Submissions
Semaphore publishes short fiction, poetry and creative essays in a quarterly e-zine. Every December we also publish an anthology of the best pieces from the previous four issues, as voted by our readers.
Submissions may be sent to Marie Hodgkinson here ( semaphoremagazine @ gmail . com ) Please read the guidelines below before submitting.
Our reading period for each issue is the month preceding the publication date. So, stories sent in to be considered for our March issue will be read in February and responses sent out then; stories considered for June will be read in May, and so on. Any submissions received after the deadline will be set aside to be looked at for the next issue. We publish in March, June, September and December.
General Guidelines:
- Attach submissions as a Word-compatible document to your email.
- Include a cover letter with your submission. We've received a few submissions in the past which have been nothing but an empty letter with a story attached, and honestly, this isn't a way to get into our good books - or our magazine.
- We do not accept simultaneous submissions.
- We prefer it if you do not saddle your manuscript with masses of fancy formatting bits and pieces; in fact, the plainer the submission, the better.
Short Stories:
- Length: 1000 - 7000 words.
- Multiple submissions: query first.
- Content: we're happy to consider stories of all genres, but explicit sexual or violent content is not something we're looking to publish. Sexual violence is right out.
- Payment: $NZ10.00
Poetry
- Length: up to 60 lines.
- Multiple submissions: feel free to submit up to 4 poems per submissions period.
- Content: we like to see quirky, fun poems more than anything else.
- Payment: $3.00
Creative Essays
- Length: 500 - 5000 words.
- Multiple submissions: query first.
- Content: we would like to see essays about writing, publishing and reading, but are always thrilled to receive articles covering more absurdist topics. For an example of this, check out Rory Pollock's tea-related articles in our Archives.
- Payment: $5.00
Artwork
Thus far we have got our cover and occasionaly interior artwork by going out ourselves and begging artists to let us use their work, or even to create something specifically for us. However, if you would like us to consider your art for one of our issues, please send us a query letter with some samples of your work attached.
We do not pay for any artwork save the anthology cover art.
The Anthology
Semaphore publishes an annual anthology of the best work contained within the preceding four issues. Pieces are selected for this by their popularity with our readers - if it rates well, you're likely to make it in, but if not, then you're in something of a pickle. This said, votes in the reader surveys which are obviously of a sock-puppetish or blindly biased nature - for example, a survey in which nothing is filled out except one perfectly-scoring story, and which is followed by a series of similar responses - will be discounted in the final vote.
Authors whose work is included in the Anthology are paid royalties depending on the sort of work they provided. All royalties are calculated on profit after costs, and are paid six-monthly following publication or as soon as the book has sold out, whichever happens first.
Here are the individual royalties offered:
- Short stories: 3% per story
- Creative Essays: 2% per essay
- Poetry: 1% per poem
The cover artist for the anthology may choose between receiving a complimentary copy of the book or a nominal sum reflecting the cost of providing and sending the book.