Lawrence Schimel (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} desayunoencama) wrote,@ 2006-08-01 18:59:00 |
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Electronic submissions
Yesterday was the deadline for submissions for my BEST DATE EVER anthology, and so today I'm busy downloading the flood of last-minute submissions.
I am amazed at how many people don't understand naming conventions when making electronic submissions. Literally, more than half the submission files are titled "Bestdateever.doc"!
To make your file easy for an editor to process, your attachment (when they're allowed) should be named "Surname-title" so that, at a glance, the editor can know what the darned thing is.
It is also amazing how many people don't include their contact info in the file itself. They seem not to understand that once the file is downloaded that separates it from the cover letter. (And especially if you haven't made it easier to identify which of the many files I've just downloaded as yours, it is a hassle to try and match things up to your info in your email.)
Of course, some people don't include their contact info in their email either. There is just a generic file "Bestdateever.com" submitted from an email address and that's it. The file my contain a byline, but usually there is not even the email address from which it was sent indicated. Luckily, Alyson (since in this case all submissions are routed through them) has forwarded the entire email to me and not just the attachment, so I have at least some idea of who to contact once I've read it.
Your submitted file should always contain all the information an editor may need to contact you, all in one place, since the file may be re-sent from one editor to another, to discuss it or whatever.
I hadn't realized how so many people would be lacking these basic electronic submissions skills. (I think sci-fi writers are, by and large, better educated in these issues, since we didn't really have these sorts of problems with THE FUTURE IS QUEER; of course, Richard also weeded through all the submissions, so perhaps he dealt with some of this so I didn't have to.)
In future, I guess I need to specify submission basics in the call for submissions
One final note in re: BEST DATE EVER, given a lot of the gender-neutral names many dykes choose to use, there are some submissions meant for the lesbian version that wind up in my pile (not sure if vice versa yet). :-)
Yesterday was the deadline for submissions for my BEST DATE EVER anthology, and so today I'm busy downloading the flood of last-minute submissions.
I am amazed at how many people don't understand naming conventions when making electronic submissions. Literally, more than half the submission files are titled "Bestdateever.doc"!
To make your file easy for an editor to process, your attachment (when they're allowed) should be named "Surname-title" so that, at a glance, the editor can know what the darned thing is.
It is also amazing how many people don't include their contact info in the file itself. They seem not to understand that once the file is downloaded that separates it from the cover letter. (And especially if you haven't made it easier to identify which of the many files I've just downloaded as yours, it is a hassle to try and match things up to your info in your email.)
Of course, some people don't include their contact info in their email either. There is just a generic file "Bestdateever.com" submitted from an email address and that's it. The file my contain a byline, but usually there is not even the email address from which it was sent indicated. Luckily, Alyson (since in this case all submissions are routed through them) has forwarded the entire email to me and not just the attachment, so I have at least some idea of who to contact once I've read it.
Your submitted file should always contain all the information an editor may need to contact you, all in one place, since the file may be re-sent from one editor to another, to discuss it or whatever.
I hadn't realized how so many people would be lacking these basic electronic submissions skills. (I think sci-fi writers are, by and large, better educated in these issues, since we didn't really have these sorts of problems with THE FUTURE IS QUEER; of course, Richard also weeded through all the submissions, so perhaps he dealt with some of this so I didn't have to.)
In future, I guess I need to specify submission basics in the call for submissions
One final note in re: BEST DATE EVER, given a lot of the gender-neutral names many dykes choose to use, there are some submissions meant for the lesbian version that wind up in my pile (not sure if vice versa yet). :-)
