Code of Conduct for Fence Editors
Following is a guide as agreed to by the Editorial Directors and Board of Fence Magazine and Fence Books, for editorial policies as of 2024.
♦ 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 had 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, please refrain, except in specific cases listed below, from contacting a submitter.
♦ Do not reveal to anyone that you 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 rejection/acceptance or to modify the form with commentary.
♦ In an acceptance letter, you 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.
♦ For each genre, the breakdown of the above differs—if you have any questions as to whether protocols or responsibility, please ask the Editorial Directors.
♦ Take the time you need to make a full and sound judgment about each submission—but do so within reason. Find the pace that will not cause you stress within the timeframe provided by the Editorial Directors.
Be sure to only accept or advance the number of pieces that will fit within the provided page count limit or amount specified.
If you want to select a submission to post on Steaming, you thus take full responsibility for the piece, ensuring it both gets posted of Steaming and promoted on social media. If you need 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 you might have difficulty completing your work as an editor during the time frame provided, the only thing required of you is to let the Editorial Directors know your situation as far in advance as possible; we will ensure that your work is reassigned or otherwise managed.
♦ Not every Fence genre editor needs to work on every issue, so if you need 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 communication is unclear. We ask that you not make assumptions and seek clarification when needed.
♦ As Fence Editor, you are an ambassador of Fence wherever you go as yourself 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.
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns whatsoever about any of the above, and if you have concerns or suggestions onward, never hesitate to get in touch with the Editorial Directors.
02/04/2024
