Writers’ Guidelines for “Still Crazy…” 
  • All submissions must be done via the online Submissions Manager.
    Registration for the Submissions Manager is at http://www.crazylitmag.com/app/subm_reg.php
    The Login for the Submissions Manager is at http://www.crazylitmag.com/app/subm_login.php
  • Register with the Submissions Manager with your name, address, and a short bio (give age, or simply “over 50”; publications) and choose a user name and password. Then, follow these steps: 1) Give the title of your work; 2) Select the appropriate genre (poetry, short story, non-fiction); 3) Select your file. The easiest way to do this is to browse your files. For example, go to your “C” drive, select “My Documents,” then the folder, then the file containing your work (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\My Documents\My Poetry\name of poem). Click on the name of the file to upload it.
  • Format and Length:
    • Poems 30 lines
    • Short stories 3000 words; double-spaced. (Stories of less than 2500 words are more likely to be accepted.)
    • Non-fiction 1,500 words; double-spaced
  • Please submit no more than five poems and/or two stories or essays per year.
  • Contributors receive one free copy of the print magazine.
  • Simultaneous submissions accepted, but please notify immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publication.
  • Previously published manuscripts sometimes considered. Author must make it known if a piece has been previously published. Prefer materials not previously published. Previously published means both online and paper magazine format.
  • Short story submissions:
    • Interesting characters in interesting situations
    • General preference for a sparse style over a wordy style (but, of course, there could be exceptions)
    • If a story is about romance, the story and writing style should involve unexpected or unpredictable elements. Generally, the editor does not want romances.
    • Take care with grammar and the mechanical aspects of your manuscript.
  • Poetry
    • Prefer free verse to rhymed poetry
    • Preference for poetry that tells a story. In a poem, of course, the story is brief, elliptical, and told with interesting images.
    • Nothing extremely experimental (though always open to fresh approaches).
    • Nothing too sentimental, e.g. Hallmark sentimentality
  • Non-fiction
    • Memoirs
    • Articles that illustrate George Eliot’s quote: ”You’re never too old to be what you might have been.”
    • Articles about unusual interests or activities told in a winning style.

NOTE: Elaboration on guidelines can be found in Editor’s Blog entries at http://blog.crazylitmag.com/