Escape Artists

The Arcade => Flash Contest IV => Completed Contests => Flash Fiction Contest IV - PodCastle => Topic started by: Ocicat on June 01, 2017, 09:00:44 PM

Title: Submission Rules
Post by: Ocicat on June 01, 2017, 09:00:44 PM
PodCastle Flash Fiction Contest IV, 2017 - Submission Rules

This special Flash Fiction Contest submittable portal (https://podcastle.submittable.com/submit/86238/podcastle-forums-flash-fiction-contest-iv) will be open from 00:01 on 1 June and close at 23:59 on 30 June. When the portal disappears, submissions are formally closed and will not reopen.


In order to be a valid submission to the contest, each story must adhere to the following rules:


1. The story must be no more than 500 words long, not including the title. Do not use the title to skirt around the word count. Word count will be determined using Google Docs.  

2. The story must adhere to the general Podcastle submission guidelines. Most importantly, it needs to be a fantasy story; other genres are discouraged, but crossover stories with strong fantasy elements will be permitted. As a general rule, we will take a very liberal view of what constitutes fantasy and will accept all subgenres, but authors should note that past experience shows that stories which attempt to skirt the genre restriction tend to fare badly in the voting.

3. The story must be original and previously unpublished. Stories will be posted on a members-only portion of the forum, so first publication rights will not be spent if your story does not win.

The person submitting the story must be the story's author (or acting for the author with express permission) and hold full publishing rights to the story. A story that is derived from a previous published work in another format (i.e. not a short story) is fine (assuming doing so isn't in violation of copyright, obviously).

If you are not sure whether your story counts as published or not (for example, if an earlier version has appeared on your blog but nowhere else), please write (PM or send a query to editor@podcastle.org with the subject line "QUERY") and ask before submitting. Please do not submit stories that have been entries in a previous Escape Artists contest.

4. Each author may submit ONE story to the contest. Note that this is a change from previous contests.

5. The story should be submitted in its final form, as the author intends it to be read by the voting public. We may or may not allow minor typo corrections if those slip in, but as a general rule, we will not allow authors to submit changes to stories, especially not after submissions are closed.

6. Included the body of the submission should be the title and the text of your story. Any byline will be stripped when the stories are posted in the contest, and will be revealed when either the story fails to advance, or ultimately wins. Feel free to request a pseudonym for the byline, but we will need a legal name if you win for prize purposes.

7. The top three winning stories will be published as part of a flash fiction episode of Podcastle, and the author will be paid USD $0.06 per word. In past contests, the editors have sometimes approached authors of additional stories and purchased them as well. This may or may not happen this time, at the editors' discretion.

8. Authors under 18 are welcome. By submitting, any author under 18 asserts they have obtained the permission of a parent or guardian with whom Escape Artists, Inc. can enter into a contract on behalf of the author.

9. Entries in the contest will be judged completely anonymously, with all authors on equal footing regardless of whether or not they are already published elsewhere or if they have any association with EA. In the interest of transparency, the following people have access to the submission portal, and can see the names of authors (and therefore are prohibited from participating): Jen Albert, Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali, Setsu Uzume, Craig Jackson (Ocicat), Graeme Dunlop, and Alasdair Stewart. Note that staff on EA's other podcasts, and other forum moderators, have no access to this information and may choose to participate if they wish.
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Chuk on June 05, 2017, 09:46:04 PM
Closes on 31 June? That's great, I'm sure I can finish my piece before June 31 rolls around.
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Nkari on June 05, 2017, 11:34:57 PM
Are submissions to be posted here?
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: danooli on June 06, 2017, 12:59:35 AM
Are submissions to be posted here?

Submissions get entered through Submittable (https://podcastle.submittable.com/submit/86238/podcastle-forums-flash-fiction-contest-iv) but will be posted here by Ocicat after July 1st
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Bdoomed on June 10, 2017, 04:39:19 PM
Exciting!
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Schrodingrr on June 10, 2017, 11:12:55 PM
Woohoo! Looking forward to it! Best of luck to the other entrants! :)
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Deborah L. Davitt on June 12, 2017, 03:31:35 AM
Closes on 31 June? That's great, I'm sure I can finish my piece before June 31 rolls around.

Given that June hath 30 days, I'm sure we all can finish by the first of Never, yeah. :D ;)
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Anthony Creamer on June 15, 2017, 02:14:07 AM
I intend to submit on the 31st :)
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: kibitzer on June 19, 2017, 02:49:44 AM
Just to be clear, the closing date for submissions is June 30, as it (now) says above. Of course if you don't intend to submit, you're free to submit on June 31!
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Anthony Creamer on June 19, 2017, 03:43:36 AM
You take the fun out of imaginary submission dates.
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Waikiki on June 30, 2017, 10:02:24 AM
Hi everyone, I'm here to join the competition, and looking forward to reading the other entries as well!
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: PaintyPaintPots on June 30, 2017, 10:19:52 AM
Hello everyone. Here for the contest -- good luck to all!
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Ocicat on June 30, 2017, 10:34:34 AM




LAST DAY!




Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Not-a-Robot on June 30, 2017, 02:35:37 PM
What time do submissions close? Midnight? What time zone?
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: danooli on June 30, 2017, 02:49:29 PM
What time do submissions close? Midnight? What time zone?

Midnight EST (the portal shows 13 hours and 11 minutes until it closes and the time for me is 10:49 am EST)
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: kdean on June 30, 2017, 07:24:10 PM
Just submitted! New to all of this, so hope it goes well!
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: acpracht on July 01, 2017, 04:25:02 AM
Ah, crap... I waited too long.
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Tango Alpha Delta on July 03, 2017, 01:43:26 AM
I assume we're starting this brouhaha on Monday?
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Ocicat on July 03, 2017, 08:11:21 AM
Probably Wednesday. 
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Ronan on July 06, 2017, 02:17:10 PM
*Waits patiently*
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: danooli on July 06, 2017, 02:21:47 PM
*Waits patiently*

patience no longer required, as the contest has begun!
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Ocicat on July 06, 2017, 06:43:43 PM

Yes, but MY story hasn't posted yet and I want writing feedback noooooow!


You read the rules above, yes?  You're not allowed to reveal which story is yours.  Let me be more precise, though.  You're also not allowed to reveal which group your story is in.  Or, for that matter, which group it's not in.

So let this be a warning for authors going forward.  Don't say if your story has or hasn't been posted yet unless you've already been knocked out.  Or until all stories have been posted.
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Thunderscreech on July 06, 2017, 07:11:41 PM
If you feel that anything in my post reveals which story is mine out of the remaining 15 groups, then you're operating at a level well beyond anything I have ever encountered. 
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: knigget on July 06, 2017, 07:19:20 PM
If you feel that anything in my post reveals which story is mine out of the remaining 15 groups, then you're operating at a level well beyond anything I have ever encountered. 

That's why it's only a warning; the last thing anyone wants is to have to draw a line at how much hinting warrants disqualification.
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Thunderscreech on July 06, 2017, 07:29:25 PM
I have deleted my message, I did not think there was any way it could violate the rules and I feel very embarrassed and upset that the folks whom I respect determined otherwise.  My apologies.
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Anthony Creamer on July 16, 2017, 04:00:05 PM
Just wanted to throw out some more thanks to ocicat for running this monstrosity. It's been entertaining!
Title: Re: Submission Rules
Post by: Keyan on August 12, 2017, 10:34:17 AM
Late arrival here!