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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Submitting work:
Will you accept previously published or exhibited materials?
Yes -- as long as exclusive publishing rights were not given to another publisher and the publications are cited in your submission materials.
I have never published or shown my work before. Can I still submit it?
Yes -- we welcome both first-time submitters and those who have been previously published.
If my work is accepted for publication, can I submit it elsewhere?
Yes; Evolving Editions seeks only non-exclusive rights to all the creative works it will publish within the Illuminations collection. You are therefore still free to publish them in other formats or with other publishers who also request non-exclusive publishing rights.
If you publish my work in Illuminations, will I be credited?
Absolutely and always! We will never use an author or artist's work without acknowledging his/her name as the creator of the piece.
Any time a writer or artist's work is reproduced (in the book itself, on promotional materials for the book, or on the website), the author/artist's name will always appear next to the work. We respect copyrights and greatly value an artist's right of
ownership; furthermore, we hope to develop long-term relationships with many contributors, since Illuminations will be published in multiple volumes.
What kinds of submissions are you most interested in?
We interested in poems, artwork, photographs, online interviews and short written pieces that are inspired by or based on the author/artist's spiritual questions, insights, struggles, disillusionment, etc. -- in other words, works that express an individual's personal examination or exploration of spirituality. All faiths and spiritual perspectives are welcome.
We are most interested in the questions individuals face in their spiritual journeys; the moments of doubt, struggle, or transformation; the choices that are made based upon spiritual beliefs or epiphanies; the decisions to live in a manner that is reflective of one's faith or belief system (to incorporate one's beliefs into daily life); the ways an individual connects with his/her spiritual nature... in other words, exploring the 'how' and 'why' of an individual's spiritual process, as opposed to explaining the answers that have been found or describing a spiritual or religious doctrine.
I have a lot of poems/photographs/artwork/short prose that may be suitable for your book -- can I simply send a link to my website or submit dozens of works for you to choose from?
Please do not copy your writing into the body of your email.
Please do not send a link to a website showcasing your work.
Please do not fax your submissions.
The preferred submission methods are via mail or email, preferably as Word attachments (we also accept WordPerfect or text files).
There is a 6-submission limit for each category (e.g. 6 poems, 6 artworks…), as we receive thousands of submissions from people all over the world; also the foundation of Illuminations is the individual's personal spiritual expression.
I have a lot of work to submit for publication; can you advise me what to do?
Feel free to submit up to 6 works of each type (poetry, short pieces, artwork, photographs) for each volume of Illuminations.
For a comprehensive list of publishers who may also be interested in your poems, we recommend The Writer's Market. Be sure to follow each publisher’s guidelines for submission and to do a little homework first to ensure that your work fits their criteria.
What kind of artwork can I send?
Send high-quality photocopies or photographs of any kind of creative work -- there are no limitations to the type of artwork that we will consider, from oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings to sculpture, collages, installations, computer graphics and more…
If you choose to send original artwork or photographs, we cannot be responsible for them or for returning them.
See our guidelines on submitting art and photographs.
What are your submission guidelines?
Extensive guideline information can be found on our website as follows:
Content
Submitting work
Visual pieces (art, photographs)
Written pieces (poems, short stories, etc.)
I can’t access the guideline information or download the forms. What do I do?
If you have trouble accessing this information, you may request a Word, pdf, or text document via email or mail; please then specify whether you will be submitting visual (art/photographs) or written works, or both.
I would like to send submissions and complete the online interview. What do I do?
Please follow our guidelines and send submissions with a Release Form to editor@evolvingeditions.com
Our interview can either be completed online using our online form, or downloaded and mailed or emailed back to us; by email please send to interviews@evolvingeditions.com
I am submitting several works for consideration. Do I need to send a separate Release Form for each submission?
Multiple submissions may be listed on one Release Form.
Do I have to send the Release Form, statement(s), or biography now, or can I wait until you decide to publish my work?
For administrative purposes (and also given the time and resource constraints of a small publishing company), we prefer to have complete files from each contributor to avoid unnecessary delays once the selection process is complete.
Due to the nature of our project, which is based upon the personal spiritual expression, in some cases the statements may influence the choices we make for publication. Of course, some authors/artists feel that their pieces are self-explanatory, which precludes the need for additional commentary; others write a general statement about their inspiration(s) that can be applied to multiple submissions.
The statements and short biographies accompanying submissions are not mandatory; however, we will not be following up with individual contributors to request them a second time.
Submissions cannot be considered by our Selection Committee without the Release Form.
What should I write for my short biography? What if I’ve never been published?
Our guidelines request a brief (150-word or less) biographical statement (describing your related experience, qualifications, publications, etc.)
There is no rigid format for the bio, and we do not expect previous publishing experience; we simply want a brief bit of information that may be included in the book for readers who may wish to learn a little more about the contributor. (The bio is optional.)
What if my statement is a little longer than requested? I’m sending in several pieces of work; do I have to write a separate statement for each submission?
We ask for a 50-word statement, though if it's a bit longer, no worries. We may shorten it for publication.
Some contributors write one statement to cover all their submissions; others choose to write a separate statement for each one. We are promoting "the personal spiritual expression," so leave it to your discretion!
I have some works written in a foreign language; can I send those in?
At this time we are only accepting submissions written or translated into English (though we may in some cases publish the original alongside the translation).
If you would like to send a translation in English, we would be happy to consider it for our collection.
Selection process:
I sent something in a few months ago, but haven’t heard anything. What should I do?
The policy of Evolving Editions is to respond to everyone who sends us a submission.
However, due to the volume of submissions we receive, it sometimes takes 2-3 months to process a submission and send a notice of receipt. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.
Submissions that pass our initial screening are kept on file for our subsequent volumes.
Who decides what gets published?
Our professional editorial staff reviews thousands of submissions each year. Every submission is read or viewed by at least one editor and we choose works based on their quality and fit with our theme.
Are some kinds of submissions more likely to get published?
We look for a variety of work by authors and artists from across the world, representing as many faiths as possible. Original works based on unique viewpoints or perceptions stand the greatest chance of being chosen.
Since the majority of submissions are poems, there is greater competition in this area.
Contributors who send quality work and represent faiths or belief systems with fewer adherents worldwide will have less competition to get published…
The majority of the short pieces published within Illuminations will be 2,500 words or under; however, we will consider and may include a few longer pieces that are exceptionally well-written. If you have a longer piece that you feel is suited to the book, please do submit it; you may choose to also submit shorter works to increase the chances one will be chosen for publication.
Are there any religions or belief systems you are not interested in?
All faiths and spiritual perspectives are welcome.
We are open to any belief system that the contributor adheres to, especially if the submission addresses the process of discovery or spiritual exploration (as opposed to merely describing a set of beliefs).
How will I know if my work is chosen for publication?
If you are chosen for publication in one of the Illuminations volumes, you will receive an email or letter from us, plus the payment of US$50 and 1 copy of the volume for each submission published.
Will you send feedback on my submissions?
Due to the large number of submissions we receive from contributors worldwide, we do not typically provide feedback on the works received.
Release Form, publishing rights, copyrights, etc:
What rights are you requesting for Illuminations? Will I lose my copyright?
Evolving Editions is requesting only non-exclusive publishing rights, not the copyright, which the artist or author will still possess. Furthermore, we will only publish the work(s) in the Illuminations book, on the Illuminations website, or within promotional materials related to Illuminations.
I’m confused: what is the difference between copyright and publishing rights?
Copyright, or ownership of an “original work”, is granted as soon as the work is created, and registration is not necessary (see below*). No other party can reproduce, sell or distribute that work without your permission, which is granted through publishing rights.
Granting publishing rights does not affect your ownership of the copyright itself, unless you license away all rights or are involved in a "work-for-hire" agreement.
Non-exclusive (publishing) rights means that even if one publisher does publish, sell or distribute your work, you are still free to have it published in other formats or with other publishers. The copyright is still held by the creator of the work (you).
*According to the U.S. Copyright Office:
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.
Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.
Further information regarding copyrights can be found at the government’s official website: www.copyright.gov/
Will you give away my works or rights or do you have the right to use my submissions in any manner you choose?
We will only publish the work(s) in the Illuminationsbook, on the Illuminations website, or within promotional materials related to Illuminations.
We will not give away the works or related rights to any third party not related to the Illuminations publication.
What about the line in the Release Form about sublicensing to third parties?
Our Release Form states that “Contributor also grants to Evolving Editions the right to sublicense to third parties the rights granted herein by Contributor.”
This provision is included in case we decide publish the book in partnership or cooperation with another publishing entity in order to increase the marketing and distribution exposure, and/or enable larger print runs. (Said entity will not have the right to publish the works in any other publication. Furthermore, we will only publish the works in the Illuminations book, on the Illuminations website, or within promotional materials related to Illuminations. We will not give away the works or related rights to any third party not related to the Illuminations publication.)
If you’re not requesting all rights to my work, why do your Terms & Conditions say submissions become your property?
Within our Terms & Conditions we state, "All submitted materials become the property of Evolving Editions; the publisher is not responsible for storing or returning any materials." This simply means that materials sent by mail to us will not be returned, not that we own the rights to it.
This statement is intended to dissuade contributors from sending us their original materials, which is why we also request that only copies be sent to us.
I have more questions about the Release Form. What should I do?
Please email us at editor@evolvingeditions.com with any questions/concerns you have about the form. We definitely want our contributors to feel comfortable with its terms.
About Illuminations:
Will Illuminations be a book or magazine? Why is it “multi-volume”?
Our publication will be a book (not magazine) containing art, poetry, photographs, and short written pieces.
Since we are collecting works from contributors worldwide, covering the very broad theme of "the personal spiritual experience," we plan to publish several volumes under the Illuminations title and to accept submissions on an ongoing basis.
Your website shows only black & white photographs; will the book have color photographs/artwork too?
Yes, Illuminations will have visual works in both black & white and color.
Why are you requesting submissions?
Evolving Editions is accepting submissions for a new book entitled Illuminations: Expressions of the Personal Spiritual Experience, a unique collection of artistic and written pieces that express the contributors’ personal experiences of examining or exploring their spirituality. We seek creative works from artists, photographers, and writers who represent a diverse range of cultures, faiths, and spiritual perspectives, to present as comprehensive a study of the personal spiritual experience as possible within an artistic framework.
Have you received submissions from people worldwide?
To date our call for submissions has brought potential contributors from all regions of the world.
Countries we have received submissions from include Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, The Netherlands, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States.
Why are you also conducting interviews for the book?
In order to fill in any gaps not covered by submissions we receive, Illuminations will also include interviews with spiritual leaders and representatives of the world’s major faiths and beliefs, to make the book as comprehensive a survey of spiritual beliefs as possible.
Interviewees are asked to explain how they adopted their spiritual beliefs, how they deal with the questions that have arisen, and how they have chosen the spiritual path they are on.
We strongly believe these interviews will greatly enhance the Illuminations collection and expand our prospective readership.
What audience is this book intended for?
Illuminations will appeal to individuals with an interest in spirituality, personal growth, creative inspiration, and search for meaning, as well as art, photography, poetry, and writing. It will additionally be an appropriate reference for those interested in cross-cultural issues, comparative religion, psychology, and transcendence, and for self-help, creativity, artistic, and literary workshops.
What will Evolving Editions do with any profits earned by the book?
All proceeds earned by Illuminations will be invested in other projects (including future volumes of Illuminations) that advance interfaith understanding.
Additional questions:
Are there any books you recommend for aspiring writers/artists or to help jump-start the creative process?
We recommend two books that are incredibly inspirational and supportive for writers: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (Shambhala Publications) and Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge (Three Rivers Press).
Additionally, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (Tarcher/Putnam) is a terrific guide to unblocking creativity.
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"The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery."
-Francis Bacon |
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"Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart
And try to love the questions themselves."
-Rainer Maria Rilke |
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