We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Queer Ontario Think Tank – an online publication space dedicated to the promotion of works that articulate the needs and experiences of LGBTQ* individuals; and/or that challenge the laws, the institutional practices, and the social norms that regulate us.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for individuals to submit works in any medium that address one or more of the themes above. These can be anything from essays, articles, stories, and poems, to images, video, and music (among other new, traditional, or multimedia formats).
The works need not be aligned with Queer Ontario’s official positions or policies, but they should reflect our anti-oppressive, sex-positive, and/or liberationist principles.
Lastly, given the very real risks associated with outing oneself publicly — especially when it involves a sensitive issue or a less accepting community — we will be open to receiving works that make use of a pseudonym, or that are sent to us anonymously.
DEADLINES
The first set of works will be published in July of 2012. Therefore, the soft deadline for July consideration is Friday, April 20, 2012. The absolute last day to submit work for July consideration is Friday, May 25, 2012.
You are free to submit works after the deadline, which will be considered for our next publication cycle in October.
Works will be reviewed and selected by the Think Tank Editorial Committee, which is made up of Queer Ontario volunteers.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
1. BEFORE SUBMITTING
We ask that you read over our Editorial Guidelines, which will give you a sense of our selection criteria, our editing and revision policy, and our copyright policy.
We do not place any restrictions on publishing your work elsewhere, so you are more than welcome to submit your work to other publishing venues after submitting it to us.
2. A NOTE ON NAMING
We urge all authors and artists to use their adopted name(s) when submitting a work to us. However, given the very real risks associated with outing oneself publicly — especially when it involves a sensitive issue or a less accepting community — we will be open to receiving works that make use of a pseudonym, or that are sent to us anonymously.
We strive to be a safe space for the sharing and discussion of ideas, thoughts, and experiences.
3. A NOTE ON ACCESSIBILITY
We ask all authors to be mindful of the fact that the Think Tank will be accessed by a number of people, each with their particular backgrounds, histories, body of experiences, body of knowledge, perception abilities, processing abilities, and conceptual or understanding abilities.
We encourage authors to create or adapt their work so that it can be experienced and understood by as wide an audience as possible. This may include taking the time to write (or re-write) papers in more ‘popular’ language; to thoroughly and carefully explain complex theories and ideas; or to accompany your piece with a brief synopsis.
We also encourage authors to produce versions of their work that will satisfy the many ways individuals sense and experience the world – such as a French (or other) language translation, a sign language translation, an audio recording of your text, or subtitles.
Any such efforts will be tremendously appreciated.
4. A NOTE ON SAMPLING OTHER PEOPLE’S WORKS
We believe that artists and authors should be properly acknowledged and credited for their work at all times. Therefore, we ask that you give proper attribution to the artists or authors whose works you reproduce in your submission; and that you contact the appropriate artists, authors, or representatives for their permission to reproduce the works in question. Permission to reproduce another person’s work should be granted by the time you submit your piece.
Indeed, as much as we would hate to do so, we will take down works if an artist, author or representative contacts us to complain about a particular use or abuse of their work.
5. TO SUBMIT A WORK TO THE THINK TANK
Step 1: Prepare your Submission Package
Your Submission Package should include your work (submitted in one of the formats outlined below) along with:
1. A brief 50-word (max) profile about each author.
2. A link to a personal blog or website (if you have one and wish for it to be published alongside your profile).
3. A 50-word (max) summary that will give visitors a clear sense of what the work is about.
4. And, if you feel it is not fully captured in the 50-word summary: a longer 150-word (max) explanation of your work.
Step 2: Send Us Your Submission Package
You can email your submission package to info@queerontario.org,
Subject line: “Think Tank Submission”
OR
You can mail your submission package to:
Queer Ontario Think Tank
PO Box 822, Station A
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1G3
If you are submitting an item by mail, please indicate if you have access to email and provide us with your email address if you do.
Note that we will not be returning submitted items, so please send a replica if you wish to keep your original work intact.
6. ACCEPTED FORMATS
A. For Essays or Articles:
• Submit as a DOC (Word) file.
• When it comes to formatting, please:
–– Single space the entire document.
–– Use 12 point Times New Roman font.
–– Leave a one-inch margin around each page.
–– Number each page on the bottom-right corner.
• Also, when applicable, and whenever possible:
–– Accurately and consistently reference any cited works throughout the paper.
–– Completely and consistently list your cited works in a Bibliography section.
–– Make sure permission has been granted to reproduce all figures or images.
–– Insert figures or images directly into the text, where they are discussed.
–– Use footnotes instead of endnotes.
B. For Other Text-Based Works:
• Submit as a Word (DOC), TXT, RTF, or PDF file.
• If possible, and unless the work requires otherwise:
–– Please use 12 point Times New Roman font.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For inquiries: info@queerontario.org
For submissions: info@queerontario.org
Website: http://thinktank.queerontario.org/
This blog is no longer updated. Please instead visit Writers For Diversity for new opportunities for women/ LGBT writers and writers of color. Thank you.
