Writer's Guide For more information, please also see our Submissions page. Editorial Calendar Editorial Calendar The paper is issued ten to twelve times a year, depending on submissions and on how badly the publisher needs a vacation. While the issues do not have themes, certain issues focus on or will have articles about particular events. annual schedule: January: annual calendar of events, Christmas, New Year's, solstice monthly schedule: articles and other submissions due: 1st ad reservation deadline: 5th first edit complete: 7th display ad materials deadline: 7th letters deadline: 7th classified ad deadline: 10th second edit complete: 12th or 13th layout: ongoing as much as possible, intensely from the 10th through 13th final proof: 11th print date: 12th or 13th, depending on if it's a Sunday distribution: print date through 20th or so subscriptions out: print date through 22nd or so data entry: 15th through 25th or so publisher collapses Format of the Paper The paper is anywhere from 20 to 36 pages long (usually 24 to 28), printed in black and white on 20# white xerox paper. Sections include: The Other Page: Personal Biases Expounded Here: Book Reviews & Library News: Movie Reviews: Music & Theatre Reviews: Events & Entertainment: Victuals & Drink: Wild Life: The Postal News: The Pub & Sporting News: The Sun and the Moon: Stones & Bones: Other sections are invented as needed. Format for Submissions Submission may be in hard copy, on disk (Mac readable CD, zip disk, or floppy), or via e-mail. If in hard copy, the editor prefers typed, 1.5-spaced or doublespaced lines. Please include your name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail with all submissions. The publisher doesn't yet have a fax, so that's out for now. Style and Writing Guides The editor generally adheres to The Chicago Manual of Style. A few items and exceptions in particular: 1. "internet" not "Internet" 2. "website" not "Web site" or "Website" 3. "the web" not "the Web" BUT "the World Wide Web" when referring to this particular web--there is more than one web out there 4. the name of this paper is The Ester Republic (that's a capital 'T') Other useful guides for style, spelling, and grammar include: The Transitive Vampire, by Karen Elizabeth Gordon The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White Webster's International Dictionary
Publisher's Pet Peeves 1. "impact" is properly a noun, not a verb, even if these newfangled dictionaries DO claim otherwise (if you want the verb, use "affect") 2. "it's" means "it is", not "belonging to it" 3. concise is nice, and blather is dull: please avoid repeating yourself 4. no matter how many times something is proofread, typos ALWAYS get through to the final copy, which drives the editor batty, but there it is 5. avoid the passive voice 6. it's "e-mail" and not "email" (that's a foreign word for enamel or a glazing technique similar to cloisonné) 7. eschew! extra !!!! punctuation!! Writing Articles or Columns for the Republic General considerations and information: All features and columns are the responsibility of their respective writers; all misstatements and opinions expressed therein are also their fault. The publisher/editor cannot possibly verify everything, as the paper has a staff of one, and so expressly disavows any responsibility for accuracy of content. However, it is only sporting to tell the truth and to doublecheck to be sure the truth you think you’ve got is indeed the real one. Experience in writing is not required (although it is of course preferred), and the editor doesn’t care if you can’t spell: she can. It is important to be able to arrange your thoughts in a way that is cognizant of the reader; when writing, ask yourself if someone unfamiliar with your subject would still be able to appreciate your article. It is the most noble of endeavors to tell a story well and with wit, and the editor applauds all efforts in this regard. The rewards for a writer published in the Ester Republic are: two complimentary copies of the issue in which your work appears, many thanks from the publisher, and fame (or notoriety, depending). The extent of the latter will depend on how many copies of each issue we are able to publish and sell. We operate on the proverbial shoestring. Every great once in a while, the editor is able to provide financial recompense to contributors; however, this is strictly on an arbitrary and biased basis, depending, as does acceptance, on the whim of the publisher (and the state of the Republic's bank account). Eventually, the publisher hopes to increase both the renown and the material compensation available. In the meantime, don't count on it; allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised. Articles: Genres include fiction (serials welcome), essays, political opinion and commentary, investigative journalism (please consult with the editor on this), reviews, reports, and prose. The audience: Readers of the Republic are carpenters, miners, biologists, physicists, philosphers, writers, artists, musicians, police officers, firefighters, mushers, house husbands, geologists, teachers, gardeners, welders, airplane mechanics, and others. The audience's reading level tends to be collegiate or high school. When writing an article, it is important to take into account your audience. You may know what you are writing about, but will a total stranger be able to understand what you are getting at? Often, what a writer intends to say is not what they actually wrote--at least, not in the first draft. Try it out on someone else before submitting it to the editor, to help you spot places where your writing is unclear or needs improvement. Biographical notes: Columns: A request voiced frequently to the publisher has been for a gossip column. If you have your ear to the ground on some juicy Ester gossip, please contact the editor. Poetry: | ||
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