Publication/Submission Policies & Guidelines (Non-contest)
Menopause Press (MP) actively seeks prose, poetry, and art/photography (sometimes referred to as Items) for publication in the e-zine (unless otherwise noted on the main page). If an author or artist’s work is chosen, the submission and posting of their biographical information indicates they gave their permission for publication according to the policies stated herein. MP reserves the right to make minor edits to accepted works to maintain quality; this includes, but is not limited to, punctuation, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure when appropriate. Sorry, we do not pay for submissions at this time, however, we hope to in the future. (Spread the word about MP and encourage others to donate and enter contests so we can become a paying market.)
Prose Submissions: MP is currently accepting prose submissions. Short stories, any genre or style, excluding flash fiction and children’s stories. Length: 1,000 to 3,500 words. Menopause Press is a site designed for women readers and writers who have a lot of life experience. We want stories written by adults with insight. Female authors are particularly encouraged. Yes, we welcome submissions from men. All submissions must be in English and the original work of the submitting author. Sorry, authors must be over 18 to submit. Please read on to learn more about what we’re seeking (and not seeking) and please follow the submission requirements given below under the heading How to submit.
Infamous Paragraph #2: We want intelligent, insightful fiction with strong female characters–this is non-negotiable. Nix the melodrama. Deny the cliché. Can the hapless victims. Soap operas and their ilk are shunned. All genres will be considered, although you should note that 1) violence for its own sake, 2) blood and guts horror, 3) pornographic or gratuitous sexual content, 4) distasteful or abusive treatment of children/animals/philandering husbands, or 5) anything related to these areas that MP could deem unacceptable shouldn’t even cross our in-box. We’re not looking for stories with shock value. MP seeks strong plots, well-developed characters, and meaningful themes. (Reprints of previously published works are acceptable as long as the author retains the rights to submit and/or reproduce it. If you’re not sure what rights you have, please find out before submitting here.)
Poetry Submissions: MP is currently accepting poetry submissions. Free verse preferred. Thirty-two (32) lines maximum per poem, up to three (3) poems per submission. Please, no minimalist forms, senryu, haiku or similar. We’re looking for poetry that is rich and deep and sings to the spirit of woman. Remember, poetry should touch the soul, carry emotion, and convey the author’s vision to the reader. We want poetry written by adults with insight. Female authors are particularly encouraged. Yes, we welcome submissions from men. Topics are wide open, but like the fiction guidelines above, we don’t want anything gratuitous or shock-value-only. Read the infamous Paragraph #2 above if you’re not sure what this means. All poems must be in English and the original work of the submitting author, who must be 18 or older. Please follow the submission requirements outlined below under the heading How to submit.
Art Submission Details: We don’t have specific guidelines for this right now, except to say, spend some time browsing MP and reading, check the writing guidelines and look over our previous covers and featured art. Get a feel for the site. If you think your art will appeal to us, send us no more than two pieces (jpg format) as email attachments. Be sure you put Art Query in the subject line. We’ll have a look-see and get back to you if we like it.
How to submit: Send it to us via email by clicking here contact@menopausepress.com. Put Fiction Submission or Poetry Submission in the subject line as appropriate. Write a nice (and short) paragraph to stroke our egos and say hello. Copy/paste your writing directly into the body of the email. Be sure each story or poem includes its title and note the word count or line length beneath the title. At the very bottom of the email, include your real name, pen name (if you use one), and a short biography (see our Bio page if you don’t know what we’re looking for). (If/when we accept your submission we will likely ask you to resend the story or poem(s) as an attachment file, but initially we prefer your submission to be in the email body.)
Generally speaking: MP assumes that Items submitted by authors and artists are their original work, that the stated author or artist holds the copyrights, and is free to submit work for potential publication. MP is not responsible for any Item submitted and/or published under false claims of authorship or creation. We cannot check every submission for prior publication, theft of another’s work, or copyright violation. It is up to the individual authors and artists to represent themselves with honesty and integrity; MP trusts that they present only their original work and do so honorably within the requirements of MP’s policies. In the event a reader feels an author or artist has violated this trust, he or she is directed to address the individual author or artist about his or her concern, and to notify MP so we can take whatever action we deem necessary, including but not limited to removal of the material from MP.
Publication rights: Menopause Press reserves one-time digital publication of Items for a minimum of one year. During and/or after that time, Items will also be available in our archives at the site’s discretion. MP will consider removing Items from the archive if the author/artist submits a special written request detailing their need to have the Item removed. Please note that such requests are discouraged prior to one year from MP publication date of the Item. Authors/artists retain copyrights and may reprint, sell, or otherwise disperse their Items by conventional means at any time.
For policies regarding publication of contest winners, please view the individual contest guidelines.
Having patience and getting rejected: We cannot possibly accept every submission that comes our way, so some of you are going to get a No in your reply. It’s just the way the ball bounces, so suck it up ;-). MP makes every effort to read every submission in its entirety and reply to authors in a timely fashion. If you don’t receive a yea or nay after 30 days, please drop us a short email to make sure we received your submission. But don’t hassle us; repeated messages will rub us the wrong way no matter how good you write. If a submission is rejected, the author should wait sixty (60) days before submitting again.
Contest Awards
MP makes every effort to award monetary prizes as shown in contest announcements, however, since prize monies are related to the quantity of entries submitted, authors should note any caveats regarding status of prize monies due to insufficient entries received. Regardless the monetary award’s size, the winners will receive publication on MP and be able to proudly list it among their publication credits. Please see individual contest guidelines for additional information.
MP Privacy, Use, and other Service Policies
Menopause Press (MP) collects basic information from visitors and subscribers, which may or may not include your IP address, Internet service provider, browser used, access and viewing information, and any information shared by you when completing contact and other forms. Rest assured, we will never share your information with any third party individuals or companies. We respect you and keep your information confidential. The data we collect is used strictly for site improvements and enhancements, or to offer services of interest directly related to MP and its affiliates or parent company, Word Edge.
In the event third party advertisers appear on MP (such as Google), you should know Cookies (for tracking data) may be placed on your computer’s hard drive for the purposes of tracking information to provide advertisements for various goods and services related to your tastes and interests as determined by your web browsing habits. To learn more about how these advertisers use your data and protect it, or what your options are concerning it, please visit their Web sites for individual policy and use information.
We also occasionally list or link to other Web sites whose content or services may be of interest to our readers. Please note those sites are solely responsible for setting their own policies, procedures, and services.
Use of the MP website indicates your compliance with the policies stated on this page and in other areas of the site.
Menopause Press is a monthly e-zine published and produced by Word Edge (www.word-edge.com), a business devoted to writing, editing, and providing services to writers and communicators worldwide. If you have any questions about www.MenopausePress.com or www.Word-Edge.com, please contact us at contact(at)menopausepress.com or contact(at)word-edge.com.
