Avid worker ofThe New York Timescrossword now have the hazard to be on the other side of the puzzle : Its editors are currently acceptingpublic submission .
Unsurprisingly , you do n’t get a crossword mystifier intoThe New York Timeswithout adhere to quite a few rules , some of which might not be self - evident even to people who do complete theTimescrossword on a day-after-day foundation . You must , for instance , “ Avoid uncommon abbreviation and partial phrases longer than five letters . ” The model clue they give is “ So _ _ _ , ” wherein an acceptable answer would be “ BE IT , ” but not “ IT decease . ”
Esoteric answers in cosmopolitan are n’t glower upon , specially if you ’re writing , say , a Sunday teaser , but you should “ never get two obscure Scripture or names crabbed . ” And if you imagine this will be the consummate chance for you to show off all thecrosswordese(“answers that look far more in crossword puzzle than in real life ” ) you ’ve get a line from your long history of puzzling , think again . TheTimesadvises you to keep those Son “ to a lower limit . ” Also , all answers should be at least three letters long .
You ca n’t have more than three puzzler meekness under condition at a prison term , unless any of them are co - pen with someone who ’s never been published by theTimes . And yes , this is a paid gig : Your first two published puzzles meant for Monday through Saturday will clear you $ 500 each , and the rate chute to $ 750 after that . For Sunday teaser , which are larger , it ’s $ 1500 for the first two and $ 2250 for the third and on .
If you need to optimise your odds of getting published , theTimesis currently on the hunt for more “ Thursday and Sunday puzzles that do n’t require a rebus . ” ( Arebusis a square in which more than one letter is write . )
This is far from a comprehensive rundown of all the rules ; you’re able to find that ( and subject your puzzles ) on theTimeswebsite . Never created a crossword mystifier before ? TheTimeshas ahandy guideto aid you get started .
