cul-de-sac FAQ

• Submission Guidelines

I. Questions About My Submission

1. Who can submit?
   Only students currently enrolled in any courses at College of the Canyons and have a valid student identification number may submit to cul-de-sac. Please make sure you provide your seven-digit identification number on the submission screen.
2. When is the submission deadline?
   The final day to submit your work is April 7th, 2024 at 11:59pm.
3. Why do I have to remove my name from my submitted documents?
   We ask that students remove any identifying information from their submissions so that they can be presented to our panels anonymously and judged in an unbiased manner. However, if you are submitting an art piece, you may leave your signature, but do not write your full name or contact information on the image.
4. How many total submissions may I submit?
   Students may submit up to eight (8) total pieces across all art forms.
   Please note the following submission guidelines: 
   Poems: two-page maximum
   Fiction: 3,500-word limit per story (three stories maximum). If you submit flash fiction (500 words and under), you may submit up to five stories.
5. Do you accept sculpture submissions?
   Yes. Please submit high quality photos (from multiple angles) of your sculpture or 3D work as an image to our server, but make sure to specify that your work is art and not photography. Please visit How to Photograph Artwork or How to Photograph Your Art if you need help properly photographing your art.
6. If my submission is selected, will it be published with my name?
   Yes, all artists and writers who are chosen to be published will have their names attached to their work unless otherwise requested. Please let us know if you would like to be published under a name other than your legal name; we accept initials and co-authorship. 

II. Formatting and Technical Questions

1. Is there a way for me to submit more than one submission at one time?
   Yes, you can submit up to 8 submissions at once, unless the file is over 15MB.
2. What format should my submission(s) be in?
   a. Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction: Documents should be sent through our servers as a .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf or .wdp. Please do not submit your works as a .pdf.
   b. Art and Photography: Images should be submitted as a .jpeg, .png, .bmp, or .tif with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. If you are submitting a 3D work, like a sculpture, take multiple pictures and submit as art. Please visit How to Photograph Artwork or How to Photograph Your Art if you need help properly photographing your art.
   c. Music and Video: .mp3, .mp4, download links, SoundCloud, Youtube, or website. Larger files on other sharing sites or links can be added to the form field after the file uploads section.
3. What is the maximum size (of the document/file) that my submissions can be?
   Submissions should be no larger than 15MB. Larger files on other sharing sites or links can be added to the form field after the file uploads section.
4. When I’m submitting my work, what are the terms and conditions I am agreeing to?
   If your work is selected, minor edits (punctuation, grammar, etc.) will be made without your consent, but any significant editing must be approved by you before we publish the work. Please let us know of any stylistic or intentional decisions you’ve made about your piece that you would not want us to alter. If your work is heavily influenced by others, please make it clear by providing attribution to the referenced work.
5. Do I need to add a title to my work?
   We ask that you title your work, but if you prefer it to not be titled, please let us know, and it will be published as "Untitled."
6. Do I lose the rights to my works when I submit them?
   No. “Agreeing” to our terms of use does not mean you lose your rights to your work; it means we have the right to edit, reproduce, digitize, broadcast, and display it in our magazine and on campus. 

III. Miscellaneous Questions

1. Who reviews the submissions?
   Submissions are reviewed by medium-specific boards made up of students who are currently enrolled in our Literary Magazine Production course (English 122).
2. When will the magazine be released?
   Volume 17 of cul-de-sac will be released on Thursday, May 23rd from 5-7:30pm at the Intercultural Center.
3. How much does cul-de-sac cost?
   a. To submit: It is completely free for students to submit their works to the magazine. The authors and artists will not be charged for their participation.
   b. To own a magazine: Contributors will receive one free copy of the magazine at the release party and may purchase additonal copies for a $5 donation. If you can't make it to the release party, please reach out to alene.terzian@canyons.edu.
   c. To support cul-de-sac, please send monetary donations to alene.terzian@canyons.edu.
4. How do I become involved with the production of cul-de-sac?
   cul-de-sac magazine is the product of the Literary Magazine Production course (AKA English 122), which is offered every spring semester. Enroll in this class to participate in future iterations of the magazine.

If you have any further questions please contact us at: culdesacmag@canyons.edu