Cold Hard Type: the backs

Back covers don't always get the attention they deserve, so I thought I'd feature the five backs of the Cold Hard Type books.

by Christopher M. Ochs

by Ariana Davenport

by me

by Merinda Boekhoudt

by Mikal Stet

Margin Releases has been published

The fifth volume in the Cold Hard Type series is now available on Amazon.com or the Amazon site for your country. Like the other volumes, this book collects a diverse set of stories, poetry, art, and photography. The texts are all actually typewritten—no digital fonts allowed!—and a typewriter appears in every contribution. The theme for this volume: crossing the line. Michael Mandley contributed the stunning cover photo.

The Cold Hard Type series has been great fun, and has done its part to encourage the use and enjoyment of these magical machines.

Now (you read it here first) I'm announcing that the series is going to take a rest. It may or may not start up again. But Loose Dog Press will soon be announcing its first nonfiction book—an entertaining dive into a corner of typewriter history. Stay tuned! 

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Margin Releases deadline: March 1

The deadline to submit fiction, poetry, art, and photos to Margin Releases is coming up in one month! Read all about it here.

Call for submissions! Margin Releases: Typewritten Tales of Transgression

 Call for submissions

 

COLD HARD TYPE V

 

Margin Releases:

Typewritten Tales of Transgression

 

edited by

Richard Polt, Frederic S. Durbin, and Andrew V. McFeaters

 

published by

Loose Dog Press

Human beings have an innate tendency to stray. We eat forbidden fruit, violate trust, speak outrageous truths or untruths, and run with scissors. All too often, this waywardness leads us into a tangled web, into the self-inflicted pain that is unique to our species. Yet a typewriter is built with a margin release mechanism for a reason; there are times when the margins are oppressive, or when going out of bounds accomplishes a greater good. 

 

Margin Releases: Typewritten Tales of Transgression seeks fiction, poems, photography, and visual art on the theme of crossing the line. Show us characters who, for whatever reasons, break the rules. As always, craft your fiction or poetry with any tools you’d like, and if your piece is accepted, you’ll get to dust off that typewriter for producing the final copy. Be original, be clear, be true, and remember there’s a 5,000-word maximum limit. Also, each submission must somehow involve a typewriter in a significant way, though it need not be central to the plot. The first rule is to tell a good story, in words or in images—don’t break that one.

 

 

Deadline for submissions: March 1, 2022

 

            Submit your work to Richard Polt by e-mail or post (see below). It will be reviewed by Polt (author of The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist’s Companion for the 21st Century), novelist Frederic S. Durbin, and English professor Andrew McFeaters.

            The maximum length for texts is 5000 words.

            At this stage, texts may be either digital or typewritten. 

            Submissions of artwork and photos may include color cover images and grayscale interior images. Illustrations should fit appropriately within the dimensions of the book’s pages, 6x9 inches. Resolution of digital images should be 300 dpi or better.

            Submissions may vary in style, genre, and tone, as long as they fit the theme. They may be intended for adults, but should not be explicitly pornographic or sadistic.

            To give your work the best chance of being accepted, we recommend that you read the first four volumes in the Cold Hard Type series—Paradigm Shifts, Escapements, Backspaces and Dead Keys—and reflect on what you like about your favorite pieces. As a rule of thumb, an effective story has interesting characters, a dramatic plot, and vivid sensory details. Avoid telling the reader about generalities; instead, show the reader concrete things and events. Good spelling, grammar, and punctuation also matter.

 

Decision date: May 1, 2022

 

            The editors will either accept your work or reject it by this date. There will be no “revise and resubmit” judgments, although if your work is accepted, we may require some corrections or suggest some optional revisions. 

 

Deadline for finished, typewritten work: June 1, 2022

 

            All texts in the published book will be typewritten on real typewriters. This will require care and attention. Guidelines for typing will be sent to authors whose work is accepted. The finished typescript may be submitted on paper or as a scan.

 

Publication date: July 15, 2022

 

            Around this time, the book will be available for purchase on Amazon as a print-on-demand volume. The book will contain no digital text, only images of typewriting. It will not be available as an e-book, only in print. The price will be as affordable as possible (approximately $7), and neither editors nor contributors will make any money from the project. However, every contributor will receive one free copy of the published volume.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

            Can you give me advice on a rough draft of my work? — No, sorry. We expect many submissions, so we will not be able to review anything but polished work that you consider ready for publication.

            May authors collaborate? — Yes.

            May I submit more than one piece? — Yes, but it is unlikely that we will be able to publish more than one.

            May I use a pseudonym or remain anonymous? — Yes.

            What about foreign-language or bilingual material? — The language for the collection is English, so submissions must be in good English, and any bits in other languages must also come with a translation, so that readers who do not know those languages can understand.

            Can work have been published previously? — Yes, but we do prefer contributions that are new or not well known. Any previously published material must follow any copyright conditions attached to the previous publication.

            May I republish my work later? — Yes. You will retain copyright on your work, and after the book is published, you may publish your work in other formats, noting that it first appeared in this collection.

            Do I have to type my own work on a typewriter?— Your initial submission does not have to be typewritten, but the final text does. If you are not confident enough in your typing abilities, let us know; we may be able to arrange a substitute typist for you.

            Will I be paid? — No. No contributors or editors will make any money whatsoever from this project. We will profit in the form of joy, fun, and the satisfaction of contributing to the typewriter insurgency—and contributors will get a free copy of the book.

 

Send all questions and submissions to Richard Polt

at polt@xavier.edu, or

 

Richard Polt

Dept. of Philosophy

Xavier University

3800 Victory Pky.

Cincinnati, OH 45207-4443

USA

 

 

 

Last teaser: The Last

 

Teaser #3: Information Exchange

 

Teaser #2: Handy Dandy

Here's a second teaser from Dead Keys.

Buy Dead Keys here for a pittance.

And yes, we are about to announce the theme for the 2022 volume in the Cold Hard Type series!

'Tis the Terror Season

 As Halloween approaches, it's time to post a few teasers for those who don't yet have a copy of Dead Keys. Here's the first.

Buy Dead Keys here for a pittance.

And yes, we are about to announce the theme for the 2022 volume in the Cold Hard Type series!

Dead Keys around the world

Pinamar, Argentina:

England:

Missouri, USA:

Ontario, Canada:

Los Angeles:

Perhaps you need a copy too?

 

Dead Keys now available

Here's the new volume in the series I edit with Fred Durbin and Andrew McFeaters.

Cold Hard Type IV

Dead Keys: Typewritten Tales of Terror

Can a writing machine become a weapon against evil—or a tool for it? Can it type exquisite tales of terror? Find out—if you dare—in this collection of fiction, poetry, and art. 

Contributors include Merinda Boekhoudt, Ryan Buchanan, Ken Coghlan III, Shelley K. Davenport, Séafra Duffy, Frederic S. Durbin, Gabe Dybing, David Freeman, Ian Gillespie, Sondra Holtzman, Joseph M. Jablonski, Kelye Kneeland, L. B. Kolmas, Cassandra Leoncini, Timothy Ley, Bryan Mahoney, Andrew V. McFeaters, Erich J. Noack, David W. Pedersen, Richard Polt, Kim e Revay, Heriberto Roselló, André Gene Samson, Marni Scofidio, David Tellet, Denise Terriah, Fred Von Drasek, Matthew Weaver, and Matt Wixey.

Purchase Dead Keys on Amazon

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Time for an update

More about this Remington

To see a 1939 Remington 17 in original condition, visit this post.

Austin Typewriter, Ink.

The plot of Evertype, represented in a webwork diagram à la Harry Stephen Keeler.

The Writing Cabinet

PoetryFox.com

Hal Wildson

Red Door Magazine

Freddy is a very helpful companion.