2010 - Long Live the Short Story!

While we've laid to rest some great zines in 2010, we've also seen the start up of some new ones. There were a few disappointments like Asta Publications with their 7 new zines paying pro rates who within the space of one month totally disappeared and Last Rites Publishing who listed six paying anthologies and had to fold due to legal difficulties.

One thing I've noticed this year is a return to print zines that's pretty exciting. The zines are also starting to publish anthologies and making their zines available for the new readers like Kindle, which is all giving short stories a larger audience.

So, without further ado, here's a look at our new markets from this past year. You'll find the links over there to the right.

All Due Respect publishes one story a month but there's been some great stories so far. Maybe we can convince them to do two per month or one a week? Yes, we're greedy little readers!

Pulp Metal just celebrated it's first anniversary. They've morphed from a quarterly to a weekly which keeps readers coming back for more. And they're featuring stories from the new up and comers like Richard Godwin, Ian Ayris and Paul Brazill.

The DF Underground has changed urls and redesigned their website a few times, but they're hanging in there with some great work.

Dark Valentine is one of the most beautiful new zines to hit the web in a long time! They have a pdf quarterly, but the main website also features daily flash, reviews, and news updates with artwork that is stunning. The list of authors they publish is a who's who's of the horror and crime genres.

Southern Grit is new with one quarterly under their belt, they switched to publishing stories as they are accepted. There's some beautiful work presented here and reviews of anthologies from our Southern writers. Here's hoping they continue to fly into the new year!

Crimefactory is blazing away with both barrels as their 5th issue has hit the streets with an online pdf zine, Kindle version, and now in print! However you like to read, they've got you covered. The writers they've published are, as Keith Rawson, the editor would say, just fucking awesome! Along with the zine, they have an anthology that will be available in the near future.

Needle Magazine started as the dream of one man to be able to sit comfortably in his chair and read some of the noir stories he was finding on line. He took that dream and ran with it. Needle has just published its third quarterly issue and doesn't look to be slowing down at all. The authors that you'll find between the pages are not only well-known in the crime community but, yeah, awesome!

Pulp Empire is an online zine that also publishes a print version with their authors receiving royalties from the print sales. In 2011, they're going to feature two themed issues, one of which is pirates, the other is not listed yet. Is it just me, or are pirates taking over the short story world?!?

Shock Totem is a new print magazine with two issues under their belts so far and the third is about ready for press.

Jersey Devil Press has a year under their belts with a monthly online zine and a best of anthology out in print.

Bete Noire is fairly new with their first print issue out.

While Spinetingler isn't new, they've changed their format from quarterly to daily reviews and news items with stories showing up on a monthly basis.

Beat to a Pulp just closed out their second year but have published a best of anthology called Beat to a Pulp Round 1 with has people talking all over the web. And they don't look to be slowing down.

And it seems that Big Pulp, which has been around for two years also has gone to a print format instead of online with their newest issue.

The Sci-fi scene saw a burst of new zines hit the virtual streets also, with zines like Daily Science Fiction, Aurora Wolf, Moon Milk Review and many others. So if anyone believes that the short story is dead and dying - foo on you!