Escape Pod flash contest - official discussion thread

[eytanz]

I have a question:

The regulations forbid submitting works that have been published previously. What about an original re-working of a previously-published work? I have an old one-act play from another life that I'm considering re-working into a short story, and that was published somewhere already.

That's a good question. Let me consult with the other moderators and the editors about it and get back to you.

[eytanz]

So, the general consensus among the mods is that 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). So that's a yes to this specific question and to other rewrites of published works.

[Anarquistador]

Awesome. Thanks Guys.

[FireTurtle]

*sees the contest thread and runs around in excited little circles like a lap dog on amohetamines*

Geez, I leave the forum to go on walkabout in my own head and this is what happens. I feel totally behind and late! Yikes, time to go put my brain to the grindstone.

[Unblinking]

*sees the contest thread and runs around in excited little circles like a lap dog on amohetamines*

Geez, I leave the forum to go on walkabout in my own head and this is what happens. I feel totally behind and late! Yikes, time to go put my brain to the grindstone.

You've still got almost a month!  Plenty of time. 

[Portrait in Flesh]

First drafts are done.  Now if only I can stop my allergy-driven sneezing long enough to revise a bit...

[daneyuleb]

I know the payment to the winners is for the current flash story rate.  But I'm a little confused on just what the flash story rate is--the submissions guidelines says $20.00 at one point, but "minimum $20.00" in another.  Is it a flat $20.00, or $.05 a word?  (Which would make the max for this contest $37.50--still sadly not SFWA qualifying :< )

[eytanz]

It's $0.05 a word, or $20, whichever is greater, so $37.5 for a 750 word story.

(The submission guidelines are a bit confusing, but the rate is always $0.05 for new fiction, it's the minimum that's different for flash).

[Max e^{i pi}]

Is it possible to waive the payment?

[Unblinking]

I'm confused about something that Norm said at the end of Escape Pod 359 about the contest:

Escape Pod is in the middle of its third annual flash fiction contest.  This is getting to be a bigger deal each year for us, folks, and this year we're actually running three separate sub-contests for each of the Escape Artists podcasts:  Escape Pod, Podcastle, and Pseudopod.  First, second, and third place winners of each will receive a contract and audio produced version of their story aired on the show for the current flash story rate.  We're accepting submissions up until September fifteenth.  Head over the arcade and contests sections of Escape Pod's discussion forums for all the full rules and guidelines.

(emphasis mine).  So, the way that sounds to me the Escape Pod contest is split in 3, the Podcastle in 3, the Pseudopod in 3, for a total of 9 sub-contests?  

Wait, maybe he didn't mean "three for each of the podcasts" but rather "three total, one for each podcast".  Clarification?

[Unblinking]

Is it possible to waive the payment?

If I remember correctly, I thought I'd heard another SFWA market editor say they couldn't waive payment because SFWA guidelines say they have to pay everyone pro rates for every non-reprint story.  

But I think that I also heard that it might be acceptable to request to have the money donated to a charity of the writer's choice.  If nothing else, you could take the payment and then donate it back again, or donate it somewhere else yourself.

I think that the reason for that guideline is so that a writer can't say "I'll give you my story for free, just please please publish me", (I realize that's not what you're doing, Max) and so that an editor won't be tempted favor such a submission rather than pay pro rates to someone else.

[eytanz]

I think what Norm meant is that we're having three different contests, one for each podcast, as opposed to having a single multi-part contest like last time. The contest timings are frequency are decided by the forum mods, so I'd know if there were more EP contests planned

As for waiving the payment - that's something the winners will have to discuss with Mur. In general, the contest falls under EP's normal payment policies for published work, and I believe that everything Unblinking wrote above is correct, but that's not something I have input about. If a winner really doesn't want the money, I'd suggest donating it right back to EA.

[Max e^{i pi}]

If a winner really doesn't want the money, I'd suggest donating it right back to EA.

That is my intention.
But I have a healthy abhorrence to bureaucracy, and therefore (if I win, and that's a big "if") would simply like to skip that stage and just tell EA to keep the money.

[Fenrix]

EA will also mail the check to a charity of your choice should you feel so inclined.

[LeeH]

New to the forums - looking forward to this contest!

[Faraway Ray]

Let's do this thang. 

[Portrait in Flesh]

According to the submission guidelines, emphasized words are to be underscored.  Problem is, the story I'm working on has both italics and underlined phrases.  Any suggestions on how to best handle this?   

[eytanz]

I guess if you need two different types of emphasis, do both. This rule was something I copied without much thought from the previous contest and to be honest I don't think it was followed then particularly rigorously. I think for future contests we may rephrase it.

However, you should keep in mind that the ultimate goal of this contest is audio publication, and that the people will be judging with that in mind. Therefore, it may not be wise to submit a story that relies too much on the visual formatting of the text.

[Portrait in Flesh]

Got it.

Transcribing from cuneiform is harder than it looks.

[Unblinking]

However, you should keep in mind that the ultimate goal of this contest is audio publication, and that the people will be judging with that in mind. Therefore, it may not be wise to submit a story that relies too much on the visual formatting of the text.

Good point.  Even in text, I would not often want to see both italics and underline--the story would have to justify it.

[Bill]

I almost missed this, I've been traveling and am a bit backlogged on my listening as well the board. I have to say I love this contest. Not only because you get to read so many interesting pieces, but I love the criticism. I know that sounds weird, but you write a piece that in your head is so perfect, so logical, and you release it to a jury that talks openly about it in front of you. All of a sudden they are finding plot holes that you never imagined existed. They're calling you out on unrealistic plot devices. I found it enjoyable last time, inside my head begging people to like my story. "Release the Grammar Hounds..."

[Unblinking]

I almost missed this, I've been traveling and am a bit backlogged on my listening as well the board. I have to say I love this contest. Not only because you get to read so many interesting pieces, but I love the criticism. I know that sounds weird, but you write a piece that in your head is so perfect, so logical, and you release it to a jury that talks openly about it in front of you. All of a sudden they are finding plot holes that you never imagined existed. They're calling you out on unrealistic plot devices. I found it enjoyable last time, inside my head begging people to like my story. "Release the Grammar Hounds..."

Not weird at all.  That's exactly the kind of feedback one can use to learn to become a better writer.

[julius blaze]

Got my second entry in today, now can't wait for judging and to read all the other stories! 

[Catbus]

Are submissions due by midnight on the 15th? Or close of business? US time?

(leaving things very very last minute as always)

[Unblinking]

US time?

And even "US Time" isn't very specific, there are 4 major time zones in the country.