2012-10-24

Hello authors,

My name is Henry Snider, David Hayes and I are editors for Evil Jester Press’ “CARNIVAL OF THE DAMNED” anthology. The information listed here should answer most of the questions regarding this anthology and our editorial practices.

All editorial changes we mark on accepted submissions are mandatory. Our goal is not to change the flavor and style of your work, but to tighten it into a stronger piece of prose. If the changes aren’t made or the work isn’t returned by the below listed deadline, I’ll send you an e-mail to see if there’s a problem. If there’s no response or the work comes back without the required changes, I’ll move to the rejected list and contact those author(s). My timetable on this project is listed below. It is entirely possible this process may go significantly faster. In the end, the quality of the submissions, how fast authors edit their work and the speed of contract return will define project completion.

TIMELINE

This is the current timeline. If there’s any adjustments to this calendar, all contributors will be notified immediately.

• On or before Nov. 30, 2012 – All edited stories returned to authors for initial revision.
• On or before Dec. 31, 2012 – All revised stories returned to carnival@eviljesterpress.com
• On or before Jan. 15, 2013 – All contracts for the story go out to the contributors.
• On or before Jan. 31, 2013 – All contracts returned to Evil Jester Press.
• On or before Feb. 28, 2013 – Galleys for the anthology sent out to contributors for final review.
• On or before Mar. 15, 2013 – Galleys approved/adjusted from contributor input.
• On or before Mar. 31, 2013 – Book goes to printer.

VARIABLES TO TIMELINE

•  - ADDITIONAL WORK ON STORY – Some stories might require a second edit. If this occurs it may add up to five weeks to the timeline.
•  - EDITING REFUSAL – If an author of “ABC zombies,” for example, refuses to make needed changes (this could be a flat-out refusal or the author returning the work unaltered or with only a small portion of the edits completed), we’ll be forced to move to the rejection list. The best story of those will be queried and, the next available story will replace the “ABC Zombies.” This adds more length to the timeline and we will need the opportunity to 1)contact the author and get acceptance, 2)edit the story and return it to him/her. This can add up to five weeks to the timeline (one week for correspondence and a month for the new author to make the needed changes to the story).
• - CONTRACTS – The table of contents will not officially be posted until all submissions are accepted, edited and returned to the author for rewriting, resubmitted with changes made and given a final review. Once all of the submissions have gone through this process, contracts will be sent out. We expect them back within 15 days (as they’re electronic this process should take a few days ideally). If an author doesn’t return the contract within the 15 days I will send them an e-mail. If there’s no response I’ll be forced to move to the rejection list and, as with the “Editorial Refusal,” will select the best from the rejected pile and move forward with them.

A FEW QUESTIONS ANSWERED

QUESTION 1 – I received my edited story back and there’s marks all over it. If there’s this much wrong, why did you accept it?

 ANSWER 1 – We’re editors and take our jobs seriously. In our experience the most common mistakes in writing are mechanics. If you look at the edit, odds are you’ll see that most of the marks have to do with an overuse of “LY” adverbs, overuse of gerunds (*ing verb form – changing, “Tom was running over to the store . . .” to “Tom ran over to the store . . .”), overuse of helping or “To Be” verbs (“Tom was running over to the store . . .” to “Tom ran over to the store . . .” – notice that when we changed the gerund we also removed the helping verb and made a tighter sentence) and overuse of gender pronouns (he, him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself). Most of these can be fixed fairly easily. We accept stories with strong plot and strong characters. Mechanical and grammatical errors are easy to fix. Plot and characterization errors are not. If there’s a plot point or non-mechanical problem (too many flashbacks, unbelievable character action, etc.) you feel strongly about, we’re open to hearing an opposing point of view (we’re only human and might have missed something), but in the end, the editor makes the final decision.

QUESTION 2 – I don’t think I can rewrite my story in only 30 days.

ANSWER 2 - For most, the entire story was written in less time. Most authors we work with revise entire novels in 4-6 weeks after an edit. With each author’s word count you’re looking at editing an average of 133 words (4,000 word short story) to 300 words (9,000 word short story) per day for a month. That’s the word count equivalent ranging from a poem to a short article in the paper per day.

QUESTION 3 – So even if my story’s initially accepted I may not get in?

ANSWER 3 – There two ways your story will not get in even if it’s initially accepted. First, if you refuse to do the necessary editorial changes by the deadline, your story will be rejected. Second, if you don’t return the contract by the deadline, your story will be rejected. Aside from those two things, if you’re in, you’re in.

QUESTION 4a,b,c,d – When will I a)see the cover art, b)get paid, c)get my contributor’s copy, d)find out when the book’s available for purchase?

ANSWER 4a,b,c,d – a)As soon as it’s available, b)The payment is in the form of royalties and a payment schedule is outlined in the contract, c)Contributor copies will be mailed once the book is available for purchase, d)The announcement will be made once edits have been completed.

Question 5 – Will you do my rewrites for me.

Answer 5 – No.

If you have any questions that aren’t addressed here, please feel free to e-mail me at carnival@eviljesterpress.com and we’ll be happy to answer them.

Please remember, just like you, our names appear on the book as a reflection of our capabilities. Our goal is to produce the best product possible for you, the authors.

We’re both excited to be working with you all and creating the best possible product we can!

Sincerely,

Henry Snider & David Hayes

CARNIVAL OF THE DAMNED

Carnivals. Everything you could imagine from traveling entertainment – food, games of chance, sideshows, dancing girls, funhouses, fortune tellers, rides . . . and the seeds for nightmarish realities made flesh. Give us tales of monstrosities underneath boardwalks, circuses in the middle of nowhere, inner-city performances that boggle the imagination and sideshows containing what nature never intended. Please supply a basic log line (1-2 sentences) about the story you’re submitting and mention any recent publications in your cover letter. If writing under a pseudonym, please include that information as well.

• DEADLINE: July 31st, 2012
• WORD COUNT: 4,000-12,000 words (query for shorter / longer)
• PAYMENT: 40% of anthology’s net-profit divided equally among authors + 1 contributor’s copy
• REPRINTS: No
• MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: Limit of two, Maximum of one accepted
• SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: No
• FORMAT: RTF JUSTIFICATION: Left-justify only
• FONT: 12 point Times New Roman or Courier New
• TAB INDENT: ¼ inch and use margins rather than manual paragraph indents
• SPACING: Double-Spaced
• PAGE NUMBERING / HEADERS: No page numbers headers or footers
• CONTACT INFORMATION: Name, Address, Phone Number and E-mail at top-left of first page
• SUBMISSION: Send to “carnival@eviljesterpress.com” with “Last Name / Submission Title / Word Count” in the subject line

NOTES:

• We welcome any questions for clarification. E-mail them to “carnival@eviljesterpress.com”
• We will only be accepting a maximum of two (2) stories involving a sideshow.
• No present-tense stories
• Confirmation e-mails will be sent out once per week.
• Some stories within the anthology will have artwork based on their work created. Those chosen are required to sign a release.
• Do not put your story in the body of your e-mail. Send it as an attachment.
• Rejection letters will contain a basic explanation. We will do our best to be available for any questions.
• Accepted stories will be hand-edited and returned to authors via PDF for correction.
• Accepted stories will need an author bio (3-6 sentences) and any contact information desired for publication (website / Facebook / Twitter / etc.).

ABOUT THE EDITORS

Henry Snider is a founding member of the Colorado Springs Fiction Writer’s Group. For over fifteen years he’s worked with writers to hone their craft, taught creative writing at the high school and adult levels, organized contests and lectured on writing. More at http://www.henrysnider.com

David C. Hayes is a writer/editor/filmmaker type. He is creepy and enjoys creepy things. His films, like The Frankenstein Syndrome, Bloody Bloody Bible Camp, Back Woods and many more, are available worldwide. He has placed fiction in multiple magazines and anthologies including those published by Evil Jester Press, Bloodbound Books and StrangeHouse, among others and has written for national magazines like Outre, Brutarian and Cult Movies. David is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the Dramatists Guild. Please visit him online at http://www.abnormalnet.blogspot.com and try not to leave a mess.