Quality Control
This document describes the kind of written work we are looking for at Crystal Clear Creators. These are guidelines only and are descriptive, not prescriptive, so if you have an idea which doesn't seem to fit in with these guidelines but which you believe could work well on radio, tell us about it and we'll consider it for development and production.
1. How to send your material.
Please send Word documents of scripts, ideas, etc. as email attachments in the first instance. Please do not send more than one piece of work at a time, unless you are submitting poetry, in which case a short cycle of poems is acceptable. If you wish to send recorded material like music, please contact us by email first. If you have an idea for a documentary, please send a proposal and synopsis. Presentation of your material is important. Make sure it is well laid out on the page, readable and formatted according to the usual conventions; if, for instance, you are submitting a radio play, you must have a look at how radio plays are set out before sending your work in (most libraries have copies of radio plays). Double space all work; number pages; put your name as a header or footer on all pages.
2. What your membership subscription entitles you to.
Your membership subscription to Crystal Clear Creators does not guarantee acceptance or production of your material. It does, however, guarantee that your work will be read carefully and sensitively by a member of the editorial board, with a view to possible recording.
3. What genres and subjects we are looking for.
We are particularly interested in works and ideas in the following genres:
- Radio plays which have not previously been produced or broadcast
- Poems
- Music of whatever kind which you have written and performed
- Short stories or monologues
- Documentaries on any subject (please send in a proposal and synopsis in the first instance)
We are interested in reading material about all and any subjects, though work of a potentially offensive nature may be rejected for that reason.
4. What process does your work go through after submission.
Once your material has been received, it will be distributed to a member of the editorial board. S/he will read your work. Obviously, there are two possible outcomes at this stage:
- If s/he finds it unsuitable for development or production, s/he will let you know within six weeks and tell you why. This may include advice on how to develop the work further
- If the reader thinks the work suitable for further development or production, s/he will pass on your work to another member of the editorial board for a second opinion. If this second member agrees, you will then be contacted about the next stage of development. If the second member disagrees, the work will then be sent to a third member of the editorial board for adjudication.
Please note: if you require detailed feedback on your written work, or wish to develop your work to completion, you may want to consider using our critique service (see webpage).
5. When you will hear.
You should hear back from the first reader within about six weeks. This is our normal turnaround time, though at busy times of the year, this may be slightly longer. If your work is rejected, you will be informed within that six week period. If your material is passed to another member of the editorial board for a second opinion, you will be notified of this by email or letter because the turnaround time will be longer - about eight weeks on average. After the second reader has seen the work, you will either be informed about the next stage of development, or you will be notified that the work has been passed to a third reader for adjudication. If you have heard nothing within eight weeks of sending your work, please get in contact in case your work has not reached us.
6. Who is on the editorial board.
The editorial board will normally consist of three or more members, all of whom are experienced and professional writers. These are appointed by the executive committee.
7. What kind of work will be accepted.
We are looking for work of a high standard which fits into the following criteria:
- It is well-written in a distinctive style. Avoid clichés!
- It has an individual voice (or even individual voices).
- It has an engaging subject matter and maintains interest throughout.
- The characters (if relevant) are well thought out and conflict with each other in fascinating ways.
8. The young writers' section.
Obviously, there will be different standards applied in appraising the work of the adult writers than those applied to projects for the under-16s', though the same criteria listed in 7 will still be upheld. The under-16s' work will be appraised entirely separately from the other work received, and will be judged according to its own merits and standards rather than being measured against over-16's material. All of the other points here, though, apply to both cases.
9. Copyright.
Copyright of all work remains with the author and, for this reason, you are free to try submitting your work elsewhere even if it is accepted by us. You may need to check, however, the policy regarding duplication and copyright of the other places you send material to. None of the material on Crystal Clear Creators' website can be reproduced by a third party without the author's consent.