Updated Submission Guidelines

We have updated our Submissions Guidelines page. The most significant changes are that we are explicitly accepting reprints (this was unclear before, though several stories from Issue #1 were, in fact, reprints). The second big change is that we will be paying, on publication, for items in Issue #2! Thanks to generous support from our readership we can now offer payment for the material we publish. If you'd like to help attract the best authors to Imaginaire, please consider donating (the link is in the sidebar). For our part, we are working on Nonprofit status for the journal so your donations will be tax exempt. However, know that every cent you donate will go back to the authors. We have covered operating costs and have low overhead. We lack only the funds for the authors. Thank you for your support!

Duotrope and Issue #2

Two things to discuss quickly. First is that we are no longer going to give 10% of donations to Duotrope. The reason is that Duotrope is becoming a paid site. If you found us through Duotrope, then you already paid into the system. If you found us some other way, let us know! We still encourage you to use Duotrope (maybe split a subscription with a friend if you're hard up?).

Also, we've decided that given time pressures and rate of submission, monthly or even quarterly issues is unrealistic for Imaginaire. We are setting a goal now of semiannual. That means Issue #2 will come out in March. We are also updating our submission guidelines. We will accept reprints, if that was unclear before, and we are working on getting funding to make Imaginaire a paid venue (more on this to come).

Thanks to everyone for your support and Happy Holidays!

Still Waiting

Imaginaire has had a great outpouring of support from people. There seem to be lots of people who are excited about the magazine, but we just aren't getting submissions. It's only fair to admit that I haven't had the time to devote to spreading the word as I had hoped I would. I want to see Imaginaire grow and be published consistently, but that means I need help getting the word out to authors. I have help lined up for when we get authors to submit, but without submissions we can't put an issue together.

We have had some pretty good submissions. We're working with a couple of authors and we're still considering a couple of other works we've received.

It may be, when it comes down to it, that there simply aren't enough authors out there writing stories with a mathematical bent to produce a journal more than semi-annually, but I think it's worth a shot to try to get the word out. So send out an email to people you know, your old math department, or a friend who is looking for a venue. Help me get the word out.

-Joshua Allen
Editor, Imaginaire

Redesign

We are working on a redesign of the home page of Imaginaire. We will still feature the same great content, but we're working on a cool new presentation. If you have an experience web design, let us know how you can help! We are currently aiming for December for Issue #2 of Imaginaire. This is dependent on getting your submissions in. So if you're an author, submit your mathematical fiction stories! If you're not, then help us spread the word to everyone you know who might be interested.

Issue #2 Still Stewing

We're still short of authors for Issue #2. As such, November may not be a realistic release for Issue #2. We will shoot for December. Get your submissions in. Our theme is still mathematical fiction, though we do take submissions of creative nonfiction essays (not technical essays), poetry, comics, and anything else you can conjur up out of your imagination. We look forward to reading your submissions!

Next Issue

We are hoping to put out a second issue of Imaginaire in November. This will be dependent on us getting submissions, which means we need your help getting the word out to potential writers. Send an email to friends and colleagues or math/English departments in your area or anyone who might be interested. Help us make Imaginaire into an ongoing source of great mathematical fiction!

Issue 1

Issue 1 of Imaginaire is now available!



“The Grapes of Math” – Andrew Breslin

“Isaac Newton Died a Virgin” – Gregg Sapp

“Foreign, Sick Science” – Bobby Winters

“Please Wait” – Robert Dawson

“The Last Theorem” – Buzz Mauro

Photography by Eleanore Bennett

Imaginaire Contributors

I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know who is thinking of submitting that if you have submitted previously to Imaginaire, whether your submission was accepted or not, feel free to submit again. We look at revisions and we consider stories from authors we've previously published. If you aren't sure why your submission was rejected, feel free to ask and we will do our best to give our feedback on your submission, including our opinion on how the story could be improved. This isn't to say you should take our advice as law. We encourage new authors to use the web to their advantage. Check out the communities at Zoetrope, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Workshop, Critters, or any of the other communities on the web or in your community. We will try to work with authors when we can, instead of just offering a form rejection.

I want to also put another call out to visual artists of all types. I am designing the first issue of Imaginaire, but we have a need for a graphic designer and for visual art for the cover and to illustrate and highlight stories. Please contact me directly if you have visual art or are interested in designing an issue of Imaginaire.

As always, thank you for stopping by Imaginaire.

Issue #1 Arrives September 18

We are going to release Issue #1 of Imaginaire on September 18th. We have some great stories lined up and look forward to bringing them to you.

 

-Joshua Allen

Editor, Imaginaire

September Release

The first issue is starting to take shape and it's looking even better than I imagined. We've had some great submissions lately and are still looking to fill the last couple of slots in Issue #1 of Imaginaire. Get your subs in, or help spread the word on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, or whatever social media you like. Although August started out slow, we're picking up momentum, in no small part thanks to Alex Kasman, whose database of mathematical fiction is a great resource for delving into the world of mathematical fiction. Check it out, and get your submissions in!

Mathematical Fiction

Imaginaire is committing to the idea of mathematical fiction. We are still seeking submissions for our first issue. We area also committing to producing a hard copy first year anthology, which will consist of our favorite works. We plan to use a local bookmaker to produce an actual, hard copy book. It will be available to contributing authors at cost or (funds permitting) free.

For now, let's focus on the first issue. We need more fiction! We are also interested in seeing submissions from authors and/or artists with an interest in speculative fiction and potentially producing some one off or series comics. Email us if you are interested.

Time for you to help spread the word. Get on Twitter and Facebook and help us get the word out about Imaginaire.

Worlds that Flourish

We carry in our worlds that flourish
Our worlds that have failed

-Christopher Okigbo

I'm not sure if there is real magic in the world. I tend to think that there isn't. However, within the realm of fiction there is a kind of magic. An author dreams a world, weaves a story within that world on a paper and there it sits, motionless, lifeless. The reader comes and adds their thoughts, experiences, dreams, and hopes to the text as they read. The lifeless words on paper, sent out into the world without any real idea of how they will reach people or if or why, take on a life within the reader's mind. A dream of magic creates magic of a kind the author could never have imagined. A dream of tragedy becomes a tragedy in the tapestry of the reader's mind. A telepathy occurs that is both communication and something more. It is the spark of new dreams, new worlds, failed worlds, worlds rising from the seas of our minds.

Dreams becoming alive. That is the magic in our lives.

Future Worlds and Mindscapes

I really like future worlds and imagining what might be or what could be. These are interesting realms that are fun to explore. I love a rollicking adventure as much as anybody. Equally interesting are the mindscapes of the future. Trying to get into the head of what people might be like in the future. What do differences between us and them reveal about ourselves? What worlds live inside a human mind, and what are they capable of producing?