Before Submitting | Submit | After Submitting | Response | Self-Publish | References

Before Submitting

• "The most common question I get is... 'Do you know Will Shortz?'" ~Trip Payne
• "For everybody who starts out, The New York Times is the... gold standard.
  I think everybody has that ambition [to be published in NYT], but if I had never gotten a puzzle there,
  I would’ve still been just as proud of what I accomplished." ~Laura Braunstein
• Review Crossword Publication Specs (many publications listed, besides NYT, LAT, WSJ, Univ.),
  esp. format(s), max submissions in queue, response time, $$; e.g.,
• NYT: lead editor: Will Shortz; editors often have a staff of asst. editors and reviewers.
  format: .pdf (NYT format example);
  max submitted for review: 3 ("We count collaborations as half for each byline");
  response time: ~3 mo.;
  $$: daily (15 x 15): $500 (1-2), $750 (*3+); Sun: $1500 (1-2), $2250 (*3+);
  *"to encourage even newer contributors to contribute more often,
  by the setting of an easier bar to meet for the higher rate" ~Will Shortz; 1/2020
• LAT: lead editor: Patti Varol;
  format: .puz, .ccw, .cfp;
  max submitted for review: 3;
  response time: ~3 mo.;
  $$: 15 x 15: $125; 21 x 21: $300
• WSJ: lead editor: Mike Shenk;
  format: .puz;
  max submitted for review: 3?
  response time: ~8 mo.?
  $$: daily: $200; weekend: $500
• Univ.: lead editor: David Steinberg;
  format: .puz, .ccw, .cfp;
  max submitted for review: 5;
  response time: ~1 mo.;
  $$: 15 x 15: $150; 21 x 21: $350
• Keep your day job!
• George Frank: puzzles never paid much:
  "In his most lucrative year [in 1960s], he made only $650.
  A 23 x 23 Brain Buster brought in no more than $20, while the smaller ones paid $4 to $5,
  but took only an hour to design compared to an entire day for the brain busters."
• Imagine -- how you might enjoy all that new-found fame, and spend all that money ;-)!
• -- that you might someday be interviewed by your local newspaper,
  or be the featured constructor in NYT series: Who Made My Puzzle?
• -- that you might win an Orca Award
  annual (2012-2022) celebration of outstanding achievement in crossword puzzle construction and editing,;
  many categories, including: Best Crossword, Best Clue, Constructor of the Year, ...
• Back to reality...
• Nexus: Submission Checker import .puz, .jpz, .ipuz;
  report: Black squares, 3-letter words, Word count, Clue characters, Dupes (word overlaps)
• XWordInfo: Analyze puzzle: upload .puz (discussed earlier Fill:Metrics) for analyzing theme, grid, fill);
  link to an interactive version for friends to solve and provide feedback, e.g., schoOLLIfe example
• Analyze your Puzzles improvements 6/5/2022
• PuzzleMe: Publish and Preview > Test Solve
• Post puzzle to a crossword forum for feedback? e.g.,
  Cruciverb.com, Reddit:crossword,
  Facebook:Cruciverb (crossword constructors group),
  discord.com: Crosscord: CROSSWORD CONSTRUCTION#test-solves (invitation required)
• Proofread. Fact-check clues. Review. Revise. Repeat.

Submit

• Do not submit the same puzzle to several publishers at the same time.
  Only after receiving a rejection should you consider submitting to a different publisher.
  If your puzzle had actually been accepted by both, withdrawing means apologizing for wasting an editor's time.
• To avoid overloading/annoying editors, check how many submissions they allow in their queues.
• Is publisher currently accepting submissions?
  NYT may pause submission around holidays and/or to catch up on backlogs.
  Universal accepts submissions only during odd months -- check publisher's guidelines.
• Many publishers accept an emailed puzzle file: .puz, .ccw (Crossword Compiler) or .cfp (CrossFire)
• CrossFire: File > Export as > Across Lite Binary/Text (.puz/.txt)
• NYT requires a particular .pdf format (example) that's submitted online
• CrossFire: File > Print > NYT submission: fill-in street address, email;
  Author copied from puzzle Info; note: blank grid (1st page) can be removed
• Crosserville: File > Export puzzle > NY Times Submission format
• Phil: Export as: NYT submission (.pdf)
• NYT Submission Editor upload .puz; enter email & address; download .pdf
• Crossword Compiler: best to export .puz and use NYT Submission Editor

After Submitting

• Q: What do crossword puzzle editors do to relax?... A: NOT CROSSWORDS!
• Editors and their staffs evaluate the consistency/uniqueness of theme, and quality of grid, fill, clues
  -- and compare against other past and current submissions.
• Quality standards have risen at NYT. "There are puzzles from years ago
  that I probably wouldn't accept today" ~Will Shortz; NYT; 11/16/2023
• Wait: weeks/months... -- see publisher's estimated 'response time';
  actual response time is sometimes discussed on crossword forums, e.g.,
  does a longer wait mean: they're short-staffed with too many submissions,
  or has your puzzle survived initial triage (no quick rejection), with a serious chance of a closer look?
• Many excellent puzzles are submitted, by many constructors, esp. to NYT:
  ~200+/week submitted to NYT; Shortz; 4/7/2021
• e.g., # of unique NYT 'Shortz Era' constructors = 1309 [1993 - 5/3/2023]; Steve's = 1261;
  The Shortz Number is the order each constructor was first published in the NYT during the Will Shortz Era.
• "How a 'Maybe Becomes a Times Crossword.
  A little insider information on what a puzzle goes through while moving from submission to publication.
  We have open submissions, meaning that anyone can send us a crossword for consideration.
  My fellow editors and I receive 150 to 200 submissions every week, and from those we can select
  only the few that really stand out.
  
  We gather about twice a week in a virtual meeting to discuss the top "Maybes” as a team.
  For themeless puzzles, Will Shortz reads every entry in the grid aloud, starting with the
  Across entries, pausing for the rest of us to weigh in on whether it is “cross-worthy”
  or “clueable.” We might research entries we’re not familiar with, or have a friendly
  back-and-forth about whether a phrase is something people actually say.
  We often end with an informal vote on the puzzle, indicating our opinion and
  how strongly we feel about it — “I’m a big yes!” or “I’m a modest no,” for instance.
  ...We don’t always talk about the grid design, but it might add extra interest and feel
  like a nice bonus feature." ~Christina Iverson; NYT Wordplay newsletter, 10/13/2023
• "We haven't updated our NYT crossword inventory in a while, because it's largely unchanged
  from before. Each weekday (Mon-Sat) has 9 to 12 months of puzzles. That's a little more
  than we like to have on hand, but not by a ridiculous amount.
  
  We're still light on Sundays -- just 15 on file at the moment. Our response rate on submissions
  is now under three months. Our goal is to reduce this to 4-6 weeks. Almost all contributors
  are now using the submissions portal we introduced last year, and we encourage that.
  As before, we welcome submissions from everyone -- especially from contributors in
  underrepresented groups." ~Will Shortz, 6/7/21

Possible Responses

• 1. Rejected -- most likely, with an inconsistent or unexciting/reused theme, 'bad' fill, etc.,
  especially if publisher receives many better submissions, e.g. NYT
• "NYT acceptance rate decreased from ~10% pre-pandemic to ~5%"
  ~Master Crossword Constructor Jeff Chen Creative License podcast; 11/2/2022
• "Thanks, and please send us more" -- keep on constructing! (17 rejections before being accepted)
• Editors may provide specific feedback, but revise and resubmit only if requested.
• Modify and/or submit elsewhere? Self-publish (next subsection)?
• "My first rejection: April 10, 2009. My first acceptance: July 26, 2012.
  3+ years to hit the big leagues, and then another year before I felt
  confident enough that any puzzle I wrote would be a good one."
  ~Evan Birnholz, Washington Post Sunday crossword editor; 12/09/2023
• puzzle one hundred and seventeen: rejected puzzle ;-) "Dear newspapers,..."
• 2. Maybe -- revisions requested, e.g., replace theme/reveal entry, rework some fill, etc.
• Hopeful -- even after improvements, however, an editor may still decide "no thanks"
• 3. Accepted -- and (eventually) published, likely with some clues/fill modified;
  clues may be different (shorter) in print vs. online?
• "The Crossword Puzzle Editorial Process.
  First, the accepted puzzle is uploaded into our inventory,
  where it's sorted by acceptance date within a day-of-week category.
  About once a month, we take puzzles from the inventory and put
  them on the calendar. We schedule a few months in advance.
  
  Every week, the editors (not including Will Shortz) will be
  assigned to “pre-edit” a puzzle or two. We go over all of the
  clues, checking them for factual errors, typos, style and difficulty.
  We often change clues because they don’t fit the difficulty for
  the scheduled day of the week. We also often have to shorten wordy
  clues to make sure they fit in print. The following week, Will
  revisits the puzzles for a second edit.
  
  After Will’s edit, fact-checkers and test-solvers make sure the
  puzzle is accurate and feels appropriately difficult. From there,
  after making their suggested changes, another team of test-solvers
  "vibe check" the puzzles, keeping an eye out for clues that feel
  off for any reason. Finally, constructors receive a copy of the
  edited puzzle and can weigh in on any changes."
  ~Christina Iverson, Wordplay newsletter; NYT 10/20/2023
• Wait; register as a vendor with publisher (for eventual payment); proof final puzzle
• Enjoy fame, modest payment, adulation of solvers, ...
• One small downside: once you've transferred copyright to the publisher, you can't redistribute it.
• 2023's Crossword Constructor Debuts 90 puzzle makers' first NYT Crossword published; NYT; 12/11/2023
• Tips for [NYT] Debut Constructors
  photo and constructor notes for xwordblog.com; 11/9/2021
• Publishing a Puzzle -- my experience in Universal; Sam Brody
• Finally, It’s Published! queue, clue editing

Self-Publish

• If you have crosswords
• that require local or specialized knowledge for a limited audience,
• that don't have a novel theme or fit neatly within publisher's specifications,
• and/or that have been rejected by several publishers even after revisions,
• you may still want to share your creation with the world.
• Email to your friends, or post to social media, a puzzle forum or a web site in one or more puzzle formats:
• .pdf (or .jpg/.png) file for puzzle (grid & clues) and solution -- for printing
• .puz file -- for solving apps; .jpz files may be necessary for special formatting or character sets
• web link -- for solving in a browser

.pdf

• CrossFire: File > Print > Puzzle; -- & Solution Grid;
  .pdf > Save to .pdf -- e.g., Mac;
  .pdf > Open in Preview sends to printer -- Java bug
• CrossFire: File > Export As > Puzzle Image; -- & Solution Image; .png file
• AcrossLite: File > Open, e.g., .puz or .txt
• AcrossLite: File > Print > Solve items (fresh grid); -- & Solution Grid:
  select printer, or Save to .pdf; any long clues that might result in missing final clues?
• e.g., .pdf (puzzle) empty grid & clues; .pdf (solution) numbered grid with solution; .jpg

.puz

• .puz files can be imported into many Solving and Construction apps
• CrossFire: File > Export as > Across Lite Text / Binary, e.g., .txt, .puz
• AcrossLite: File > Open: .txt; File > Save As: .puz
• User: opens .puz in crossword app, e.g., Android, iOS: Crosswords; Mac, Windows: Across Lite
• Gallery: Solving Applications: Across Lite; Crosswords; etc.
• CROSSWORDS and YOU: Other solving apps
• Gallery: Constructing Applications: CrossFire; Crosshare; Crossword Compiler; PuzzleMe; etc.
• CROSSWORDS and YOU: Other construction apps

Web: external site

• Several browser-based construction sites can host interactive crosswords,
  e.g., Crosshare (free), PuzzleMe (free for non-commercial use);
  email/post a link (URL) for the puzzle
• PuzzleMe: login via Google or Facebook account custom login not avail.
• Create Puzzle: Upload an existing puzzle, e.g., .puz, .jpz
• Dashboard: to the right of the desired puzzle, select </> (Embed/Share)
• Direct Link (tab): copy link (URL) for others to view crossword on PuzzleMe's site, e.g.,
  https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=3910c8fd&set=4adb2a46292076e384211e97283172f90d522ef0f604170d42f78226eade7772&embed=1
• Embed Code -- HTML for web site (see next)

Web: your own site

• Include notes, links to .pdf and .puz files, an interactive applet, solver comments, etc.
• Maintaining a site is more work, but provides the most flexibility and visiblity, e.g., submit to Daily Crossword Links
• Examples: OLLI puzzles; Steve's puzzles
• Starting A Crossword Puzzle Blog: The Complete Guide for 2024 Amuselabs; 2/15/2024
• Two basic approaches to implementing an interactive puzzle:
• 1. Embed an IFRAME (HTML) expression for a remote applet inside your page,
  e.g., Crosshare, PuzzleMe, Crossword Nexus, Exolve
• PuzzleMe: Embed Code (tab): copy IFRAME code, paste into your web page:
• <iframe height="640" allow="fullscreen" style="border:none;width:100%..."
src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=..."></iframe>
• PuzzleMe is free for personal use; I've used it for many of my puzzles
• 2. Include a JavaScript (JS) library to access a puzzle file directly on your site
• HTML5 Crossword Solver: upload .puz to Crossword Nexus site or host code on yours; open source
• Since it was unclear if PuzzleMe would be free for non-profits or whether they would require a license,
  I began using HTML5 Crossword Solver (installed locally) for Ashland.news and my newer crosswords;
  it's also faster to get the puzzle set up and running. example showing both applets
• Gallery: Solving Applets in Browsers: * marks IFRAME-compatible sites
• CROSSWORDS and YOU: Other web-based viewers, solvers, .puz

References / Examples

• Publishing a Puzzle - my experience Sam Brody; Universal
• NYT: How to Make a Crossword Puzzle, Part 5: Resources;
  The Crossword Editors's Job
  A First Look at the Theme; Moving On to the Fill; On Which Day of the Week Should the Puzzle Run?
  Digging Into the Clues: On writing fresh clues; On repeating words in the grid and the clues;
  "Say" clues and question mark clues; Fill-in-the-blank clues
  On the consistency between clues and answers; On brand names; Ac-cen-tu-ate the Positive?
  the submitted puzzle (before editing): clues; web, .pdf, .puz; 8/17/2018
• On Editing a Crossword Will Shortz & Joel Fagliano; editorial thought process,
  before/after clues (NYT example: Sat, 12/20/2014); NYT; 12/29/2014
  Xwordinfo.com version lists clues in table, with links to other clue options
• The Hidden Bigotry of Crosswords The popular puzzles are largely written and edited
  by older white men, who dictate what makes it into the grid -- and what is kept out; Atl; 3/18/2020
• How a Crossword Is Made video: 2:26; Will Shortz; 11/8/2012
• Crossword Constructor's Handbook (Berry) Chapter 6: Odds and Ends
  Submitting Your Puzzle for Publication: E-mail, paper
• The Art of Crossword Construction (Johnston):
  Preparing for Publication: Submitting puzzles to editors; Creating puzzles for online presentation
• How to construct a crossword puzzle for the New York Times
  Alex Boisvert, Crossword Nexus; video: 9:44; publish: @7:50; 4/23/2013;

• 
  

  Walkthrough: Making a Puzzle with CrossFire

• WordPlay documentary: Will Shortz accepts puzzle; NYT publishes;
  solvers enjoy: @0:31:06, @0:38:08, @0:44:50
• Example: OLLI (next subsection)
• CROSSWORDS and YOU: Authoring: References:Editors, References:Publishers