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Asimov's Science Fiction To Take E-Subs
Friday, 30 April 2010 13:40The Dam Is Broken - The Floodgates Are Open
John Scalzi pointed out today that Asimov's is now accepting electronic submissions. Revised guidelines are here and the new E-sub web address is here. The system takes both .DOC and .RTF files. I've previously commented that Rich Text Files in my opinion are more polite -- it's much harder to send a virus laden RTF file than a Microsoft Please-Kick-Me.DOC file.
Of interest to me is that (1) Neil Clarke helped install the Clarkesworld style E-sub system, which marks yet another adopter of the same system. Dare one suggest an "industry" standard? (grin) (2) Someone commented that another of the Dell Magazines is using this, too. If Analog, also owned by Dell Magazines, were to go this route as well, then it would mean that two of the Big Three had gone to the Dark Side (grin), which might be a game-changer. However, don't interpret this as a slam against either Dr. Stanley Schmidt at Analog or Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. And I just checked the Analog guidelines -- they haven't changed.
Alas Poor Printer, I Knew Him Well
Now mind, I have nothing against paper submissions. Indeed, I am perfectly happy to send in whatever the market wants -- paper in Standard Manuscript Format, electronic submission via email or online system or plain text dumped into an email. I want the editor to READ my story, not fight with it. (A concept that, alas, too many of my Physics students don't understand when they flaunt the required Standard Manuscript Format for their 4-5 page science literacy book report.) Others make a big deal of such things. Scalzi, for example, hasn't owned a printer in years and so won't submit a hard copy to a market. Hasn't hurt his career, but he's established now.
As for Asimov's, I just sent Sheila Williams a story on 19 April 2010, so I'll have to wait to take the new E-sub system out for a spin.
Idle Speculation
Is it just me or that this comes on the very day that Apple announces that the WiFi+3G iPad goes on sale tomorrow seems indicative? I mean, I know that Jetse deVries was reading slush for Interzone on a PDA a couple of years ago, and someone was joking that when the iPad came out that if one fell in the hands of editors, that we'd be seeing more e-subs around because the iPad interface would make it easy to read and dispose of slush. (grin) Coincidence? Or vicious rumor? (evil grin)
Dr. Phil
John Scalzi pointed out today that Asimov's is now accepting electronic submissions. Revised guidelines are here and the new E-sub web address is here. The system takes both .DOC and .RTF files. I've previously commented that Rich Text Files in my opinion are more polite -- it's much harder to send a virus laden RTF file than a Microsoft Please-Kick-Me.DOC file.
Of interest to me is that (1) Neil Clarke helped install the Clarkesworld style E-sub system, which marks yet another adopter of the same system. Dare one suggest an "industry" standard? (grin) (2) Someone commented that another of the Dell Magazines is using this, too. If Analog, also owned by Dell Magazines, were to go this route as well, then it would mean that two of the Big Three had gone to the Dark Side (grin), which might be a game-changer. However, don't interpret this as a slam against either Dr. Stanley Schmidt at Analog or Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF. And I just checked the Analog guidelines -- they haven't changed.
Alas Poor Printer, I Knew Him Well
Now mind, I have nothing against paper submissions. Indeed, I am perfectly happy to send in whatever the market wants -- paper in Standard Manuscript Format, electronic submission via email or online system or plain text dumped into an email. I want the editor to READ my story, not fight with it. (A concept that, alas, too many of my Physics students don't understand when they flaunt the required Standard Manuscript Format for their 4-5 page science literacy book report.) Others make a big deal of such things. Scalzi, for example, hasn't owned a printer in years and so won't submit a hard copy to a market. Hasn't hurt his career, but he's established now.
As for Asimov's, I just sent Sheila Williams a story on 19 April 2010, so I'll have to wait to take the new E-sub system out for a spin.
Idle Speculation
Is it just me or that this comes on the very day that Apple announces that the WiFi+3G iPad goes on sale tomorrow seems indicative? I mean, I know that Jetse deVries was reading slush for Interzone on a PDA a couple of years ago, and someone was joking that when the iPad came out that if one fell in the hands of editors, that we'd be seeing more e-subs around because the iPad interface would make it easy to read and dispose of slush. (grin) Coincidence? Or vicious rumor? (evil grin)
Dr. Phil
