General site issues: If you send a non-publication question that is answered on the FAQ page, we may not reply simply because of time issues. Check the FAQ before writing about issues not covered on this page. If you want to publish a book review, see the book review guidelines below. So you think you might want to write for us? Really? Scholars & Critics & Book Reviewers First you need to know what you're getting in to: this is an E-Zine; E-Zine's are kind of like the underground newspapers of the 60's and 70's, except minus the mimeo ink and staples. This means there's no money in it-- we can not pay you for your work (at this time)! The work you do for this website is of the "scholarly service" or "resume building"/get your name and work out there sort of "public service". For now. If we can find money, we'll pay someday...... If you're interested in contributing after you've read this whole page, send us an E-mail at kimwells[at]womenwriters[dot]net with your submission (as an attachment) which is publishable, and we will contact you as soon as we can. We are a "semi-annual" publication. We put out a new Zine twice a year in January and late June. The deadline for each issue is the 15th, two months before. (So Nov 15 for the January issue, April 15 for the June one). If you send a submission and don't hear back right away, and another publishing month rolls around without a note then you can (and should) send us a note of inquiry. See the contact page. There are cyber-gremlins that sometimes eat submissions-- so get back in touch and we'll see what we can do. Kim Wells, the general editor, almost always replies to your initial inquiry-- but if we don't, please understand that I sometimes get over twenty website-related emails A DAY.... and try to run my life as well, so if I don't reply, write again without getting your feelings hurt. If you send a non-publication question that is answered on the FAQ page, I may not reply simply because I have no time. Check the FAQ before writing. General Editorial Requirements All submissions (other than fiction/poetry) must use MLA parenthetical citation (see the MLA Style Manual), and include a works cited list in MLA style. Please remove any footnotes, as they are screwy in HTML. If it's a crucial comment, add it to the end of the paper. Submission must be sent via E-mail attachment to kimwells[at]womenwriters[dot]net and be ready for publication. Make sure that you attach your essay/book review/editorial in either Word Perfect (.wpd), MS Word (.doc), or Rich Text file (.rtf) or basic HTML format. If you don't know what those "extensions" are, and can't figure out how to save some obscure word processing program as any of the above three, write me a note and I'll try to talk you through it. Remove any "running headers" from the essay. If you have questions about your submission, contact us at the above address. Book Reviewers join the listserv to hear about books available for free from the publisher or author to review. write directly to Natasha Whitton, our book reviews editor, with any queries. BE COMMITTED to a review. If you get a "free book" from an author, they really want to see a review for their invested money and effort. If you do not like the book, this is not a reason to not turn in a review. Critics don't always like the work they read, but sending in "no review" will ensure that we never include you on the list of reviewers again, and we'll think nasty thoughts about you. Include the ISBN of the book with your review. Also include any special details on how we might buy the book. Include any extra details-- like if the writer has a website the reader would be interested in seeing. Spell the author's name correctly! Proofread. Run spellchecker. Poets You may submit 3-5 poems. NO previously published, but simultaneous submission is fine as long as you let us know immediately if accepted elsewhere. If accepted, the poems will be published as a collection. In other words, we will either accept or reject the poems as a group. We will not decide on each poem individually. In the body of your email, please include a short bio to be included on the site if your collection is published. Digital photos are optional (but highly encouraged) and should be submitted as a JPEG. Please save your collection as one Microsoft Word document (not one document for each poem) titled with your last name (Muhm.doc, for example) and email it as an attachment to Poetry_Editor[at]womenwriters[dot]net with your last name & collection title as the subject line of the email: ( for example: wells_poems for anne). Fiction Writers see above when applicable Make sure that you attach your poems or short fiction in either Word Perfect (.wpd), MS Word (.doc), or Rich Text file (.rtf) or basic HTML format. If you don't know what those "extensions" are, and can't figure out how to save some obscure word processing program as any of the above three, write me a note and I'll try to talk you through it. Please include a short author bio with your story. Digital photos are optional (but highly encouraged) and should be submitted as a JPEG. Submit at least one short story, with your last name & short story title as subject line of the email: wells_smileys messiah