Rejected submissions and SSN's

[John 59]

Greetings,

I am new to constructing and am thinking someday to submit puzzles to the NY Times (I know it's a pipe dream) and others.

If the publisher doesn't accept your puzzle do they officially notify you such that you are free to submit it elsewhere?  I sometimes see S.A.S.E. included in submission guidelines...is this their vehicle for sending it back and telling you they haven't accepted it and it still belongs to you "rights" wise?

Also, I see the request for your social security number as part of the puzzle submission...in this day and age of identity theft does anyone have any concerns with this aspect?

Thanks for any guidance.

[Mel Rosen]

1. If you have been notified that a puzzle is rejected, whether that notification be via e-mail or your SASE, all rights have reverted to you. Some editors (and I confess to having been one of them) may take a long time to reply either way. That's why you should not submit a puzzle to a second market before learning its fate at the first one.
2. The SSN request is so the publisher can associate your pay with a number for year-end tax reporting (i.e., form 1099). Is the risk of ID theft greater than 0? Mildly so, I guess, but that risk wouldn't be associated with the publisher or editor, it'd be some miscreant opening envelopes at random. You could reduce the risk further by taking your envelope to the post office rather than leaving it in your mailbox for pickup.
-Mel

[John 59]

...it'd be some miscreant opening envelopes at random...

Mscreant...now that's a word I have yet to see in a crossword!
When I get contructing I hope to include it...might even be worthy of a theme.

Thanks for the info