Oddities, Confusion

and just plain Weirdness…!

Increasing your chances of being published

Cheap Seats has, admittedly, some of the more complex

and just plain weird submission guidelines (been told.)

In the beginning, setting up the shape, look, and

requirements needed to produce a reasonably

professional, yet, interesting, eye-pleasing publication

we (the so called “editors”) thought (read: assumed)

following simple directions for length (top to bottom),

and width (that’s side-to-side) dimensions would not be

an issue. Wow! Were we out to lunch on that one…

Unfortunately, we ain’t gonna begin submitting to the

devil machine for scanning incoming works, this is

against our Luddite propensities—and only leads to fonts

interpreting incoming information incorrectly: such

as turning — (M dashes) into a series of dots, or

double dashes (hyphens) the amateurs’ dead give-away;

multiple verticals, such as “ll” into “il” or “ii” etc.—

then, we, the editors missing this and ending up

on your hate list.

We have requested on occasion: an author narrow a

particular piece (remember 2-5/8”). What we get back is

often hilarious. Apparently, only a few writers are able

to reline-break their works differently (even properly)

after they’ve once convinced themselves: there is only

one way—their way, that a piece can be formatted (we

fully get this. Unfortunately, an accomplished writer

often, must learn to adapt.) In our case: if they’s too wide,

de’s gone…We’re simply controlled by available space …?

Vertical dimension (6”) the same way. Hasta la pasta to

those long skinnies—into the circular file.

Let’s take a moment and cover other types of

submittal oddities. Keeping in mind: you need to

reconnoiter through any possible ‘zine and ascertain the

physical sand traps and bunkers they ain’t tellin’ ya ‘bout.

Publications, no matter how good your work is, are

interested in the way, they want your “poem” to end up on

their (key word: “their”) printed page.

The usual publication gives little or no hint as to their final

formatting needs. And your precious, don’t mess with my

work, my baby, will be (most usually) arbitrarily whacked

and hacked and strangely enjambed, for line width, and

equally mutilated vertically, leaving one or two lines

(the most dynamic parts) dangling on the back side of the

page…or, hell’s bells! from page three, lost somewhere on

page sixty-four. And we’ve not even addressed the carnage

(or super beneficial help) an enthusiastic editor can

wreak (add) to a piece. Be open minded to requested

changes. Counter-point if you must.

Editor’s is editors—and collectively do not have the care

or concern for your work, as would a smelly cabbage.

If you follow what they will want, they’re out of your hair.

Editors, for the most part only select works that do not

require fiddling with, will make their publication look oh

so fine, and will meet a certain assumed criteria, level,

of writers’ expertise or for the reader’s comfort. Editors

want writing that is most like theirs—or at least the way

they wish they could write…

Struth!

There are a few publications that require the author

submit in a particular height & width. But best learn how

to do this. Most require maximum number of lines (or lines

and spaces—including or not, the title) in total length

(“height.) Fairly elemental.

Many of these same publications will request a maximum

line width. (Sound familiar?)—except, these prints are

requesting that width be in, “number of units.”

Line Width Number of Units: This can be tricky.

If an editor requests a certain number of “units”, you are

being asked to count the number of key strokes (letters,

spaces, any extra spaces, punctuation marks) that created

the particular line. (some computer programs will do this.)

The “tricky” part: A line of fifty capital “M’s” is longer

than a line of fifty periods. The writer needs to

approximate an average appearing line nearest the

requested count (Based upon that approximate line, (try

5% less: i.e. instead of fifty units, let’s say 47. leaving

a little margin for fluctuation.) Compare all the following

lines to that approximate line and break them accordingly.

Line width determined by unit count is used, because

the change from one font to another still yields the same

line unit count. They don’t have to mess with line-breaking

your work—and this is important to the meaning and look

of your “poetry.” Too many hands in the soup…

Establishing the “approximate” line can be accomplished by,

copying the longest line seen in the publication’s poetry

section or their column width. Use this example to establish

your line unit count. If you write with hinky line indents,

you’ll have to figure a method that works for you.

Use the fonts an editor requests. That editor is asking for

fonts, that historically accept the most correct font-to-font

exchange in their program. Font interchange can be

particularly ugly if an editor is not on the ball.

Hope this helps,

Max tdc