Submission Guidelines

Still under development and subject to change without notice.

Alternate Species is not yet open for submissions.

General
by fiction editor Mark Heron

All stories submitted to Alternate Species should have some kind of alternate element.

Alternate history, alternate evolution, alternate lifestyle, alternate anything.

As the person entrusted with selecting the stories to appear on Alternate Species, I'd just like to say you can send me anything you like, so long as it's legal.

I don't have many preconceptions about the kinds of stories I want.

Just that I want good ones.

Length

Up to 1000 words for Flash.

Up to 8000 words for short stories.

Up to 20000 words for serials.

No poetry.

Format

Text files. T E X T text.

No proprietary files, MS Word .docs, .rtfs, MS Works, no, not even WordPerfect.

TEXT.

Sent either as an attachment, or in the body of an email.

In the subject line of your email, please enter the following:

For Flash fiction, enter FLASH SUBMISSION--Title

For short stories, enter SHORT SUBMISSION--Title

For serials, enter SERIAL SUBMISSION--Title

Where 'Title' is replaced by the title of your submission.

The email address for submissions will be posted when we go 'live'. Our mail server isn't set up yet so don't start guessing :)

Extra guidelines for serials

Stories submitted for serialisation should include clear indications of where the story splits. Please ensure that each part is roughly of the same length--they shouldn't vary in length by more than 600-800 words.

The splits should normally occur at exciting or intriguing points in the story.

Reprints

Alternate Species will consider reprints, but please query before submitting, giving full details of where the story has already appeared. We are unlikely to consider stories which are freely available online.

Simultaneous and Multiple Submissions

Alternate Species would like the opportunity to consider your submission knowing that it is not also under consideration elsewhere, but concedes that many writers find this restrictive. We would therefore ask that if your submission is accepted elsewhere, please inform us as soon as possible.

You may submit up to three stories at a time, but no more than three. Please make each submission in a separate email.

Payment

Alternate Species intends to pay for the stories it publishes.

Rates will be announced when we open for submissions.

Rights

Alternate Species seeks an exclusive licence to publish your submission(s) on the Alternate Species webzine for up to two months.

Further, Alternate Species seeks a non-exclusive licence to retain your submission(s) in their archive indefinitely.

Where a submission is used in connection with the Alternate Species newsletter, Dangerous Creatures, Alternate Species also seeks the right to retain the submission in the archive of the Yahoo group, AS_DC, indefinitely.

You retain copyright in your submission(s).

Removal of a submission from the archive can be negotiated.

Obligations

By contributing, you indemnify Alternate Species from any legal liability arising from the content of your submission(s).

Rejections

All rejections should be considered final unless accompanied by a request for a rewrite.

Please do not resubmit a submission that has been rejected unless you have been asked to do so.