The Case Files - Dead Market?

I do believe that the new mystery magazine The Case Files from Ephemera Publishing is dead.  There's been nothing new posted to the site since December of 2012.  The Case Files was supposed to launch in January, but that didn't happen.

Beware the Dark - Call for Submissions

Short, Scary Tales Publications based in the UK has opened submissions for their magazine Beware the Dark.  They're looking for straight horror stories (no erotica).  There's no word count listed in the guidelines but payment is 1cent a word with a max of 30pounds English.  You can find all the details here.

Slightly Ajar - My Stab at the Horror Genre

I have a flash piece up at Flashes in the Dark today.  I've tried this market several times but never made the cut.  I think Horror is a tricky genre to get right because what scares one person doesn't always scare the next guy.  Personally I prefer the psychological horror over the blood and guts kind, so that can be even trickier to capture.  Anyhoo, the story is called "Slightly Ajar" and it's about those monsters hiding in the closet.

I have to admit that it's kind of fun to be closing out Short Story Month with one of my own :)

Wild and Wonderful by Tom Bennitt - A Short Story Month Selection

Fried Chicken and Coffee is one of my favorite online zines for literary fiction.  They have a great blend of poetry, flash, and short stories, but most of all the stories are about regular people like me.  You can feel their heartbreak, their warmth, and their cruelty.  Yesterday I read "Wild and Wonderful" by Tom Bennitt and today I'm still thinking about that story.  The sadness of the narrator's life and that incredible last line that makes you laugh out loud.

The Grinder - New Market Search Engine

For those of you who couldn't afford Duotrope there's a new spot on the 'net to find markets and keep track of your submissions.  The folks behind the site are still building it but the search engine is in place and many writers are posting response times.  You can check it out here and I've posted a link over in the Market Sources section.

Gumshoe Review

One market for short mystery fiction that many writers overlook is Gumshoe Review.  They publish one short story a month when they get them.  They want stories up to 1000 words where a mystery is solved.  Payment is 5cents a word with a maximum payment of $50 if you go over your 1000 words.  They also accept non-fiction essays up to 1000 words with the same payment.  You can find all the details here.

On Writing - Shorts are Hot

Anne R. Allen has an interesting post on her blog with "10 Reasons Why Short Stories are Hot".  If you scroll further down the page you'll find a nice discussion in the comments and some market links for shorts.

Dreamscape Press - Non-Paying Anthology Calls

I've reached a point where I hate posting anthology calls where the writers aren't paid.  Over at Duotrope this morning they've posted up five anthology calls from Dreamscape Press.  All non-paying.  Now the only reason I'm mentioning this here is that they take reprints and it might be a good way for those of you with previously published stories to get them in front of more readers.  You can find the details here.

One other drawback from this press is that there's no mention of who's in charge.

Penumbra - Call for Submissions the Hitchcock Issue

I've mentioned Penumbra here before but of special interest to crime writers is the upcoming Alfred Hitchcock issue.  The reading period for this one begins on May 1 and runs through July 31.  They're looking for shorts up to 3500 words of Hitchcock with a spec fiction twist.  Payment is 5cents a word.  You can find all the details and other themes and reading periods here.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

UPDATE:  May 14. 2013  Please read this post before submitting.

One Story

Just ran across this market for literary short stories called One Story.  Their reading period is September 1 to May 31 so there's only a few days to get a story in for this reading period but something to keep in mind for later in the year.  They're looking for shorts of 3000 to 8000 words and payment is $250.  This is a subscription based magazine.  You can find all the details for submitting here.

Resources

Katherine Tomlinson emailed me this link to "46 Top Websites to Promote Your Book for Free".  I know many of you write novels or have collections out there so every little bit helps promotion wise.

So Burn the Coals by Jake Teeny - A Short Story Month Selection

The final issue of Rose & Thorn has been posted and in that final issue I found a wonderful Western story  called "So Burn the Coals" by Jake Teeny. 

Ticonderoga Publications - Anthology Call

Australian publisher Ticonderoga Publications has issued an anthology call for "Kisses by Clockwork".  They're looking for short stories of 2000 to 7500 words that combine steampunk and romance.  The deadline is October 15.  Payment is 2.5cents AUS with a maximum payment of $185.50.  This anthology is open to all nationalities.  You can find the details here.

Open Casket Press - Writers Beware

There's always someone out there waiting to pounce on unwary writers.  Watch your backs out there my friends!

Golden Bond by Birchard Lee Kortegaard - A Memorial Day Short Story

The Korean War isn't talked about very much.  Most of us only know about it through the TV show M*A*S*H but this story gives you a real look at that war and every war that's ever been fought.  "Golden Bond" by Birchard Lee Kortegaard.  God bless our veterans and the decisions they've had to live with.  Thank you for your courage.

War Stories - Short Story Month Memorial Day Edition

It seems only fitting this weekend to post a link to some war stories for short story month.  At the link you'll find war themed stories by authors such as Stephen Crane, Thomas Hardy, and Arthur Conan Doyle to name just a few.

UPDATE:  Someone has twitter linked to this post but the above link goes to an ad, the stories are gone now.  June 6, 2018

Veterans by Kate Thornton

I know that tomorrow is Memorial Day but I wanted to share this short story called "Veterans" by Kate Thornton.  It was written many years ago but the story sticks with you and reminds you that war is never easy, both for those who fight and those who stay behind.  Thank you Kate, and all of those who have served!

Dogzplot - Short Story Month Flash

I thought today I'd point you in the direction of a bit of literary flash with the May issue of Dogzplot.  This is a strange little ezine that only publishes flash of 200 words or less.  Some of the stories they publish are more slice of life than an actual story with a beginning, middle, and end.  Some are gross, some so beautiful they take your breath away.  You just never know what to expect and that's good in some ways because you're always surprised.  Here is the May issue.  It won't take you long to read as there's only seven stories and all under two hundred words.  My favorite story in this issue was "Walking Home From My Father's Funeral" by Mike LaFontaine.

Go have a read and let me know which one you liked best.  Or maybe the one you didn't like :)

The Photograph Story Cupboard

I was looking at this group of photographs by Deitmar Eckell over on Yahoo and all I could think was what a great inspiration for creating an apocalypse world.  And even if you're not writing apocalypse, they're quite an inspiration for all kinds of dark and lonely noir stories.

And if you like photos for prompts another great place to find excellent photos is Brian Lindenmuth's tumbler account The Cold Blooded Sausage Maker.  What I love about these photos is the people.  If you let your mind go you can create all kinds of stories by just looking into their weary faces.

Ten for Free - Short Story Month

In searching for online short stories for a Short Story Month post I ran across this year old post over at Flavorwire where they point you in the direction of ten wonderful short stories you can read online for free.  Their list includes Flannery O'Connor, George Saunders, Ray Bradbury, and Alice Monro to name just a few.  You can check them out here.

Bourbon Penn - New Issue

Bourbon Penn has just posted issue #7 of their online zine for your reading pleasure.  They're also open for submissions of stories that walk the edges of crime and horror.  Payment is 1cent a word for stories of 2000 to 7000 words.

Betwixt Magazine - Call for Submissions

Betwixt Magazine is a new spec-fiction market looking to launch their first issue in October.  They are looking for shorts of 4000 to 7000 words but will take stories from 1000 words to 30,000.  Payment is 2cents a word.  You can find all the details here.

Don't Forget!

Just a reminder that you only have a hair over two weeks to get your submissions in for Shotgun Honey's second anthology "Reloaded".  They need crime stories of 1500 to 4500 words.  Payment is $25 and the deadline is June 9.  You'll find the guidelines and submission form here.

The Journal of Unlikely Entomology - Call for Submissions

I love reading Twitter feeds because I never know what I'll find.  Today over at Thomas Pluck's feed I discovered a new online zine called "The Journal of Unlikely Entomology".  They publish twice a year in May and December and issue #5 has just gone live.  They are open for subs in any genre so long as the story has bugs.  Payment is 1cent a word for shorts of 1000 to 5000 words and a flat rate of $50 for stories over 5000 words.  They also have special calls for mini issues from time to time with a different payment.  In the guidelines you'll also find a call for "The Journal of Unlikely Architecture" which is looking for stories with buildings. 

Jack London - Short Story Month

When I think of Jack London I always think of his novels, most notably "White Fang" and "The Call of the Wild".  So it was with a bit of surprise and a great deal of  pleasure that I ran across this page with a list and links to many of London's short stories.  What a great treasure.

Mixer Publishing - Contest With Entry Fees

Mixer Publishing has announced the judge for this year's contest will be short story writer Paul Tremblay.  The contest is looking for the best mix of literary writing with science fiction.  They accept shorts of 50 to 17,500 words, poetry, and graphic stories.  The deadline is June 30.  There will be only one winner who will receive $1200.  There is a $20 fee to enter.  You can find all the details here.  Submissions are through Submittable which is where they tell you about the fee.

They're also open to regular submission in a variety of genres until June 30.  This is a non-paying market.

Hat tip to Katherine Tomlinson!

Planetary Stories - Contest

planetarystories.com has announced a flash fiction contest over on their site.  There are three categories - stories up to 250 words, stories up to 500 words, and stories up to 1000 words.  There are no fees to enter.  One winner will be chosen from each category and published in one of their three zines.  The zines are Planetary Stories, Pulp Spirit, and Wonder Lust.  The winners receive 5cents a word.  The deadline for entry is September 15.  You can find all the details here.

Nick Mamatas - Interview

Over at Weird Fiction Review you'll find an interview with The Big Click publisher, Nick Mamatas. 

Robert J. Sawyer - Short Story Month

I thought I'd go with a little sci-fi this morning for Short Story Month especially when I stumbled across a page full of short stories by Robert J. Sawyer.  I've never read any of Sawyer's work and as I scrolled down through the titles one story called "Gator" caught my eye.  Of course I flashed on Bill Crider first then started reading.  What a wonderful and fun story it was.  Here's the page link.  You can scroll through and read "Gator" or see what other titles might catch your fancy. 

Why Stories Get Rejected

Over at Andromeda Spaceways you'll find "A Comprehensive and Totally Universal Listing of Every Problem a Story Has Ever Had" included with their submission guidelines.  And it is a most comprehensive list!

50-Word Stories - A Short Story Month Selection

Here's something different for today's short story month selection, 50-Word Stories.  Yep, every story on the site is only fifty words.  And they're open for submissions (non-paying market) if you're a flash writer.   

Mystery Short Story Contest - No Fees

Porfiro Press is the new mystery imprint of Zharmae Publishing Press.  At the moment they are calling for submissions for their first annual mystery short story anthology.  The call is set up as a contest with winners being published in the anthology.  They are looking for whodunits up to 7500 words.  The reading period is June 1 to September 1.  There's no mention of payment.  They're also looking for mystery novels of 70,000 to 100,000 words (details at the submissions link).  You can find the details for the contest here and links at the top of the page to check them out.

If You Live in Oregon

Forest Avenue Press has announced a call for short stories by Oregon or Southwest Washington writers to be collected into an anthology.  The reading period is June 1 to July 31 for shorts up to 6000 words preferably set in the state of Oregon.  Payment is two copies.  You'll find the announcement here.

And some FAQ's that were posted up today.

Stephen Crane - Short Story Month Stories

Most people associate the name Stephen Crane with "The Red Badge of Courage", but there is so much more that he's written for you to enjoy.  Check out his stories here where you can read them online or find links to Goggle Books where you can download them.

On Writing Short Stories

Interesting piece by Lou Antonelli on "The Art of the Short Story".

And another look at short stories by Paul Cook titled "Everything I Know, I Learned From Edgar Allan Poe".

Hat tip to sfsignal.com for the links!

The Thrilling Detective - A Short Story Month Link

The Thrilling Detective is a must read site for fans of mystery and detective fiction.  They have essays, lists of books and short stories written by nearly every author who has ever penned a detective story, and best of all is their fiction archive where you'll find stories by Ray Banks, Patti Abbott, Steven D. Rogers, Michael Bracken and Dave White, just to name a few.  Check it out here. 

Sad to say that they don't publish short fiction any more but they do keep the zine up for those who like to do research into the great past of detective fiction.  There's a rich history compiled on the pages of The Thrilling Detective.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted up her monthly list of anthology calls.  You can check them out here.

Strand Magazine - More Shorts for Short Story Month

Strand magazine is one of the toughest short story markets for mystery writers.  While checking out the site today I discovered that they have short stories posted on their site.  So if you're wondering exactly what they're looking for go have a read.  There's some very familiar names on that page.

Christmas Mysteries - Short Story Month Reading

Yeah, I know it's Spring but I thought you might enjoy a bit of Christmas mystery with short stories by Bill Pronzini, Marcia Muller, and Edward D. Hoch.  You'll also find links to other mystery stories on the same page.

Lore - Call for Submissions

Lore is a print magazine and it's open for submissions in the genres of Horror, Sci-fi, and Fantasy or a good blend of the genres.  They need stories of 2000 to 6000 words, payment is 5cents a word for original stories and 2cents a word for reprints (you must query about reprints).  You can find the guidelines here.

UPDATE: 7/16/16 Gone, it's now a German site.

A Pair of Flash Stories for Short Story Month

I meant to post the links to these stories yesterday, but got sidetracked.  Both are flash pieces about a woman but even in their brevity you can see their entire lives unfold, the good and the bad.  I loved them both!!

"Molly's Bed" by Bonnie Jo Campbell

"Joy" by Julia Madeleine

Nightmare Magazine - Date Change for Submissions

Yesterday Duotrope noted that Nightmare magazine was supposed to open for unsolicited submissions but on the Nightmare website they changed the date to June 20.  It's always a good idea to check the website and not rely totally on folks like Duotrope and me. :)

Noble Romance Publishing - Call for Submissions

Noble Romance Publishing has opened for submissions.  They accept shorts of 3000 to 10,000 words, Novellas up to 29,999 and novels of 30K and up.  Any genre is acceptable so long as there is romance in the story.  They pay an advance up to $1000 against royalties with each advance negotiated with the author.  You can find all the details here.  They have several imprints including a YA so be sure to take a look around their site.

Xchyler Publishing - Anthology Calls

Xchyler Publishing publishes four anthologies a year.  Their submission process is done in contest form with no names on the manuscript.  Winners receive royalties as payment for their stories.  The current contest is for a Paranormal Anthology with the theme extreme makeover.  5000 to 15,000 words with a May 31 deadline.  There are three other themes and their reading periods listed.  You can find all the details here.

Crossed Genres #5 - A Short Story Month Selection

Crossed Genres #5 is available free online or you can purchase a print or Kindle version to help support the magazine.

If you click on the link above be sure to read "Vintage Millennial Cookery Info Manual by the Geusian Ladies Society" by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.  Now, I'm not fond of stories with recipes and I'm not even sure why I clicked on this one but I'm glad I did.  I always love when a writer does something different and this story is a prime example of just how different a story can be written.  The Ladies Society consists of the wives of soldiers who are waiting for the return of their loved ones.  The story unfolds in a series of emails between four women that contain recipes that can be used at dinner parties.  The emails paint a picture of the world these women are living in and the future that awaits them.  Wonderfully and vividly done.

The Hard-Boiled Dimension - New Market

This new market will make you crime writers happy, except for the non-paying market part, of course.  The Hard-Boiled Dimension is looking for both speculative fiction and gritty crime stories.  You can combine the elements but it's not necessary.  The word limit is 2500 and as I said before, it's a non-paying market.  You can find the guidelines here.

UPDATE:  June 6, 2013  This site has disappeared into the ether, folks.  No word why.

Postscripts to Darkness - Call for Submissions

Canadian magazine Postscripts to Darkness is open to submission for Issue #5.  They're looking for dark stories up to 3500words.  The deadline is June 30.  Payment is a flat rate of $25 Canadian.  They also note that while they accept work by other nationalities but work by Canadian writers will be considered first as 50% of each issue is Canadian content.  You can find the guidelines here.

Crime Fiction Cliches

Great discussion over at Adrian McKinty's blog about cliches to avoid when writing crime fiction.

A Taste of Horror for Short Story Month

I've been trying to mix up the genres a bit for Short Story Month and happened on this page over at Blastr.com with 33 horror shorts.  The authors range from Neil Gaiman (the link to his short also gives you three more of Gaiman's stories) to Poe, so you have a wonderful mix of the old and the new in horror.  Go ahead and have a read!

Bundoran Press - Anthology Call

Canadian Publisher Bundoran Press has issued a call for submissions for the anthology "Strange Bedfellows".  They are looking for short stories "of political science fiction where ideology is a character".  2000 to 7500 words with a preference for 4000 to 6000.  Payment is 5.5 cents Canadian.  The deadline is September 30.  You can find the guidelines here.

Underground Voices - Open for Submissions

Underground Voices has been in business since 2004, first as an online zine and now as a small press publisher.  Currently they are looking for submissions of dark fiction for their annual print anthology.  Stories up to 7000 and poetry.  A flat rate of $40 for shorts and $20 for poems.  Guidelines will be up soon for submissions of short story collections, poetry collections and novels.  You can check out their submission guidelines here.  And there's an interview with the editor over at Six Questions For...

Turntables of the Night a short story by Terry Pratchett

I've been reading a bit of Fantasy of late and ran across a short story by Terry Pratchett called "Turntables of the Night".  Yeah, it's not your usual run of dragons and goblins, in fact it's more along the lines of a Horror story.  You're lead down one path and suddenly you're somewhere else and darn near shaking in your shoes right along with the narrator.  For me, it's also a great example of what an unreliable narrator should be.  This was my first sample of Pratchett, I'll be looking for more. :)

I read this in an anthology called "Hidden Turnings" edited by Diana Wynne Jones.  One thing I'll say about this collection is that it turned my perception of Fantasy on its ear especially Roger Zelazny's story "Kalifriki of the Thread".

Pulp! - Free Old Time Pulp Stories for Short Story Month

The Reading Room Beat has free pulp stories.  You can read them online or download them to your readers.  There's also some pulp novels available.  The only problem is there's only titles and no author's name at the link.  But, hey, they're pulp stories.

Pulp Modern - Call for Western Shorts

Pulp Modern editor Alex Cizak is seeking Western submissions for issue #5.  You can read the call here and one post below you'll find the link to Pulp Modern's submission guidelines.  Pulp Modern is no longer a paying market as Mr. Cizak explains in his post.

F. Scott Fitzgerald - Short Stories for Short Story Month

With "The Great Gatsby" on everyone's mind this weekend I thought it might be nice to link to some real F. Scott Fitzgerald, especially since I found two volumes of his short stories published online over at Read Book Online.  They have a collection called Flappers & Philosophers and another titled Tales of the Jazz Age.  You can find links to both here.

Bete Noir/Dark Opus Press - Call for Submissions

The folks at Bete Noir also run a press called Dark Opus Press that publishes an anthology every year.  This year's call is titled "Tell me a Fable".  Stories must be based on a Grimm's fairytale and the stories must be dark.  2000 to 4000 words with payment of 1cent a word.  The reading period opens July 1 and runs to the 31st or until filled.  Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar  You can find all the details here.

While you're there check out Bete Noir's magazine guidelines.  Their reading period opens on June 1 and runs until June 31.  Payment here is a flat rate of $10 per story.

Short Story Month

Today's pick for Short Story Month comes from Charles Tan who has linked to ten short stories about love in the world of science fiction.  10 Stories for My Future Lover

Because I Love This!

Grady Hendrix has a great post up about being a writer. 

Carnacki: The New Adventures - Anthology Call

This is the second time in two days that I've stumbled across a call for submissions that involves characters created by William Hodgson.  I'm really going to have to find some of his work to read.  Anyhoo, this call is for an anthology titled Charnacki: The New Adventures.  They're looking for shorts of 3000 to 6000 words based on the character Charnacki the Ghost Hunter.  This was a short notice call when it was first posted and now they've extended the deadline to May 31.  Still short notice :)  Payment here is two copies.  You can read all the details here.

UPDATE:  I was searching out some short stories by Hodgson and found a group of Charnacki stories for you to read if you're thinking of submitting to this anthology.

Bloomsbury Spark - Call for Submissions

Bloomsbury Publishing has just opened a new ebook imprint called Bloomsbury Spark which will launch in this Fall.  They are open to submissions of Teen, YA, and New Adult in a variety of genres.  They are looking for novels, novellas and interconnected short story collections.  25,000 to 60,000 words.  There is no mention of payment in the guidelines that I saw so you'll have to query if you want to know what they're paying before submitting.  You can find the details here.

Dark House Press - Open for Submissions

Dark House Press has their website up and running and they've opened for submissions.  They're looking for short story collections of 40,000 words and up with 10 to 20 percent unpublished.  They're also open for novel submissions of 60,000 to 80,000 words.  Various dark genres.  You can read the guidelines here.

East of the Web - Short Story Month Pick

East of the Web is another terrific site for finding some of the classic genre writers.  The site breaks down the shorts by genre and in each genre site you can search by author or just read random stories.  Among the authors you'll find Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (nearly all of his Sherlock Holmes!), Edgar Allen Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Frederik Pohl, and Saki to name just a few.  The genres include crime, horror, humor, and romance.

Joe Hill - Interview

Joe Hill has a new book coming out and I've seen quite a few interview links but this one is especially good as he talks on page two about characters and how they make a story work.  He gives you lots to think about when you're creating your characters.  You can check it out here.

The Night Land - Call for Submissions

UK zine The Night Land has issued a submission call for stories set in "The Night Land" world written by William Hope Hodgson back in 1912.  The payment is pro rates and the site is filled with information you'll need to get started.  I'm linking to the front page where you can click on the submission button for all the information about submitting.  Writing in another author's world isn't always easy, but I thought The Night Land sounded intriguing.

And the Anthony Award Nominees

Have been posted over at Do Some Damage.  Congrats and a big round of Snoopy Dances for all the nominees.  And a great lineup for the short story category!!

Flavorwire Short Story Contest

Flavorwire is sponsoring a short story contest in honor of Short Story Month.  They're accepting short stories up to 5000 words in any genre with a May 17 deadline.  Yep, it's short notice but I know you folks out there can do it.  There's no fee to enter and the winner receives $500 and publication on the Flavorwire site.  You can find the details here

Hat tip to Bill Crider!!

Black Mask - Short Story Month Fiction

I have a link over there on the right to Black Mask's online magazine.  No, they're not open to subs and haven't updated the site since 2008 but there is a wealth of information there about the beginnings of the pulp publishing era.  More important is the twenty stories they have from some of the lesser known pulp writers that appeared in such magazines as Dime Detective, Adventure, Dime Mystery, and of course, Black Mask.  Here's a link to the fiction section, all the stories are in pdf format.  But while you're there be sure to have a look around at the history of pulp era fiction.

A. Lee Martinez - Essay on a Writer's Career

A. Lee Martinez takes a look at his career and puts the realities of being a writer out there for all the world to see.  A very thoughtful essay.

Hat tip to sfsignal.com

Joe R. Lansdale - Interview and a Short Story

Apex magazine has an excellent interview with Joe R. Lansdale.  And here's the link to the Apex published short story they're discussing as part of the interview "Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back"

Crime City Central - Call for Novella Reprints for Podcast

Crime City Central has posted a call for crime novella reprints over at CrimeSpace today.  You must own the rights.  They're looking for stories in the 24,000 word range.  There's no payment but you'll find yourself in excellent company.  This week's story is by RJ Ellory.

Circlet Press - Anthology Call (erotica)

I'm always amazed at the variety of themes out there for anthology calls especially from the erotica publishers, and this one really stood out today.  From Circlet Press comes a call for short stories that combines erotica, rock and roll, and sci-fi/fantasy.  3500 to 7500 words with a December 1 deadline.  Payment is $25 for the ebook printing and another $25 if they do a print copy.  You can find all the details here.

Calyx - Flash Contest for Women

Calyx magazine is hosting a flash contest for women writers.  The theme is "A new creation story" and you only have 250 words.  The deadline is May 31 and the top five contestants will be published at their online blog.  There are no fees.

Wizard's Tower Press - Anthology Call

The UK based Wizard's Tower Press has issued a call for submission to an anthology called "Airship Shape & Bristol Fashion".  They're looking for steampunk stories up to 7500 words with a connection to the Bristol area.  Payment is 25 pounds English plus royalties.  The deadline is June 16.  You can find all the details here

Writers Abroad - Anthology Call

Writers Abroad has issued a call for submissions for their fourth annual charity anthology.  The title is "Far Flung and Foreign.  Profits from the book go to Book Aid International.  The deadline is July 31 for shorts to 1700 words, flash to 500 words, non-fiction to 1000 words, and up to 30 lines of poetry.  This is open to ex-pat and former ex-pat writers only.  You can find all the details here.

Free Conan Novelette

Project Guttenberg has Robert E. Howard's "Beyond the Black River" available to read online or download to your Kindle.  There's also an audio version.

Hat tip to sfsignal.com

The Big Click - New Issue

Yes!!  The May/June issue of The Big Click has landed.

Akashic Books Celebrates Short Story Month

Akashic Books is celebrating Short Story Month with a short story a day from authors who have contributed to their Noir anthology series.  Check them out here.

Crimefactory - New Issue

Issue #13 of Crimefactory is live with a free pdf on site or available for ebook purchase.

Eraserhead Press - Call for Bizarro Novellas

If you're a writer of Bizarro fiction Eraserhead Press might be the place for you.  They have something called The New Bizarro Author Series that's looking for stories of 15,000 to 20,000 words where new authors can dip their feet into the publishing waters.  There's no mention of their pay scale here so that's something you'll have to query about if you're interested in their press. 

Last Night of the World by Ray Bradbury

Just read "Last Night of the World" by Ray Bradbury.  Wow!  What a master storyteller.  The story is done almost totally in dialogue and still you can picture their house, their lives, his job, and just how perfectly normal they are.  Everything on the surface is peaceful and yet I was left with a chill running down my spine as they tucked themselves into bed at the end of the story.

On Writing - Fantasy

I've been piecing together a fantasy short story in my head (yeah, I know, weird place to outline) and came across "10 Ways to Find Inspiration for Fantasy Writing" by Phillip Overby over at the Mythic Scribes blog.  Lots of good stuff to get your creative juices flowing and can be applied to other genres as well.

Galaxy's Edge - Free Issue

Today's free short story reading is Galaxy's Edge.  You can read it online for free or purchase a paper or downloadable copy from Amazon.

Hat tip to sfsignal.com where you can always find links to free reading material!

Broken River Books - New Crime Imprint

Author J. David Osborne is setting up a new crime press called Broken River Books.  The new press will focus on literary crime and and neo-noir fiction.  You can read the press release here  There's a Facebook page but no further information is posted yet.

Information via the Do Some Damage blog where you can read about Osborne's new online serial novel.

The Short Story Archive

Today's spot to find short stories is the Short Story Archive.  What's great about this site is that stories are broken down by both genre and authors.  While you'll find many of the famed literary authors, you'll also find some of the best in genre like L. Frank Baum, Algernon Blackwood, Bret Hart, and Jack London.  If you're into Westerns this is a great spot to find some excellent shorts that are hard to find elsewhere.

Stephen King Shorts - Free!!!

In case I haven't mentioned it, May is short story month and for my part I've been searching for short stories and places to find them.  Today's find is a page full of Stephen King short stories and they're free to read!  If you haven't read a King short story head on over, you won't be sorry because he's one of the masters when it comes to shorts.

UPDATE:  October 31, 2013  The stories are no longer posted online.  I don't know what happened or why but the links only go to purchase information now.

Baird Speculative Fiction - Anthology Calls

Baird Speculative Fiction in a new publisher with three anthology calls.  Their payment method is kind of odd as they pay in tiers with $60 for the cover story and payment dropping from $35 to $20 to $10.  The exception being Anathema:  A Bizarro Anthology which has lower rates, not sure why.  And the calls and deadlines:
Urban Eddur deadline June 15
I Automaton:  A Steampunk Anthology deadline July 15
Anathema:  A Bizarro Anthology deadline July 15

I'm linking to the front page of the web site where you can find the drop down menu for each anthology on the submission link.  The anthologies will be published as both ebooks and print.

And the Winners Are

The Edgar Awards were announced last night, you can find the complete list of winners and nominees over at the Rap Sheet.

And the Spinetingler Award winners are being announced throughout the day on their site.

Congrats and a round of Snoopy dances all the winners and nominees!!!

Sirens Call - Free Download - Men in Horror

Since I posted an all female zine yesterday, today's free download is an all male issue of Sirens Call "Men in Horror".  While their zine is closed to subs at the moment, they do have one anthology open for submissions at their website.

Dagan Books - Call for Spec-Fiction Novellas

Dagan Books is open for speculative fiction novellas of 17,500 to 40,000 words.  Payment is in royalties.  You can find all the details here.

A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce

There are stories that take your breath away, "A Horseman in the Sky" by Ambrose Bierce is just such a story.  It opens with a soldier asleep at his post and you just keep reading because the words and language are so beautiful only to have the ending suck the air out of your lungs.  And you'll remember and think of this story and the ways of war for hours after.

Just an added note.  I found this story at a site called American Literature where you'll find thousand of other stories by American authors of the past.

Those Rejected Anthology Stories

Yeah, I'm back again.  Michael Bracken passed along a link to a great post by K.H. Vaughan about writing for themed anthologies and special calls and what your options are if the story has been rejected.  She's also asked several editors their thoughts about finding those rejected stories in their slush piles.  Loads of great advice to be found here. 

Thank you Michael!!

Anachron Press - A Publisher's View

Over at Ginger Nuts of Horror Colin F. Barnes, head of Anachron Press, explains how they got started and what they're planning for the future.

SQ mag - Special Edition

SQ mag is a free online speculative fiction zine.  Issue #8 features women in speculative fiction.  And they're open for submissions, payment is $15 per story.

Hat tip to sfsignal.com

Sleuths' Ink Mystery Contest

This mystery contest came through the SMFS group.  Sleuths' Ink is sponsoring a "Whodunnit" mystery contest.  They're looking for solve-it-yourself mysteries done in the Woman's World (American magazine) style.  There is a $5 fee to enter and the deadline is May 31.  Cash prizes.  You'll find all the details here.

Some Freelance Writing Calls

I stopped by Creative Writing Contests this morning, that's where I found the Mystery Contest, and thought I'd mention that they have several freelance non-fiction calls listed there also.  The pay looks pretty good and the  calls range from a parenting magazine to Humpty Dumpty.

Mystery Short Story Competion 2013 - No Fee Contest

Buddapuss Ink has announced their annual Mystery Short Story Competition is open for submissions.  This is a no fee contest for mystery shorts of 3000 to 7000 words with a July 15 deadline.  Winners are published in an anthology and there are prizes.  You can find the details here

Flash Fiction Smackdown

The LitReactor Flash Fiction Smackdown for May might interest you crime writers out there.  You have 25 words done in two sentences with the theme of Sherlock Holmes.  All the details here.

ThugLit - New Issue

Issue #5 of ThugLit has hit the streets!

Why Do You Write?

I look at this woman's face and read about her life and I find myself asking a million questions.  There is so much story there in the whys.  I write because I want answers that will satisfy my curiosity. 

Fearful Symmetries - Reading Period Open

The Ellen Datlow edited "Fearful Symmetries" anthology is now open for subs.  The deadline is May 31, payment is 7cents a word.  This is a horror anthology.  You'll find the submission address here

On Writing Shorts

If you've ever wondered why some of us love writing short stories so much check out Brendan DuBois' wonderful essay over at the Ellery Queen blog where he lays out the love of writing short stories perfectly.

Hat tip to Bill Crider!!

World Weaver Press - Anthology Reading Period Open

Just a reminder that the reading period for the anthology "Specter Spectacular II:  13 Deathly Tales" from World Weaver Press opened today and closes June 15.  Under 10,000 words, payment is $10 and a print copy.  More details here.

Nightmare Magazine - New Issue

The May issue of Nightmare magazine has landed!

Blood Bound Books - Open Reading Period

Blood Bound Books has opened for submissions today of novellas, novelettes, and novels.  10,000 to 80,000 words, payment is royalties.  The reading period ends on October 31.