GUIDELINES:  BEYOND CENTAURI

 

 

Hello, and welcome to the guidelines for Beyond Centauri.  These guidelines were posted in December 2009, and supersede the original guidelines posted in 2003 as well as updates to those original guidelines.

 

Beyond Centauri is a quarterly magazine of science fiction and fantasy for younger readers--for the next generation [ages 10 and up].  It is published by Sam's Dot Publishing on the first day of January, April, July, and October.  It is a perfect-bound magazine, 8 1/2 by 11.  The editor is Tyree Campbell.  The name of the magazine was inspired by a planned anthology by James B. Baker [who founded ProMart Publishing, the direct ancestor of Sam's Dot], which he called "By Drone to Alpha Centauri."

 

Beyond Centauri publishes short stories, poetry, art/illustrations, and articles [including book and movie reviews] in the following genres:  science fiction, fantasy, and eww-gross [bugs, slimy things, creepy campfire tales].  Our writers include adults and younger writers.

 

It is our intent at Sam's Dot to nurture imagination and creativity in the next generation.  From a practical standpoint, the next generation is the readership of the future [writing is nice, but we have to have readers].  From an even more practical standpoint, if we are to be a spacefaring species, we have to open and keep open the dream of exploration, be it in space, or within ourselves.  Beyond Centauri will not fulfill that purpose, nor is it intended to fulfill it.  What it will do, is serve as an aid...as a vitamin tablet, if you will, to the imagination of the younger readership. 

 

First, a couple of caveats:

 

Beyond Centauri, like its online kin, Spaceports & Spidersilk, does NOT publish bad, foul, obscene, or otherwise "adult" language.  "Drat" is about as vehement as we will tolerate in the magazine.  Material containing objectionable language will be deleted immediately...no, I'm not going to tell you what the words are.  If you know what they are, you know what to avoid.  If you don't know what they are, there's no chance you'll use them.  Either way, surely you can write a good story or poem without using them.

 

Beyond Centauri, like its online kin, Spaceports & Spidersilk, does NOT publish "adult" material, situations, or topics.  You know what they are.  You can see them in almost any "prime time" or "family viewing hour" on television.  We're not interested.  We want science fiction and fantasy stories and poems and art that depict adventures, explorations, problem-solving, working together, bravery, courage, dragons, thinking, dreaming, independence, curiosity, compassion...all the qualities that make us human and make us explorers, of everything from ourselves to the Cosmos.  Okay, yes, you can have a bit of romance.  But at most, your characters can kiss and/or or hold hands, and that's all.  We don't publish that other stuff in Beyond Centauri.

 

Okay...'nuff said on that. 

 

And now...ta-dah!...here's what we want.

 

STORIES:  loose maximum of 2500 words.  We'd like it themed to science fiction or fantasy, but will consider ewww-gross.  Science fiction and especially stories that take place in outer space will find great favor with us.  If in doubt, send it in.  You may submit it in the body of the e-mail, or as an RTF attachment.  Please be sure to give us your name and your mailing address [you do want money for this, right?].  Payment is $6.00 per story [$3.00 for reprints], and $2.00 for flash fiction [under 1000 words], paid on publication, plus one contributor's copy.  Here's where you send the story... beyondcentauriNOSPAM at yahoo.com.  You must remove the NOSPAM and replace the at with @ for this address to work.

 

POEMS:  loose maximum of 50 lines.  Again, we would like it themed to science fiction, fantasy, or ewww-gross.  If in doubt, send it in.  Poetry should be submitted in the body of the e-mail.  Please be sure to give us your name and your mailing address [you want money for this, too, right?].  Payment is $2.00 per poem [$1.00 for reprints], and $1.00 for scifaiku and related forms, paid on publication, plus one contributor's copy.  Here's where you send the poem...  beyondcentauriNOSPAM at yahoo.com.  You must remove the NOSPAM and replace the at with @ for this address to work.

 

[A cautionary word about the ewww-gross genre:  yes, we publish it.  But fantasy or science fiction is preferable].

 

ART:  Beyond Centauri will consider original color art for the magazine cover.  Payment for the art selected for the cover of the magazine is $20.  Beyond Centauri will consider original art in black-and-white for interior art.  Payment is $6 per piece.  And here is where you send the art...beyondcentauriNOSPAM at yahoo.com.  You must remove the NOSPAM and replace the at with @ for this address to work.

 

ARTICLES:  Beyond Centauri will also consider short articles about space exploration, science, technology...even opinion pieces and movie and book reviews.  We'd like these at less than 1500 words, please.  Payment is not much--$7.00 per piece, plus a contributor's copy.  But if you have something to tell us, or an opinion to express, we'd like to see it.  Send it in the body of the e-mail or as an RTF attachment, and be sure to include your name and mailing address [you know why by now].  Here's where you send it:  beyondcentauriNOSPAM at yahoo.com.  You must remove the NOSPAM and replace the at with @ for this address to work.

 

Each contributor also receives one contributor's copy of the edition in which her/his work appears.

 

We're going to try to keep our response times down to 2 months, 3 at most.  If you have any questions, or just feel like writing a query letter, please address it to me at tyr3403 at yahoo dot com [you have to combine this address for it to work], and I'll respond as quickly as possible.