A Glimpse at the Future?

So here I am, one day before the publication date of Issue 9, and I have no editorial prepared. Six stories are teed up in MS Word, ready to be converted over to web pages by Adobe Dreamweaver. There are poems and articles too, but no editorial.

Hmmm. Check the coffee pot for inspiration. Let the dogs out. Open email. And there it was, something to write about.

In this case, an email had arrived from our submission management system, SilverBlade.SubMishMash.com (SMM, for short). A writer had withdrawn a story. The reason? It was an early draft, and he wanted to put his best version forward. Just a few minor tweaks.

Think about that for a second. Is that cool, or what?

We’ve always been pretty casual about submission processing. Silver Pen publishes this magazine because we collectively love fantasy and science fiction. We want to give authors in these genres an outlet, and to provide a meaningful experience, even if their story doesn’t get published by us. Convenience is requirement. I don’t know about you, but absolutely rigid submission requirements like “only one sub per year” bug me. Authors should feel welcome to send updates, or pull their stories if they wish. These are their stories; their creations.

The stories and poems that arrive at Silver Blade have several sets of eyes laid upon them before keep/release decisions are made. SMM makes that review process as simple and convenient for us as it does for the authors. Our reviewers make a point of stating where stories may be improved. They speak their mind, in hopes that the input will eventually help a work get published. That’s the jist: we’re happy to help you get published anywhere, not just our magazine. Systems like SMM are key to this. SMM is robust and it is always improving. People can now submit streaming stories, music, video and pictures to publications using it.

And it is free.

That’s right, this submission system that allows authors a great deal of control over their works; that allows for easy review and feedback; that has a focus on futuristic trends in publishing, is 100% free. Several hundred publication outlets are using SMM now, and the number is growing.

Spread the Word.

Silver Blade is an all-volunteer effort. Leveraging systems like SMM helps us stretch our volunteer time quite productively. That said, we are ALWAYS seeking more volunteers. Do you have a specialty we can use? Are you between jobs and seeking additional skills? Imagine being a proofreader, instructor, editor, finance specialist, web designer, or grant writer for an IRS recognized 501(c)3 charity.

Silver Pen is dedicated to helping creative writers perfect their craft and become successful. We are an organization of writers working for writers. If you are interested in contributing actively, whether through time or funding, please take a moment to look at www.silverpen.org.

Writers of all experience levels are invited to join our private workshop as well. Please send a message to karl at silverpen.org if you are interested in volunteering or workshoping. We welcome your involvement and delight in your readership.

Best Regards,

Karl D. Rademacher

President and Trustee, Silver Pen Inc.