Swell e-zine is now accepting short works for our Spring 2006 issue

[Guest SWELL Editor]

Hello Gay Authors!

 

Moderators, I hope I am not posting an unwanted solicitation to your forum boards; if so please delete this message.

 

I am the incoming editor of SWELL e-zine, the quarterly online publication of NewTown Writers, a Chicago-based GLBT writers' salon. In my search for forums where I may find like-minded writers who would make a good contribution to our publication, I happened across this site. My investigation into what you guys do here is really encouraging, so I thought I would post a call for submissions on the forums.

 

We are currently accepting submissions from talented writers for our Spring 2006 issue. If you have a piece under 1,500 words that you think may be right for SWELL, we encourage you to submit it to swelleditor@gmail.com. Works from all over the spectrum are welcome, be they prose, poetry, experimental works, or otherwise, just as long as they're of the quality we seek. The focus of SWELL is to give visibility to pieces that explore GLBT issues and themes, be they overt or subtle, so please keep this in mind when writing or selecting your submissions. We are unlikely to publish a piece that does not touch on topics of concern or interest to the GLBT community.

 

Our submission guidelines, past issues, and more information about SWELL can be found at our website. As much as we would love to post everyone's submissions, we will of course only be able to select a handful for inclusion. Although we are Chicago-based, we welcome the perspectives of minds from all over the globe.

 

I'm looking forward to reading your submissions! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email me. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2006. Thank you and best of luck to all of you in your endeavors!

[Myr]

(this is okay)

[Dio]

I have this nagging urge to make some horrible pun with the name of your magazine...but I might a swell not, cause I'm sure it would be too dumb to mention...

 

Good luck!

 

-db

[NickolasJames8]

I have this nagging urge to make some horrible pun with the name of your magazine...but I might a swell not, cause I'm sure it would be too dumb to mention...

 

Good luck!

 

-db

LOL... YES!!!!

[Masked Monkey]

I'm hesitant to post here for obvious reasons (not being an author), but since the post itself was about 300 words, I would like to point out that, with a limit of 1500 words, most of our hosted authors wouldn't even be to the flush when describing a piss, much less create a coherent image

 

Of course there are other styles that some may wish to explore

 

:king: Snow Dog

 

On second though, I think many could write a hot piss scene (although not my personal fetish)

Edited January 20, 2006 by Snow Dog

[Kay_Derwydd]

*chuckles* I've thoroughly surprised myself a few times by writing full sex scenes that were flash (500 words or less). I'm impressed by those who can pull it off.

[Dio]

The focus of SWELL is to give visibility to pieces that explore GLBT issues and themes, be they overt or subtle, so please keep this in mind when writing or selecting your submissions.

 

On a more serious note, and not to throw wet socks at you, I'm with SnowDog on this one. Fifteen hundred words to 'explore' a topic is questionable in my mind. I'd be surprised if even professional authors would find that an easy task.

 

Also, what sort of exposure does this publication receive? Big reader base? Small? Do you get many submissions?

 

 

 

And perhaps Snow Dog needs to visit a washroom before posting...maybe~

 

-db

[Guest SWELL Editor]

On a more serious note, and not to throw wet socks at you, I'm with SnowDog on this one. Fifteen hundred words to 'explore' a topic is questionable in my mind. I'd be surprised if even professional authors would find that an easy task.

 

Also, what sort of exposure does this publication receive? Big reader base? Small? Do you get many submissions?

 

Apologies for my tardy response! I'm so accustomed to posting on places like craigslist that it didn't occur to me to check back for posted responses on the message board here until this morning.

 

I agree that the submission length is restrictively short, but the focus of Swell is on short works. We have a sister publication, Off the Rocks, that is in a printed book form, for which you're welcome to submit much longer works. I'm not the editor of that publication but I'd be happy to put you in touch with him.

 

When I first accepted the mantle of editor last month and read up on our back issues, I found I was often surprised with what can be accomplished in 1500 words or less. Keep in mind you are welcome to submit passages from longer works that can stand alone; I will be sure to denote such submissions as excerpts, and include information (if you provide it) on how to acquire the full text. Poetry is also welcome, and much easier to work with in terms of the word limit.

 

The reason we keep the word limit is to compel the web viewer to read the complete piece. The thinking goes that, when confronted with a scrolling expanse of text, the average reader would read the first bit and then give up if they're not interested (which, of course, would happen anyway if the piece is not interesting) or skim throughout, losing the full effect of the writing. Also, since both myself and our webmistress have day jobs, the word limit prevents Swell from becoming an unreasonable time sink for us.

 

I honestly can't tell you what sort of exposure the e-zine has, as I've only signed on last month. We are a growing group, and within the last year the e-zine has received a lot more promotion and attention within NewTown Writers, and I'm following the last editor's plan of giving more exposure to writers outside of our group. At our next board meeting in February the possibility of providing Swell with its own URL will be discussed. I think such a move will increase our reader base.

 

As for submissions, I've gotten a steady flow of responses, some of which had submissions attached. I'd love to get more, but my deadline approacheth. I've gotten a lot of "I have a piece that's X words long, will you read it anyway?" (Answer: No, send me an excerpt.) So you're not alone in thinking the length restriction is, well, restrictive. I prefer to think of it as a challenge!

 

Okay, I've rambled on too long. I hope this answers some of your questions.

[Masked Monkey]

I agree that the submission length is restrictively short, but the focus of Swell is on short works. We have a sister publication, Off the Rocks, that is in a printed book form, for which you're welcome to submit much longer works. I'm not the editor of that publication but I'd be happy to put you in touch with him.

Thank you for not being offended by the tennor of my comments on your announcement, people here know me, and know where my real comments end and my jest begins (at least I hope they do ).

 

:king: Snow Dog

[Guest SWELL Editor]

Thankfully, I wasn't born with the easily-offended gene. I, too, was graced with a sense of humor!

 

And, hey, if someone writes a good enough piss scene in 1500 words or less...