The Listener Crossword

Notes for Setters

Puzzle submission

Editorial Team

The first vetter is Shane Shabankareh, to whom new puzzles should be sent: see below.

The second vetter and scheduler is Roger Phillips, who maintains the portfolio of vetted puzzles.

Setters who wish to make a postal submission (in full or in part) should email
submissions at (@) ListenerCrossword.com
for the appropriate instructions and address.

How to Send a Puzzle

The submission must include:

1	Covering email	Include the setter’s real name and address. Mention if there is any constraint on publication (need for a particular publication date or serial number).
2	Puzzle	Title of puzzle, setter’s pseudonym, blank grid, preamble and clues.
3	Solution (concealed)	Expected solution grid and notes for publication, sufficient to explain the theme to unsuccessful solvers in under 200 words. Cite the most accessible reference book(s) required to confirm the theme, if not mentioned in the preamble.
4	Vetters’ Notes (concealed)	A detailed explanation of the clues for the benefit of the vetters, including citations for all answers not in the current edition of The Chambers Dictionary

We attempt to solve all submissions “cold”, just as solvers would. The solution and notes should therefore be kept concealed and covering emails should avoid discussion of the puzzle’s theme or anything else that might give the game away.

Electronic submission

Email the puzzle to submissions at (@) ListenerCrossword.com, in two separate messages, as follows.

The first message should contain the covering letter and puzzle (items 1 and 2 above). If you require acknowledgement of receipt, say so here. It is particularly important that the setter’s postal address is included.
The second message should contain the solution and notes (items 3 and 4 above). If they are in the body of the email, they must be prefaced by at least 20 lines of spurious text so that they’re not seen by accident.

For the preamble, clues and notes, the simplest method is to paste the text into the body of the email. Grid images may also be pasted in, if the email format supports it. Alternatively, puzzles may be sent as attachments, using the following file formats.

Text and grids	RTF (Rich Text); PDF; Word 2007 and later (.docx)
Text only	Plain text file
Grids	GIF; WMF; JPEG; PNG; BMP

Users of Microsoft Word should note that old-style (.doc) and macro-enabled (.docm) files will not be opened due to the danger of viruses.

If any special typefaces or characters fail to appear correctly, this should be shown by annotation [in square brackets].

Postal submission

Send postal submissions (which can be handwritten if clear) to Shane’s address. Only one copy is required. If you require acknowledgement of receipt, say so in the covering letter and enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope or provide an email address.

If possible, also email a copy of the preamble and clues to submissions at (@) ListenerCrossword.com, to avoid errors in transcribing them.