GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS... |
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Information about our publications for writers & artists: FAX 21 | Premonitions | VideoVista | Scar Tissue | Soundchecks | The ZONE Basics - Unsolicited submissions are always welcome, but a stamped addressed envelope (SAE) or International Reply Coupon (IRC) is essential if you want any materials returned to you. Use a standard manuscript (MS) format: double-spaced text, do not justify right-edge, use paperclips instead of staples or any other binding. No fiction submissions will be accepted via e-mail, unless by special request from the editor. A personalised covering letter is preferred: include brief biographical info and publication credits. If you are in any doubt about the suitability of your work for Pigasus Press, please query by post (with SAE or IRC) or email the editor. Always check our FAQ page before asking a question. No phone callers, please. Remember to enclose sufficient postage to cover the cost of returning your MS, otherwise we are unable to reply. Any submissions received without sufficient return postage will be considered as disposable copy. Pigasus Press will accept no responsibility for loss of your work (or damage to hardcopies returned via post), so never send out the only copy of your MS. If you send disposable MS, and can accept reply via email, then no SAE is required (do not forget to notify us if your email address changes). We have no plans to publish novel-length fiction, or books of any sort, even in serialisation, so do not send us any MS over 8,000 words unless we have specifically asked to see it. Further general information about writing can be found in these annual paperbacks: The Writer's Handbook (Macmillan), and The Small Press Guide (Writers' Bookshop). See also: dragon's breath - for links to publishers' websites. Premonitions - Science fiction and horror stories, plus genre poetry and fantastic artwork. We buy 1st British Serial Rights (FBSR), but prefer writings that are unpublished anywhere in world. Pays (minimum) £5 or $5 per 1,000+ words + copy of the magazine. Copy only for poetry, artwork, and shorter fiction or prose. Payment is made upon publication. The most important piece of advice we can offer is this - study copies of our magazine first, because reading what we have already published is the best way to learn what sort of genre writing may be suitable for future issues of Premonitions. Short stories: (500 to 6,000+ words). Original, high-quality SF/fantasy. Horror must have a science fiction element and be psychological or scary, rather than simply gory. No supernatural fantasy-horror, or traditional swords 'n' sorcery quest sagas. Do not send more than one story at a time. Also note that simultaneous submissions (i.e. any stories offered to other markets at the same time) are not welcome. If in doubt, please send your MS, but be warned that a majority of unsolicited submissions are rejected. We are interested in publishing highly imaginative prose on a wide variety of genre themes. Cutting-edge SF and experimental writing styles (cross-genre scenarios, slipstream, etc) are always welcome. Genre Poetry: We also publish genre poems of up 50 lines. Please do not send more than six poems at one time. Genre poetry for the magazine's UniVerse showcase is by invitation only. Artwork: Quality colour or black and white (B/W), genre illustrations for (A4) front and back covers. Also, talented artists wanted to produce sequential artwork for our unique 'graphic poems'. Please get in touch and send photocopied samples of your work, published or unpublished, if you would like to contribute art to our magazine. Soundchecks - Music reviews, interviews, profiles, scores, videos, lists at www.soundchecks.co.uk Unsolicited submissions, ideas or suggestions for articles and reviews, are always welcome (anything will be considered!). Please send all your contributions via plain text (not HTML) email. MS Word doc and JPEG file attachments preferred. Payments: sorry, there is no pay available for reviews or short features, but we offer £5 / $5 per 1,000+ words for articles and interviews, if previously unpublished online. CD reviews (rock, pop, jazz, folk, metal, or whatever...): We cover albums and EPs, but not singles. Minimum: 300+ words. Please include label info and catalogue number (if known), link URL for band/artists' official website, and - whenever possible - a CD cover image as email attachment. Ideally, images should be 200 x 200 pixels, in JPEG format compressed to approx 10 kbs, but don't worry about tech details, just send what you have. Book reviews (CD guides, biographies of musicians, etc): Non-fiction titles only. Magazine reviews also considered. Books do not have to be new publications, or even first editions, but all titles reviewed must be currently in print. Please include name of publisher, edition format (hardcover or paperback) and cover price. As with CD reviews, a JPEG image or cover scan would be helpful as email attachment, with your review text. Concerts (gigs, shows, whatever you want to call them!): Coverage of live music performances should be in-depth, but a full set-list and comment on every song played is optional. Please include date and venue info, plus any images available (official programme cover, poster artwork, photos, etc). Festival reports: It's important to mention the 'atmosphere' of such events, so include your observations and personal viewpoints in overall critical review commentary. Photos are required. Interviews: Standard Q & A format is preferred, but other writing styles considered. An artist portrait or group-photo of the band is essential. Any publicity material welcome. Send us a link URL to interviewee's official website, if known. Profiles (mini-biographies, fan writings about musicians, composers, etc): Subjects for profiles do not have to rock or pop stars. Send us your suggestions, or finished articles. Images are required - publicity photos and album cover pictures in JPEG format. Scores: Reviews of film music on CD and original soundtracks, etc. Obviously, it's very important for reviewers to have seen the films, so that criticial viewpoints of any OST on CD consider how the music is used within screen narrative. Top 10 lists: Listings of your favourite music, bands, albums, etc. You choose the criteria. Ideally, list articles should be approx 1,000+ minimum. Videos Reviews of live music footage, or promotional-video collections, on DVD or VHS. Please include distributor's label and format info. Pack-shot images (JPEG email attachments) are helpful. Scar Tissue - Horror and humour - fiction, poetry, artwork Anything in a broad range of genre horror and dark humour will be considered, but please note there's a general limit of 500+ words maximum, per item. Published irregularly, depending on the amount of material available, stocks of the current issue, and editorial whim. Payment in copies, only. Unlike other Pigasus Press titles, Scar Tissue is created by cut 'n' paste tecbnique, using the original materials, so send all submissions in single-space MS format. Click here to view a few samples of work published in Scar Tissue. Sample copies are available free, just send SAE or IRC to Pigasus Press. Fiction: Twist-ending tales a speciality, but almost any prose style will be considered. Try to avoid such things as clichéd scenarios and formula plotting. We are looking for imaginative writing that has something to say with wit and style. Poems: As with prose fiction, we are after verse that's atmospheric and vital. Your poetry must have a sharp, progressive element. We want material with a certain amount of bite. If all you can do is lick, don't waste your postage stamps! Artwork: Weird, bold, startling, unusual illustrations wanted. All art must be in black ink on plain white paper, no pencil drawings or sketches. Send good photocopies only, not your originals. Cartoon strips and collage always welcome if they fit in with Scar Tissue themes. Reviews: (200+ to 500 words) on books, magazines, cinema, videos, television, music, etc. Please include relevant ordering and contact info if you are reviewing small press items. Lists: Can you think of 10 terrible things? Personal hates, bizarre opinions, whatever is definitely not to your taste or liking. Tell us what really irritates you, explanations optional. Humour is preferred, but not essential. Advertising: Pigasus Press will trade ad-space with other small press publishers. Get it touch if you want to swap promotional material. VideoVista - Monthly web-zine of vhs & dvd reviews at www.videovista.net We need more regular reviewers to join the Review Crew. Send us your comments on any new or recent video or DVD releases that you have seen, recently. VideoVista covers all film and TV genres and categories on VHS (PAL or NTSC) and DVD (all regions), both rental and retail titles, worldwide. All submissions must be via email to the editor as, sadly, postal submissions can no longer be accepted. If possible, please study the VideoVista website before sending any work, to see the great variety of material that we cover, and to get a basic understanding of our 'house' style. There's no payment for reviews or listings, but we pay £5 or $5 per 1,000+ words for filmmaker profiles, if original and previously unpublished work. As a regular contributor to VideoVista you should be able to meet a monthly deadline - usually the end of each month, for reviews to be published online in the following month's issue. However, early submissions of reviews are always preferred. Although we do not pay for reviews, but this is an opportunity for new writers to get published, as well as for established writers to offer their expert critical opinions on the latest home entertainment releases. Reviews: Anything from 300+ (minimum) to 1,000+ words will be considered, but approx 500+ words is the usual length. In addition to our coverage of new releases, VideoVista also has regular extra features - Retro: Movie & TV Vault is designed to highlight neglected classics and cult favourites produced before the era of DVD or video. Suggestions for this section are always welcome, but please check the full list of reviews on the website's index page to see whether the film or TV title you have in mind has already been covered. Top 10 Lists: 'Ten Best...' listings are your personal choices of anything related to the world of movies. It's not simply a straightforward list, though, as contributors to this page must have something to say about their selections, and comments on entries in top 10 lists should explain why each film, scene, star, etc. has been chosen. Approx 1,000+ words required for this irregular feature. If in doubt, ask first before spending any time writing up a listing or article. Reel People: This section of VideoVista is for filmmaker profiles, with emphasis on career overviews of auteur directors, but also looking at works by top screenwriters, producers, effects creators, and performers. Articles for Reel People do not have to cover every movie that a particular individual or celebrity has made, but there should be a common theme or genre link between any specific movies reviewed. Approx 1,000+ to 10,000+ words required for articles. Email the editor with your suggestions, first. The ZONE - Science fiction articles, interviews and genre reviews at www.zone-sf.com Buys rights for genre related articles to be published on our science fiction website. Previously unpublished work is preferred, but we will consider writings published in printed form anywhere in world. Pays £5 or $5 per 1,000+ words for articles. Payment is made after publication. There is no payment for reviews, short articles or essays, listings or artwork. The most important piece of advice we can offer is - study the content of our website first, because reading what we have already published is the best way to learn what sort of writing may be suitable for The ZONE. It's also important to study the site's 'house' style. Articles: 1,000+ to 10,000+ words, longer works also considered for serialisation. Interviews with prominent genre authors are our priority, but it's vital to know your subject well and ask intelligent questions. Essays and themed nonfiction writings are a regular feature of The ZONE, and we have on-going umbrella columns (visit our site for more details about these). We also publish one-off polemical items. Reviews (books, cinema, video, television, dvd) 300+ to 1000+ words. Book reviews are normally commissioned by the editor, but new reviewers are always welcome, and we are interested in archiving material recently published in print magazines, so please do send us your reviews if available for reprinting online (remember to include full copyright details of where and when items were first published). Send us a sample of your writing, whether published or unpublished, and some details of the types of books and genre material you enjoy. A list of your favourite authors would be helpful. Reviews of genre cinema, video and television are also very welcome. If you would like to become a regular contributor, covering a specific media or sub-genre, please contact us. Your suggestions for longer genre studies (up to 10,000+ words) of any subject related to SF books or genre media, will also be considered. Please query via email. Artwork: Quality genre illustrations for the website's splash page are always welcome. Send us samples of your artwork, whether published or unpublished, as email attachments. Image dimensions: width=500 x height=275 pixels, but anything roughly 2:1 ratio in landscape format may be acceptable. Pictures in portrait format also considered - dimensions: width=275 x height=400 px. Approx 50 kbs or less... JPEG or GIF formats acceptable. Although we cannot afford to pay anything for artwork, we are happy to include a biographical note on our site's contributors page, and a link to your site or homepage. |
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