One thing I am certain of is that for the most part those you meet in Second Life are the creative visionary types and the team at Steampunk Adventures exceed that reputation. Not only do they; Kitsuko Pelazi, Gordon Soleil, Stereo Nacht, Dakk McDunnough, Onyx Plutonian and many others who weave in and out of our venture, inspire and motivate me and as a result they have stretched Steampunk Adventures to new adventures.
We started out with a plan to do a nice little online and Second Life magazine that would promote the Steampunk Adventures store in Second Life. But with this team that narrow of a focus would be, in my opinion, a waste of some really great talent.
Before starting the magazine I knew that some of my friends in Second Life were really good writers, had a passion for writing, and would be an asset to the magazine, that is how our new focus started. This change meant that we would expand our vision beyond the boundaries of Second Life, that we would encourage and support new writers who just needed a venue to promote their work, and that we would need to put into place a long term plan for sustaining Steampunk Adventures.
We started to explore all the various avenues to promote what we were doing, what is required of being a full fledged literary magazine, writing competitions, and reorganizing the focus and organization of the magazine. This new focus allowed me to realize that I could achieve a long time goal and that is to publish a book. With the help and collaboration of the people I work with on Steampunk Adventures we can possibly publish an anthology by the end of this year! I have had the good fortune to have been able to put together a team who have been as committed to Steampunk Adventures as I am and who have pushed this magazine forward in spite of the various personal live challenges and changes I have faced over the last six months..I think we are through the worst of those and we can work together to realize this vision. I want to express my special appreciation to Kitsuko Pelazzi and Gordon Soleil for their steady focus and diligent work on Steampunk Adventures.
We are encouraging submissions of participant’s best work in various writing competitions. The winners will see their work published in the anthology and receive a free copy of the anthology. We currently have a writing competition in place in which writers are encouraged to give a Steampunk twist to their favorite Grimm Brothers tale, submissions are due March 1. See the website for complete details: https://steampunkadventuressl.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/steampunk-writing-competition/
For the long term we plan the following:
Complete Guidelines
1. Submit one previously unpublished story of up to 8,000 words or three (3) previously unpublished poems to Steampunk Adventures. Please send each entry separately and clearly mark whether it is a poetry or fiction entry.
Email entries to:
steampunkadventurers@gmail.com
Be sure and use a coversheet with the following information:
Your name/pen name
Name of Story (which should also be on each page of your story/poetry submissions)
How to contact you: at least an email address
Entries will not be accepted until February 1, 2011. Final Deadline for Entries will be July 31, 2011. Submissions will be electronic via email to steampunkadventurers@gmail.com
Winners will be announced in October 2011 and winning entries including honorable mentions and the “best of” staff writing with plans to published in the December/January issue, a chapbook and/or ebook in December/January. This anthology will also include the “Best of” Steampunk Adventures for the year.
Writers associated with the judges or Steampunk Adventures are not eligible to submit work to the contest.
Prizes and categories will be awarded as follows:
First Prize Short Story: 50.00
Second Prize Short story: 35.00
Third Prize Short Story: 15.00
Honorable Mention no dollar prize but possible publication in the anthology.
Poetry:
First Prize Poetry: 50.00
Second Prize Poetry: 35.00
Third Prize Short Poetry: 15.00
Honorable Mention no dollar prize but possible publication in the anthology.
All entries must be the original creation of the submitting author. All rights to the entries must be owned by the author and shall remain the property of the author. The author gives permission to Steampunk Adventures/Cathy Anderson. to publish and display the entry on the Web and/or eBook form if the entry is selected as a winner or finalist. Winners will be contacted within 45 days of the deadline date.
Copyright
Authors retain all rights to their story but grant Steampunk Adventures/Cathy Anderson the right to compile their story into an anthology. Steampunk Adventures is then responsible for the distribution of the anthology. Steampunk Adventures is granted the right to publish the winning stories on its websites and post the names of contest winners as well as the titles to the stories. Author warrants that the story is completely theirs and does not infringe on the rights of any other entity and is responsible for any plagiarism or other unauthorized use.
Simultaneous Submission
Authors may submit stories that have been submitted elsewhere at other times. Author should ensure that their submissions elsewhere will not jeopardize Steampunk Adventures’ right to publish the story in an anthology if it is the winning story. (ensure that other contests also allow the authors to retain full rights to their story and allow simultaneous submission.)
Multiple Submissions
Authors may submit more than one story or poetry submission.
The submissions will be judged by the Steampunk Adventures Team, staff submissions are not allowed to the competition.
For further information on submissions to the magazine please see the Steampunk Adventures Blog:
https://steampunkadventuressl.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/
If you want to learn more about Steampunk and the themes associate with this genre I encourage you to check out the following website: http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1249132-SteamPunk-A-List-of-Themes