Pulp Modern - Call for Western Shorts

While Pulp Modern  http://www.pulp-modern.blogspot.com  has closed to submissions, editor, Alec Cizak is still looking for Western shorts.  http://nomoralcenter.blogspot.com/2012/10/pulp-modern-needs-westerns.html

Loving Shorts

Apex publisher, Jason Sizemore talks about his love for genre short stories.
http://blog.apexbookcompany.com/2012/10/29/an-earnest-proposal-read-some-short-fiction/

Anthology Calls

Editor, Steve Berman has eight anthology calls listed on his site.  Four are for publisher Prime Books and Four for erotica publisher, Lethe Press.  All are paying markets with varying pay rates.  You can find all the calls here  http://www.steveberman.com/news/calls_for_submissions

Hat tip to Charles Tan.

Zombies

I've never truly understood the zombie phenomenon that's slowly overtaking the current fad of vampire stories in the horror genre.  They both deal with the undead but vampires are romanticized while zombies are just plain horrifying.  This essay by Stant Litore really gets down to the bones of what zombie fiction can be and gave me a whole new perspective on the topic.  You can read the essay here
http://thebooksmugglers.com/2012/10/guest-author-giveaway-stant-litore%E2%80%8F-on-the-relevance-of-zombie-fiction.html

And a side note.  If I suddenly disappear for the next few days, don't be alarmed, it's just the "Frankenstorm" riding roughshod over PA. 

The Darker Edge of Desire - Anthology Call

This call popped up over at CrimeSpace.  "The Darker Edge of Desire" is looking for Gothic erotica.  3000 to 6000 words with payment of $50 to $75 per story.  Mitzi Szereto is the editor and Cleis Press the publisher.  You can find all the details here  http://mitziszereto.com/call-for-submissions/

Always the Fine Print

I just ran across a call for stories for an anthology called "Grimm & Grimmer".  Since I love reimagined fairytales the call really interested me until I read this part of the guidelines:

"Previously published stories will NOT be considered for this anthology, and while authors will retain copyright we expect all new characters created for this anthology to be placed within the public domain."

If your character goes into the public domain that means anyone in the world can write a story using your characters and make money off of it without paying you for the privilege.  Be careful out there, writers, and always read the fine print.

This call came from new e-publisher, Fringe Works.  They had another call posted and this statement wasn't included in that call.  Since fairytales are a really hot commodity of late I have to wonder why this demand was included in the guidelines.

Watch your backs out there, my friends. 

Out of the Gutter 8 - Anthology Call/Contest

Out of the Gutter 8 is open for submissions.  They're running a contest also for stories to be included in the new anthology.  The deadline for both is November 21.  You'll find the details for both here.
http://www.outofthegutteronline.com/2012/10/out-of-gutter-8-subs-open.html?spref=fb

Contest Linkage

And since the links seem to be in a contest mood today there is a site online that will link you up with all sorts of writing contests.  http://writingcontests.wordpress.com/

Narrative Magazine - Contest

Narrative Magazine http://www.narrativemagazine.com/  has opened submissions to their Fall 2012 Story contest.  This is a very high end literary magazine and there is a $22 fee to enter that allows you three months complimentary access to the Narrative Backstage section of their online zine.  The deadline for this contest is November 30.  You will find all the details here http://www.narrativemagazine.com/node/182044

Prizes here are 1st - $2500, 2nd - $1000, 3rd - $500, and 10 finalists will each receive $100.

A big thank you to Steve Weedle for the link!!

The 2013 Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest

The 2013 Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest has opened for submissions.  They want sci-fi stories up to 8000 words.  There is no fee to enter and there are prizes.  You can find all the details here 
http://www.williamledbetter.com/contest.htm

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie's monthly list of anthology markets is up.
http://angiesdesk.blogspot.com/2012/10/anthology-markets.html

Box Fire Press - Anthology Call

Box Fire Press has issued a call for submissions to their newest sci-fi/fantasy anthology.  The story must include this reference "a violet figurine, somehow in someway, near a fireplace".  300 to 10,000 words with a November 31 deadline.  There is no mention of payment.  You can find the details here.
http://boxfirepress.com/blog/87/call-for-submission-short-fiction-anthology#

You can check out Box Fire Press here  http://boxfirepress.com

This link also came via Michael Bracken.  Thanks, Michael!!

Pro Se Press - Anthology Calls

If you love writing novelette length pulp stories ( 10,000 to 15,000 words ) Pro Se Press has issued an open call for ten new anthologies in a variety of genres.  The calls are listed on Sean Taylor's blog with all the details except payment.
http://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2012/10/submissions-pro-se-open-is-well-open.html

You can check out Pro Se Press here  http://www.prosepulp.com

A big thank you to Michael Bracken for the link!!

For Canadian Writers - Tesseracts 17 - Anthology Call

Canadian publisher, Edge, has opened submissions for their annual anthology. Tesseracts 17:  Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast is open to Canadian authors only.  They're looking for spec-fiction short stories up to 5000 words.  Payment is a minimum of $50 for up to 1500 words and a max of $150 for stories of 5000 words.  They're also looking for poetry with a flat payment of $20.  You can find all the details here  http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/tess17/t17-catalog.html

I'm a Guest Blogger Over at Pulp Curry

Fellow Snubnose Press author, Andrew Nette invited me to do a guest post on his blog, Pulp Curry.  Of course I said yes and rattled on about short stories, online zines, and marketing.  Many thanks to Andrew for a chance to spout off about my favorite topics.
http://www.pulpcurry.com/2012/10/noir-con-or-bust-guest-post-6-a-place-to-start/

Funny thing, when I was writing that post I suddenly realized just how much things have changed on the zine front since I first started submitting over a decade ago.  The zines have come a long way in a short time.

One Buck Horror - E-pub Zine

One of the best things about duotrope.com is the random markets that come up on their home page.  Today it was One Buck Horror.  This is an ebook zine publisher who's looking for horror stories up to 3000 words and pays 5cents a word.  You can find all the details here  http://www.onebuckhorror.com/submissions

Who'd Have Thought?

As a crime writer are you tired of the same old stories?  Well, now you can put a new spin on your counterfeiting story with this  http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/ketchup-real-thing-might-not-182900085.html  Of course, a month or so ago there was a large shipment of maple syrup stolen, and I was surprised to see a follow up story that the repackaged syrup was tracked down by Canadian police officials.  I can hear it now.

"What case are you working  on?" 

"The maple syrup theft ring."

"That's a sticky case."

Or

"The ketchup counterfeiting ring."

"Have you checked out the Hamburgler?"

Is food going to be the next big thing in crime fiction?  Nah...not sexy enough :)

Joe Lansdale - Interview

Great interview with Joe Lansdale over at My Bookish Ways.
http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/10/bram-stoker-award-spotlight-interview-giveaway-joe-landsdale-author-of-edge-of-dark-water.html

Pulp Line - Submission Call

UK e-publisher, Anachron Press, has just opened submissions for Pulp Line.  They're looking for novellas of 15,000 to 30,000 words in a variety of genres with payment a 50/50 split of royalties.  You can find all the details here  http://www.anachronpress.com/open-submissions-for-pulp-line/

A big thank you to Michael Bracken for the link!!

Runaways

Technology and kids.  While I feel for the parents, there's a lot of stories that can be mined from something like this.  From sci-fi to crime to even fantasy, the runaway kid scenario is one of the foundations of storytelling.  Hopefully the young people will return home unharmed.
http://gma.yahoo.com/four-teens-missing-xbox-romance-233811767--abc-news-topstories.html

Hazardous Press - Anthology Call

Hazardous Press has a call for submissions to an anthology titled "Horrific History".  They're looking for "tales that show us the true horrific story behind historical events", like zombies in the Civil War or Vampires in Renaissance Italy.  Payment is in royalties and the deadline is December 31.  2000 to 10,000 words.  If you scroll down the page you'll find a call for short story collections that fall in line with what the press publishes.  Deadline for this is November 1.  You can find all the details here  http://www.hazardouspress.com/

Full Dark City Press - More Info

I'm still getting hits from people looking for more information about Full Dark City Press so here's a link to what they're looking for in the submissions department.  And one suggestion to the publisher - a link to your blog on the press website would be helpful for writers who want to know more about you.  Not a criticism, just a suggestion.  http://fulldarkcity.com/2012/10/13/submitting-to-full-dark-city-press/

darkmarkets.com - market source

darkmarkets.com has posted up several new zine markets since the beginning of the month.  You'll find both paying and non-paying markets listed.  http://darkmarkets.com/

New Orleans by Gaslight - Anthology Call

The deadline for "New Orleans by Gaslight" is October 31 so this is short notice for those who'd like to submit.  The editors are looking for steampunk stories set in a fictional Victorian New Orleans.  No word count limitations but they're not especially looking for flash or novella length.  This is a non-paying market.
http://neworleansbygaslight.wordpress.com/call-for-submissions/

Asbury Pulp - New Market

For those of you who love and write pulp fiction we have Asbury Pulp.  They're looking for short stories in all the pulp genres.  400 to 1250 words but the sweet spot is 600 to 1000.  This is a non-paying market for web content, but if your story is selected for a "best of" print edition you will be contacted with a purchase price.  You can find all the details here  http://asburypulp.com/fiction-submissions/

A Mini Rant

Okay, what is it with magazine editors?  Whenever they list their favorite reads you get a list like this one.

"We will consider short stories that can be classified broadly as belonging to the Horror, Science Fiction or Fantasy genres. Expand our horizons, challenge or fine-tune convention. We love well-done genre blending and bending, too, like John W. Campbell, Jr.’s “Who Goes There?,” H.P. Lovecraft’s “At The Mountains of Madness,” Philip K. Dick’s “The King of the Elves,” and C.S. Lewis’s “Space” trilogy. Other authors whose work we enjoy include Jorge Luis Borges, Harlan Ellison, R.E. Howard, Shirley Jackson, M.R. James, Brian McNaughton, Clifford D. Simak, Clark Ashton Smith, and J.R.R. Tolkien."

The truth is, if a writer submitted a story written like Tolkien they'd find a rejection slip in their inbox.  Why do they do this?  Is it to impress writers with what they've read?  Are there no new writers that they admire?  If we all wrote in the same style and type of story that was written a century ago we'd never find a market.  Yes, the work of the masters is great, but please, update your reading list.

Sword and Mythos - Anthology Call

Innsmouth Free Press has announced their latest anthology call.  With "Sword and Mythos" they're looking for sword and sorcery stories up to 5000 words.  Payment is 5cents a word.  Submission dates are January 15, 2013 to February 15, 2013 so you have plenty of time to work on a story.  You can find all the details and a list of ideas that they're open to here  http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/blog/?p=19148

Brian White - Fireside Editor

Chuck Wendig is hosting Brian White, the editor of Fireside magazine, on his blog today. 
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/10/11/making-the-magazine-by-brian-white/

Pushing Forward

Wonderful post about writing when life throws you a curve ball.
http://www.booklifenow.com/2012/10/writing-when-youre-broken/

All Due Respect - Anthology Call

Editor, Chris Rhatigan, has announced that All Due Respect has reopened for submissions to both the zine and a new anthology to be published by Full Dark City Press.  1000 to 5000 words.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find more details here.
http://death-by-killing.blogspot.com/2012/10/all-due-respect-anthology-submissions.html

And you can find Full Dark City Press here  http://fulldarkcitypress.com/index.html  This new press is also open for novel submissions of 20,000 to 100,000 words.  There's no mention of payment, so you'll have to contact the publisher.

UPDATE:  I noticed that someone landed here searching for the editors at Full Dark City Press.  They are C.J. Edwards, Alec Cizak, and Chris Rhatigan.  You'll find a bit more info here  http://fulldarkcity.com/2012/07/13/full-dark-city-press-has-arrived/

The Case Files - Call for Submissions

The Case Files is a new print magazine from Ephemera Publishing set to launch in January.  They're looking for all types of mystery stories from cozies to noir up to 2000 words.  The deadline for this first issue is December 1.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find all the details here  http://www.ephemerapublishing.com/pages/casefiles.htm

Roy Robbins - Publisher Interview

Over at the Horror Writers of America blog they've posted an interesting interview with Roy Robbins the owner/publisher of Bad Moon Books.  I was struck by the fact that he doesn't think a new author should self-publish but his reasoning is pretty sound.  http://www.horror.org/blog/?p=2534

Big Pulp - Submissions Open

Big Pulp is open to submissions for their "The Kennedy Curse" themed issue.  The deadline is January 31, 2013.  You'll find all the details here  http://bigpulp.com/submissions.html

TKnC - Halloween Contest

Thrillers, Killers 'n Chillers ezine has just announced their Halloween Contest.  There is no theme, they're just looking for your best horror shorts up to 2000 words.  The deadline is October 22 and there's no fee to enter.  Prizes are publication for the top three stories and the winner walks away with some free ebooks.  You can find all the details here
http://thrillskillsnchills.blogspot.com/2012/10/horrorists-its-competition-time.html?zx=a61c0e1596f68fd

Cabbage Musing on a Saturday Morning

A strange thing happened to me at the grocery store the other day.  I was headed down the dairy aisle when I was brought up short by a woman who was blocking the aisle.  She turned around, took one look at me, and asked what she needed to make cabbage rolls.

"Ah, cabbage, hamburger, rice, and tomatoes."

"Yes, tomatoes and rice.  I just went blank on the ingredients.  Thank you."

And off she went down the aisle in search of tomatoes and rice.

Now, I get strange requests at the grocery store all the time.  I've reached items on high shelves for a few, found items for men who seemed at a loss as to where that item they came for was located.  I must have one of those faces that says, 'yes, I can help you'.  But the cabbage roll ingredients stumped me.

Other than I live in a community where cabbage rolls, better know in the area as halupki, are a staple.  How did this woman know I could help her?  How could she take one look at me and know that I could reel off the ingredients like a Polish cook?  Other than myself, no one in my family has ever made cabbage rolls.

All of this got me thinking about characters.  It's easy in movies, when you see Bruce Willis in a film you know that he's going to save the world, or the girl.  But how do you get that across in your stories?  Is your character's actions and dialogue enough to do the job or do you have to paint a vivid description to get your point across?  Truth is, it's probably a combination of all three.

But then again, what a reader sees in their mind isn't always what the writer is seeing.  There has to be a point of trust between the two, a subtle knowledge that the character knows what he/she's doing.  The writer has to be true to the character he's written and the reader must trust that the writer isn't going to make the character do something stupid.  As a writer you must keep your character in character.  Just something to think about when you're writing.

And yes, I'm off to the kitchen to put together some cabbage rolls for the crock pot. :)

Yep

You know Halloween is just around the corner when scientists release the news that they've discovered vampire dinosaurs.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49273557/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Of course, if your mind is like mine, you're looking at some way to include this cool "monster" into your latest Halloween story. :)

Bouchercon Awards

The first of the Bouchercon Awards have been announced.  Of interest here are the short story winners.  "Disarming" by Dana Cameron picked up the Macavity and Jeffrey Cohen's "The Gun also Rises" nabbed the Barry Award.  A big congrats and a round of Snoop Dances to all the winners and nominees!!  You can read the entire list of winners over at The Rap Sheet.  http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/2012/10/direct-from-bouchercon-2012-macavity.html

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

World Weaver Press has posted a call for romance novellas with a speculative element tentatively titled "A Winter's Enchantment".  The submission period is December 1 to 31st.  20,000 to 30,000 words.  Payment is a percentage of royalties.  If you story is selected it will be published as part of an anthology and as a single ebook.  You can find all the particulars here  http://worldweaverpress.com/submissions/calls-for-anthologies/

Clockwork Phoenix - Anthology Call

Clockwork Phoenix is an annual sci-fi/fantasy anthology.  This year's subtitle is tales of beauty and strangeness.  The deadline is December 14 with publication in 2013.  They would prefer stories under 5000 words but will accept up to 10,000.  Payment is 5cents a word.  You'll find more details of what they're looking for here  http://www.clockworkphoenix.com/#guidelines

David Niall Wilson - Interview

There's a great interview over at Hell Notes with writer/e-publisher, David Niall Wilson, owner of Crossroad Press.  http://hellnotes.com/david-niall-wilson-crossroad-press

MicroHorror - Halloween Contest

It's that time again for MicroHorror's annual Halloween contest.  There's no entry fee.  You have up to 666 words to tell a horror story with this year's theme - ART.  And yes, there's prizes and publication.  You'll find all the details here.  http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/2012-story-contest-rules/

Out of the Gutter - Looking for Reviewers

Out of the Gutter online is looking for book and film reviewers.  No pay, but a chance to get your name out there and add a bit to your resume.  You can find all the details here
http://www.outofthegutteronline.com/2012/10/openings-for-writers.html

3&5 - Submission Call

This is a new sci-fi zine that's put out a call for submissions of literary fantasy and sci-fi ala Ursula K. LeGuin and Neil Gaiman.  1000 to 3000 words and payment is 5cents a word.  There's no launch date set at this time.  You can find the details here  http://3and5.com/submissions/

UPDATE:  I've gotten quite a few hits from people looking for the editor of 3&5 so I checked out Ralan.com (and if you're searching for markets this is one of the best sources out there).  They have Ethan Fast listed as editor and the 1st issue is to launch in mid November.

UPDATE:  3/15/13 Ralan has declared this market dead.

Pank - The Pulp Issue is Live

The pulp issue of Pank, edited by Court Merrigan, has gone live.  Read it here
http://www.pankmagazine.com/category/2011/7-11-pulp-issue/

Tales to Terrify - Submission Call

Tales to Terrify is a podcast site which has opened for submissions.  This is a non-paying market that is looking for reprints.  This site is part of StarShipSofa podcast group which includes Crime City Central.
http://talestoterrify.com/submission-guidelines/

Nightmare Magazine - First Issue

The first issue of Nightmare Magazine is now available.  They're set up in the same manner as The Big Click.  You can purchase the entire issue as an ebook or read it online over the course of the month.
http://nightmare-magazine.com/

Both Barrels - New Anthology

Online zine, Shotgun Honey, has launched their first anthology, "Both Barrels" today.  Check out all the details over on their site.
http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2012/10/book-launch-shotgun-honey-presents-both-barrels.html

Get 'er Done

While I'm not a professional writer in the sense that I make money writing short stories, I do, more often than not, consider myself a professional writer.  Even still, there are days when I need a pep talk like this one.  Just get 'er done.  http://www.tessgerritsen.com/blog/when-writers-dont-deliver/

Science Fiction Trails - Submission Call

Science Fiction Trails is a print magazine that is published once a year.  They're looking for sci-fi stories of 1000 to 6000 words that are set in the wild west era of 1850 to 1900.  Payment is $20.  You'll find all the details here   http://www.sciencefictiontrails.com/whats_new.html

How to Write a Dick - free

Whether you're writing shorts or novels "How to Write a Dick" will guide you through the tricks of the trade of being a PI.  And it's free from October 2 to the 4th.  You can find all the details here
http://writingpis.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/october-2-4-how-to-write-a-dick-is-free-on-amazon/

Tom Piccirilli

The mystery community is rallying around author, Tom Piccirilli, today as he has surgery for a brain tumor.  If you'd like to make a donation or purchase one of his books (his e-publisher is donating all proceeds to Tom) to help with his medical expenses you can check out this notice at LitReactor where you'll find all the links.  http://litreactor.com/news/help-tom-piccirilli-beat-cancer

Alexandra Sokoloff - Nano Prep

If you're thinking about doing Nano in November you'll find Ms Sokoloff's blog extremely helpful in getting yourself ready for the challenge.  Right now she has a prep post up and if you scroll down the blog you'll find all sorts of great writing articles that's she's written on the right side.  There is a wealth of information for aspiring writers here  http://www.screenwritingtricks.com/