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#publishing short stories
em-dash-press · 1 year
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How Traditional Publishing Works for Short Stories
You’ve written a short story and want it to reach readers, but you’re tired of combing through contests. Don’t worry—there’s a path to traditional publishing for short stories and you can follow it to build your writing resume with these steps.
1. Polish Your Work
Reviewing your story before submitting it is crucial. One or two typos may not disqualify you from getting accepted for publishing, but it could make the publisher pause.
Read through your work out loud to catch the tiny line edits that our eyes often skip over.
Ask a friend or family member to read it. A fresh pair of eyes on your work is priceless!
Use a text-to-speech reader to catch typos. You may hear the spelling errors more clearly, so try a site like this one: https://www.naturalreaders.com/online/
You can also use the spell check within your preferred writing software. It may not catch every spelling or tense-usage error, but it’s still helpful.
2. Research Publications
Longer manuscripts would normally look for publishing houses or imprints, but short stories just need publications.
Imagine the publishing world as an umbrella. Publishing houses are the fabric of the umbrella and imprints are the metal arms making the fabric extend. Imprints are subsections of publishing houses. Publications are like the stem and handle of an umbrella. They’re mostly independently owned, so that’s where you’ll find things like:
Literary magazines
Literary Journals
Ezines
Some are run by small groups of people who love making things like short-story anthologies and others will be professionally run magazines or journals with wide distribution. Your work may qualify for all of these publications depending on the length, topic, and what each publication is looking for.
3. Submit Your Work
Personally, I think finding the right places to submit your work is the most challenging part of publishing any story. There are an overwhelming number of places to consider. You might never learn about all of them!
Luckily, I’ve found a few tools to streamline the process.
Chill Subs is my current favorite site to find publications seeking short stories. You can find their site here: https://chillsubs.com/
This is what their homepage looks like—I’m breathing a sigh of relief just seeing it that encouraging welcome!
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Once you make your free account (which is what allows you to track your submissions, results, etc.), you’ll find this page when you’re ready to start browsing:
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It may seem like a lot, but selecting publication types and finding places that specifically want things like a spooky vibe or a quick response time makes submitting your work so much faster.
Just below this browsing section, you’ll find a list of publications if you just want to select a few without the filters. Here’s a screenshot of the first one I found:
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There’s a great summary of the magazine and everything you need to know, like the facts that they have a super fast response time, don’t require a submission fee, and even their acceptance rate!
If you scroll further down under a publisher, you’ll find other invaluable information like:
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Normally, you’d have to find all of these things by searching a publication’s website and recent published work. It would take much more time and you might not find what you’re looking for (I struggle when I’m too tired or distracted). Chill Subs will connect you to publications super quickly and easily, without charging a dime!
Next, I also like The Grinder, which you can find here: https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/
Here’s what their homepage looks like:
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This site is better for people who are more data driven! Right beneath the top of their homepage, you can automatically see the stats for The Grinder users who recently got accepted or rejected. At the time that I wrote this post, the people in the screenshot below had numerous rejections. I find it encouraging to see stuff like this because it’s a reminder that rejections happen to everyone. It’s just a matter of finding the right place for your work!
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If you select “Search” on the top of the homepage, you’ll get a dropdown menu for things like searching for fiction or poetry submissions, plus publishers listed in alphabetical order.
For the purpose of this post, I’ve selected “Historical” as my imaginary story I’d like to submit. There are many other genres in the box if you keep scrolling. Here’s what the start of this process looks like:
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Hit “Search” and this comes up:
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Right away you’ll see what each place pays, which genres and lengths they accept and their response time. I’ve clicked on the first publisher and found this data:
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Enjoy using the charts and data to gauge where your stories should go! There are many publications working with The Grinder, so there’s tons to search through as you get a feel for what’s out there.
Other potential places to submit your work: 
Submittable: https://manager.submittable.com/opportunities/discover (You’ll need to have submitted to a contest that uses Submittable to make an account, but the Discover tab has many publications organized by closest deadlines.)
Your university literary journals (if you’re a university student—most only accept work from students enrolled in that school, but it’s a major perk if you’re paying tuition because you won’t have to pay to send your work off!)
Local literary journals (many only accept work from writers who live nearby, which narrows down your competition).
4. Keep Track of Your Submissions
If you’re submitting more than one or two stories at a time, it’s best to keep a spreadsheet that tracks your submissions. As your writing career continues, you’ll always be able to reflect on which stories you submitted and where they went. It’s a great way to see how your writing has grown and note which publications you liked the most/had the most success with.
My submissions spreadsheet contains labeled columns for things like:
Date of submission
The story’s title
The page length/word count
The genre
The publication mae
The publication type
URL of publication if applicable
Final date of submissions
Date of notice if one is given
Potential prize money if applicable
Rejection or acceptance when notified
Some places only want unpublished writers, but most only want stories that haven't been previously published or placed in contest results. Keeping track of which stories receive prizes/publications makes it much easier to submit qualifying works in the future.
5. Evaluate Your Publishing Contract
Many publishers require writers to sign a contract so the legal reality of the transaction is clear to both parties. This happens for both short stories and long form work. You’ll have to review things like:
Allowing them to have print rights (typically worldwide because things are published online)
Allowing them to publish your picture and bio that is usually included in the submission form
Allowing them exclusivity (you may need to wait a specific time period before submitting the same story to other publishers/contests or selling it on your website)
Agreeing to author’s warranties (this means you agree that you wrote the story, it isn’t plagiarized, it isn’t libelous, and you don’t want it to be public domain)
Agreeing to a termination clause (the publisher typically reserves the right to terminate your publication contract for things like discovering plagiarism, getting sued for libel, if you sell the story to another publication within their exclusive time frame, etc.)
Agreeing to a reversion of rights clause (you’ll get all of the above rights to sell/submit the story if the publisher doesn’t get your story published by the deadline included in your contract)
Agreeing to payment terms (if you’ll be paid based on how many magazine copies are sold, based on your word/page count, or if you’ll get a flat fee). Also, how you’ll get paid (in installments, within a time frame after publication, via direct deposit or check).
A big thing to note—if a publisher doesn’t include a reversion of rights clause, they essentially want to lock your story within their publishing company permanently. You’ll never get the rights back for submitting or publishing it elsewhere. That includes if you write a collection of short stories and want to publish an anthology—you wouldn’t get to include the story taken by the original publisher.
It’s very important to know your rights as a writer before submitting.
You can read more about contract details over at Writing Cooperative.
And you can always look through Writer Beware, which tracks scams and legitimate publication opportunities.
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Hopefully this helps you get started with your next venture in getting published! The process doesn’t have to feel as confusing as it often does. Best of luck! 💛
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10cities10years · 5 months
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"Sonya Delebreau Never married" in The Lit Nerds
Read "Sonya Delebreau Never Married" by Joseph Lyttleton, now published by The Lit Nerds.
Good day. For the second time this year, I have had a short story published. This one is titled “Sonya Delebreau Never Married” and you can find it on The Lit Nerds. This is a story I wrote roughly a million years ago in 2016, before, well, you know, everything. Even before I moved to Spain, when I was still in Brooklyn. I hope you’ll read it and let me know what you think. The Lit Nerds aren’t…
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m-c-easton · 10 months
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Submission Spotlight: Gulf Coast
You’ve got until September, so dust off that piece that’s seen too many rejections and get to work. In three months, give it another go and consider Gulf Coast. Founded in 1986, this is the literary journal of the University of Houston’s creative writing program. Phillip Lopate and Donald Barthelme founded the journal, which has expanded to two print issues as well as its online publications. The…
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morganbritton132 · 7 months
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After David tells him that his ex has arrived for Career Day and it’s not even the Wheeler that he asked for, Steve marches over to Mike like, “What are you doing here?”
Wow, David thinks to himself. He’s been told that Steve has some problems with his memory - apparently he compensated for it with a truly insane online calendar - but he didn’t expect him to forget about a whole human being. Just, wow.
Steve loudly tells Mike that he’s never had a real job and Mike scoffs at him and tells him that he wrote for a comic book website for three years. Journalism is just writing with a fancy degree. Will and Mike created a comic book together so, “I’m published.”
“Robin is published,” Steve stresses (Steve’s best friend, David knows that one). “If that was the only qualification I wanted than I would’ve asked Robin to come.”
They start squabbling again in whispered voices so David turns to Dustin and tries to alleviate some of the awkwardness with, “Steve, uh, really has a type, huh?”
Dustin squints at him, “Did you just meet him? Today?”
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writing-with-sophia · 4 months
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Writing a novel: Step by step
Most writers aspire to publish at least one book in their lifetime, but writing a novel is not easy. From new writers to experienced writers who have published hundreds of books, everyone must follow a step-by-step process to create their work. These steps are based on the wisdom of famous writers, so while they may not be entirely definitive, they will certainly be helpful to you.
Step 1: Generate ideas
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Start by generating ideas for your novel. This can involve brainstorming, keeping a journal of potential story concepts, or drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, books, movies, or current events.
Once you get an idea, hone it.
Step 2: Create characters
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A novel cannot be successful without unique and charming characters. Create compelling and well-rounded characters for your novel. Develop their backgrounds, motivations, personalities, and relationships. Consider their strengths, flaws, and how they will evolve throughout the story.
Remember, the more realistic the characters, the better the novel will be.
Step 3: Build setting
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Establish the setting or world in which your novel takes place. Whether it's a real location or a fictional world, provide enough descriptive details to immerse readers and make the setting feel vivid and believable.
Step 4: Define plot and make an outline
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What is your story about? How will it unfold? How does it begin, develop, and conclude? What and how many scenes will be included? Make an depth and very depth outline, even going so far as to outline every chapter.
Step 5: Write
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Begin writing your first draft. Don't worry about perfection; the goal is to get the story down on paper. Embrace the creative process and let the ideas flow. Please remember, don't go back and make changes. Just write!
Step 6: Revise and edit
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Once the first draft is complete, take a break (for 3 days) before revising and editing. (This will keep you from overediting or not editing enough.) Then, read through your manuscript with a critical eye, focusing on plot holes, inconsistencies, pacing, character development, and overall storytelling. Revise and rewrite sections as needed.
Step 7: Get beta readers
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(You must) seek feedback from trusted individuals, such as beta readers, writing critique groups or your friends. Their input can provide valuable perspectives on areas that may need improvement. Consider their suggestions while maintaining your unique voice and vision for the story.
Step 8: Polish and refine
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Polish and refine your novel based on the feedback received. Pay attention to sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and overall prose. Ensure clarity and coherence in your writing.
Step 9: Publish
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You can research different publishing options, such as traditional publishing or self-publishing. Remember to evaluate the pros and cons of each approach and decide which is the best fit for your goals and circumstances.
That's all. I hope you success in publishing your novel!!
If you want to read more posts about writing, please click here and give me a follow!
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I am certain no one has seen Aziraphale before Crowley.
The archangels look at him, but their vaguely-disgusted sneers and veneer smiles were already affixed as firmly as their hands are clasped together. They look at him, but they don't see him.
I'm certain that when Crowley looks at him curiously, it doesn't make him feel bothered, it makes him feel SEEN.
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night-market-if · 3 months
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A Kristus Story: A Night Market Holiday Tale
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It's the most wonderful time of the year and Yule is in full swing within the Night Market. Join your choice of characters during the festive season and unlock the secrets of Kristus within Artisan Alley.  Will you show compassion? Will you understand the motives behind the season? Or will you kill a snowman? It's all up to you in this 87k interactive short.
A Kristus Story takes place a year or two after Book 2. You don't have to have started book 2 to read this story, but I do advise that you have read Book 1 of the Night Market. Available on my itch.io page.
Purchase here
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nopanamaman · 2 months
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How does it feel knowing that there’s pafl content out there that you might never see?
How do YOU feel there's pafl content you will never ever see. Think about that
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calliope-stories · 1 year
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Open Call for Calliope
Writers!
We’re Calliope, a publishing app dedicated to genre fiction — interactive, illustrated fiction. Anything to do with high fantasy, operatic sci-fi, heart-stopping action, that’s our jam. Combine that with vibrant illustrations that respond to your touch and you have our mission.
At the moment we’re looking for short stories (2,000 - 4,000 words) and flash fictions (100 - 1,000 words) of any type of genre fiction (i.e., romance, horror, fantasy, etc.) 
We do rolling submissions with rates of $0.05 / word and following standard publication guidelines.
Please visit www.calliopeinteractive.com for our submission guidelines.
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purplecowbell · 1 year
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If only one of my posts gets read by amateur authors let it be this:
SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO THE TOP PUBLICATIONS FIRST AND WORK YOUR WAY DOWN!
What do I mean by top? Standards of quality, audience, pay rate, legal contract; it can be anything. What matters is that you set the metric you prefer and aim for the top.
I say this because most new authors think that when submitting short stories, or flash fiction, or poetry, you need past credentials to publish with the highly-ranked publications. That's probably true but the logic is backwards. By the time you're good enough to publish in the highest ranking magazines, you've probably already published in a lot of others. Don't settle, you have nothing to lose.
Let's look at two scenarios. One in which you believe in your writing and one in which you don't.
The confident writer starts submitting to all the top publications. They submit, wait for a rejection, and submit again to a different one. They slowly work down the line until finally they hit the very top of the range of publications that are willing to accept their work. They now know what market they have a chance in and what markets to read from to improve.
The insecure writer starts submitting to all the unknown/unpaid/unvetted publications. They need to build credentials before they can submit to the preferred publications, right? If they don't get scammed out of rights they slowly move up the line of publications. They stop when they get accepted by the very bottom range of publications that will pay them the least amount, or give the least exposure, and think themselves lucky. And now they find themselves gaining much less confidence, and much less understanding of the markets, than if they started from the top. They'll have markets they believe they have to learn from when really they've surpassed them.
Even in the worst case publishing scenario: only one market accepts your publication at the very bottom, the only thing that is lost by being confident is your time. With any other publications willing to accept your work, you're guaranteed to get the better deal by being confident. Starting from the bottom is only self sabotage.
You may get more rejections (or even fewer than you think), but if you keep your head up and keep pushing, it'll be better for your writing and your confidence in the long run.
Besides, you'll probably be scammed less if you start with the ones that everyone trusts.
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authoralexharvey · 8 months
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I keep seeing the novel version float around but... how about we talk about the published short story writers of writeblr? Off-hand, I know of a few (@asablehart, @vcaudley, @avi-why, to name a few). What are other shorts people have published? Give me a list. Give me some links. I want to find more short fiction and help celebrate those writers, too.
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em-dash-press · 1 year
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5 Things Literary Magazines Look for in Short Stories
Submitting your work for publication in a literary magazine can be nerve-wracking. They outline what they’re looking for when they open for submissions, but it can seem pretty vague.
Here are a few things they generally look for when searching for the next stories they’ll publish.
1. A Story That Sticks With Their Submission Requirements
Literary magazines plan their editions at least a month in advance, if not more. They may create new editions based on a theme, a seasonal motif, or another connecting idea that pulls every story and visual design together.
Always check the submissions page for their requirements. If a magazine wants to create a spooky edition for October but you submit a heartwarming historical fantasy story that has no spooky elements, you won’t get selected.
Requirements also include essential details like page length, word count, and formatting instructions. The editorial teams know how much time they have to read submissions and how much space they have for selected stories in their upcoming edition. Following these requirements makes you much more likely to get selected.
2. A New Perspective
People don’t buy literary magazines to read the same stories over and over again. They’re looking for new perspectives and points of views in stories that have fresh ideas. The editorial team also doesn’t want to read the same types of stories every time they open for submissions.
You can bring a new perspective or twist on their required themes or story details by thinking outside the box to connect with your readers while bringing something fresh to the table.
3. Vivid Characters
It’s almost impossible to enjoy a story when the characters don’t feel real. You can avoid that by creating character profiles or outlines for your cast. Imagine their backstories or write scenes from the most important moments of their life.
Also, consider what they want from your story’s plot. What’s their goal? What will they learn? Vivid characters are dynamic, so they should grow into a different (possibly better, but not always) version of themselves by your story’s resolution.
It’s also helpful to use free online tools to create characters. I have a huge list on this blog post for generating their faces, mapping their world, and inventing other details so they feel like real people to you and your readers.
4. A Meaningful Purpose
You might write a story just to get published, but that might lead to a story that lacks meaning. Published short stories have some kind of meaningful purpose to make them matter to the editorial team and readers.
Your readers might learn a life lesson from your work or process some shared human emotion or experience through your characters. It’s helpful to consider a theme for your story before writing it so it always has a clear purpose.
5. Unexpected Plot Elements
Readers want to be entertained. Entertaining stories sell magazines. Remember to add a few unexpected plot elements or twists as you’re writing a story with the intent to publish it.
I have a few ideas in this blog post that might inspire you, but you can also create plot twists by shifting your perspective.
If a story has a character who stops to talk to someone in a crosswalk, your readers will likely assume they’re about to get hit by a car or pushed into traffic if the scene has rising tension. Counter their expectations by asking yourself, what’s the opposite of what they’re expecting? Your character might face an oncoming car with a distracted driver by lifting it over everyone as it’s about to crash into pedestrians. Maybe they learn how to fly or lie flat on the road as the car passes over them.
Purposefully thinking about what your readers will expect and choosing to do the opposite is a great way to add unexpected plot elements that also pique the interest of editorial teams.
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It’s also important to remember that you’re likely submitting a story alongside hundreds if not a thousand other writers. It depends on how popular or well-known the literary magazine is.
You can write a great story and still not get published because a big part of that experience is getting lucky. You have to hope the right editor who will appreciate your narrative style and story choices will be the one to open your submission.
Sometimes writers take years to get published. Give yourself some grace as you send your work off. Whether or not your stories get accepted, you’re still learning from the process and developing your writing skills. Eventually, your work will shine in the place it’s meant to be.
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10cities10years · 1 year
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"The Awakening" in Across the Margin
"The Awakening," a short story by Joseph Lyttleton, is now available at Across the Margin. Click to read it. #WritersLift #WritingCommunity #LiteraryFiction
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m-c-easton · 10 months
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Submission Spotlight: Blackbird
A lot of literary journals have closed until fall. This gives us months to dust off old stories and see if we can whisk them up into something tasty. When that happens, the online journal Blackbird is a great place to send stuff. #writing #publishing
Okay, so the bad news is that a lot of literary magazines have closed their doors until fall. The good news? You’ve got a few months to pull up that piece you’d given up on, dust it off, and see what you can make of it. If it fluffs up into something pretty tasty, Blackbird might be the literary magazine for you. Since 2001 (or 2002—different places on their website name different founding…
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figofswords · 2 months
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somebody rec me some good books. and they do actually have to be good. don’t rec me something just because it’s gay or it’s popular, it has to also still be good. like both the story and the writing have to be good none of this good concept bad writing or good writing horrible story. fantasy or soft scifi preferred, especially if it’s nontraditional fantasy. I am bored and sick of the internet and I want to get back into reading more but I’m kinda meh about most of what’s on my shelf
*edit: when I say “soft scifi” I don’t mean cozy I mean not hard scifi, as in stories that are more fantastical than grounded in hard science. for example the Martian is considered hard scifi, so not that. Star Wars would be closer to a soft scifi bc it’s all bullshit on the science end and it’s more about the vibes
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marlynnofmany · 1 year
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"Man, Earth animals would be incredibly invasive on another planet."
"Yeah, rabbits are already a huge problem in Australia! Imagine what kind of havoc they could wreak on an alien ecosystem."
"Like if space poachers stole some, then crashed."
"Any alien criminals who did that would deserve…”
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A Swift Kick to the Thorax
It’s available today! Tell your friends and enemies!
Img ID: the cover of the sci-fi novel “A Swift Kick to the Thorax.” It features a veterinarian’s prescription pad floating in space, with the title written in the prescription area. A pen floats behind it and a chunk has been bitten out of the pad.
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