Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Worlds

[Therin of Andor]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

I understand some of the legal reasons. But to celebrate diversity the way the Trek universe has, maybe the extra effort would give all of Earth a chance at adding to Trek lore.

I had a chance to talk to some Simon & Schuster (Australia) staff when SNW was still running and, one year, Simon & Schuster (UK) actually did some number crunching to run a similar contest for UK residents (only), but they could not make the competition viable, so S&S (Aust.) shied away, too.

It's very complicated to run an international competition with cash prizes. Prohibitively complicated.

 

[Bibliomike]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Yeah - it stinks for non-U.S. fans, no doubt about it. I would be incredibly disappointed were I in that position. But as Idran says, it's about the money. I am guessing that is why the new SNW volume will be a "digital first" publication - unless it sells really well, I am guessing it won't make the leap to print. Could be wrong, but that's my guess.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Profitably? Because Trek or no, this is to create a product to be sold, and S&S wouldn't do it if they lost money on it.

Well, they did lose money on the old contest, yet they kept it running for a decade anyway. Still, that's more than we had any right to expect from them. It must've been really popular for them to keep it around despite the cost, and to bring it back at all.

 

[rahullak]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

I understand some of the legal reasons. But to celebrate diversity the way the Trek universe has, maybe the extra effort would give all of Earth a chance at adding to Trek lore.

I had a chance to talk to some Simon & Schuster (Australia) staff when SNW was still running and, one year, Simon & Schuster (UK) actually did some number crunching to run a similar contest for UK residents (only), but they could not make the competition viable, so S&S (Aust.) shied away, too.

It's very complicated to run an international competition with cash prizes. Prohibitively complicated.

I see. Well, I hope this changes some time in my lifetime.

 

[vegaslover62]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

On the new contest rules, right under the requirement to put Strange New Worlds - [Title] - [Author name] as the file's name, it then says Format/Content/Subject Matter of Entries.
Any idea what the definitions of those last bits are? And where are we supposed to put them?

 

[Bibliomike]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

On the new contest rules, right under the requirement to put Strange New Worlds - [Title] - [Author name] as the file's name, it then says Format/Content/Subject Matter of Entries.
Any idea what the definitions of those last bits are? And where are we supposed to put them?

I think they have just formatted the rules page poorly at that point... "Format/Content/Subject Matter of Entries" is (again, I think) a heading, similar to "Required Submission Information" above. Make sense?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

This is interesting -- Dean Wesley Smith, who edited the first ten volumes, considers the new SNW a publishing scam, and he advises writers not to submit to it.

 

[Idran]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

As someone that doesn't really know much about S&S beyond Pocket Books: what is Archway, and why are DWS and the people in his comments so wary about the fact that the contest is pointing people towards it and offering publication under that banner?

 

[Steve Roby]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Anyone with the least bit of interest in writing needs to know about Writer Beware.

http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/2012/11/archway-publishing-simon-schuster-adds.html

 

[Idran]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Well.

Man, ASI sounds super-scummy, and this is extremely disappointing that SNW is wrapped up in this now. Thanks for the link, Steve; it's a shame to see Dayton so directly involved in something as questionable-looking as this, then.

 

[Bibliomike]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Well.

Man, ASI sounds super-scummy, and this is extremely disappointing that SNW is wrapped up in this now. Thanks for the link, Steve; it's a shame to see Dayton so directly involved in something as questionable-looking as this, then.

I am not Dayton, but if you mean Dayton Ward, he went to great lengths at his blog to point out that he is not involved with the contest at all (his bolding below):

I’m happy to answer questions (assuming I have those answers, obviously), but let me state for the record that I am in no way affiliated with the contest and do not speak for Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster, CBS, or anyone associated with the contest. As such, I’m really not interested in discussing why the rules are what they are, or how someone might think they suck for this or that reason. So, you know…FYI, and all that.

--http://daytonward.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/the-return-of-star-trek-strange-new-worlds/

 

[Idran]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Oh, my bad, I completely missed that disclaimer. My apologies for that, then.

 

[Thrawn]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Ugh. That's so gross. I'm upset that this contest has anything to do with ASI.

The whole thing seems weird to me anyway - you either actually get your story published, or you get to publish something else on their vanity platform? That's a weird dichotomy of prizes. I bet the 10 winners are going to get eagerly contacted by ASI as well.

So gross. I almost want to complain. I know this isn't a money maker anyway - perhaps Trek editorial staff hates ASI too but needed to include them in order for this to happen? - but this still seems underhanded.

 

[Overgeeked]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Ugh. That's so gross. I'm upset that this contest has anything to do with ASI.

The whole thing seems weird to me anyway - you either actually get your story published, or you get to publish something else on their vanity platform? That's a weird dichotomy of prizes. I bet the 10 winners are going to get eagerly contacted by ASI as well.

So gross. I almost want to complain. I know this isn't a money maker anyway - perhaps Trek editorial staff hates ASI too but needed to include them in order for this to happen? - but this still seems underhanded.

More likely they're going to contact everyone that submits an entry with this great, once in a lifetime opportunity to get their stuff published through their vanity press.

 

[Bibliomike]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

I believe all 12 stories get the contract for the digital-first (likely digital only?) SNW anthology; StarTrek.com says, "Additionally, the two first prize winners will receive a free self-publishing package from Archway Publishing." --- http://www.startrek.com/article/strange-new-worlds-fan-fiction-contest-returns-for-2016

The official rules don't make it that clear (just as they don't make a definition of "nonprofessional writer" clear), but it would be odd if getting paid for your "Star Trek" story and seeing it in professionally licensed digital print were some kind of runner-up prize (although I hear "First Prize" as less than "Grand Prize," but the rules seem to be using those two terms the exact opposite way).

It is still the only market where non-professional writers can get paid for a Star Trek story. I can't imagine one would be forced to use the first prize.

 

[vegaslover62]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

I think they have just formatted the rules page poorly at that point... "Format/Content/Subject Matter of Entries" is (again, I think) a heading, similar to "Required Submission Information" above. Make sense?

Thank you, but now you'll have to define "header." Does that info have to appear on every page? I don't think I can keep "content" and "subject matter" to one line, depending on what they even mean by it. And what does "Format" mean? Wouldn't the .doc be obvious in the file name?

 

[Bibliomike]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

I meant "heading" on the website, not heading in your manuscript.

Basically - I am only making an educated guess here - I think the rules page on the website should look like this:

How to Enter: During the Submission Period, go to http://startrekbooks.com (the "Contest Website") and follow the instructions to register for the Contest. You must complete the entry form by uploading all of the required entry submission information set forth below, agree to these Rules, and click on the "Submit/Enter" button before 11:59 pm ET on January 15, 2016. Limit one entry per person.

Required Submission Information:
Contact Information (Name/Address/Phone Number/Email Address). All Entrants must have a valid email address.
Entries must be submitted in electronic form and the file name must include the author's name and the title of the story formatted as follows: Strange New Worlds Contest-[Author Name]-[Story Title].

Format/Content/Subject Matter of Entries
The Submission must be an original story based on the established Star Trek universe and or characters from the following Television series or Motion Pictures:
Television
The Original Series, Seasons 1-3
The Next Generation, Seasons 1-7 .... etc
​

Does that make sense? The line you originally asked about -- "Format/Content/Subject Matter of Entries" -- is a heading on the website equivalent to "Required Submission Information" (I think). What you put on the file is (let's say) "Strange New Worlds Contest-Michael S. Poteet-"The First Law of Metaphysics." <g>

I really think the confusion is just due to poor formatting on the website.

It's too bad there is not a contact given for clarification questions.

 

[JD]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

Wow, I'd never heard of Archway Publishing, it is a shame to see SNW associated with that.
I'm kind of confused by the idea of paying a company thousands of US$$ to get a book published. Doesn't the author usually get paid when their story is published?

 

[vegaslover62]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

The line you originally asked about -- "Format/Content/Subject Matter of Entries" -- is a heading on the website equivalent to "Required Submission Information" (I think). What you put on the file is (let's say) "Strange New Worlds Contest-Michael S. Poteet-"The First Law of Metaphysics." <g>

I know about all that, I'm just wondering if my file itself also needs to have "Microsoft Word/ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine/ Takes place in an alternate timeline, Features Q, but does not revolve around Q" next to the title and writer information(Windows does not allow colons or backslashes in its file names) or if all that needs to be on the top of every page.

It's too bad there is not a contact given for clarification questions.

Exactly.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Re: Free Star Trek eBook by S&S (US only) and return of Strange New Wo

I know about all that, I'm just wondering if my file itself also needs to have "Microsoft Word/ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine/ Takes place in an alternate timeline, Features Q, but does not revolve around Q" next to the title and writer information(Windows does not allow colons or backslashes in its file names) or if all that needs to be on the top of every page.

I would say no, you don't need that level of detail splashed all over your manuscript.

Submit your story in the standard manuscript format (Writer's Digest explains it) and you should be fine.