CRITIQUE

Statisticians estimate that by the year 2005 only 30% of Internet users will be in North America. Currently European, Asian, and Latin American web businesses are two to five years behind in the implementation of concepts that are already well integrated into the culture and work expectations of United States citizens. As an international review, this gives us the opportunity to take advantage of a market which will be exploding in the coming months. Therefore, though Critique is an English language publication, we will review books published by international houses, works in translation, and reissued classic titles by non-English speaking authors. And just as the demographics of Internet users in 1990 bear no resemblance to the current ratios, we should be prepared to attract the interest of the general, even unsuspecting, reader.

Incidentally, statisticians also estimate that by 2005 e-publishing will be a $3.4 billion industry.

Assignments for review will be based in part on how well an individual can relate to the subject matter and how much experience the reviewer has in writing that sort of material. Someone who is a poet, for example, can request to review any material he or she likes, but as the poet is most familiar with poetry, preference will be given to reviews of new books in that genre. This principle will also apply to geographic differences. European authors, in an ideal situation, would review books issued in Europe. Exceptions include mass market "thrillers" and the like, and classics which we prefer to be reviewed by someone reading them for the first time.


Why You're Here

You have been asked to participate in this venture because you have demonstrated a grasp of the fundamentals of electronic publishing, an interest in improving Internet standards of quality, and a consistent desire to ameliorate your work. You have not been asked to participate because you are destined to win the Nobel Prize, because you are a friend, or because you have "contacts." You are here to learn, as I am, what it takes to successfully operate the most highly respected review site on the Internet. We are volunteers. Hopefully, we will improve our writing and critical thinking skills and learn something from each other in the process.

You are expected to perform the duties outlined in your job description, unless otherwise negotiated, to the best of your ability. Perfection is our goal.



Thank you for taking this exciting step as a writer for Critique. Beginnings can be frightening affairs, but with your positive attitude, we will create a publication that exceeds all of our expectations.


Regards,

Katherine Arline
Publisher

On Criticism

Where can a reader gain access to honest, concise, informed and unbiased opinion regarding the book best suited to his or her taste? Traditional publishing has cosily walked arm in arm with the national press and a wide variety of literary review magazines throughout the history of publishing ­ more suspicious individuals would mutter behind cupped hands that they're a little too cosy, but I'm not a suspicious mind.

The truth is that both the publisher and reviewer need each other, thus they live in each other's pockets. The publisher produces the stuff for analysis and the review itself is by far the most effective marketing strategy to sell the produce. The whole scenario is ripe for corruption, but as I've already pointed out, I'm not a suspicious mind. I do, however, appreciate the need for a source of opinion based solely upon honest, concise, informed reviews. The Internet offers the opportunity for such a source. Cue Critique, a review magazine that is firmly rooted on the foundation of individual integrity.

Storytelling is a central ingredient in the cultural heritage of mankind. From the moment the first words evolved on the tongue of man there appears to have been an instinctive, almost obsessive desire to weave those words into stories. The fact that those first stories were based entirely on primitive vocabularies renders the pioneers of earliest storytelling even more brilliant in my book! The simple economy of their narrative is beyond my word-laden comprehension, but I imagine that the first stories were told as a verbal recount of a day's adventures, suitably inflated and enhanced according to ego and designed to best seduce nubile members of the opposite gender. Also, it seems clear that even in the earliest times there was a diversity of genre. There were diarists who painted pictures to tell the tale of a community's life and there were those who took a grain of truth that they fertilized, germinated and watered with imagination. Over centuries and millennia the fruit of their harvest has distilled and matured into myth and legend that will continue to enrich our growth beyond measure.

We can all make time for a good story -- fiction or nonfiction, told in the medium of the verbal word, written word, or film. The problem is that everyone in the world is a potential storyteller. Because of that small yet significant fact, we need an archenemy to counter the creative, sometimes arrogant mind. Of course, the archenemy of which I speak is more generally, not to mention more politely, referred to as a reviewer or critic. I myself and some of my colleagues prefer to use stronger, more lucid language to describe these self-professed doyens who display such perverse, orgasmic delight in punching holes in a finely wrought piece that has obviously drained the soul of the author. And I'm the first to admit that now and then, they gilt-frame a story that, in my humble opinion, is deserving of the spotlight. But there it is in a nutshell: "in my humble opinion." We are, after all, talking of the complex tapestry of human taste woven from an infinite hue of colour and texture. Which brings me back to the inescapable fact that the critic is vital to guide the reader and save the general reading public from sinking in a quagmire of illiterate gobbledygook.

I'll say no more except to repeat, cue Critique, as I humbly renege on my colleagues and join the enemy ranks . . .

Cheers,

Tim Rees
Managing Editor, Europe

It is our belief that it is the job of the writer, insofar as he or she is capable, to tell the truth. We define the truth as the generally accepted moral limits of human reaction and interaction, and the ways in which normal tolerances are bent, stretched, and broken. To paraphrase John Gardner, it is both the job of the writer to make the writing work and to know what work that writing should do. Deviation from this formula of faithfully recording the instances of a life yields a less than acceptable product.

As critics, it is our job to judge to what extent the writer has been successful in his pursuit of those goals. We present in Critique the honest, considered opinions of people who are independent of the work they judge. You will not find fiscal or emotional alliances here. You will find a relationship between editor and reader, a friendship whose basis is trust.

Critique is charged with finding and reporting what merit is contained in a piece of writing. We will make these findings available to a mass audience in an archivable format.

Job Description

Publisher
Responsible for overseeing all operation, for designing the magazine, updating the archive, maintaining the mailing list, giving final approval on assignments and articles, and producing the PDF version.

Managing Editor for European Operations
Responsible for compiling and maintaining a list of assignments for and by European authors, for giving tentative approval to review requests, answering queries, and forwarding completed material to the publisher

Contributing Editor
Responsible for writing at least one review a month. The book may be picked from the list of suggestions or chosen independently. Contributing Editors will also be asked to occasionally help in marketing Critique (mailings, newsgroup posting, etc.) and adding to the list of books suggested for review. Contributing editors are given brief biographies at the end of reviews and full bios on the staff page, including links.

Freelance Writer
Because consistency is important, freelance authors will be used sparingly and drawn from a pool of competent, experienced writers who are willing to accept assignments. More flexible will be those who have or are interested in writing an industry profile or author interview. The freelancer will be responsible for writing the article, submitting it on time to the appropriate person, and handling all subsequent edits until the manuscript has been dismissed from consideration or accepted for publication. Freelancers are given a biography, including links, at the end of the article.

Publishing Schedule

Because Critique is biweekly, it is important that we work ahead of schedule. Therefore, to the best of your ability, it is requested that you accept or announce your assignments as early as possible and give the editors a generous amount of time to finalize your work.

CALENDAR:






Where to Find Your Assignments

Assignments will be available in a tabular format in the Staff Lounge. This page will be updated on a regular basis with books drawn from sources such as spring and fall book lists and Publisher's Weekly. If you would like to add a book to the list or choose a book to review, contact the publisher or appropriate editor with the information. It is your responsibility to obtain a copy of the book; when working with e-publishers, this may be handled differently. You will be advised of changes.

Update: The publisher and editors are currently working diligently to obtain spring catalogues. If you are in Europe, please contact the Managing Editor with information regarding subjects in which you are interested and your home address. He will assign you a book according to advance copy availability. In the U.S., be sure to check the publisher's website before purchasing a copy of a book. Many publishers now have online forms which you can use to request advance copies. Others will request a hard copy letter on staff letterhead; this will be promptly provided, along with any other information the house requests.

Critique Style

In general, Critique will follow the style guidelines outlined in Strunk & White's Elements of Style and Arthur Plotnik's The Elements of Editing.
Points of interest include:

*Numbers: Zero to ten spelled out, all others in numeral format
*Complex Subjects: The cat, the dog, and the fox . . .
*Avoid split infinitives
*Avoid ending sentences with a preposition
*Block quote style will be used if the selection exceeds three typed lines
*Please address authors by their surname and courtesy title: "Mr. Melville writes . . ."

Ownership

Critique will reprint previously published material and include the credit in the author's biography. You are granted a byline. If the review is one Critique has assigned, copyright belongs to the publication. You may request that the rights be released for republication, so long as note is made of where the review originally appeared. Photographs and art belong to the creator indefinitely.


Manuscript Format

Please include your manuscript in the body of an e-mail or in a plain text or RTF format.

YOUR NAME
The Date

Book Title
Author's Name
Publisher, Year
ISBN

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Biography / reprint information

--END--

Assigned by: Editor's Name
Copied to: Name
Revision # X
(Or:) FINAL COPY, Approved By

Writing Guidelines

Reviews for Critique should be between 500 and 1500 words long. The first paragraph should be a general lead which includes a brief plot summary and the gist of your opinion. The following few paragraphs should contain a plot summary (do not give away the ending), pertinent biographical information about the author, and your analysis. Because Critique is an international forum, please do not use obscure references which will only be understood by a specific ethnic group or geographic region. Do not use foreign words or phrases for effect. When in doubt, include the question in the body of your text or ask an editor before it is submitted.

Lest these guidelines frighten those dissuaded by formulated writing, the final word, of course, is does the review succeed? Is it compelling? Fulfilling? Entertaining? Factual? Those questions, which are integral to good writing, are ultimately more important than any style-guide or nagging grammatical reference. Something physically perfect is of no consequence unless it is encourages the participation of the reader. So take chances -- what you need to do to reach your personal goal is acceptable, so long as the integrity of the review is maintained.

Payment

Critique currently pays in advertising. Each review is worth one banner ad credit. Each feature is worth two. These credits are good for the publication of your ad on the base of the index page in one issue. More credits will be assigned on a merit basis. If you do not have a banner ad ready to use, one will be created per your specifications; this ad is then your property and may be placed on other sites and used for other purposes. Critique's advertising credits may be exchanged, banked, and resold.

What We Print

Reviews

Contemporary Fiction
Literary, mainstream and general interest, and commercial fiction.

Classic Fiction

Nonfiction
Of interest to a general audience. Should not contain information which would only be understood by someone with advances knowledge of the subject.

Poetry
New and reissued books in all styles.

Magazines
Print and electronic publications. No "zine" reviews.

Industry Profile

A 2000+ word outline of an important figure in publishing today. Publishers, editors, lawyers, and agents fall into this category.

Interview

A 1000+ word interview with or article about an author of current interest.

Photographs and art which are appropriate may run with any article or review.

Contact Sheet

It is recommended that you acquire an e-mail address specifically for dealing with business associated with Critique. Email.com, a part of NBCi, is one of the less obnoxious services.

Katherine Arline, Publisher
Area of special interest: Classic Fiction, Literary Contemporary Fiction
kbmh25c@aol.com, critiquemagazine@email.com

Tim Rees, Managing Editor for European Operations
Area of special interest: Commercial Fiction
timrees@24-7freecall.net

Tamara Vishkina, Contributing Editor
Area of special interest: Nonfiction and Eastern European Literature
tamakat@juno.com

Staff writers and freelance writers are listed in the "Contacts" section of the staff lounge and on the "About the Staff" page of each issue.



Sites of Interest

Inkspot.com: General interest news and features for writers, classified ads

Writersdigest.com: Guidelines and articles for writers

Jam.com: Entertainment industry news

Publishersweekly.com

Selfpromotion.com: The best tool for site marketing available on the web today

Back to the Staff Lounge