In order to provide more options for writers submitting pieces to Sheer Speculation Press, I've set up market listings and an editorial account at www.EcoStamps.org. This is a nice service that allows authors to submit work and have it fully critiqued. There is a nominal fee (some of which comes to Sheer Spec) for this service, but we hope that you will find the price worth the reward. It is a small way to support Sheer Spec and it's imprints.

From Bart Yavorosky, Creator of EcoStamps:

Many editors are also inundated with stories, particularly if there isn't a minimal barrier in the submission process (such as printing and mailing the submission).

Absent a minimal barrier, authors have no incentive to familiarize themselves with markets and be self-selective with their submissions. The dynamic of the editor-author relationship is changed because authors can submit their work to 100 markets as easily a 1 and the full burden of review is on the shoulders of editors.

I feel that he brings up a good point. I have received stories in the past (and continue to receive stories) that don't fit the market in any way. I believe that certain authors have it in mind to simply send their material out to as many places as possible without worrying about where it gets published.

Mr. Yavorosky says, "It is also important to keep in mind that Ecostamps offers authors value.

He continues:

Relative to email, Ecostamps offers two significant advantages.

How often does a writer click "send" on a submission only to discover a few hours later when he opens the Word document that the second sentence of the first paragraph contains a typo or was accidentally deleted?

Ecostamps enables authors to edit submissions in real-time.

Far more importantly, Ecostamps Assessments enable editors to efficiently provide substantive feedback to authors with a few clicks of a mouse.

Every author has experienced the frustration of receiving a form rejection letter and having no clue why the submission was not accepted.

Assessments provide that information. They enable the editor to evaluate the submission on a number of criteria. Those evaluations are presented as absolute values and in terms relative to all other submissions. "

I believe that EcoStamps is a wonderful alternative for us, and we hope that some of our submitting authors will feel the same. In advance, we thank you for the support you give us.