Ongoing Submissions: Constraint 280

Payment: $2.80
Theme: Narrative fiction in 280 characters or less

Constraint 280 is a venue for narrative speculative work up to 280 characters long. This usually means microfiction and poetry, but things like Twitter bots that generate tweets are also welcome. Experimental and interactive forms are very much welcome. Code may exceed 280 characters if the printed output is 280 characters or under.

Terms

• Multiple submissions OK
• Simultaneous submissions OK
• Reprints OK
• Translations OK with documented permission of original author
• Untranslated submissions in Spanish and Chinese OK. If accepted, S. Qiouyi Lu will provide an English translation for your piece.
  • Se puede enviarnos obras en español. Si publicamos su obra, S. Qiouyi Lu la traducirá al inglés.
  • 我們歡迎繁體和簡體中文的作品。如果我們出版您的作品，陸秋逸會替您翻譯成英文版。
  • 我们欢迎繁体和简体中文的作品。如果我们出版您的作品，陆秋逸会替您翻译成英文版。

How to Submit

Please send your work to [email protected] with the subject line “[Octavos] TITLE OF WORK by AUTHOR NAME” or “[Constraint 280] AUTHOR NAME” as appropriate. Please paste your work into the body of your email—no attachments! If you need to withdraw your piece for whatever reason, just reply to your original email and let us know.

We aim to reply to all submissions within 14 days. Please query if you haven’t heard back from us in 35 days.

Payment

Payment for work accepted for Constraint 280 is a flat 2.80 USD/piece.

Sample Contract

If your piece is accepted, you will receive a contract like the sample one below outlining the rights you will be licensing to microverses. Basically, you will be granting us the non-exclusive right to display your work on our site. We’re happy to answer any questions and make changes to the contract as well.

This Agreement made between microverses, and its successors and assigns, hereinafter referred to as the Publisher, and [author name], hereinafter referred to as the Author.

The parties agree as follows:

(1) The Work. This Agreement pertains solely to the Author’s textual work titled “[Story Title].”

(2) Limitations On Scope Of Grant.  

(i) This Agreement is not a transfer of the copyright to the Work.

(ii) All rights not expressly granted by the Author reside exclusively with the Author.  Any rights that may be developed in the future shall reside with the Author.

(3) Electronic Rights. The Author grants non-exclusive electronic rights to the Publisher to include the Work in the Magazine, for publication in the English language [and Spanish or Chinese if applicable] on or before [the date by which first publication must occur.]

For the avoidance of doubt, the rights granted to the Publisher under this paragraph are rights only to the publication or dissemination of an electronic replica of the Work as it is incorporated in the Magazine website, and not to any other publication, dissemination or use of the Work.

The Author may terminate the grant of non-exclusive electronic rights and ask the Publisher to remove the Work from the magazine’s website, archives, electronic back issues, bundles, or any other electronic format, and the Publisher agrees that it will comply within 30 days of such request. 

(4) (a) For the rights granted to the Publisher in this Agreement, the Publisher shall pay the Author the sum of [payment amount], no later than 60 days after receipt by the Publisher of this agreement executed by the Author.  If payment is not received as required by this paragraph, all rights granted hereunder shall immediately revert to the Author.

(b) Payment shall be made by PayPal or by another means agreed to by the Author.

Any fees, charges, or commissions required because of use of electronic means of payment shall be paid by the Publisher.

(5) If the Publisher fails to publish the Work by [the date by which first publication must be made], all rights granted hereunder shall immediately revert to the Author. In such event, the Author shall retain any payments made under this Agreement prior to such reversion.

(6) Arising under and terminating with the grant of rights to the Work in this Agreement, the Author grants Publisher the right to use the Author’s name and biographical material for all advertising, promotion and other use of the Work. Upon request, the Author shall provide the Publisher with appropriate biographical material for such use. The Publisher shall use only the Author’s name and biographical material provided and approved by the Author.

(7) The Author warrants that, as of the date of executing this agreement, the Author is the sole author of the Work; that the Author is the owner of all the rights granted to the Publisher hereunder and has full power to enter into this agreement and to make the grants herein contained; that the Work is original and any prior publication of the Work in whole or in part has been fully disclosed to the Publisher; and that to the best of the Author’s knowledge the Work does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other proprietary or personal right of any person, firm, or corporation.

(8) The Publisher will make no alterations to the Work’s text or title without the Author’s written approval in email or hardcopy. The Author will be provided with the Publisher’s proposed version of the work prior to publication and given sufficient time to review text. The Publisher reserves the right to make minor copyediting changes to conform the style of the text to its customary form and usage.

(9) The Publisher agrees to list a proper copyright notice for the Work in the name of the Author at the end of the Web-published story.

(10) The Author will be credited at the beginning of the story as [author’s byline].

(11) The Publisher shall not make the Work available to any distributor, catalogue, service, or computer program which alters the text of the work or the display of the work, beyond typographic or formatting changes that do not affect the meaning of the work, or facilitate such changes—including but not limited to removing or changing profanity—without written permission of the Author.

(12) Regardless of its place of execution, this agreement shall be interpreted under the laws of the State of California.

(13) Successors and Assigns. Publisher may not assign or in any way transfer this contract or the rights granted by it to another person or entity without the written permission of Author.

(14) Amendment. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties, and supersedes all prior writings or oral agreements. This Agreement may be amended, only by a written agreement clearly setting forth the amendments and signed by both parties.

(15) Void Provision. If any term or condition of this Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unlawful or otherwise unenforceable, the parties agree that such term or condition shall be reformed as nearly as may be possible to carry forth the intentions of the parties and that such illegality, unlawfulness, or unenforceability shall not act to void any other term or condition of this Agreement nor to void the Agreement as a whole.

(16) The parties acknowledge that each party has read and understood this contract before execution.

In witness whereof the parties have executed this contract in duplication originals on this DD day of [full name of month], YYYY.

[Author’s signature] [Date]
[Publisher’s signature] [Date]

Via: Microverses.