Yep, a little delay
Turns out there’s a TOS and review statement I want to create. The next issue of Whispering Spirits Digital Magazine will be delayed for a week or two while I make these reports and a few other changes to the magazine sites.
But at least all that I thought I would need and do fits within the guidelines.
Too bad they didn’t have them go into effect January 1st. I couldn’t work on them until now and would have been ahead of schedule instead.
Magazine Update
It is time for the next Whispering Spirits Digital Magazine issue to be posted. It MAY be up tonight, but keep watch here…I may alter those plans.
Today, I’m working on all my websites and going through the new FTC guidelines with as much detail as I can. The government is cracking down on untrustworthy businesses online and I’m making sure I meet the guidelines everywhere.
If I come up with a troubled area, I MAY postpone the issue by a week or two. I believe my added disclaimers will be enough for the magazines themselves, but my name is hooked to many other areas and I am being paranoid about this. I do not want to risk missing something and losing the magazines as a secondary action.
Probably will never happen, especially since the FTC has stated that they will give anyone found in violation a chance to correct any issues before action is taken. But I am being very cautious anyway.
I will post here later tonight on whether the next issue is available or if I’ve put it on hold to fix another area.
Stories and Poems are chosen
The stories and poems for both issue 20 and 21 have been chosen. All authors and poets should have their notifications from me now. The email kept acting goofy so some have a repeat notification that we can’t use their piece and hopefully not many were missed…hopefully none.
If you submitted story that we were keeping, but haven’t heard from us, your story did not place. You SHOULD have a notice, but some emails refused to go through. If you submit to us, our email should already be approved by your service. I will not apply to be approved.
For poets…I’m still waiting for three to respond to my acceptance notification of your poem. If your initials are CA, MM, or AE, check for an email from me. If you do not see an acceptance, please query me at whisperingspirits@gmail.com
The yahoo accounts are not being used after this. Placing writers will hear from me at the gmail address and we will continue getting the issues ready from there.
I’ve had a few snide replies to my form rejections. I’m really, really sorry. I had to make the notices generic so I could quickly notify all who submitted. Things are really hectic and I’m short on time. I did not want to leave anyone hanging.
If you query in the next 10 – 15 days, please be patient. Daughter’s wedding next weekend and we have 12 family members coming in for it and staying for 10 days.
Thanks to all who submitted. I know I say that it’s always a wonderful challenge because of all the great writing that comes in. This time, you really challenged us. Both poets and authors. We narrowed each section down to the final 15 and then struggled to find the few we could publish. Wish I could have published them all!
Final Readings…
We have plenty of submissions for both the November Issue and for the April, 2010 Issue. Website will be updated before end of the year with guidelines for the June, 2010 Flash Fiction Contest. It will be open to submissions for a longer than normal period, since we’re an issue ahead…from January to April, 2010.
We are currently in the final rounds of readings for the stories for Issues 20 and 21. All authors should get their notifications by the end of next week on the status of their stories.
The poetry submissions have been chosen and those poets should get notifications on their poems over this weekend.
There have been a number of plagiarized materials out on the internet lately. All placing submissions with our magazines will undergo an internet search to make sure the piece belongs to the person who sent it in before officially accepting it. We do not support the stealing of other people’s creations.
Review Disclaimers
Because FTC chooses to set guidelines that target book reviewers on their blogs and social sites…and I’m sure within the websites themselves…our websites will start having disclaimers on any book reviews published from October 2009 onward.
The disclaimers will state what always has been and always will be the truth…how we acquired the book we’re reviewing and that our reviews are our honest opinions with no favoritism. We have never guaranteed a good review to anyone, and never will. If the book sucks, and we choose to publish the review, we’ll state that it sucks.
The new guidelines also target hyperlinks to the book’s sales page. I am going to keep linking to whatever I need to for the book review, be it the author’s website or the book’s sales page. I might have to state below the link (not an affiliate link) or (this is an affiliate link)…whichever the case may be.
You may read about the new guidelines here:
http://www.edrants.com/interview-with-the-ftcs-richard-cleland/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10368064-36.html#
You may also follow a discussion on Ellen Datlow’s livejournal here:
Note on Disclaimers…
In the future our magazine will carry two disclaimers on the submission guideline pages.
One will deal with how we will not guarantee that if your story wins publication, which place it wins within the magazine’s contest or what order it will appear in the magazine itself. It will further state that by entering your submission, you’re agreeing to our offer as it’s stated and understand your story may place lower than what you would like. (It’ll have better wording for the official version.)
The other disclaimer will publicly declare that we DO NOT support plagiarism and we will take what measures we can to make sure we are not publishing authors doing so. Probably along the lines of using google to make sure no one else has the story before announcing winners, and making sure that payments go out after publication to allow people to give us notices.
We did have one a long time ago…that person is on our “do not publish” list now. It was found out long after we published the person’s works, and that person did not have any plagiarized material published with us, as far as we were able to tell. I am friends with other editors and we do share reports and names.
I’ve been very loose and open with checking stories and poetry in our magazine, but it seems that dishonest people have been appearing more and more. From now on we have to take measures to protect our readers and authors.
Perhaps I need a security officer position too…
Whispering Spirits Digital Magazine Online!
Last night, I was able to get the next issue of Whispering Spirits Digital Magazine online. Now the great pdf for the Revival Flash Fiction edition is available for download. We have a great line up for this issue.
Two stories from the great story teller, Bruce Golden, who is the grand prize winner with his Four Horsemen tale “Waiting for Grim”.
A spooky jail cell story by Desmond Warzel.
A touching piece by Maureen Wilkinson.
And a cool character meeting her fate piece by J. Troy Seate.
Additionally, we have two author interviews and three book reviews in the pdf download.
We’re going to wrap up the reading period for the next two issues in the next thirty days.
Whispering Dragons DM Issue is Online!
Finally! I have the first issue of Whispering Dragons Digital Magazine online now.
http://whisperingdragons.dragynspice.com/index.html
Some inside pages still need working on…and I do want to change the design…just can’t make up my mind to what yet. Will get to those as soon as possible.
Hand is better, just thumb out of commission for a few days…so I’m going to rest it for a few moments and get Whispering Spirits DM online also.
Better take that break…cat is demanding food and dog wants to go outside.
Accident
I am working on the mags. I’m going it alone right now but it will take some time. Just had kitchen accident and I’m down to one hand for a few days.
Whispering Dragons D.M. Winners
Grand prize winner of $50 and publication was sent in by Lori T. Strongin. Her story, Beware the Jabberwock, is a dark fantasy retelling of a famous scene from the novel Alice Through the Looking Glass.
Second place winner of $10 and publication was sent in by Bruce Golden. His story, In Case of Dragon…, is a medieval comedy that is so reminiscent of how things still work in certain circles during this age and time.
Third place winner of $10 and publication was sent in by James Hartley. His story, The Expedition, is a delightful rendition of how interstellar travel isn’t always that easy, even when you have the proper spaceships.
Fourth place winner of publication was sent in by J.P. Wickwire. Her story, The Boy He Used To Be, is a wonderful medieval tale of growth and human bonding through life’s changes.
Fifth place winner of publication was sent in by Ahmed A. Khan. His story, Point, Counterpoint, speaks to those of us who struggle with our own revisions and knowing what to cut out, and just how far to go.
Thank you to all who sent in submissions. All authors should have received their official notices by now. The stories were wonderful and it made our jobs delightfully difficult. We found ourselves wishing we could have published so many more.
I am designing the magazine today and hope to get it posted today also. I am waiting on one edit pass by the editor in charge and then we’re set.
