Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.
William Strunk, Jr.
Update: January 9, 2010
Because of a surge in submissions I've decided to close the doors. I appreciate your interest in Writing Shift, and I'm sorry I can't review your story at this time.
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Fiction Guidelines, an overview:
Submissions for April 2010 edition of Writing Shift.
Closed to submissions. Submissions sent before January 10th will be reviewed by the March deadline.
Accepting work in the 1,000 to 4,000 word range.
Send submissions to submissions@writingshift.com.
Speculative fiction only.
Pays $20 (by Paypal).
Reprints and simultaneous subs okay (but tell me!).
Submit stories however you'd like, but if they're sloppy and I can't read them, they'll be rejected.
Response time anywhere from a week, for rejections, and longer if I'm pondering your story's merits. All stories will be responded to by March 1, 2010.
Continue reading below for clarification:
Longer or shorter works than the 1-4k range may be considered, but understand no payment will be made for flash fiction, and a six thousand word story won't receive any more money than a 1,000 word story. Your best bet is sticking to the 1k 4k mark.
My idea of speculative fiction is anything containing science fiction, horror, and fantasy. I'm willing to read anything sent to me, but if your story doesn't contain some speculative element, it won't be published.
Submit stories as attachments (RTF, Microsoft word, or Open Office) or in the body of the email.
I'm less concerned about format than I am readability. Send your stories formatted in the proper manuscript style, or a style geared for HTML (no indentations before paragraphs, an extra space between paragraphs). If you can help it, use one space after periods. No crazy fonts, excessive italics, colors, spacings, or anything else that goes against the grain of common sense. Simplicity is best.
I am willing to help you rewrite. So don't be afraid to submit anything, no matter what your skill level is or how short a time you've been writing. I enjoy taking one great idea a quarter and working with the author to make it stand out.
I will try to critique each story I receive, so expect some constructive criticism.
You may include a short biography but understand it won't affect the sale of the story. I'm only interested in the best writing, not necessarily the best writers (those with the most bylines).
Please send one submission at a time. If your first story is rejected, you may send another.
Authors published in Writing Shift are given space for a short biography. You can use this space to advertise a book or other published material.
Please give me until March 1, 2010 to review your story. You will recieve a reply as soon as I make a decision, so some stories will take only a week or two, and others up until March 1. I've decided to do it this way (instead of having a two week or one month response time) to avoid making promises I may not be able to keep.
A sample copy of the contract offered to those writers accepted in the April edition of Writing Shift.
Remember to spread the word. Tell family and friends. Tell other authors, and especially tell other readers.
Staff
Camille Pedraja: assistant editor
Justin Schwan: executive editor