Science Fiction Press - Call for Submissions

Science Fiction Press has posted a call for submissions of sci-fi short stories of 2000 to 5000 words.  This is a new market set to launch in March.  They will be publishing quarterly ebooks and paperback editions.  Payment is a $50 advance against royalties.  You can find all the details here

A big thank you to Katherine Tomlinson for the link!!

UPDATE:  Ralan.com declared this a dead market on May 2, 2013.

Black Treacle - Call for Submissions

My apologies for lack of posts here but the flu nailed both my husband and myself and we've been pretty much out of circulation for the past two weeks.  I haven't even turned the computer on because my brain felt like slush and everything just blurred if I looked at it too long.  Things will probably be a bit slow as I get caught up but here's a market for your consideration.

Canadian ezine, Black Treacle is looking to launch it's first issue in February.  They have opened for submissions of dark fantasy, horror, and spec fiction stories of 1500 to 5000 words.  Payment is $15CAD.  You can find all the details here

Revelation - Call for Submissions

Fourth Horseman Press has opened submissions for their annual print magazine, "Revelation".  They're looking for short stories up to 8000 words in any genre as long as there's an apocalyptic element in the story.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here

Prime Books - New Digital Imprint Call for Submissions

Prime Books has just announced their new digital imprint, Masque Books.  They're looking for novels and novellas in the sci-fi/fantasy genres.  They're looking to launch in 2013 with twelve new titles the first month and six a month after that.  Those that due well in digital could go on into a print edition.  You can find the submission guidelines here

Criminal Justice Anthology - Non-fiction Call for Submissions

This is a non-fiction call for essays by people "working in a wide variety of criminal justice careers" (including the military aspect).  What they refer to as the 3 c's - cops, courts, and corrections.  They need 5000 to 7000 words with a February 20, 2013 deadline.  This book is being compiled to help students decide if a job in the criminal justice system might be for them.  There's no mention of payment.  You can find all the details here

Cemetery Dance Magazine - Call for Submissions

Cemetery Dance has opened submissions for their magazine.  Stories up to 5000 words payment is $250.  They'll close as soon as they fill their 2013 slots.

This is the first time in over two years that they've opened submissions so if you've got something polished up and ready to go, don't hesitate.

Hat tip to Hell Notes!

Anonymous-9 - Cool Review

How cool is this  Nice to see a writer who built a novel out of her most famous short story get reviewed in a place like Hell Notes!!  Talk about crossing the genre lines.  Congrats, Anon-9 (Elaine)!!!

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The December issue of Yellow Mama has hit the streets and if that cover doesn't scare you to death, jump in and enjoy the stories!  And they've also opened for submissions.

Another Look at Self-Publishing

Short story writer, Jamie Todd Rubin, has an interesting post on why he prefers not to self-publish his work.  Lots of good points

Hat tip to Charles Tan for the link.

Writing Post-Apocalypse

I found this post by Shannon Lawrance over at the Pikes Peak Writers' blog very interesting with lots of tips about how to write post-apocalyptic stories.

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

World Weaver Press has issued an open call for submissions to "Far Orbit:  Speculative Space Adventures".  They're looking for stories up to 10,000 words about "modern space adventures crafted in the Grand Tradition".  Payment is 1cent a word.  The submission period is January 1,2013 to March 31, 2013.  You can find all the details here

The Nelligan Prize - Contest

For those of you who enjoy entering contests we have The Nelligan Prize.  This short story contest is sponsored by Colorado State University.  There is no theme or word count but stories can be no longer than fifty pages.  The submission period is January 1, 2013 to March 14, 2013.  The entry fee is $15 for snail mail entries and $17 through their online Submittable link.  First prize is $2000 and publication in the Colorado Review.  All entries will be considered for publication.  You can find all the details here

Crossed Out Magazine - Call for Submissions

For those of you who write stories with a more literary bend Crossed Out Magazine is seeking submissions for their fourth issue.  Stories can be no longer than 2000 words, payment is $20.  The deadline is May 1, 2013.  There are three issues online for you to read so you can get a feel for what they're looking for.  You can find the submission details here

Tor.com - New Guidelines

If you write speculative fiction you should know that Tor.com has updated their submission guidelines.  They're an excellent market seeking fiction of under 12,000 words but will look at work up to 17,500.  Payment is 25cents a word for the first 5000, 15cents a word for the next 5000, and 10cents a word after that.  Take note that their response time can be up to a year or more, so if you're in a  hurry to get published this isn't your market.  You can find all the details here

Hat tip to Cindi Myers Market News for the info!!

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie's list of anthology calls for December is up

Dark Prints Press - Open Novella Call

Australian publisher Dark Prints Press has an open call for novella submissions.  They're particularly interested in dark crime, mystery, and thriller submissions at this time.  The reading period is short with the deadline of December 21.  Their next reading period for novellas is June.  The word count is 15,000 to 40,000 words.  For ebooks the payment is  an AUD$75 advance and 30% of royalties.  Print is $100 AUD advance and 20% of royalties.  You can check out the press here

UPDATE:  February 9, 2015  This market has disappeared into the ether.

The Big Adios - New Western Zine

Shotgun Honey editor, Ron Earl Phillips, has announced the launch of a new Western zine called "The Big Adios" in February.  They are looking for traditional Westerns of 1200 words and serial stories up to 3600 words.  They will be running one story per week.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find all the submission details here  The website is still under construction.

The Male/Female Submission Process

A few days ago I mentioned a blog post that riffed off a WSJ  article about women using male pseudonyms to get better sales for their books.  Since then io9 has referenced the article and one of the topics that has come up in the comments was the fact that people are reading more male authors than female. 

All of this reminded me of a recent posting on the Clarkes World blog about their slush pile.  They broke it down by gender and genre, with male authors submissions double, or more, in most cases than female submissions.  I've often wondered if this were a regular occurrence for most magazines.  I spoke once with Anthony Neil Smith, editor of Plots With Guns at the time, and he told me at that time they received more submissions from male than female authors also.

When you're outnumbered more than two to one in the slush piles the odds are that more male writers are going to grab those open slots.  So maybe it's not just about prejudice against a female author, but the overwhelming number of submissions by male writers putting the odds in their favor.

So, any other editors out there finding that same ratio of submissions or is this simply something that goes on more in the sci-fi genre?  Curious minds want to know.

Western Noir

It's a rare thing to hear noir and Westerns used in tandem by noir aficionados, so when I caught the title of Woody Haut's blog post, "Noir on Horseback" I decided to drop on over and have a read.  He takes a look at Arnold Hano's, writing as Gil Dodge, novel "Flint" which is based on Jim Thompson's "Savage Night".  You can read the post here

And yes, there's been an upswing in Western Noir that I'm really enjoying and having fun writing now and again.

Cemetery Dance - New ebook Line

Cemetery Dance Publications has opened submissions for their new ebook line.  They're looking for novellas, novels, and short story collections in a variety of genres.  There's no mention of payment, but considering the publishing house I expect there will be payment of some sort.  You can check out Cemetery Dance here

Their full guidelines can be found at Submittable

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com for the link!

Fearful Symmetries: An Anthology of Horror

This will be an anthology to keep in mind if they get their full KickStarter funding.  Awesome editor, publisher, and lineup of authors plus an open call for the not-so-well-known writers at some later date.  Check it out here

The Male Writer Myth?

I really don't know whether to laugh or cry about this one

Who knew that I'd sell more stories if my name were Sam Seamans?

Hat tip to Charles Tan for the link!

Plan B Magazine - Call for Submissions

Editor, Darusha Wehm, posted a call for submissions to her new online zine, "Plan B", on the SMFS board yesterday.  She's looking for straight up mystery stories that range from the cozy to hard boiled.  She's not looking for flash and you'll have up to 5000 words for your story.

The new zine is set to launch in March and if their crowd funding project is successful payment will be 1cent a word up to $50.  If they can't raise the money for the start-up you'll have the option to withdraw the story or allow them to post without payment.  They're also looking for artwork for their quarterly anthologies.  You can check them out here

Comet Press - Call for Novella Submissions

Comet Press has opened to novella submissions for their ebook line.  They're looking for work in the following genres - Horror, Dark Crime, Fantasy, and Dark Erotica.  15,000 to 40,000 words. Payment is in royalties.  You can find all the details here

Insomnia Press - Call for Submissions

Insomnia Press has issued a call for submission for their February 2013 issue.  They're looking for dark fiction with the theme "As I Die Lying".  Flash fiction and short stories up to 3000 words in any genre so long as the story is dark.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here

UPDATE:  August 8, 2013  Duotrope has declared this market dead and the site has disappeared into the ether.

Song Story Press - Anthology Calls

Song Story Press has four anthology calls listed for a variety of genres.  The catch, each story must be based loosely on a song that's listed.  The deadline is March 1, 2013 for all of them.  Payment is shared royalties.  You can find the details here

The 40 Below Project - Canadian Anthology Call

This is a call for writers who live in and around Edmonton, Canada.  The 40 Below Project is an anthology of inspired by winters in Edmonton.  They're looking for poetry, short stories to 3000 words, non-fiction, and artwork.  Deadline is December 31.  Payment is an honorarium.  You can find all the details here

Paperback Writer - Open Markets

The blog, Paperback Writer, has a weekly Sunday listing of ten open markets.  You can check out this week's ten here

Packing Cold Heat

Newest way to dispose of a weapon.

Room - Special Crime Issue Call for Submissions

This is a call for female authors only.

Canadian literary magazine, Room, is seeking submissions to a special crime issue.  They're seeking poetry, fiction (to 3500 words), and creative non-fiction by female writers.  Payment ranges from $50 for 2 pages up to $120 for 6+ pages.  While they specify female writers, I'm not sure if they only accept work from Canadian contributors or not.  You can find the call here with further details in the submission guidelines.

Death Penalty Anthology - Call for Submissions

I'm not sure how many prison inmates drop by the Corner but this anthology call seemed like it should be passed along.  Called the "Death Penalty Anthology" they're looking for poetry, essays, photographs, and short stories up to 2000 words from prison inmates.  The deadline is February 15, 2013.  There's no mention of payment.  If you're a former inmate, as some crime writers are, you could check and see if you're eligible to submit.  Details here

Fox Spirt Publishing - YA Novel Call

Fox Spirit Publishing is an invitation only e-publisher, but they do post open calls on occasion.  Their current open call is for YA genre fiction novels of 30,000 to 60,000 words.  The deadline is December 31.  Read their guidelines carefully as they want a query first but only for a novel that is complete.  Payment is a profit share.  You can find the details here

Crimefactory - Submissions are Open

Crimefactory has opened for submissions

J. Taylor Publishing - YA Anthology Call

J. Taylor Publishing has issued a call for submissions to their newest anthology, "One More Day".  This is a YA anthology asking the question "What is today never ended?" with you supplying a surprising restart of time.  And yes, they explain it better on their site :)  5000 to 10,000 words with a March 6, 2013 deadline.  There's no mention of payment but Duotrope lists royalty payments.  You can find all the details here

Misfit Quarterly - Call for Submissions

Misfit Quarterly is open for submission to their second issue.  They're looking for shorts to 2000 words, non-fiction, and artwork.  The basic theme behind Misfit Quarterly is freedom - living your life your way.  You can find more details here and check out their manifesto.  Payment is $100.

Bradley Publishing - Open Calls

Bradley Publishing is open to submissions in a variety of genres with word count ranges of 20,000 to 120,000 words.  Payment is 45% royalties on net sales from their site and 50% from third party sites.  They're currently looking for Romance/erotica, Paranormal YA, Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller, Horror, and Action/Adventure.  You can find all the details here

Their anthology calls are closed at the moment.

Plasma Spyglass Press - Open Novella Call

Plasma Spyglass Press has opened to both novel and novella submissions.  Plasma Spyglass is a sci-fi/fantasy press and they request that you query first before submitting you manuscript.  They also publish a quarterly e-mag called Plasma Frequency that pays 1cent a word for stories.  There are no open anthology calls at this time.  You can check them out here

eTopia Press

eTopia Press is a romance/erotica publisher looking for work in all the genres.  For some of their calls they pay an advance against royalties for all the rest it's just royalty payments.  They're looking for work of at least 50,000 words at this time but there will be a call for novella length fiction in 2013.  You can find more details of what they're looking for here  With more details at their submission guidelines link.

The Albee Agency - Warning

This warning has been making the rounds after several authors were surprised to discover that they'd supplied blurbs in support of this site.  Watch your backs out there!

Short Story Talking

I love when people start talking about short stories and yesterday over at LitReactor  Richard Thomas
got the ball rolling with his list of the ten best short stories.  More were added by other people in the comments then  John Horner Jacobs  posted a list on his blog, followed by  Jane Hammons with Steve Weddle posting his there in the comments.

UPDATE:  Steve has revised his list and posted it over at Do Some Damage

Now these are all great lists and I've read many of the stories but these seem to be all "Literary" lists.  So, I thought I'd throw out a bit of a genre list.  These are stories that I've read and enjoyed over the years, ones that have stuck with me even if they aren't considered classic shorts.  In no particular order:

1.  The Payoff by Stanley Ellin
2.  A Jury of her Peers by Susan Glaspell
3.  Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl
4.  Murder at the Automat by Cornell Woolrich
5.  A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner  And yes, I know it's considered literary but it's a crime story at heart.
6.  One Dollar's Worth by O. Henry  No short story list is complete without an O Henry story.  This is one of his lesser known stories but well worth the read.
7.  Warrior's Farewell by Edward D. Hoch  Another short story writer who should be on everyone's list and Warrior's Farewell is one of his darkest.
8.  Red Wind by Raymond Chandler
9.  Don't Look Behind You by Fredric Brown
10.  The Cage by Ray Russell

I'd also like to add Richard Matheson's I Am Legend though its 160 pages falls into novella territory.  Everyone should be reading Matheson.

So, that's my list.  Feel free to add your list in the comments.

Cameron Ashley - Editor Interview

There's an interview with Crimefactory editor and publisher, Cameron Ashley here.  Currently they're open for non-fiction articles and will open for fiction in January.

Hat tip to Kieran Shea for the link.

SnipLits - Closing

Just had word from publisher, Anne Stuessy, that SnipLits is closing up shop as of December 15.

A Pair of Erotica Anthologies - Call for Submissions

Mitzi Szereto has posted two calls for submissions for erotica anthologies to be published by Cleis Press.  Both have word counts of 3000 to 6500 words with payment of $50 to $70 per story.

1.  Love Lust and Zombies - deadline February 10, 2013
2.  Darker Edge of Desire - deadline April 1, 2013

You can find the guidelines for both here

PSTDARKNESS - e-mag call for submissions

PSTDARKNESS is an bi-annual e-mag looking for dark stories that push the boundaries.  They're currently open to submissions for Vol. 4 to be published in the Fall of 2013.  Stories can be any length up to 3500 words with payment a flat $25 per story.  You can check out their guidelines here

Strange Critters - Anthology Call

Via Darkmarkets.com we have a call for submissions for the anthology "Strange Critters:  Unusual Creatures of Appalachia".  Frank Lanerd is the editor and Woodland Press will publish this trade paperback anthology.  Payment is 5cents a word for stories up to 2500 words.  Deadline is June 30, 2013.  You can find all the details here

Publications Adventure - New Mystery Imprint

Publications Adventure is actively seeking mystery novels set in the outdoors ala Nevada Barr and C. J. Box.  Their focus has been outdoor guides and non-fiction but they're looking to expand with a new mystery line.  You can check them out here

Why You're Not a NaNo Loser

Wonderful piece by Kat Howard on what it takes to be a writer

Rob Lopresti - 2012 Black Orchid Novella Award Winner

Just heard via SMFS that friend of the blog, Rob Lopresti, has won the 2012 Black Orchid Novella Award.
Congratulations and a big round of Snoopy dances for Rob!!!

For those of you who'd like to learn more about this novella contest you can check it out here
The deadline for the 2013 contest is May 31, 2013.

Nightfalls - Charity Anthology Now Available

Back in June, Katherine Tomlinson invited me to be a part of a charity anthology that she was putting together.  The theme was to tell a story about the night before the end of the world.  How it's ending was up to the author which left the genres wide open.  Of course, I said yes.  And then the doubts and fears set in.

My first idea was to write about vampires or immortals.  I mean they're still going to be alive when the world ends.  What are they going to do on that night?  Do they spend the time figuring out a way to die or save the world?  But the more I played with the idea, the less it appealed to me.

About this time I noticed the picture on my calendar of a sunset world shimmering in a purple haze.  The purple reminded me of Jimi Hendricks' song "Purple Haze".  The lyrics suited an end of the world theme especially, "You've got me blowin, blowin my mind.  Is it tomorrow or just the end of time?"

So now I've got a teaser of an idea.  Back to the picture.  There's mountains and a lake and a rock that looks like a turtle.  Hmmm.  Turtles?  Yeah my fantasy brain kicked in and hey those turtles could fly.  Of course now I needed a few enemies to fight and The Doors song "Riders on the Storm" beckoned.  "There's a killer on the road - His brain is squirmin' like a toad [...] If ya give this man a ride - Sweet memory will die".  Okay, I'm on a roll?  Maybe.  One more song.  "American Pie" by Don Mclean.  Perfect end of the world song.

Dozens of pages of notes.  Song lyrics bouncing around in my head.  Half a million false starts.  A missed deadline.  A firm kick in the butt.  A "Once upon a time" beginning and the story was down on the page.  Tons of editing and rewriting.  And "The Memory Keeper" was finally done.

The character of Marie is based on my Aunt Marie who has always been the "magic lady" in my life.

You'll find the story in "Nightfalls:  Notes From the End of the World"

And not just my story, you'll find work by Patti Abbott, Thomas Pluck, Barb Goffman, Kaye George, and Chris Rhatigan to name just a few of the twenty-seven authors who are included in this anthology. 

Duotrope

There's a new notice up over at Duotrope.  Starting January 1, 2013 only subscribers will be able to use the search features on the site.  The subscription fee will be $5 per month or $50 per year.  You can read the details here