Teemings : The E-Zine of the Straight Dope Community
Since we have quite a few new people here who may not be aware of the e-zine of the Straight Dope community, and since contributions have been running a little sparse lately, let me introduce you to Teemings by republishing our introductory piece.
The new issue is due out this coming Thursday (August 1st.) The submission for the following issue is August 31st. Publishing lag time being what it is, if you have anything you’d like to submit for the holidays, now is the time to send it in.
Show us what you’ve got (figuratlively speaking.) We’d love to hear from you!
During the past year and a half that we’ve been working on the Straight Dope message board, and even in the early lean years when we were just fledglings on AOL, we began noticing a smattering of regular posters that had real talent as writers and artists in their own right. In order not to make Cecil or Slug look bad in comparison, we’ve managed to either buy their silence or otherwise persuade them to find other outlets for their muse. However, many of you, against our better wishes and the advice of lawyers, have seen fit to stick around.
For those of you who have, we have decided to provide an outlet for your literary excursions. David B. and Eutychus will soon attempt publishing an unofficial online e-zine composed strictly of articles by the Teeming Millions themselves. Not that we’ll just throw in anything that you might have to send in, but we would like to feature the best of whatever you have: articles, reviews, rants, humor, fiction, scientific treatise on the nature of man (okay, scratch that last one), cartoons not done in crayon. And … well, what have you. We’re new at this; what have you got?
But there are a few things we’re not looking for. Keep to yourself anything that might be more appropriate to the Penthouse Forum. (Or better yet, send it to Penthouse. They’ll probably pay better than we do.) Articles either discussing or rebutting Cecil’s columns or Mailbag columns will also probably be rejected. We’ve already got a message board for that and don’t intend to take it over. (Yet.) As far as length goes, we’re looking for articles, not books. Beyond that … show us what you’ve got.
Now you’re thinking, hey, if I’m going to be sending in my best stuff, I’d like to get paid for it. And we’d sure like to pay you. But it ain’t gonna happen. It’s the prestige that’s important. To see your work emblazoned on the Internet for all to see. And more importantly, to see your name up there aligned with Cecil’s … what monetary compensation could possibly compare with that?
Interested? Sure you are. For more details go to
and click on “Editorial Guidelines” at the bottom of the page .
We won’t be able to publish everything. We may get inundated with submissions. We may get next to nothing. This is a play-it-as-it-lays proposition so we’ll have to see how this develops. But if we don’t use your submission, and you get a curt letter from us, it doesn’t mean it sucks necessarily. It probably does. But more importantly it doesn’t mean that we think any less of you as a thinking, rational human being. Except for a few of you. You know who you are.
So there you are. Writers, satirists, parodists, cartoonists, thinkers, minkers and schminkers … the ball’s in your court. See you in the funny papers.
