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Hey everyone. We've been (kind of quietly) accepting open submissions at the AVCX for a while, and we figured we would make the thing explicit. Just a heads up that we have very limited capacity! So here's the details.
Specs are minimal. Send your puzzle OR theme idea to editor@avcxwords (.puz preferred). We're streamlining a system where we can get back to you quickly. If you're new to the game especially, we'll also give you pointers about how to improve.
All sizes, all forms of experimentation, all weirdness allowed, if the endpoint is fun. Use cheater squares, asym grids, naughty words, unhinged rants, whatever.
Write a puzzle with smell clues for all we care. Just make us laugh and be nice to the other humans.
We run a weekly puzzle, and we are and will remain an indie. This is not empty rhetoric but a way of saying that we have other jobs, kids, things like that, and have no Times-esque infrastructure or assistance. So we have capacity for something like 60 puzzles a year.
So please understand that our acceptance rate is going to be low. We'll be open for submissions from December-January, and then from May-August annually. If we can't take your thing, we'll still be nice and helpful, promised.
Please also understand that we work towards representational equity. Great puzzles find their spot, but it also matters to us that our product be inclusive. Thanks for listening! editor@avxwords, Dec-Jan and May-Aug. Send us something good.
Oh and lastly we have a backlog of themelesses right now so we probably won't buy any new ones until May.
