• OPEN READING •
Spring 2015

It is May 2015, and Magic Helicopter Press is holding its first ever open reading period. We are launching three new series of innovative prose, poetry, and chapbooks:

• THE MAE YOUNG INNOVATIVE PROSE SERIES •

• THE ADA LOVELACE INNOVATIVE CHAPBOOK SERIES •

• THE TED HAWKINS INNOVATIVE POETRY SERIES •

Please click the images above to submit and to see the guidelines for each series.

A few general guidelines:

— Reading fee: $2-5
— Reading Period: May 14th – June 5th, 2015

ELIGIBILITY:

• Anyone who is not a cisgender white man is invited to send a manuscript. If you are a cisgender white man, this open reading period is one thing in your world that is not for you.

• It’s OK if you’ve published between 0 and 10,000 books. Authors of 10,000+ books are not permitted to send a manuscript.

• Manuscripts must be previously unpublished at their manuscript length. Check the specific series for details about length guidelines.

• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Please notify us if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

• If your manuscript is selected for publication, it will receive a full print run in 2015 or 2016, and you will receive a full author contract, including standard royalties, author copies, reading tour support, promotion, the works. As with all our books, MHP will try very hard to get everyone who might want to read your book to find it and read it, and we will try very hard to interrupt the world and let it know how amazing you are.

GUIDELINES:

• Please remove all biographical information from your manuscript.

• Only manuscripts sent via Submittable will be read. If you email Mike asking if he has read your manuscript yet, he will delete your email and scowl while standing in line at the post office.

• Your reading fee will get you a 25 page PDF sampler of Magic Helicopter work—you can specify 3 titles to receive samples from or receive an exciting random sampling.

THIS IS NOT A CONTEST—IT'S AN OPEN READING PERIOD—BUT HERE ARE CLMP'S CONTEST ETHICS GUIDELINES:

• "CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believe that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines — defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage."
  

Magic Helicopter Press Open Reading Selection Process:

• First "Round": All entries will be read blind by Mike Young, Publisher and Editor of MHP
  

• Second "Round": The best few manuscripts will be read non-blind, and a winner will be selected. A list of a few outstanding finalists will be posted for each series selection.