Martin Walsh has written this amusing and whimsical story to be published in instalments during our crowdfunding project to raise funds for the publication of the next issue of Pushing Out the Boat and to get our finances back into balance following the damaging effects of the Covid years. If you enjoy it, please consider making a donation.
PUSHING OUT THE BOAT
North-East Scotland's Biennial Magazine of New Writing and the Visual Arts
- Seasons' Greetings from POTB - see our end of year Newsletter
- Our magazines make a great little gift - order your copies here - or pop in to a local vendor
- Wee Gaitherin Literary Heritage Exhibition opening Tue 26 Nov
- Submissions to Issue 18 are now CLOSED; meet some of the selection panellists on the blog
- Visit our blog for articles on our creative writing and reading events at the Festival of the Sea
- Pushing Out the Boat welcomes a new Editor, Peter Burnett, - read his introduction on the blog
Patron: Dame Anne Begg
Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation
© 2024 Pushing Out the Boat (POTB)
SCIO No SC044919
Image size warning
This image may be too small for printing.
Submitters are asked to provide an image with one dimension at least 2400 px - which has a print size of 203 mm (8 inches) when printed at 300dpi.
This image falls into the warning threshold where maximum dimension is between 1200 and 2400 px. Take a look at it and add an alert to the Selection Panel if you think appropriate.
Image too small
Submitters are asked to provide an image for which the largest of width and height is at least 2400 px - that's a print size of 203 mm (8 inches) when printed at 300dpi. Smaller images in the range 1200 – 2400 px are accepted with a warning
This image is even smaller than the warning threshold and so should be rejected.
Updating poetry details
The Word Count, Stanza Count, Line Count and Notes to Selection Panel can be updated through this form.
- Type in your amendments
- Click on the Update button to apply your change(s)
- Click on the Exit button to return to the Submission Checking page.
Line Count should contain the number of lines per stanza, separated by commas,
e.g. 4, 5, 4 for a poem with 3 stanzas having 4, 5 and 4 lines, respectively.
Adding a manual note to the Record of Updates
Very occasionally you may want to record some extra information about the processing of an entry as a matter of record only, not for the Selection Panel's eyes, e.g. 'This is a replacement for entry S025 withdrawn by submitter', or 'Checked with Freda that some of the details originally included under Medium not appropriate for Selection Panel'.
- Type the information you want to record into the box labelled Add a manual note to the Record of Updates
- Click on the Update button to apply your update
- you will see your note appear at the top of the Record of Updates listing
- Click on Exit to return to the Submission Checking page
Filtering and Sorting Entries
This toolbar can be used to control which entries are displayed and how they are sorted.
FILTER BY ENTRY STATUS:
- Check one of these radio buttons to restrict the display to entries with a particular status
SORT BY:
- Check one of these radio buttons to control the order in which entries are displayed
- or, check the Youth Entry button to display only youth entries
GO
- Click GO to refresh the display
LIST ENTRIES BY STATUS:
This toolbar can be used to control which entries are displayed.
- Check one of these radio buttons to list only those entries with a particular status:
- All to display all the entries
- For review to display entries waiting to be reviewed
- Selected to display selected entries
- Reserve to display reserve entries
- Not selected to display entries not selected for publication
- Then click on GO to refresh the display
YOUTH ENTRIES
- Tick the Youth entries check box to list only youth entries of the chosen status
OR GENERATE SUMMARY LISTING
These links can be used to generate a summary listing on which you can record your personal notes and comments as you review the entries. The listing can be generated either in print-ready format or in spreadsheet format, by clicking on the appropriate link.
- For printing
- For download to Excel spreadsheet
LIST ENTRIES BY STATUS:
This toolbar can be used to control which entries are displayed.
- Check one of these radio buttons to list only those entries with a particular status:
- All to display all the entries
- For review to display entries waiting to be reviewed
- Selected to display selected entries
- Reserve to display reserve entries
- Not selected to display entries not selected for publication
- Selected as potential cover to display entries selected as potential cover designs
- Tick the Youth entries check box to list only youth entries of the chosen status
- Tick the Cover design entries check box to list only cover design entries of the chosen status
- Then click on GO to refresh the display
OR GENERATE SUMMARY LISTING
These links can be used to generate a summary listing on which you can record your personal notes and comments as you review the entries. The listing can be generated either in print-ready format or in spreadsheet format, by clicking on the appropriate link.
- For printing
- For download to Excel spreadsheet
Updating prose details
The Word Count and Notes to Selection Panel can be updated through this form.
- Type in your amendments
- Click on the Update button to apply your change(s)
- Click on the Exit button to return to the Submission Checking page.
Selection process
Entries waiting for review by the Selection Panel are highlighted by a green background and have an initial status of for review.
Once an entry has been considered, its status should be changed as follows:
- Set Status to
- Selected, if definitely chosen for publication
- Reserve/maybe, if still considering this entry or to indicate a reserve for publication if a selected entry drops out
- Not selected, if not suitable/not chosen for publication
- Click on the Update button to save status change
Background colour
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
- green for entries waiting to be reviewed
- mauve for selected entries
- yellow for reserve entries
- grey for non selected entries
Reserve Ranking
- Once the selection process is complete, review the list of reserves and adjust the ranks into the panel's order of preference
- To view only the reserve entries:
- go to the toolbar near the top of the page headed LIST ENTRIES BY:
- check the radio button Reserves
- then click on GO
Selection process
Entries waiting for review by the Selection Panel are highlighted by a green background and have an initial status of for review.
Once an entry has been considered, its status should be changed as follows:
- Set Status to
- Not selected, if not suitable/not chosen for publication
- Reserve/maybe, if still considering this entry or to indicate a reserve for publication if a selected entry drops out
- Selected, if definitely chosen for publication
- Check the potential cover box if a selected entry has also been identified as a potential cover image. (Note that this is applicable to selected entries only. If you check this box for an unselected or reserve entry it will be ignored.)
- Click on the Update button to save status change
Background colour
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
- green for entries waiting to be reviewed
- mauve for selected entries
- salmon pink for entries to be considered for the cover
- yellow for reserve entries
- grey for non selected entries
Reserve Ranking
- Once the selection process is complete, review the list of reserves and adjust the ranks into the panel's order of preference
- To view only the reserve entries:
- go to the toolbar near the top of the page headed LIST ENTRIES BY:
- check the radio button Reserves
- then click on GO
Status
The status of an entry denotes where it is in the selection process. All entries have an initial status of For review and are highlighted by a green background. Once an entry has been considered by the Selection Panel, its status will be changed as follows:
- Selected: definitely chosen for publication
- Reserve/maybe: reserve (for publication if a selected entry drops out) or still under consideration
- Not selected: not suitable/not chosen for publication
Only the Panel Convenor can change the status of an entry and will do so following consultation with the panel members.
Background colour
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
- green for entries waiting to be reviewed
- mauve for selected entries
- yellow for reserve entries
- grey for non selected entries
Reserve Ranking
Initially, reserve entries will be ranked in the order in which they were chosen. Once the selection process is complete, the Panel Convenor will adjust the ranks into the panel's order of preference.
Status
The status of an entry denotes where it is in the selection process. All entries have an initial status of For review and are highlighted by a green background. Once an entry has been considered by the Selection Panel, its status will be changed as follows:
- Selected: definitely chosen for publication
- Potential cover: entry has also been selected as a potential cover image.
- Reserve/maybe: reserve (for publication if a selected entry drops out) or still under consideration
- Not selected: not suitable/not chosen for publication
Only the Panel Convenor can change the status of an entry and will do so following consultation with the panel members.
Background colour
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
- green for entries waiting to be reviewed
- mauve for selected entries
- salmon pink for entries to be considered for the cover
- yellow for reserve entries
- grey for non selected entries
Reserve Ranking
Initially, reserve entries will be ranked in the order in which they were chosen. Once the selection process is complete, the Panel Convenor will adjust the ranks into the panel's order of preference.
Reading, Printing and Downloading entries
Reading
To read an entry, simply click on the entry number and a new window will open in which a PDF version of the submission will be displayed.
All the web browsers I have checked (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera) have a built-in reader which will display PDF documents inline. If your browser starts up Adobe viewer or tries to download the document, then you may need to adjust your browser settings. If you need help with this, please get back in touch with me.
Printing
- Click on the entry number to view the PDF version of the submission
- In IE, Chrome or Opera - right click and select Print from the pop-up menu
- In Firefox you should see a PDF toolbar immediately above the document; click on the print icon, towards the right hand end of the toolbar
Downloading
- Click on the entry number to view the PDF version of the submission
- In IE use Tools | File |Save As
- In Firefox, you should see a PDF toolbar immediately above the document; click on the download icon, towards the right hand end of the toolbar
- In Chrome a little toolbar should pop up when you hover the mouse in the bottom right hand corner of the window; click on the icon that looks like an old-fashioned floppy disk to download the file [alternatively you can use Tools | Save Page As]
- In Opera a toolbar will pop up when you hover the mouse near the bottom on the window; click on the icon that looks like an old-fashioned floppy disk to download the file
Mac user?
Alas, I don't have a Mac, so can't give you exact instructions for Safari but, if you need help with this, get back in touch with me and I will enlist the help of my son to come up with the recipe.
Want to read on a Kindle? PDFs can be read directly on the Kindle but there is no automatic line wrap which can mean you have to display at an uncomfortably small font size. It is possible to improve the readability of the file by using Amazon's own personal document conversion service:
- Download the PDF file to your computer
- Email the file to your Send-to-Kindle e-mail address with the Subject line: Convert
- You can find your Send-to-Kindle e-mail address on your Kindle by going to Settings > Device Option > Personalize your Kindle on your e-reader.
For further assistance
contact me (Aenea) by email: webmaster@pushingouttheboat.co.uk
Viewing, Printing and Downloading images
Viewing
To view an image, click on the thumbnail and a new window will open in which a full-screen version of the image will be displayed.
Printing
To print an image, view the full-screen version of the image as described above, then use your browser's Print command to print the image.
Downloading
To download an image, view the full-screen version of the image as described above, right click on the image and then choose 'Save Image As' (or 'Save As') to download a copy of the image to your computer.
For further assistance
contact me (Aenea) by email: webmaster@pushingouttheboat.co.uk
Toolbar Help
Document Viewer
To be able to view submissions online, without having to download them first, we are using a tool called the Google Document Embedder or GDE for short.
When viewing, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of each page, to ensure that there are no footers or page numbers.
Scroll down to the bottom of the window to see the toolbar.
denotes that you are at page 1 of 5
click to advance one page
click to go back one page
click to make the text bigger
click to make the text smaller
Troubleshooting
Page appears to load but all I get is a blank screen
Try reloading the page. You may need to do this several times but the document should appear eventually.
Any other problems?
Please report to Aenea for investigation
To check an entry, follow these steps.
- View the entry to check for:
- any details that could identify the submitter - these need to be edited out
- features that should be mentioned to the Selection Panel.
- If the entry needs to be edited:
- download the file
- edit it to remove the inapproriate content
- replace the original with your edited version.
- Review the Notes to Selection Panel:
- for most submissions, these can remain empty
- if they contain any Further Details from the submitter, they may need editing before passing to the Panel
- add in any other comments you think are worth pointing out to the Selection Panel.
- Update the Status to
- Checked, if ready for the Selection Panel
- Pending other wise
- Click on the Update button to save your changes
To check an Art entry, follow these steps.
- View the entry to check:
- that the image is of reasonable clarity
- that it is suitable material for a literary magazine
- if there are any features that should be mentioned to the Selection Panel.
- Look at the descriptive details Colour/B&W, Medium and Original Dimensions. If any looks wrong or if the Medium requires editing:
- click on the Review Details link to open up a form for editing these fields
- or, if you need further information before making changes, update the Status field to Pending and return to this entry later.
- Review the Notes to Selection Panel:
- for most submissions, these can remain empty
- if the submitter has included extra details in the Medium field, these should have been moved to the Selection Panel Notes at step 2
- add in any other comments worth pointing out to the Selection Panel.
- Update the Status to
- Checked, if ready for the Selection Panel
- Pending other wise
- Click on the Update button to save your changes
PDF File Not Yet Available
For ease of viewing and to preserve anonymity, PDF versions of prose and poetry entries are created.
You are getting this message either because the PDF version of this entry has not yet been created or because it requires to be updated, following replacement of the submission file.
Creation of PDF files normally happens overnight, as it requires a file transfer to and from Aenea's home PC.
In the meantime, you can view the entry using the Gview inline viewer.
Please contact Aenea if you experience a delay in PDF creation longer than 2 days.
Since the PDF version is the only version that will be seen by the Selection Panel, you will not be able to update the status of this entry to Checked until the PDF file has been created.
Updating artwork details
The artwork details Colour/B&W, Medium and Original Dimensions can be updated through this form.
- Type in your amendments
- Take care to use millimetres if updating any of the dimensions
- Click on the Update button to apply your change(s)
- Click on the Exit button to return to the Submission Checking page.
Note: If the details provided by the submitter under the Medium heading contain some further details that are relevant to the submission but are not part of the medium description (e.g. This image is intended to accompany the poem titled 'Fresh Fields') then these details should be copied into the Notes for Selection Panel box and removed from the Medium.
Team Document Library Help
The Document Library is organised into folders
- Click on a Folder name to enter that section of the library
To re-sort the list of folder names:
- Click on the LAST MODIFIED table heading to re-sort by date modified
- Click on the FOLDER table heading to re-sort in alphabetical order
For editors only
List all the files in each folder
Create a new folder
Delete folder (only appears when a folder is empty)
Team Document Library Help
The Document Library is organised into folders
- Click on a Folder name to enter that section of the library
To re-sort the list of folder names:
- Click on the LAST MODIFIED table heading to re-sort by date modified
- Click on the FOLDER table heading to re-sort in alphabetical order
Team Document Library Help
Use the icons as follows:
To View a document or image within your web browser
To Download a document to your computer
(only appears for documents with no PDF version)
To go back to the Team Document Library home page
This help popup not written yet.
Coming shortly (I hope).
Huge thanks to Martin for this lovely story.
Just read the final chapter of ‘Walrus’. What a touching end to a great story. I must admit that after five chapters I’m feeling quite affectionate towards what is essentially a large leathery sea creature with lethal tusks. Thanks to Martin for donating his story to our website sand our fundraiser (one lucky donor will receive a signed manuscript of ‘Walrus’). Wrrrr!
Loved this story, having heard the first chapter read so brilliantly by Martin at the POTB reading event (part of the Festival of the Sea) on 20 July. Great sense of fun to end the story with a reference to a carpenter – as a nod to Lewis Carroll’s The Walrus and the Carpenter?!