The Shroud Underground

It is important for you to know that after issue 4, Shroud will be temporarily moving to a flat-rate payment plan to help us contend with slow economic growth. It is absolutely critical that we cut costs in order to stay afloat. So beginning immediately (this will not impact issue 4 writers), Shroud will pay a flat rate of $10 for Flash Fiction, $25 for fiction up to 5000 words, and $25 for non-fiction up to 3000 words. Book reviews and other pieces will be discussed with the authors on a case by case basis.

It is with a heavy heart that I change these rates. It is NOT my intention to devalue the author's work in any way. I understand that it is difficult for professional writers to obtain the respect and remuneration that they truly deserve and it was always my goal to offer that. However, with this flat rate plan in place, it will help me mitigate costs and hopefully get my writers paid faster.

This rate change will NOT effect other publications/books, novellas/etc.

This rate change will NOT effect payments already discussed and agreed upon. If we discussed a payment rate for a piece that has not been published yet, we will continue to honor that (this applies to you columnists!)

Also, beginning immediately, we are CLOSED TO SUBMISIONS. We have begun a reading period.

WE WILL BE OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS FROM FEBRUARY 1st through MARCH 30th, 2009 and then from MAY 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH 2009. We have created these reading periods to help us better respond to submissions. Unfortunately submissions that come in outside of those periods will not be read. Again, we are only doing this in order to better serve our writing community.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.