Rule
#1--It's a small pond.
Always remember and never forget that the Star Wars
fanzine community is relatively small. Most of the editors know one
another and often share information. They trade tips, refer contributors,
and talk about news in general. If you're a pleasure to work with,
your name will probably be referred to the others. However, if you
behave badly with one, you can count on it that word will spread.
Editors look out for their own and consult one another when they have
problems. This isn't a threat--it's a simple fact. The Golden Rule
applies here.
Rule
#2--Exclusivity of material is vital.
This sort of ties in with #1. It is generally unacceptable
to submit a single story or piece of artwork to more than one zine
at a time. Editors make no money by producing zines, so any work they
put into a story, for instance, is their own personal time. This gives
them a vested interest in that story--and they aren't very happy when
that story is suddenly pulled out from under them because it was also
offered to another editor at the same time. It's considered bad form
because it leaves someone in the lurch and can even delay production
if the piece is significant in size.
The
only thing worse for an editor is to discover that a story you've
printed in your zine is also appearing in another zine at the same
time! That's a serious no-no!
If at
some point you decide to pull your work, it is YOUR responsibility
to notify the editor IMMEDIATELY. Remember that the editor is investing
a lot of time and effort into editing and proofreading. Plus, the
story may already be in an artist's hands. Pulling a story should
be a last resort.
Rule
#3--Don't take edits personally.
We all love Star Wars, otherwise we wouldn't be doing
this. This means that we're all probably a little closer to this than
is healthy at times. The most important thing to remember is that
this is supposed to be fun. If you disagree with an edit, instead
of firing off a scathing or threatening e-mail, take a deep breath
and set it aside for a day or two if need be. Then pick it up again
and try to look objectively at it. Don't do something you may regret.
Throwing fits or rejecting every edit out of pride achieves nothing
and ultimately frustrates the editor (who's supposed to be having
fun, too). It could also earn you the reputation of being "difficult",
and this could cause an editor to hesitate accepting something from
you in the future.
Remember
that an editors probably won't even bother to work on a story unless
it's worth her/his effort--if it was that bad, it would have rejected
it. This being said, consider all edits and suggestions as constructive
criticism--it's meant to HELP you, not belittle or slam your work
or you personally. They really ARE on your side and they want the
story to be the best it can be.
Just
remember--even the best professional authors are edited, often brutally.
Don't put yourself on a pedestal.
Rule
#4--Be patient.
Zine editors are people, too, and believe it or not
they do have lives (or they try to, anyway!). If they don't answer
your e-mail the same day, or even the same week, it doesn't necessarily
mean they aren't interested. They may be out of town, having a family
crisis, having computer troubles, or maybe in the middle of production
on another zine and can't spare the time or energy to think about
what's coming up next year.
So,
what IS a reasonable waiting period? It's preferred that the editor
give you a time frame immediately, but if that's not the case, two
weeks is a reasonable amount of time to wait before sending a reminder.
If you still don't get an answer, it's your decision to try elsewhere
or continue your efforts to contact the original editor.
If you
give up and submit it to a different zine, it is YOUR responsibility
to notify the original editor IMMEDIATELY of your decision. Refer
to Rule #2 about exclusivity.
Rule
#5--Pay attention to submission guidelines.
In other words, read the fine print. Not only can this
save time and effort, but it can also help to avoid misunderstandings
or bad feelings. All editors have policies of their own and they're
often different.
Often
this includes the stipulation that the editor has final say on all
edits; while they don't want to be dictators, they also have certain
standards and formats that they use, particularly in punctuation,
and they expect you to conform to them.
Sometimes
the editor reserves the right to use the materials in any way, shape,
or form with no time limit. Know what you're agreeing to so you can
avoid a nasty shock later.
Guidelines
are written for a reason and they're expected to be followed. If the
guidelines tell you to submit stories in ASCII, don't send a file
in HTML.
If you're
unsure of something or have a question that isn't answered, then by
all means contact the editor. Don't just assume you're above the rules
or otherwise somehow excluded from them. As the saying goes, ignorance
is no excuse.
Rule
#6--Finish your story.
Some editors make exceptions, but the general consensus is that they
don't want to see incomplete works. The main reason is because they
don't have the time to play nursemaid.
Fanzines
are not filled with good intentions. Too much is at risk to take an
author at his/her word that the story will be done in time. Refer
back to Rule #5 about meeting deadlines. Besides, you wouldn't buy
a car without test driving it first, would you? The same applies to
an editor with submissions. It isn't fair to expect a "yes"
or "no" when there's no "The End" in sight.
Some
editors also steer clear of continuations or serial stories--check
with your editor if this is something you plan to do. The general
rule is that the story must be able to stand on its own and not require
the reader to have read previous installments in order to enjoy the
story.
Rule
#7--Make it perfect...
...or as perfect as you can. Too often a submission is received that
clearly never came near a spell-checker, let alone a beta-reader worthy
of the title. When you send a submission full of grammatical, spelling,
or other errors, this tells the editor that you didn't care enough
to try harder, yet you expect the editor to pick up the slack. Plus
it means more work for the editor. That's not neighborly, and it could
be enough to get rejected if the editor's in a bad mood.
Rule
#8--Respect deadlines.
When you agree to rewrite, illustrate, or help proofread,
you by default agree to take on certain responsibilities. This means
that the editor is now counting on you to keep your word and finish
on time--and if you don't deliver on time, this leaves the editor
with serious and possibly damaging gaps in quantity or quality.
Life
happens. Editors understand this as well as anyone. If you've volunteered
to do something but find yourself unable to follow through, it is
YOUR responsibility to contact the editor ASAP so other arrangements
can be made. Deadlines are not chosen randomly. They are set to ensure
a comfortable cushion of time to do the work and still have a personal
life on the side. By delaying, you not only postpone production, but
you force the editor to use that precious "real life" time.
Again, think of how you would feel if the roles were reversed.
Rule
#9--Why was I rejected?
It's rare that something is rejected from a fanzine,
but it does happen sometimes. The first thing to remember, again,
is to not take it personally. The editor isn't out to bust anyone's
balls or make your life miserable. The editors invest a great deal
of time and money into a zine and want to take pride in their work.
They also have to sell the zine, and they have a certain responsibility
to the buyer. If a buyer is paying upwards of $25 for a book, they
expect a certain level of quality.
Often
things are rejected simply because someone neglected to read the submission
guidelines. Sometimes it's because the editor felt that it didn't
fit in with the tone of the zine (this is more common with character-
or time-specific zines), no matter how good it may be. Sometimes it's
because the author and the editor could not come to an agreement on
edits.
And
yes, sometimes it is because the editor has determined that
the submission is either unfinished or beyond help. This isn't meant
as an insult--it means that it didn't meet the standards of that editor
in question. There are plenty of options available in this situation.
One is to keep working on the piece and try again later. Another option
is to send it to a different fanzine--all editors have different standards
and are looking for different things. The important thing to remember
is to be gracious--nothing is achieved by throwing a tantrum, and
it certainly won't change the editor's mind.
