Policies

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Submission Guidelines

• We aim to respond to all pitches within two weeks.
• If accepted, we'll agree on a deadline together (typically 4–6 weeks from acceptance, but flexible).
• We don't accept finished unsolicited pieces. Pitch first.
• SCHEME Magazine does not have a specific style or any particular writing guidelines. In nearly all cases, we are happy to let you decide what works best for your own piece.

Rights Policy

• SCHEME Magazine acquires exclusive first publication rights for 60 days from the date of publication.
• During this period, the piece may not be republished elsewhere (including the contributor's own Substack, website, or other publications).
• After 60 days, publishing rights revert to the contributor. They may republish the work anywhere, in any format, without restriction. We require only courtesy credit ("Originally published in SCHEME Magazine").
• SCHEME Magazine retains the right to keep the piece in our archive indefinitely.

Editorial Policy

• Our editorial process consists of one round of edits, focused mainly on clarity.
• Contributors will receive editorial feedback within three weeks of draft submission. They will then have one week to revise (though this is flexible by arrangement).
• We do not do heavy line editing or copyediting. We're looking for ideas, not polish. Though we will ensure pieces are readable and coherent.
• If a piece requires significant restructuring, we'll discuss this before proceeding. We hold the right to withdraw a piece at any point during the process.

Payment Policy

• All contributors are paid a flat rate of $200 per published piece.
• Payment is issued on publication.
• Contributors will be contacted before publication to confirm payment details.