The Cerebral Catalyst

E-mail your writings to submissions@cerebralcatalyst.com. We accept materials in Word-style .doc and .rtf files, Notepad-style .txt files, and/or pasted directly into the body of the e-mail. Be aware that if you have special formatting, such as italics, it will not transfer properly if pasted into the body of the e-mail.

When can I expect a response to my submission?

Within thirty days of receipt. Usually sooner. If, for any reason, you do not think you have received an adequate response regarding your submissions, please re-e-mail us at submissions@cerebralcatalyst.com.

You accepted my submission, but haven't published it yet. When are you going to do that?

It varies. For newcomers, you'll generally be up in 2-to-6 weeks. Repeat writers may take longer, depending on how many pieces we have in the upcoming queue, and how recently you were last published. Keep in mind, also, that if we accept more than one of your submissions, they will not go online at the same time. We generally space out multiple pieces by the same author by at least a month, unless we're running a serial or a column.

Do you publish everything you receive?

Absolutely not! We reject at least two-thirds of all submissions, and the competition is likely to get even fiercer. We consider that a good thing.

What kinds of writing does the Catalyst publish?

It amazes me how many words we have to use to categorize different ways of telling a story. So we're clear, the C.C. publishes: Fiction, metafiction, flash fiction, hypertext fiction, non-fiction, poetry, verse poetry, prose poetry, comics, graphic novels, serialized regular novels, essays, amusing columns, photojournalistic essay columns, and unspecifically-categorized clever stringings-together of words and symbols. Please don't take that too seriously. We publish things that we think are worth reading.

Is there a maximum or minimum word-count limit?

No. What am I, your fifth grade teacher? Use as many or as few words as you need to tell the story you want to tell. This is the internet; it's not like I need to conserve paper.

Can I send more than one submission at a time?

Sure. Send as many as you like. Keep in mind, however, that time is the ultimate limited commodity, and the more submissions you send, the longer it will take us to review and publish them.

Then can I send you, for example, ten poems at once?

Yes... but for the sake of brevity, why not just send us the best one out of those ten?

Do you accept simultaneous submissions?

No! No, no, no — you give me a headache.

Why don't you accept simultaneous submissions?

Look, we're not like some of those other online magazine editors, who never bother to reply to your e-mails, or leave you hanging for months at a time. As mentioned above, we will give you an answer in thirty days or less, so you really have no reason to be impatient. Beyond that, it's just bad form. A simultaneous submission is essentially when lazy and inconsiderate writers send a piece of writing to more than one editor/publication at a time. This is usually done to save time and increase the chances of acceptance from someone. What usually happens is that an editor will take the time to review the piece and respond, only to learn that it's been accepted elsewhere, or that it's still under consideration by someone else. It's not only a colossal waste of free time, but it's also an imposition on the editors, who now have to worry about stepping on eachother's toes and violating eachother's policies. Again, just don't do it. If your submission is being considered by multiple publications at the same time, The Cerebral Catalyst will reject it immediately without further review.

Do you accept previously published pieces?

We prefer not to, but occasionally do so under special circumstances. E-mail editor@cerebralcatalyst.com with specific questions regarding this.

Should I send you an author bio/tagline?

Yes, that would simplify things, since we're not overly keen on conducting extra research. Keep your bios between 1-to-3 sentences in length. Seriously, I don't need your resume. Make it longer than that, and we're going to trim it. And no one wants to do that. And yes, you can include a link to your website or blog, and yes, they can be funny. We like funny. If you want examples, check out our convenient Taglines page.

Who should I contact regarding P.R. and promotional questions?

That would be Kristin Blank, Director of our Pittsburgh office. Her e-mail address is kblank@cerebralcatalyst.com.

Do I retain the legal rights to all of my writing?

Yes. That's your intellectual property, to do with as you wish. However, by sending your writings to The Cerebral Catalyst, you are by default giving us permission to publish your work on the site.

Do I have to pay to read anything on the site?

Hell no! If you want, you can read all 300+ pieces published on the site every day and never pay a dime. You don't even need a library card. I mean, you need an internet connection and stuff, but that's your problem.

Do you pay the writers?

No. Sorry.

How do I contact the Editor?

E-mail editor@cerebralcatalyst.com.

How do I contact the writers?

If you want to write to an author who doesn't have an e-mail address in their tagline, you can e-mail editor@cerebralcatalyst.com, and we will forward your message.

Can I change my submissions after I send them? Will you edit the grammar and spelling errors for me?

Don't be a lazy asshole. Though the Editor does reserve the right to edit/fix/cut submissions as he sees fit, your writings should be in "final product" condition before you send them. I will not entertain smatterings of prissy little change requests after your submissions have been received. Furthermore, if your submission is riddled with careless errors, it's likely to be thrown out altogether.

Is the C.C. native to or aligned with any particular region or university?

No. The C.C. happily publishes writers from all over the world. The Editor, Joshua Clark, lives in New York City, where the magazine is published and headquartered, while Kristin Blank maintains our promotional office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Can I submit a piece written in French/Spanish/Arabic/Latin/Klingon, etc.?

Unlike certain politicians who will remain nameless, The Cerebral Catalyst is open and friendly to all cultures and languages. However, unfortunately, our Editor-in-Chief is not adequately fluent in any language outside of English to review and edit other-language submissions properly. So, until we acquire the properly-skilled editorial staff, the answer is no.

Will the C.C. link to my website?

If it's good, and if it's appropriate (i.e. another independent writing/literary/artistic website), and if you provide a reciprocal link, then yes, the C.C. might link to you. But no cheesy banner graphic. Those make things ugly and slows the downloading process. To inquire further about site linking, e-mail the Editor at editor@cerebralcatalyst.com.

If I decide to be coy and do not contact the editor about mutual site linking, will he go out of his way to approach me?

Probably not.

I'm publishing a book. Will the C.C. link to it?

If you've already published material on cerebralcatalyst.com, then yes, we will link to ordering information for your book. E-mail cover art and other necessary information to editor@cerebralcatalyst.com.

Who started the site? Who's in charge?

Well, it was originally started by these five guys in college, but the committee structure sort of fell apart early on, and now we have directors of two regional offices instead. See the About page for details. The Editor still parties with the original team as often as possible.

How old is the site?

The Cerebral Catalyst was officially launched, online, on May 7th, 2003. Which makes it a Taurus.

Is there a printed/paper/hardcopy version of the C.C. that I can order?

Not yet. We're working on it. If and when it ever happens, I guarantee you there will be plenty of fanfare on the Main page.

Does that T-shirt really cost four hundred dollars?

Yes. Except for the XXL. That costs four hundred and three dollars. It's specially designed for the sort of people who like to be very obvious about how much money they can afford to spend on useless crap. Feel free to refer to it as "bling", if you so desire.

Can I get a date with Captain Fun?

Possibly. E-mail your name, age, educational background, photos (at least one face and one full-body), and a detailed essay, five hundred words or more, explaining why you would be a good date for Captain Fun, to captainfun@cerebralcatalyst.com.

What happens to a story (or whatever) when it's too old to remain on the front page?

It becomes archived, in chronological and alphabetical directories, and remains available online for the world to read. Virtually everything that has appeared on cerebralcatalyst.com since 2003 (with a few exceptions) is still available, free of charge, in the archives.

When was this FAQ last updated?

Monday, April 2, 2007.

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Site founded May 7th, 2003, by Project Catalyst.
All written material is the copyrighted property of its respective authors.
All other elements can be blamed on the Cerebral Catalyst Editorial Board.