"Sites we like" page is updated for @BartlebySnopes Find it at http://www.bdlit.com/sites-we-like.html … and make more suggestions~!

 

"Sites we like" page is updated for @BartlebySnopes

Find it at http://www.bdlit.com/sites-we-like.html … and make more suggestions.

Congratulations Amanda Hart Miller~!

What does an acceptance letter look like at @BlackDenimLit ?

Dear [SubmitterFirstName],

Thank you for sending us "[SubmissionTitle]" for [Category]. We really enjoyed it and would like to publish it in the next open issue of [OrganizationName] online at [OrganizationWebSite] and in one issue of the monthly eBook anthology.

••• YOUR TO-DO LIST •••
You're going to receive our writer's agreement for you to sign and return. After reading and understanding the rights being sold or licensed, all you have to do is:
1: type your name and date at the bottom
2: with a 3rd person bio in the body of the email
3: provide us instructions on how to pay you with Paypal USD
4: Accept the Submittable 'Agreement to Terms'
...then return the first three via email. To learn more about the definitions of the publication rights you are granting, please read writer's advocacy resources (such as http://www.pw.org/content/copyright ).

••• WHERE CAN I FIND MY STORY? •••
Once published, your story will appear on a unique URL found on the Stories page located at http://www.bdlit.com/stories.html under the publication month to be read online or through an eReader, as part of an eBook anthology. After six months the link will be moved to the archives where it will remain permanently. Note that the URL for the story will not changed during the archive process. You will be eligible for selection for the twice-annual print Anthology issue. The next release for that is Fall, 2014.

••• WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE MAGAZINE? •••
You'll note that you can sell your reprint rights right away, since we're not asking for exclusivity at this stage of the development of our press. In the meantime we're working very hard to build readership. We're aiming to become an SFWA Affiliate Member and a Qualifying Professional Market by the end of 2015. Once we achieve that goal we will ask newly accepted stories for one year exclusivity. As for our progress on the qualification to apply for Qualifying Professional Market,
- we have about 60% the needed readership; and
- we are 40% into the regular continuous schedule needed; and
- we have budget to for for 40,000 words a year at pro rate.
Note that at this time we are choosing to provide only a semi-pro rate so that can extend our author payments to 200,000 words a year.

••• HOW CAN I HELP THE MAGAZINE? •••
- update your web presence so we can promote you - Goodreads, Author Central, etc.
- donate time (become a first reader)
- get readership (send friends)
- provide reviews of the eBook anthology in your favorite online bookstore.

Thank you for your submission. I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.

Thanks again.
Sincerely,
[StaffFirstName] [StaffLastName]
Editor, [OrganizationName]
[OrganizationWebSite]







________________________________________

Author Agreement



••• INTRODUCTION •••

Congratulations! Your work, "[Title]" has been accepted! Your work will not be published anywhere until you have signed and returned this agreement. By signing this agreement, you agree to allow us to publish your story in the online literary publication, [OrganizationName] in the manner detailed below. Briefly described, your work will be published on the website permantently; and in one issue of the eBook anthology only, as files formatted to load on any eReader device. These files are made available for direct side-load from the website, or download through all major eBook storefronts for all eReaders. We would request separately (at a later time) any rights to reprint your story in any print edition.

*********************************************
You are granting First Publication Rights.
You are granting Electronic Rights.
You will retain all other rights, including exclusivity.
*********************************************

••• FIRST PUBLICATION RIGHTS •••
You are verifying that this particular work has NOT BEFORE BEEN PUBLISHED and that you are the SOLE AUTHOR of the work. You will receive pay for your work, EITHER a minimum flat fee of USD $5.00 per story OR USD $0.01 per word--whichever is greater. Your work will appear on our website and in one eBook anthology having a unique ISBN, which can be used as a future publishing credit.

••• ELECTRONIC RIGHTS •••
We will maintain online access indefinitely to your story, at no charge to the reader (under Online ISSN #2333-9977 with a URL to be determined, unique to that story). We'll publish an eBook anthology for each month's online stories. One eBook issue will contain your story (under Print ISSN #2333-9969 and an ISBN to be determined, unique to that eBook). The eBook format will be EPUB, MOBI and PDF. No copy of any of the eBooks will have DRM enabled. The eBook will contain statement of rights given to publish, plus rights retained by you.

••• PRICING •••
The online reading access will remain free ALWAYS. The eBook will have availability as follows:
- eBooks are provided as a free side-load ALWAYS, direct from http://bdlit.com; and
- IF newer than 45 days, eBooks are provided in worldwide electronic bookstore venues:
-- free of charge, or else at the venue's minimum charge; and
- IF 45 days or older, eBooks are provided in worldwide electronic bookstore venues:
-- sold at USD $3.49, or else at the venue's minimum charge.
NOTE: 99% of readership leverages the above pricing model to avoid any reading expense, since we provide at least one path to a free copy at all times.

••• FIRST PUBLICATION ATTRIBUTION •••
You will ensure clear and appropriate attribution to the original publication when you reprint elsewhere.

••• HARD COPY PUBLICATION •••
Your work will not appear in any hard-copy print publication from [OrganizationName]. Instead, you will be notified separately if your work is selected for one of the twice-annual print anthologies (under Print ISSN #2333-9969 plus an ISBN to be determined, unique to that volume), and you will have the right to refuse at that time.

••• EDITING •••
You are also agreeing to allow the editors of [OrganizationName] to make minor changes to your work that do not alter the content of the work. These changes may include grammatical changes, spelling changes, and format changes.

••• TERMINATION •••
If at any time you would like to remove your work from our website, please contact us at contact@bdlit.com. We will take down your work immediately upon request. Note that if your work has appeared in either the print or eBook anthologies, we will be unable to remove it.

••• NOTES •••
Thank you again for your submission. We hope to see your work again in the future. Please sign below and send this contract to the email address above. Please keep a copy of this contract for your records. We would ask your assistance (before you sign) in highlighting any changes made to the agreement.

••• YOUR STATEMENT OF AGREEMENT •••
I, [SubmitterFirstName] [SubmitterLastName], agree to all of the above terms and give [OrganizationName] the right to publish my work on its website. I also verify that I am the sole author of the piece mentioned above, and as such have the freedom to submit it for publishing.

____________
Name

____________
Date

"Sites we like" page is up. First link is for BartlebySnopes.com

"Sites we like" page is up. First link is for BartlebySnopes Find our recommendations at http://www.bdlit.com/sites-we-like.html … and make suggestions.

Writer Resource Highlight: Writer's Carnival

What is it?
Writer's Carnival, http://writerscarnival.ca, a social site for writers--with member space~!

What I do there?

• share your writing in order to obtain feedback from other writers,
• enter contests (requires upgraded access),
• browse for writing prompt ideas,
• access resources, ...and more~!

Do they publish? Will I become a better writer?

• They do have an e-zine called "Reader's Carnival" (requires upgraded access) , and
• They have a classes web, with modestly priced Writer's Carnival Classes.
• Don't forget the free resources!

Stats?

• 15 months old
• just over 2,000 members
• more than 56,000 comments.

But I'm not Canadian?!
That's ok, we all have our flaws. They engage their users every day with new content and are growing. They're constantly looking for great resources for their members. Friendly folks, for sure.

Sample?

• "Alice Claire" says "So, you’ve come up with an awesome story idea, started writing it and posting it here for feedback.   Now you’re wondering where your audience is, right?  Well, that’s a large part of being a writer, especially if you’re going down the self-publishing road.  You need to find your target audience.  How will you do that?" Read more...

• @WCWritingTips says "Who's up for some friendly competition? Flash Fiction, 150 words, can you make a complete story? http://www.writerscarnival.ca/wednesday-weekly-8/ … #flashfiction" Read more...

Worth a visit~!

CTG

Those old fashioned print publishers and their silly eBooks...

I wanted to share the transcription from a talk given at Publishers Forum a few days ago:
http://publishingperspectives.com/2014/05/bridging-the-gap-why-publishings-future-is-at-risk/

I take from this that the thrust of this talk was print and ebook publishers are doomed to become a niche solution. The most gripping analogy for me was something that I personally experienced: The desolation of books about software languages. They are all but gone, replaced not by eBooks, but by community-produced web apps, databases, wikis, etc. This is good. Personally, my needs were met more readily than by a print book (or any equally useless eBook transcription).

I am thinking about how this applies to publishers like us. In general I've spent a lot of time thinking about how, "gee, i wish we made money like the big publishers" or "gee, we NEED eBook versions of our magazine"... At the same time, all the reading we have been doing has led us to believe that there is little difference in the elements of supply chain production between a big 6 publisher and an independent publisher. Similarly, there are parallel paths available for distribution. The real rude awakening for any published writer is the requirement that they have to largely drive their own marketing--even big 6. But I digress.

Let's stick to presses, specifically independent publishing. When you're a journal first, Like Black Denim Lit, then a press, like Black Denim Press, I have to look twice to see how the presenter's discussion of environmental pressures might manifest for a venue such as ours. Here's my argument for how this might play out:


Take the example of a venue in similar scope and reach (and even readership) such as "Universe Annex" (UA). This is a re-incarnation of Baen Publishing's artsy, sci-fi journal Jim Baen's Universe--filled with up-and-coming award-worthy (if not award winning) writers.

Take a look at UA today, and if you read through their submissions guidelines, you'll recognize quickly that the magazine is fed completely on submissions that are cultivated by a writer's forum that lives here Baen's Bar.

Duotrope reports that the acceptance rate is about 1 in 15. All UA's submissions are hosted in a public, free forum, for which anyone can have a reading password. Submissions are in one forum topic and work-shopped in another forum topic by writers and readers alike. Once the story is "good enough" (measured by community consensus) then the story is promoted to the formal electronic publication that is released six times a year (and the writer is paid a professional rate).

All by itself this work-shopping is not a unique idea. What is impressive is that this journal's practices comes as an extension of a highly-regarded "writer's publisher" such as Baen. Baen has always been a little different. And always good at marketing. And clearly outstanding at meeting the needs of its readers. And paying its writers.

***

All of this falls in the food-for-thought category--when considering any change in direction that our editorial practices or tools we might offer. I think the accomplishments of the UA submission process are unique and radically different than ours. Would it be the way for us to go over the next year? Maybe. Would it be the way to go over the next five years? Probably.

Similarly, how does the speaker's predicted trend affect our print and eBook initiative? Is that trend more damaging than the marketing challenges faced, or is it a different take on the same symptom? In other words, is the way to increase print / eBook revenue to take a look at the reader's interest in the format versus the reader's interest in the content?

It could be argued that the entire presentation could be largely ignored with regard to Black Denim Lit, but it is distinctly more relevant when looking for success with our print / eBooks.

Thanks,
Christopher

Tell @t_morrissey to keep going. "Scent of Darkness" hits 500 reads

I just wanted to mention regarding Scent of Darkness. Ted Morrissey has been writing a series of interconnected stories, which he thinks of as “the village stories,” that he plans to tie together in some sort of experimental novel. So far stories that have been published are:

• “Crowsong for the Stricken” (Noctua Review),
• “Primitive Scent” (Tulane Review),
• “Beside Running Waters” (Constellations Lit), and
• “Scent of Darkness” (Black Denim Lit).

I guess we're prejudiced, since that last one has been read more than 500 times in the first month of its availability, so we think Ted should keep going.

What we do with copyright violations

As can happen sometimes, one of the stories licensed to Black Denim Lit has been re-posted on another website without permission or attribution. The original author contacted us to say that there was no permission at all granted for the other "reprinting site" to reproduce this story. We acted quickly on the author's behalf to get the post removed.

In this case, there are several reasons why the reprint violated the author's rights:

• All content on that site was made newly available under Creative Commons license "BY SA" which is insufficient to protect this copyrighted material (from being propagated for profit or being modified)
• The posting of the story was missing the author copyright notice
• It was missing the correct attribution to the author
• It was missing the attribution for the source publication
• The reprint site solicited for financial compensation (a gratuity), implying there was an agreement between the author and the reprint site, which there was not
• The posting listed an email for the original author on the site's domain, which was not under the actual author's control. Also this appearance would incorrectly imply to a casual reader that the author is a contributor for them, which he wasn't.

In the beginning, we at Black Denim Lit were able to acquire the author's story under paid license for First Rights only. Anyone reprinting without permission from the author is a misappropriation. In other words that act infringes on the author's control of copyright that were never licensed to anyone.

Specific to us as a magazine, copying the material from Black Denim Lit threatens our ability to assure our authors that their works remain their own and that they have all other copyrights over what they have trusted to our magazine first.

In general, during the story acceptance process I tell authors not to agree to publishing stories without understanding what rights exist over their work and how to grant or license the rights to others. Advocacy sites such as www.pw.org can help. For our part we enforce a terms of service link on the site. Among many simple points of law and common courtesy, it advises site users that they aren't supposed to be reprinting without written permission.

In the end, I asked that the reprinting site remove the story immediately and they complied within a day, providing an indefensible explanation and tepid apologies. They offered no means for the author to be given any funds that were solicited from the public on his behalf. Lastly, they severed their relationship with us, withdrawing all their articles about "Black Denim Lit," which is arguably unnecessary, but probably for the best.

It was an unfortunate situation, but copyrights are important and should not be thrown down casually for the sake of exposure or ignorance of what is guaranteed by law to be fair.

Dear Writer, OMG, That happened?? Most uninteresting, try again. J/K, we’re really just mean editors. Go away.

So many writers draw on what they know and then are trapped by it, failing to use it as inspiration to get on with it–to get to the good part. Successful fiction has thought of any reader questions and already answers the ones that are worth answering.

Let’s say two editors read the new Ken Liu piece from the slush pile and are amazed. They both approve the award-winning author’s latest and, still on a high, move to the next piece. This one is by another of their favorite authors, who (for the purpose of this fictitious exercise) is fictitious. Unlike Ken Liu. Soon the editors are perplexed over this new piece about “Tim, the Boy Who Thought About the Circus.”

The first editor has questions by the end of the piece, about the character. The facts are all here. But when does this take place? Had the circus ever been around before? Was the strong man really gay? Why were there hyenas but not tigers? What did it all smell like? Didn’t Tim get dust in his eye? Did he want to join? Did he have any empathy for the poor animals or maybe the carnies? Did they really have small hands (the carnies)? Would it be better if one escapes (the animals)? Maybe leaves a scar? Maybe a carny leaves a scar? Is it ‘carny’ or ‘carney’…?

The second editor reads all about Tim, but instead thinks, “Boy, that Ken guy is an awesome writer… I bet he gets all the girls.” And then he votes Tim off the table completely.

As an author, you got one shot with a reader. Don’t waste it. If you haven’t worked out the reader experience–anticipated reader questions and answer the ones that are worth answering–by the time you submit it, your story is probably a miss.

How do we do eBook Distribution? Glad you asked...

What formats?
Every month we provide new stories, but did you know we compile these into a free eBook for eReaders? There's EPUB, MOBI and PDF and more.

In stores, too?
We push these to all eReader storefronts. To do this, we use four channels: Smashwords, Amazon KDP, Google Play and Lulu. This covers every eReader, and then some.

How fast?
Note that it can take weeks for our monthly issue to appear in those catalogs, so if you are too impatient waiting for your issue, you do have the option of using the direct links to your favorite format, which you can "sideload" on your own. Once our monthly tasks in the four channels above are completed, then Nook is probably the first thing to show up. If they are not first in the eBook market, at least they can be first to market.
Can you keep it up?
It might not seem worth all the work to distribute monthly, so we make sure that every issue is at least 15,000 words. We'll need your submissions for that, right? Hint, hint?

More information? For exhaustive details on these channels please read, About Distribution, at the main site. Here are sample links for March, 2014.

Examples?

eBook (free)	eBook (free)	eBook (free)
eBook (free)	eBook (free)	eBook (free)

As a writer, why should I care?
Because, when you change from publishing in journals to publishing yourself, you'll learn a lot about where your work is being read. I love graphs. Don't you? Here is one about worldwide markets for all eBook sales: Find more statistics at Statista

Anecdote, Reminiscence and other Side Effects

Selecting first-person narrative is high-risk. Will you, the writer, create a first-person story that is anecdotal, reminiscent, exposition-heavy, didactic or …? Odds are: yes. Check out this example:

• Narrative gives off this tone: “This is important because I remember it.” 
• Readers think: “Stop talking already. I’m trying to hear the story.” 

Is this your story? If so, try shifting the narrative power to stealth mode. It more easily transports the reader without speed bumps, without authorial intrusion. Does “first-person” always fail? Of course not. Just be objective about how your choice in relating your story either complicates or enhances the reading.

March Stories are Out! New from @davelaureate @t_morrissey @seanmmonaghan #writers

The Way to Shangri-La
David W. Landrum
“Your calling to live in an ashram and pursue a certain type of spiritual attainment is at an end. You have come on this pilgrimage to find new direction. Your calling has changed.”

Scent of Darkness 
Ted Morrissey
It seemed to absorb the dark of night so that in dawn’s twilight it appeared more than merely black but an actual void, an emptiness in the air that one might step through into another place altogether, like Alice’s rabbit-hole.

800 
Sean Monaghan
It is an old thing. The kind of machine that was innovative a hundred years ago, but now is pretty left behind. I like to keep it on hand just to see how the old markets are doing. They never do very well, but I still have money out there, locked away.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

David W. Landrum teaches Literature at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. He has published over a hundred short stories in various journals and anthologies. His novel, The Sorceress of the Northern Seas, is available from Netherworld Books, UK, through Amazon; his novellas, Strange Brewand The Gallery are also available from Amazon. The BDLit Stories by David W. Landrum: “The Way to Shangri-La“ - Issue #2, Mar, 2014. Also on: Goodreads. @davelaureate

Sean Monaghan works as an educator in a busy public library. His stories have appeared inPerihelion, Aurealis and The colred Lens, among others. Website: SeanMonaghan.com. The BDLit Stories by Sean Monaghan: “800″ - Issue #2, Mar, 2014. Also on: Goodreads. @seanmmonaghan

Ted Morrissey holds a Ph.D. in English studies and is an adjunct lecturer in English at University of Illinois Springfield and in the Writing and Publishing Program at Benedictine University Springfield, where he’s a reader for Quiddity international literary journal and public-radio program. He is the author of the novels An Untimely Frost and Men of Winter, as well as the novelette Figures in Blue. His short fiction has appeared in nearly twenty journals, including Glimmer Train Stories, The Chariton Review, and PANK. He’s also published the monograph, The Beowulf Poet and His Real Monsters. Please see TedMorrissey.com for further information. The BDLit Stories by Ted Morrissey: “Scent of Darkness” - Issue #2, Mar, 2014. Also on: Goodreads. @t_morrissey

Visit www.bdlit.com

Calling writers for literary fiction and Sci-Fi short stories and flash fiction submissions at our literary journal bdlit.com!