Scape - YA Zine

I don't come across many YA zines online, so when I saw Scape listed on Duotrope I thought I'd take a look.  This is a well done zine with artwork and stories that will appeal to adults as well as their targeted audience.  While they're closed to short story submissions right now, they will reopen in February of 2013.  They are looking for short stories up to 8000 words with payment of 1cent a word, poetry, which is still open, pays $25 and artwork which also pays $25.  All submissions must have a speculative component but the sub-genres are flexible.  There's also an interesting article about YA fiction in general on the front page
You can check out the zine here

Steven Montano - Cross Genre Writing

Over at the Fantasy Book Critic's blog there's an excellent post by Steven Montano about cross genre writing

Jersey Devil Press - Call for Submissions

The writing world seems bent on throwing Lovecraft submission calls my way (perhaps I should actually read the man someday!)  Over at Jersey Devil Press they've issued a call for submissions to a special issue titled "Write Lovecraft like Neil Gaiman".  They want 3000 to 7000 words with May 1, 2013 deadline.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find all the details here

Noir Lessons

Ray Banks has a great essay over at the Mysterious Press blog about five noir lessons you can find in the work of novelist, Charles Williams.  You can read it here

William Renehan - Publisher Interview

Over at Hell Notes there's an interview with small press publisher William Renehan.  Dark Hall Press is open for submissions of horror novels, novellas, and short story collections.  You can check them out here  There's mention of an anthology for next year but there are no guidelines or open call up yet.

Short Story Opening Lines

Philip Athans has an interesting essay on his site about "How Not to Open a Short Story".  While his examples are for sci-fi short stories, they apply to any genre you're writing in.

Hat tip to Charles Tan for the link.

Wily Writers - Call for Submissions

Wily Writers Audible Fiction has posted their theme and deadline schedule for 2013 and opened for submissions for the theme of Body Horror with a deadline of January 31, 2013.  They accept stories in various genres but they must have a speculative fiction element to them.  They publish two stories a month in both online print and podcast formats.  Payment is 5cents a word.  You can find all the details here

Lovecraft Ezine

For fans of Lovecraft there's a ezine out there that might interest you.  Called the Lovecraft Ezine it's full of all things Lovecraft and it's also a paying market.  They're looking for stories that follow the themes of Lovecraft.  Payment is $50 for stories over 3000 words and $25 for stories under 3000, this includes poetry and flash fiction.  You can check it out here

ActionHorror.com - New Market

Duotrope has posted up a few new markets today.  Of interest here is ActionHorror.  They're looking for action horror stories of 100 to 5000 words.  You can weave in any other genre that works for you so long as there's plenty of action and horror involved.  They're also open to reprints.  This is a non-paying market.

Femme Noir Part 2

Alexandra Sokoloff is continuing her discussion of Femme Noir over at Murderati today.  There's some great comments being posted.

I fixed the url - for some reason it was changed.

Elbow Deep

Looking for a morning chuckle?  Check out Keith Rawson's story over at Shotgun Honey 

Black Friday

You know there's something tragically wrong when a country's two most celebrated holidays are Black Friday and Super Bowl Sunday.

Black Friday thoughts anyone?  And no, I'm not shopping today.

Crime Wave Press - Publisher Interview

Over at the Six Questions For... blog there's an interview with publisher, Tom Vater, of Crime Wave Press.  This Hong Kong based press publishes crime novels from and about Asia.  You can read the interview here

While you're there be sure to check out Jim Harrington's excellent blog.  It's a great source for finding out what editors and publishers are looking for.

John Joseph Adams - Interview

There's a great interview with anthology editor, John Joseph Adams, over at Suvudu  I always find it interesting to see how anthology editors pull together stories.  This one is particularly interesting because they're talking about a reprint anthology.

Oh Sandy! - Charity Anthology Call for Submissions

Editor, Lynn Beighley, has issued a call for humorous stories, both fiction and non-fiction, about experiencing a disaster, surviving a hurricane, or living in New Jersey.  All proceeds will go to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Up to 3000 words with a December 31 deadline.  You can find all the details here

Thanks to Thomas Pluck for the information!!

Criminal Minds

You've got to admire the way a criminal mind thinks  And you know if a writer made that situation up, they'd be laughed right off the page.

Our Amazon Overlords

I'm pretty sure that Amazon has no f**king idea what they're doing.  Nothing like diving into publishing feet first then trying to peddle backwards without a clue 

And just when I thought Amazon was going to be the next big thing for short stories.

Hat tip to Steve Weddle's Twitter feed.

Femme Noir

Alexandra Sokoloff takes a look at Femme Noir

Belladonna Publishing - Anthology Call

Belladonna Publishing is a new publisher of both print and ebooks.  They've issued a call for their first anthology called "Black Apples".  They're looking for Gothic fairytales here.  3000 to 10,000 words to be published in 2013 in both print and ebook form.  Payment is $120 plus royalties on ebook sales.  The deadline is January 15, 2013.  You can find the details here

They're also open to Young Adult novels of 50,000 to 80,000 words in the various spec-fiction genres.  No mention of their payment for novels.

And there's going to be a call for "Wicked Belles" at a later date that will be a comics anthology.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com!

Jersey Devil Press - Call for Speculative Poetry

Jersey Devil Press seems to have made it through the ravages of Sandy fairly intact.  And they've issued a call for submissions for a special poetry issue to be published next year.  They've also promised two more special calls that will announced at a later date.  Oh, and the poetry must have a speculative fiction edge to it.  You can read the guidelines at their site 

Steve Berman - Anthology Calls

I've posted this link to editor, Steve Berman's site before, but he's added a few more anthology calls that stretch into 2014 publication dates.  All are paying anthologies but the word counts vary.  You can check them out here

Fishing by Dyer Wilk

A most excellent story over at Shotgun Honey today.  "Fishing" by Dyer Wilk tackles a harsh subject without exploiting it.  Also surprising is how he managed to keep the violence off the page and still twist your stomach in knots.  Well done, Dyer!!  You can read the story here

Market Update

I've been slowly working through the links over there on the right, deleting dead sites and posting new ones.  With ezines there always seems to be a balancing effect.  One closes - a new one opens, the life of zines.  Sad to say at this point, but I believe that Comets & Criminals seems to have bit the dust.  Submissions closed back in the Spring and there's been no new content since July on their website.  Their Twitter and Facebook sites have also gone silent.

If I had one wish in regards to zines closing it would be that the people in charge would step up and post a statement that they're closing.  Instead, we get sites disappearing or just nothing.  At least C&C posted that they're closed to submissions, some sites don't even do that.

Sirens Call Publications - Anthology Call

Sirens Call Publications has issued a call for submissions to their anthology, "Slaughter House:  The Serial Killer Edition".  Yep, they're looking for stories that get into the head of a serial killer.  They do have limitations on what is acceptable for this anthology, so read the guidelines carefully.  4000 to 10,000 words with a deadline of January 15, 2013.  Payment is shared royalties as near as I can figure.  This information is stated in their about section.  You can find details about the call here  and more details in their guidelines section.

Still Moments Publishing - Anthology Calls

Still Moments Publishing is a Romance Press that publishes romance stories in all the genres.  At the moment they have three anthology calls listed for publication in 2013.  Stories must be 5000 to 15000 words and payment is shared royalties as these will all be published as e-books.  The deadlines vary for each.  You can find all the details here

And here are your titles and themes:

Double Click - online dating
Crossing Paths - time travel
Operation Classified - hero/heroine must be a member of the military, a police officer, or fire fighter, etc.

Nightfalls - Coming Soon

I'm so pleased to be a part of this project and look at the group of writers who have contributed - excellent company to be in.

Horror

An interesting look at the horror genre.  I had to chuckle when he said that vampires didn't scare us anymore because it made me think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and the Twilight Saga.  Ain't nothing scary there. :)  Even zombies aren't as scary as they used to be, they've just become an obstacle that people have to overcome to live their lives.  As a child I was scared to death by the wolf man, mummies, and other assorted creatures like The Blob.  For years I couldn't watch anything with gorillas or apes because I'd have nightmares.  Now, it's the simple everyday things that scare me more.  The things that people do to each other.  What scares you?

Whispers From the Abyss - Anthology Call

For those of you who love HP Lovecraft, 01 Publishing has an anthology call for you.  "Whispers From the Abyss" is looking for HP Lovecraft inspired flash fiction up to 2500 words.  The deadline is May 30, 2013 with payment of 1cent a word.  This anthology will be released as a Kindle book.  You can find all the details here

And a big thank you to Katherine Tomlinson for link!!!

A Winter's Enchantment - Anthology Call

World Weaver Press has posted a call for anthology/novella submissions.  They need six romance novellas with a winter theme for "A Winter's Enchantment".  20,000 to 45,000 words, payment is shared royalties.  The window for submitting is December 1st to the 31st with publication in 2013.  They also have a call for ghost stories that will open next year if you need a good lead time.  You can find all the details here

Rabbit Valley Comic Shop - Anthology Calls

I ran across Rabbit Valley Comic Shop doing a search for anthology calls.  While they're open to comic, novel, and novella submissions, their publishing guidelines seem a little sketchy to me.  They did have five anthology calls listed for their 2013 run.  All stories have to be anthropomorphic animal based writings and each call has a different theme.  So if you're into furry this could be for you.  Payment here $100 per story with another possible $100 if they decide to publish digitally the following year.  You can find all the details and check out the site here

I found this call on a site called Flayrah that loves the furry if you need to do some research

When a Story Fails

What throws you out of a story?  For me, it's finding that a dead person is telling the story.  I suppose this stems from an a piece of advice offered by a horror editor.  He asked a simple question, "How can a dead person tell (write) a story?"  Maybe if you know up front that your narrator is dead it doesn't feel quite so gimmicky.  You know that ending, "Oh, by the way, I'm dead."

So what brought me to this topic?  I just finished reading "Peace Like a River" and two chapters from the end I read this "Here my terrestrial witness fails.".  I wanted to throw the book up against the wall  All the while I'd been reading and the kid telling the story was dead...or was he?  Of course the ending fit with the theme of the book but by then I didn't really care.  The author hadn't played fair.

I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a book.  Not only was the narrator dead, but there were so many loose ends left that I wanted to scream.  I'd heard so many good things about this book that I truly wanted to love it, but the final three chapters just killed the book for me.

Character vs Gimmick

Wonderful post by Philip Athans about character vs gimmick in short stories.

Hat tip to Charles Tan's excellent blog

Call for Flash Submissions

UK based site The Flaneur is seeking flash submissions for a new Kindle ebook.  There is no theme or word limits.  The deadline is November 30.  There's no mention of payment.  You can check it out here

Thanks go out to Michael Bracken for the link!!

Noir Nation

Noir Nation has posted that they will open submissions for the next issue on January 1, 2013.  You should note that payment has changed from $100 to $25 per story and there will be a change in how they pay.  You can check out all the details here 

The First Line - First Lines and Deadlines for 2013

The First Line has posted their first lines and deadlines for 2013.  They accept stories of 300 to 3000 words in all genres.  Payment is $30 per story.  You can check them out here

Description Tips

Excellent piece by Susan J. Morris on writing meaningful description into your story here  It's my major weakness when writing so I always check out how other writers use description in their stories.

Chrome Baby - New Zine

Don't know why but this new zine appealed to me, perhaps the name?  Chrome Baby is set to launch in January.  They're looking for short stories in the sci-fi genre of 50 to 5000 words.  Payment is $5.  You can find all the details here

White Cat Publications - 4 New Magazines

Always good to see new magazines starting up.  Over at White Cat Publications they've opened submissions to FOUR new print publications.  Up to 5000 words with payment of 3cents a word for all of them.  You'll find links to each publication's guidelines on the home page.  The zines are:

Nightfall - dark fiction
Blue Shift - sci-fi
Conjurings - fantasy
Dark Intent - mystery

Good to see a pair of new mystery/crime markets opening up!

Penumbra emag - 2013 Themes and Deadlines

Penumbra emag is a spec-fiction zine that has themes for each issue.  They've posted their themes and reading periods for 2013.  There are some very cool themes that should get your creative juices flowing.  They want short stories of 500 to 3500 words and payment is 5cents a word.  Please note that each theme has a specific reading period.  You can find  all the details here

The Big Click - New Issue

The November/December issue of The Big Click has hit the electronic streets.

Crossed Genres - Submission Calls

Crossed Genres always has a variety of calls on their site.  First is their magazine, CG Magazine 2.0, which has themes.  November's theme is myth with a November 30 deadline (other themes are listed for the year).  1000 to 6000 words with payment of 5cents a word.  Second is an anthology call.  OOMPH: a little super goes a long way, is looking for superheroes with just a little power.  The deadline here is January 31, 2013 for 2000 to 8000 words with a flat payment of $20 a story.  And if you write novels in the sci-fi/fantasy genre they're looking for manuscripts of 50,000 to 100,000 words.  Payment is a $250 advance plus royalties.  You can find details and submission links here

Permuted Press - Novel Submissions Call

Permuted Press has issued an open call for novel submissions.  Your manuscript must be over 60,000 words in the genres of horror, supernatural, and sci-fi.  They're also open to non-tradition mystery/thrillers.  Their specialty is post-apocalyptic fiction.  Publication won't be until 2014 if your novel is accepted.  This press has been in business since 2004.  You can find all the details of what they want and don't want here

50 Shades of Decay - Anthology Call

Okay, so this one tickled my funny bone and I've been playing around with a story about how to get laid during a zombie Apocalypse, yeah, strictly humor with my Iggy and Bubba characters.  Anyhoo...Angelic Knight Press is looking for submissions to their "50 Shades of Decay" anthology.  They need stories of one to two thousand words of zombie erotica.  Payment is shared royalties.  You can find the details here  just scroll down the page.

The Red Penny Papers - New Issue

The Fall issue of The Red Penny Papers is now available  While they are closed to submissions at the moment, they are a paying market so it doesn't hurt to make yourself familiar with what they like in the way of stories.  Besides, the more you support the zines, the longer they hang around.

Dark Markets - Anthology Calls

I stopped by darkmarkets.com this morning and found four new anthology calls and, surprise, they're all paying markets.  You can check them out here  And if Dark Markets isn't a regular stop for those of you who write dark fiction, it should be.

Sad News

Sad to say that online zine, Bust Down the Doors and Eat All the Chickens has closed its doors.  The site is still up so you can head on over and read some of the great fiction they've published over the years.

Last Resort

After last night's episode of "Last Resort" I do believe that this series would have made a better mini-series or TV movie than episodic TV.  From the beginning I wondered how they could take this through more than one season, I mean how long can one submarine crew hold off the entire United States military?  Huge suspension of belief there.  Then last night's wildly weird episode that jumped back and forth in time until you didn't know what was true and what wasn't.  Truth be told, we gave up at the half way mark and it's doubtful that we'll tune back in.

All of this has me thinking about storytelling.  Most writers are so hell-bent on writing a novel, or in the case of TV, writing a series that they don't pay attention to what their story should actually be.  I've read any number of novels that would have made better short stories or novellas than the overstuffed novel that was produced.  Yes, it's tougher to sell the shorter versions, but it can be done.

Which begs the question - Why do so many writers choose to sabotage their story rather than stick to the form that best suits the story?

Cosmic Crime Stories - Call for Submissions

Samsdot Publishing has been around for a long time and has over a dozen zines and anthologies that they publish every year.  They've opened submissions for Cosmic Crime Stories which I thought might be of interest to some of you.  They're looking for crime stories of 3000 to 10,000 words set in space.  Payment is $20.  This is a bi-annual publication that is published on January 1 and July 1.

Needle - New Issue

The new Needle is here !!!  Go get yourself a copy of noir wonderful!

Helpful Twitters

If you're on Twitter, Lee Lofland over at the Graveyard Shift has a list of twenty-five Twitter accounts that you can follow to help you get published.

Well, I've just discovered that Mozilla doesn't let me post links the way I used to, but I have figured out how to put them up like everyone else :)

Letting Go

Have you ever noticed that when you finally let go of something a solution presents itself?  I had resigned myself to the idea that I'd have to purchase a new computer when my son suggested that I try a different browser.  Enter Mozilla Firefox and here I am again.  I never realized how slow my Internet Explorer actually was.  So, here I am back again thanks to a new browser.

And you know that writing is the same way, the letting go part, I mean.  I found that if I'm stuck on a story it's best to just close the file and let it rest for a while.  Going back with fresh eyes makes all the difference in the world when you're writing.  There's something very freeing in letting go. 

Off-Line

My computer seems to have taken a wierd nosedive so the posts here will be few and far between.  I can get online but it takes about half an hour for a site to come up and Yahoo (where my email is) is impossible.  Not sure when I'll be back - hopefully soon.

ThugLit - New Issue

The second issue of ThugLit has landed.  Just 99cents for your kindles.
http://www.amazon.com/THUGLIT-Issue-Two-ebook/dp/B009ZMIF8S/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1

Gore Stories - New Market

For those of you who love the old pulp horror stories this new zine might be right up your alley.  Gore Stores is looking for stories of 4000 to 6000 words that are "gory, blood and guts horror" with "a sense of suspense, fear, sensationalism, and /or humor."  Payment is $250 plus royalties on ebook sales.  And if they like your work you might be tapped to do work for hire.  They're looking at a January 2013 launch date.  You can find all the details here  http://gorestories.com/submissions

UPDATE:  February 7, 2013  Looks like this one has bit the dust - the website is no more.

Burnt Bridge - Submissions Open

Online ezine Burnt Bridge has reopened to submissions.  They're looking for dark stories up to 3000 words.  Payment is $20.  You can find all the details here  http://burntbridge.net/submissions/

Abomination - e-pub zine

Abomination is a quarterly e-pub zine looking for stories in the horror, sci-fi, and dark fantasy genres.  They're new this year and are working on their fourth issue.  Stories must be 1000 to 7500 words and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find all the details here  http://abominationmagazine.com/submissions/

The State of the Short Story - essay

Friend of the blog, Michael S. Chong, emailed this link to Publishers Weekly where there's a lovely essay about short stories  http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/54509-the-state-of-the-short-story.html

Of course, when I went back after lunch to check out a few facts before posting the site seemed to be having some difficulties.  Probably from the storm.  But I decided to post the link anyway so it doesn't get lost in my email.  And perhaps some of you will have better luck getting through.  My computer doesn't always play nice.

Thank you, Michael!!

Horror Without Victims - Anthology Call

Megazanthus Press has opened their reading period for a new anthology called "Horror Without Victims".  2000 to 10,000 words with a May 30, 2013 deadline.  This is a British press so payment is in pounds 0.01 per word.  Each story must reflect the title of the anthology.  D.F. Lewis is the editor/publisher.  You can find all the details here  http://howivi.wordpress.com/

Horror Factory - New Issue

From the gentlemen over at Crime Factory comes Horror Factory.  You can get a copy for your Kindle or download a free pdf here  http://www.thecrimefactory.com/2012/11/horror-factory-is-live/  They've got quite a lineup for your reading pleasure!!