Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Fence Editors
Following is a guide to Fence editorial policy, as agreed to by the Editorial Directors and The Board of Directors of Fence magazine and Fence Books.
♦ Fence editors will treat each submission with utmost respect and protect the confidentiality and identity of submitters.
♦ Submissions received and in-progress should not be discussed beyond the circle of genre editors and the Editorial Directors until an acceptance or rejection has been formally sent.
♦ During the window of time from when a submission is received to when final official Fence contact is made either through a rejection or an acceptance, Fence editors will refrain, except in specific cases listed below, from contacting a submitter.
♦ Fence editors will not reveal to anyone if they are the editor who will be making a judgement about a particular submission.
♦ It is at the discretion of each editor to send a form to modify a rejection with commentary.
♦ In an acceptance letter, Fence editors are welcome to include editorial suggestions, but they should be clearly optional and the acceptance a verbal agreement to be agreed to legally with the signed contract.
♦ Fence editors are welcome to take the time they need to make a full and sound judgment about each submission—within reason—at a pace that will not cause undue stress within the timeframe provided by the Editorial Directors.
♦ Fence editors will accept or advance the number of pieces that will fit within the provided page count limit of an issue or amount specified.
♦ If an editor wants to select a submission to post on Steaming, they thus take full responsibility for the piece, ensuring it both gets posted on Steaming and promoted on social media. If an editor needs any instruction or tips on how to do either, be in touch with the Editorial Directors or the Steaming Managing Editor. Any Steaming contributor must receive and return a Fence Online Publication agreement.
♦ If a Fence editor might have difficulty completing their work as an editor during the time frame provided, the only thing required is to let the Editorial Directors know the situation as far in advance as possible; work can be reassigned or otherwise managed.
♦ Not every Fence genre editor needs to work on every issue, so if an editor needs time off, please ask for it.
♦ The most important things for us all as members of a small organization spread across continents are sound and effective lines of communication. Please make sure to ask if anything in this document or in any communications is unclear. We ask that editors not make assumptions and seek clarification when needed.
♦ Fence Editors are public ambassadors of Fence wherever they go on Earth and virtually/digitally. Please avoid any unkindness to others. Do spread enthusiasm and interest in Fence as an ever-expansive, wide-reaching, provocative, and welcoming community of writers and readers current and potential, including subscribers, submitters, and contributors.
02/04/2024
