GUIDELINES:  AOIFE'S KISS

 

 

Hello, and welcome to the guidelines for Aoife's Kiss.  These guidelines were posted in December 2009, and supersede the original guidelines posted in January 2002 as well as updates to those original guidelines.

 

Before we get started, a couple of helpful points.  First, "Aoife" is pronounced "EE-fah."  It's Irish for "Eve."  Just so you know . . .

 

And second:  at the bottom of these guidelines you will find some advice for writers.  We strongly urge you to READ & HEED this advice.  We turn down 75-80% of the submissions we receive.  Almost all of those rejected submissions violate one or more of the principles in that advice.  Read and heed, folks.

 

Now, then.  Aoife's Kiss is a quarterly magazine, published by Sam's Dot Publishing on the first day of March, June, September, and December.  It is a perfect-bound magazine, 8 1/2 by 11.  The editor is Tyree Campbell. 

 

Note:  Previously Aoife's Kiss was published in both electronic and print versions.  This is no longer the case.  Aoife's Kiss is a print magazine.  A few of the pieces in each issue will also be published online as teasers.

 

Aoife's Kiss publishes short stories, poetry, art/illustrations, and articles [including book and movie reviews] in the following genres:  science fiction, fantasy, and horror.  These genres include several subgenres, among them sword & sorcery, steampunk, paranormal, slipstream, interstitial, and cyberpunk.  The point to remember here is that, for us, if it falls into the Big Three, we want to see it.  We are not overly concerned about specific subgenres.

 

Note:  Generally, we do not publish, and do not even want to see, horror stories in which there is a lot of blood and gore.  Our ideal horror story is spooky.  Put another way, meeting a zombie is not scary; meeting a zombie unexpectedly is scary. 

 

Aoife's Kiss will consider original short stories of any length up to 10,000 words [if your story is longer, please query].  Payment is ¼ cent per word with a minimum of $8.00.  Aoife's Kiss will also consider original flash fiction [less than 1000 words], for which the payment is $4.00 per story.

 

Aoife's Kiss will consider original poetry of up to 100 lines [if your poem is longer, please query].  Payment is $5.00 per poem, with the exception that payment for minimalist forms such as scifaiku, haibun, tanka, fibonacci, etc., conforms to the payment guidelines for Scifaikuest magazine [generally, $1.00 per poem, $2.00 for joined ku and haibum].

 

Note:  If your poem is selected to be the opening poem of the issue, payment is $8.00.  This poem will appear on page 3 or 5, depending on advertising considerations.

 

Note:  Aoife’s Kiss will also consider reprints of short stories or poems, provided these do not exceed the word or line limits.  Payment for reprints is $5 per story and $3 per poem.  Generally, we will publish no more than two reprints per issue.

 

Aoife’s Kiss will consider original color art for the magazine cover.  Payment for the art selected for the cover of the magazine is $20. 

 

Aoife’s Kiss will consider original art in black-and-white for interior art and, on occasion, color art for the back cover.  Payment is $6 per piece. 

 

Aoife's Kiss will consider articles related to science, science fiction, fantasy, horror, sword & sorcery, mythology, folklore, and the history of any of these.  Preferred length is under 2000 words, but that is not firm.  If in doubt, submit it.  Payment is $10.00 for original articles, $3.00 for reprints.  Probably we will publish no more than one outside article in each edition.

 

Aoife's Kiss will consider reviews of movies and books related to the genres we publish.  Preferred length is under 2000 words.  Payment is $7.00 for original reviews; we will not consider reprints.  Probably we will publish no more than one outside review in each edition.

 

All payments will be made upon publication.  Payment includes one contributor's copy of the magazine.

 

Note:  These payments are effective with the March 2010 issue of Aoife's Kiss.  Payments based on pre-existing contracts will be adjusted upwards if necessary to conform to the new payment rates.

 

How to submit your work:

 

For electronic submissions [preferred]:

 

In the upper left corner of the first page of your work, I want to see the name to which you wish the check made out to, the address to which the check is to be mailed, and your e-mail address.  In the upper right hand corner of the first page of your work, I want to see the approximate word count.

 

Ten lines below your e-mail address, and centered in the page, I want to see the title of your work and your byline [note that the name in the byline does not necessarily have to be the name in the upper left hand corner].  Four lines below your name, I want to see the beginning of your work. 

 

Indent paragraphs five full spaces [you may instead use a 0.25" tab].  Double-space the lines.  If you use italics, then use italics.  However, if you submit in plain text format, use asterisks * before and after words and phrases to denote italics.  Please use Times New Roman or Courier New font, preferably 12point.

 

Submit your work as an RTF or Word attachment, or pasted as text in the body of the e-mail.  In the subject line of your e-mail, put Submission Aoife - and the title of your work in the subject line.

 

Submit your art as a JPEG attachment.  Type Art Aoife - and the title of your piece in the subject line. 

 

Submit your poem as text pasted into the body of the e-mail.  If you desire italics for words and phrases, place an asterisk * before and after the words to be italicized.

 

In your e-mail, say hello, and provide your contact information.  This is the same information that appears in the upper left corner of the first page of your submission.  If your submission is accepted, I will request a bio and send you a contract.

 

Send your e-mail submission to:  aoifeskissNOSPAM at yahoo.com.  You'll have to remove the NOSPAM and replace at with @.

 

B.  For snail-mail submissions [tolerated]:

 

Follow the electronic submissions format.  Additionally, identify and number each page of your work.  At the top of each page, in a header, I want to see your name, a word from the title of your work, and a sequential number.  For example:  Campbell - Shash, p.475.  Paperclip your story in the upper left corner.  Be sure to include a #10 [that’s business-size] SASE with your submission.  Please submit disposable manuscripts.  Please print your manuscript in Times New Roman or Courier New font, 12-point.

 

If we accept your snailmail submission, you will be asked to supply an electronic version.

 

Send your snail-mail submission to: 

Tyree Campbell

P.O. Box 782

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52406-0782

 

Final Note:  If you have questions about any of this, e-mail me at tyr3403 at yahoo dot com.  You'll have to adjust this address, of course. 

 

Aoife's Kiss makes every effort to respond within 2 months.  Please do not query until after 3 months.

 

Other helpful advice: 

 

If you want your work to be published in Aoife's Kiss, please pay close attention to the advice below. 

 

1.  Do proofread your work, and eliminate mistakes of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax.

 

2.  Do practice word management.  Use the right word, and only as many words as necessary. 

 

3.  Plot does matter.  Without a plot, a story is history--in more ways than one.  A plot, simply put, is the answer to the question:  How do I get from the conflict to the resolution?  Answer that question before you write the story, and let the answer guide your pen/keyboard/magic marker.

 

4.  Do make your characters live through your words, for characters carry your story.  A good story is not about an event or a circumstance or a moral question, but about how your protagonists and antagonists respond to the stimuli of the event or circumstance or moral question.  In a proper story, your protagonist will change in some way as a result of the circumstances or events.  If your protagonist does not change, you have not written a story.

 

a.  Corollary:  we receive a lot of submissions in which someone is abused as a child and therefore misbehaves as an adult.  This sort of blaming is reductionist and not very useful.  We as humans have and make choices, regardless of our traumas.  We want stories with an eye to the future, not to the past.  In other words, humans are complex, and should not be limited by reductionist motivations.

 

5.  Do NOT preach.  If you absolutely must make a moral point, or a statement about the state of society, politics, or religion, do so with a subtle velvet hammer...or compose an essay.  Yes, I agree, the world is in a sorry state...so what else is new?  Send me a story, not a sermon.

 

6.  I do not object to colorful language....IF it has a purpose in the story.  You cannot shock me...I was an Army sergeant.  But you can annoy me with unnecessary florid language.

 

7.  Do NOT send simultaneous submissions.  Do NOT send multiple submissions.  One submission at a time, please.

 

8.  DO tell me if your submission has been published previously, and where and when, so that I may accredit the proper sites.

 

9.  Set off direct address with commas.  Thus, "Hello, Harry, how are you?"  "Harry" is used in direct address, and therefore is set off by commas.  Put another way, there is a huge difference between "Let's eat, grandmother," and "Let's eat grandmother."  Commas are important.  Editors do not have time to insert them into direct address for you.  That's your job.