building support for South Asian and diasporic writing

The DesiLit Writing Workshop

Guidelines for Prospective Members
Last updated - September 1, 2006

These guidelines contain important information for prospective members. Please read them thoroughly and familiarise yourself with the conditions of list membership. The key conditions are:

1. You are required to maintain an active participation by submitting your own works in progress and by critiquing the submissions of others. (see footnote 1 at end of file - Non-writing Members)

2. Works are not to be distributed beyond the list without the permission of the author. Any such distribution will cause you to be removed from the list, and legal charges may be filed. You should not read a submission unless you fully intend to provide feedback to the author.

NOTE: Feedback may be in the form of a formal critique (of at least half a typed page, or 150 words), informal comments/impressions advice as to appropriate markets for the piece, an offer to collaborate by providing illustrations/photographs to accompany the work, or by an offer to publish the work or an agent's offer to represent the author in the marketplace. Do not read a submission unless you intend to do or (in the last three cases) seriously consider doing one of the above.

3. The list is intended to help us improve as writers. Flames, chain letters, for-profit solicitations, political or other types of advocacy (however valid the cause), personal attacks, etc, will not be tolerated, and are considered grounds for removal and banning from the list.

4. There is an annual registration fee, which goes towards supporting DesiLit's other programs (such as its online magazine) Since DesiLit is a non-profit organization, the fee is sliding scale; if you cannot afford it, pay what you can. If you are removed for violation of clauses 1, 2, or 3 above, your fee will not be refunded.

Okay, got that? That's the general scoop -- specifics follow. Please read on...

Purpose and Structure of the DesiLit Writers' Workshop

The DesiLit Writers' Workshop exists for two primary purposes:

  • To create an environment where Works In Progress can be passed around and critiqued so that the author can find the weak spots and polish the manuscript into a sellable work.

  • To give S. Asian and diaspora writers of fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction a support group of peers where information can be shared and discussions of the task of writing can be carried on.

    NOTE: Because this is a workshop, membership (except for specifically approved non-writer members as discussed below) is restricted to participating members. Group memberships are not allowed.

Structure of Workshop

  1. The key word in the DesiLit Writers' Workshop is "Workshop". Every member of the writers group is expected to take an active part in the proceedings. We are here to become better writers, not to watch each other. If you don't take an active part in the writer's group, you will be dropped from the membership list.

  2. We require: One submission every three months. One critique or piece of market information every month.

  3. We suggest as a starter: 1-2 submissions every month, 2-4 critiques or pieces of market info every month.

  4. Works are submitted for critique only. Submission is not considered publication. The fact that the list membership consists of active, participating writers acts to support this consideration.

  5. The list administrators do not control what is posted to the workshop. Be advised that some of the material may be controversial in nature. By joining the list, you are agreeing to treat such material in a respectful fashion. Workshop participants are expected to be adults (over 18) and willing to be exposed to material which may be sexually explicit, racially/ethnically charged, or otherwise controversial. You need not critique any specific piece, but if a piece of writing offends you, we recommend you simply stop reading and move on to another piece.

  6. If you're writing a novel, please submit it in chunks of 1-3 chapters (under 10,000 words).

Still interested? Great! Next is an idea of what it'll be like once you join...

Details of How to Participate

It is not necessary to critique every submission, but the more you put into the list, the more you will get out of it. The guideline on participation is to spend at least half an hour writing a critique every month, on average. If you cannot spare this time, this list is not for you.

As an author, you will be expected to polish your work as much as possible before submitting it for critique. This Workshop is designed to help you improve your writing skills; it is not a proofreading service.

When receiving critiques, you will be expected to read our comments and suggestions, consider them seriously, then decide what to use and what to ignore. Do not try to defend your work, even if you think the response is rude or misses the point. This Workshop is much like a live, face-to-face workshop in that the serious participant must be prepared to develop a thick skin and deal maturely with sometimes negative reviews.

In addition to helping the author, the time you spend on critiques will also help you better understand the craft of writing. Really. We promise.

Okay, you're itching to join now, right? One more important thing first -- technical details of importance once you join. If you don't get this stuff right, we send you nasty notes.

Administration Details -- Once You Join

The management address for the list is currently:

workshop-admin@desilit.org

Please send your administrative questions to this address and NOT to the list! Vishwa or Jaya will be happy to assist you. In case of emergency, you may also contact Mary Anne Mohanraj, DesiLit's Executive Director, at info@desilit.org.

You must preface all subject lines with the message type, eg SUB:, CRIT:, MARKET:, CHAT:. This is essential to list management and will ensure your contributions are recorded accurately. For example:

SUB: Arranged Marriage (J. Patel)
CRIT: Arranged Marriage (J. Patel)
MARKET: DesiLit Magazine launches -- pays for fiction, poetry, more!
CHAT: Why do we keep writing about arranged marriage anyway?
BIO: J. Patel
ADMIN: (only to be used by administration members)

Send your critique to the entire list, so we can all learn together. Your responses to a critique of your work should be sent only to the original critiquer. List members should not post critiques of critiques -- they use up valuable time and list space.

Finally, all the preliminaries are over -- here's the climax -- how to sign up!

Participation Details: How to Join

Okay, you've read everything, right? Here's how you join the workshop:

Wait -- don't do it yet!

READ THE LEGAL STUFF BELOW!

By joining the workshop, you agree to the following:

  • I have read (thoroughly) the guidelines for membership of the DesiLit Writers' Workshop email list.

  • I understand that membership of the list depends upon my maintaining an active participation by submitting my own works in progress and by critiquing the submissions of others.

  • I will not distribute works beyond the list without the express permission of the author.

  • I am of at least 18 years of age.

Okay? Good. To sign up, just send in your registration fee through the PayPal link below. Suggested fees:
  • US Residents: $30 USD annually
  • UK Residents: $50 USD annually
  • India Residents: $10 USD annually
  • Others: As seems appropriate and equitable for your respective exchange rates
IMPORTANT NOTE!: For the remainder of 2006, we request one-third of the standard annual fee. So if you register anytime from Sept - Dec 2006, we suggest US residents pay $10, and others adjust their fees accordingly.

If you cannot use PayPal, please contact Mary Anne at info@desilit.org and explain your situation; she can give you info on where to send a check.

Once you've been approved, please post a bio to the list (subject header should be BIO: yourname): who you are, where you live and work, what you like to write and read, etc. Please include your full name (real name, not pen name) and email address so people will know who you are and how to reach you.

Thanks for reading!

Vishwa Chandra and Jaya Bhattacharji, Workshop Coordinators
Mary Anne Mohanraj, Executive Director, DesiLit

Footnote 1: Non-Writing Members

NOTE: The only exception to the participation requirement applies to non-writing list members. Persons who are involved in the publishing industry in non-writing capacities (editors, publishers, photographers, illustrators, agents and the like), may be permitted to join the list upon approval by the list administrators if they determine that such membership will benefit the list as a whole. Please e-mail the list administrators directly (workshop-admin@desilit.org) if you wish to join as a non-writing member.

The number of non-writing members will never exceed the number of writing members. Non-writing members will not be required to meet the participation requirement, and are not expected to submit works for critique, but are allowed and strongly encouraged to provide feedback on the works submitted by writers, information on marketing opportunities, and discussion based on their knowledge of the industry which may be of help to writers in obtaining publication of their works.

Non-writing members are expected to abide by all other list rules, including but not limited to those regarding restrictions on distribution and discussion of submitted works outside the workshop. If you join as a non-writing member, please understand that you may be asked to leave if the list grows so large that your spot is required for a writer.
[info@desilit.org]