(AKA: The Dirty Dozen Guidelines)
We encourage any who would like to share their own stories and art with us, to do so. We would welcome the chance to add the works of others to our little corner of the world. The following are guidelines to doing just that: adding your voice and your vision to Second Sanctum.
1. Is my work appropriate to Second Sanctum? If it is in the genre of fantasy fiction, is relatively tasteful (PG-13) and is a work of originality then it is very appropriate.
2. Will I get compensation? No. We are not currently paying for submissions, so I'm afraid the only compensation you will get is exposure and admiration. Take that as you will, for those two things are not worthless by any stretch of the imagination. We are in the business of telling stories, not making money. Of course, if someone wants throw generous donations and grants our way, we won't complain, but let's face it - that's not going to happen. Publishing work here is an unpaid endeavour.
3. Will I be credited? Absolutely. While we can't pay you, we won't rip you off. A serious effort is made to credit each and every entity that has work on this site. Even 'Free Graphic' sites have been credited. And you will always retain sole creative copyright to your work. A submitted piece is considered on loan to us. We are without profit but not without honour.
4. Will my work be edited? Yes. Positively. We will not do so unless absolutely necessary, but your work must conform to certain formats within the site. Yet, we would rather have your work published in its most original state (basic editing conventions aside), than change it into something you never intended. Sections of the site are set up to include pieces independant of the overall storyline (Elba's Eclectic Collection, Vengen's Gallery, etc.). So yes, we will edit your work, but as little as is possible, only in consultation with you and only to fit it into the overall scheme.
5. What if I want my work pulled from the site? Then by God it will be. It's yours - when you want it back, just ask.
6. Will you publish anything and everything sent in? No. Not unless all of it fits within our framework, is of good quality and has an element of uniqueness about it. Your work must enhance the site in some way (not that that's hard at this point), and fit within the scheme. However, we aren't snooty in the least. We want diversity, not conforming similarity. Just show us what you've got. Chances are, we'll use it. Or we'll let you know what we'd prefer changed before we use it.
7. What format is needed for artwork? Preferably an electronic format such as .GIF, .JPG, .BMP or .PSD. However, if you need something scanned and are without that resource yourself, we can help you. And of course, we prefer to keep our graphics to a useful size. Be aware that, in general, the larger the picture, the longer it takes to load; and the longer it takes to load, the less likely someone is to wait around for it to finish. Welcome to the MTV generation of attention span. What was the question?
8. What format is needed for writing? Preferably a mainstream electronic format such as .WPD, .DOC, .TXT or even .HTML. However, if you only have a hard copy to submit, then we can help you. Text isn't as restricted by size as graphics are, so it isn't so much of a concern if your work is large. And if it's just a little ditty, a poem or lymerick, then we love those too.
10. Where is guideline Number 9? On vacation. Don't forget, that we appreciate humour as well, but only if it is tasteful. We don't publish things that are offensive to a particular person or certain kind of people (unless it's about pointy-ear elves, stumpy dwarves, filthy orcs, or humans in general). We respect everyone's right to be a bigot or to be crude, but we also reserve the right to be nicey-nice in contrast. And tell your scraggly bearded, sourpuss, pint-sized, drunken dwarf friend that his momma was an ogre!
11. How do I submit? Contact Rancorr (rancorr.geo@yahoo.com) with a brief description of what you'd like to sumbit, and you will be contacted with further details.
12. Are there other guidelines? Yes, but we think you get the picture. We will respect your right to ownership of all materials, and in return we ask that you respect our right to make whatever changes are necessary to fit your work into our site. Our budget makes a shoestring look like a luxury, but we'll showcase your work for you. And in general, look through the site to get an idea of what we're looking for.
