The Temporal Element Submission Guidelines

Since the dawn of the modern era, mankind has dreamed about the possibility of traversing the bounds of linear time, to explore the dark mysteries of pre-history or seek out the wild possibilities of the far future in person. This collection of stories does the next best thing, allowing readers to dream of the possibilities of such a theoretical trip.

This anthology will contain stories all about traveling through time, and not in the natural way. From spell-casting wizards, to mad scientists, and government-sanctioned time agencies, The Temporal Element will feature the best stories of people traveling beyond their native time. Explore ancient history, the distant future, or anywhere in between.

If you have a story that fits this theme, consider submitting it, but please adhere to the instructions below:

1: Font: Stories must be formatted in either Times New Roman or Courier New, single-spaced. Do not add an extra space between paragraphs. A lot of writers separate their paragraphs into blocks these days, like they're writing a blog post. It's something that would have to be undone, so please don't submit it that way.

2: Keep your stories PG-13 or softer in nature. While this collection is intended for adults, it will also be something that is appropriate for high school students. If you write the best piece of Erotica about a time traveling gigolo, more power to you, but it's not going to fit this market.

3: Format stories as either a .doc or .rtf file format. No .docx files! The editor of this collection still uses Windows XP, so if you send a .docx file he will not be able to read it ( no argument about how "there's a patch for that"). He doesn't want .docx files, period, so make sure your file is in one of the aforementioned, acceptable formats.

4: Word Length: 2,000-6,000 words preferred. If a story is longer but of exceptional quality, it may gain acceptance, as well. Likewise, a story under 2k may be accepted if it is really good, but most accepted stories will fall within the preferred word range.

5: No Simultaneous Submissions. It is most disappointing to read the greatest story and accept it, only to find out that some other editor has bought the rights out from under you. If you submit to this anthology, please have the courtesy to wait for a response before marketing it elsewhere.

6: One Story At A Time: If you have multiple stories you'd like to submit to the anthology, please send only one at a time. After you get a response about your first story, you're free to submit another story, but editors only handle one at a time, generally.

7: No Fan Fiction. Though it may be tempting to write stories about your favorite tv show characters, there are copyrights and trademarks involved. Even the best piece of fan fiction cannot be accepted.

8: The submission period will be open October 1, 2012 and stay open until November 30, 2012. During this time period, you may submit your stories to mtiediting (at) inbox.com as an email attachment. Please put "Submission: (Your Story Name Here) in the subject line.

9: Response Time will vary, depending on the number of submissions. Expect to wait four to six weeks for a reply, though it may be sooner.

10: Payment. While Publication is the major form of pay, the editor would like to personally thank each accepted writer with the generous sum of 15 cents. Yes, a nickel and a dime, but it's no ordinary pocket change. Each accepted writer will receive a silver Winged Liberty (aka Mercury) Dime, and a Buffalo Nickel. Why? Because it's something different, and it'll be memorable.