Checking Out the Past

For those of you looking to get an overview of the hard-boiled/noir stories of the past check out this post over at Mystery File.  One more reason that anthologies are an important part of any genre.

Phobos - Call for Submissions

Phobos is a new zine and they've opened submissions for their first issue which is set to debut in October.  They're looking for well-written pulp fiction in various genres.  The theme for the first issue is Zugzwang which basically means no good moves (they have examples in the guidelines).  Payment is 5cents a word for stories up to 3000 words.  The deadline is August 1.  You can find the details here.

On Writing

If you're going to take writing advice, it's best to listen to someone who's been writing for a long time.  Michael Bracken has had over a thousand short stories published, and his advice is sound.

Non-Paying Anthology Calls

I know some of you don't mind the non-paying markets so I thought I'd post these links that I found this morning for a pair of non-paying Horror Anthology calls.

"Planting the Seed of Horror"  from Dead Tree Books.

Contemporary Undead Horror Anthology from Sunbury Press

Fantasy For Good - Charity Anthology Call for Submissions

"Fantasy For Good" is a charity anthology to raise funds for a colon cancer charity.  Most of the stories in this anthology will be filled by invitation but they've left a few slots open for other writers.  They're looking for fantasy stories of 1000 to 7000 words.  There is no theme.  The reading period is July 1 to August 31.  You can find all the details here.

The Faceless Women

These photographs just blew me away today.  Considering all the discussions around the web about women, their place in the sci-fi writing world, rape culture, and sexual harassment these just seemed a perfect fit.  Sometimes a picture can say so much more than words.

And more!

Median Unmade: Tales of Clive Barker's Nightbreed - Anthology Call

If you're a fan of Clive Barker's Nightbreed, this anthology might be of interest.  Median Unmade: Tales of Clive Barker's Nightbreed is looking for stories set in this world.  Please note that this is a work for hire and your story can't be used elsewhere (there are a few exceptions) as Mr. Barker has only given his permission for his world to be used in this particular anthology.  And they're looking for horror/dark fantasy stories up to 5000 words.  The deadline is September 30 and payment is 5cents a word.  Please read the guidelines carefully as there's a lot there to consider before deciding on submitting.

UPDATE: For guidelines 6/29/13

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

John Joseph Adams - Interview

Black Gate has a marvelous interview with editor John Joseph Adams.  Loads of great insights into putting together anthologies and zines.  I, personally, couldn't believe it when he said that mystery writers didn't want to work with him on one of his projects.  Yep, I'm jumping up and down shouting, "Me!  Me!  Me!  I'm available."

Mythic Delirium - Rebooting

Spec-fiction zine, Mythic Delirium is in the process of rebooting their zine to ebook format (also going from bi-annual to quarterly) via Kickstarter.  They will be publishing both short fiction and poetry.  Their first two issues are already filled and the first will be launched in July.  There will be an open reading period from August 1 to October 1 for the next two issues.  Payment will be 2cents a word for fiction and $5 for poems.

Links via Dusty Wallace.

Geek Force Five - New Market

Geek Force Five, having had a successful Kickstarter funding, is now open for submissions and is looking to launch their first issue in September.  This is a multi-media publication looking for genre short stories of 1000 to 10,000 words, short films, music, photography, illustrations, and comics.  Payment is $50.  Submission details are at Submittable.

Hat tip to horrortree.com

Fairy Story Cupboard

Yahoo News comes up with some "interesting?" news stories but this one about a woman hiking up Mr. Rainier in a ball gown had me thinking story, especially when she donned some fairy wings.  Talk about your fractured fairy tales :)  And yes, I see stories nearly everywhere.  I even wonder how many people get robbed after they're on Antiques Roadshow. 

Noir Riot - New Market

Once again the great minds behind Gutter Books and NoirCon have put their heads together and come up with a new publication called Noir Riot.  This new magazine will be published every other year to coincide with Noir Con.  The first edition will be for the 2014 conference.

They will be open for submissions on a rolling basis as follows:

Poetry - July 1 to October 1, 2013
Short Stories up to 5000 words - September 1 to December 1, 2013
Non-fiction - October 1, 2013 to January 1, 2014

Payment is 1cent a word.  You can find all the details here.

Bartleby Snopes - Fee Based Writing Contest

The Fifth Annual Bartleby Snopes Writing Contest has opened for submissions.  There is a $10 fee to enter.  There is only one rule for this contest.  The story must be entirely dialogue, no narration and that includes no tag lines like he said/she said.  Stories must be under 2000 words.  The deadline is September 15.  You can find all the details here.  The winners are published and there is prize money.

Now I don't generally post fee-based contests but this one intrigued me.  I've written flash that is dialogue only but never a longer story.  For those who have trouble with dialogue this would make a great writing exercise, even if you decide not to enter.

Crossed Genres - Call for Submissions

Crossed Genres has opened up their reading period for novels and short story collections.  They offer a $2000 advance.  You can find all the details here.

Revolt Daily - Was Slit Your Wrists

The online bizzaro zine Slit Your Wrists is now called Revolt Daily.  The new zine is published under the Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing umbrella and is both online and print.  They accept stories in a variety of genres through Submittable.  There is no payment for online content but for the print magazine they pay $10 for flash up to 1000 words, $20 for shorts over 1000 words, and $10 for poetry.  What I can't find is how they decide where to publish what or how you can submit to just the paying market.

And just a reminder that Perpetual Motion has a short story ebook line called One Night Stands that is looking for shorts in any genre of 1000 to 15,000 words with an upfront payment of $20 plus 30% royalties.  Details here.

RIP Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson has passed away.  I only discovered his work last year and was blown away by his mastery of the short story.  "I Am Legend" is a masterpiece novella with an ending that no movie version has ever had the nerve to use.

ABA Journal - No Fee Contest

The annual ABA Journal's short story contest is open for submissions of stories up to 7500 words "that illuminate the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern life".  The deadline is July 31.  There is one prize of $3000 for the winning story.

via SMFS

The Shamus Award Nominees

The Shamus Award nominees have been announced and a huge congratulations goes out to friend of the Corner, Stephen D. Rogers for his short story nomination.  Congrats to all the nominees!!

BEST P.I. SHORT STORY
"The Sequel" by Jeffrey Deaver in The Strand
"After Cana" by Terence Faherty in EQMM
"O'Nelligan and the Lost Fates" by Michael Nethercott in AHMM
"Illegitimati Non Carborundum" by Stephen D. Rogers in Crimespree
"Ghost Negligence" by John Shepphird in AHMM - See more at: http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2013/06/shamus-award-finalists.html#sthash.AomR6lpz.dpuf

Horror Bound - Dead

Horror Bound Magazine seems to have disappeared into the ether and Duotrope has declared it defunct.

The First Line - Call for Submissions

Submissions are open for the Fall issue of The First Line.  The deadline is August 1 for this first sentence - "There must have been thousands standing in the rain that day."  Payment is $30.

Darkmarkets.com - Antholgy Calls

Dark Markets has a pair of anthology calls up.  You can check them out here.

Crimson Romance - A Caution

Victoria Strauss of Writers Beware has a post up about Crimson Romance.

Nightmare Magazine - Submission Call

Nightmare Magazine has opened for submissions.  They're looking for horror and dark fantasy stories of 1500 to 7500 words.  Payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Lightspeed - Call for Submissions

Lightspeed Magazine has opened submissions for sci-fi and fantasy stories of 1500 to 7500 words.  Payment is 8cents a word.  You can find the details here.

The Overtime Theater - Call for Play Submissions

I know some of you write plays so I thought I'd post this call for play submissions that I ran across this morning.  It's from San Antonio's The Overtime Theater and they're looking for plays for their 2014 season.  The deadline is Aug 1.  Payment is based on donations from the patrons.

War Stories - Anthology Call

For those of you who write sci-fi you might want to check out this anthology call for "War Stories".  The reading period will open in September so you have plenty of lead time.  They are looking for military sci-fi stories of 1000 to 7500 words and payment will be 3cents a word.  There is a publisher attached to the project and it will be funded through Kickstarter.  Not sure how many slots will be open as they've already got several authors on board for the project.  You can find all the details on their website.

The God of the Razor by Joe R. Lansdale

If you want to feel your skin crawl and stomach churn with dread today head on over to Nightmare magazine and read Joe R. Lansdale's "The God of the Razor".  The man certainly knows how to write a horror story that keeps you reading even though all you want to do is shut your eyes so you can't see what's coming.

And an interview on the site where he talks about writing "The God of the Razor".

Snubnose Press - 99cent Sale

Snubnose Press is celebrating its second anniversary by gifting you with the chance to purchase any of their thirty-nine titles for only 99cents each.  This offer will last until the end of the month but why wait? 

PS:  My collection Cold Rifts is part of this great deal :)

Scarlett River Press - Missing in Action, Again.

Scarlett River Press has gone missing again.  This time their site has been suspended by ipage.  I have contact links available on the February post when they went missing the first time.  You know something is wrong when you start getting  lot of hits for a publisher.  Hopefully it's just a server problem again.

Art Taylor - Interview

Interesting interview with short story writer Art Taylor over at Literary Mama.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie's June anthology list is up!!

Akashic Books - Call for Flash Fiction

Akashic Books is best know for it's noir anthology series set in various cities.  Now they've decided to open submissions for flash fiction to be published at their online site.  You can submit stories for either Mondays are Murder which are to feature a distinct location or Thurdaze Flash Fiction which must feature a drug.  Stories can be no longer than 750 words, and of course, they must be noir.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find all the details here.

They've been publishing Mondays are Murder for a while so you can see what they're looking for in a flash piece.

via SMFS

Full Dark City Press - Closed?

I'm not sure what's going on, but Full Dark City Press seems to have disappeared into the ether.  I checked the editor's blog and the links don't work from there either.  No word if it's just a glitch in the system or they've closed up shop.

UPDATE:  They're not closed, just switched servers.  You'll find their new site here.  I've also changed the link over on the right.

Mainly Murder Press - Call for Novel Submissions - New England Authors Only

Mainly Murder Press has opened submissions for mystery novels with New England based stories by New England authors.  Their reading period ends July 15.  You can find the details here.

Night of the Living Podcast - Flash Horror Contest

Night of the Living Podcast is hosting their first annual Flash Horror Contest.  The contest will be judged by author Jeremy Shipp.  The submission period is July 1 to July 31 for horror stories up to 1000 words.  The winning entry  will be paid 5cents a word.  There are no fees to enter.  You can find all the details here.

Thanks to Katherine Tomlinson for the link!!

The Gold Coast Anthology - Call for Submissions

The Gold Coast anthology is open to "anyone who can demonstrate a connection to the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia", this includes those who have vacationed or just visited there.  Submissions open today and close August 31 for stories up to 5000 words based on the photographs posted on their site.  Payment is $100.  Submissions through Submittable.  You can find the guidelines and photos on their site.

Haiku

If you're into Haiku there's a new magazine that might be of interest to you called Iridescence Haiku Magazine.  Their first issue up, you can check it out the magazine and the guidelines here.  This is a non-paying market.

And if you really love haiku here's a list of contests for 2013.

Hat tip to Katherine Tomlinson for the Iridescence link!

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

Also opening today is a new anthology call up at World Weaver Press.  As yet untitled, the Krampus anthology is looking for short stories up to 10,000 words.  Payment is $10 plus a print copy.  The deadline is August 1.

So, who is Krampus?  According to the guidelines he's "the angry, punishing sidekick of St. Nick and known for his willingness to punish rotten children".  You might also consider that he's Santa's dark side or evil twin.  You have plenty of room to have fun with one.

Yellow Mama - Submissions Open

Unless they post a change of plans, Yellow Mama is open for submissions as of today.

Perpetual Motion Publishing - New Short Story ebook Line

Perpetual Motion Publishing has opened a new line of individual short story ebooks called One Night Stands.  They are looking for stories in any genre of 1000 to 15,000 words.  Payment is $20 plus 30% royalties.  You will find the details on their submittable page.

Hat tip to horrortree.com

Slice - Call for Submissions

Slice is a literary magazine looking for short stories up to 5000 words for the theme "Escape".  The reading period is half way through as the deadline is August 1.  So short notice here.  You can find all the details here.  Stories selected from this reading period will be published in the Spring/Summer issue of 2014.  Almost forgot, payment is $100.

Lamp Light Magazine - Call for Submissions

According to their Twitter feed, Lamp Light magazine is open to submission for their Fall issue (#4).  Lamp Light is a quarterly for literary dark fiction.  Vol I is free for sampling to get a feel for what they're looking for.  They pay a flat fee of $150 for shorts of 2000 to 7000 words and $50 for flash up to 1000 words.  The deadline for this issue is July 15.  They use submittable but their guidelines are on their web page.

Babbling Creek Review - New Market

If you're into writing literary fiction California based Babbling Creek Review might be of interest to you.  They're a brand spankin' new online zine looking to launch in August.  They are looking for short stories, flash, novellas, and novel excepts.  This is a non-paying market. 

Hat tip to Katherine Tomlinson!

Shock Totem - Submissions Closed

Shock Totem has closed for submissions until September 1.  But look on the bright side, you've got two and half months to polish you horror story for this paying market.

Dark Hall Press - No Fee Short Story Competition

I find it odd that many of the new presses are calling their anthology calls contests or competitions.  Isn't a call for submissions to an anthology the same thing?  You're competing against other writers for a slot in the anthology.  Anyhoo, we now have Dark Hall Press looking for ten stories of "ghostly happenings" for inclusion in their new ghost anthology.  Stories up to 4000 words with a deadline of August 1.  The ten "winners" will split the profits from the anthology equally.  You can find the details here and on their submission page.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

GigaNotoSaurus

I love when I stumble across new to me markets.  This morning it was GigaNotoSaurus.  They publish sci-fi and fantasy stories of 5000 to 25,000 words, but they only publish one story a month which you can read online or download to your reader.  Payment here is a flat $100.  You can find the submission details here.

Thrills, Kills 'n' Chaos - Closed to Submissions

Thrills, Kills 'n' Chaos has temporarily closed to submissions while editor David Barber gets caught up.

5 Minute Mystery - New Guidelines

I've been checking out the links and found that 5 Minute Mystery has changed its format.  They made the site free to all users and writers are allowed to upload their mysteries to the site.  If your story "bubbles" up to the top you will receive $50 in payment.  You can find all the details here.

Penumbra - A Caution

Back a while ago I posted up a call for submissions by Penumbra emag which is published by Musa Publishing.  They have some wonderful themes and payment is 5cents a word.  A pro market, right?  Well, this morning I read a post by Ann Leckie, the current secretary of the SWFA, who has a caution for all those submitting to Penumbra.  While they do pay for stories, they don't pay all writers, so please read your contracts carefully and don't be afraid to tell them no.  Watch your backs out there!

Kasma SF - Submissions Open

Kasma SF ezine has opened to submissions.  They're looking for sci-fi shorts of 1000 to 5000 words.  Payment is a flat rate of $25 per story.  You can find the submission details here.

Sirens Call Publications - Anthology Calls

Sirens Call Publications has posted two anthology calls.  The first is a romance/erotica anthology titled "Flowers are Overated" with a deadline of December 31 (or when filled) and the second is a horror anthology titled "Fear of the Dark" which is open until filled.  Both need stories of 4000 to 10,000 words, payment is royalties.  You can find the details for both here.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

Pavor Nocturnus - Call for Submissions - New Market

Pavor Nocturnus is a new quarterly Horror magazine that is looking to launch in October.  It will be a released in both print and ebook formats.  Stories not selected for the print magazine may be optioned for their online content.  They're looking for stories of 1000 to 7500 words in length.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the submission details here.

Hat tip to the Literarium blog!

UPDATE:  February 13, 2015  This site has disappeared into the ether.

Plan B - Call for Submissions

Plan B magazine has opened for submissions for their second issue.  They're looking for straight mystery, crime, and suspense stories up to 5000 words.  Payment is 1cent a word up to $50.  You can find all the details here.

Crossed Genres - Anthology Deadline Extended

The deadline for Crossed Genres anthology "Fierce Family" has been extended to June 30.  They're looking for speculative stories of QUILTBAG families.  2000 to 8000 words with a flat payment of $20.

The Hit by Gary Duncan

I love when a writer turns my expectations upside down and that's exactly what Gary Duncan did with his fun flash "The Hit" over at Shotgun Honey today.

The Cinderella Myth at BTaP

I love the Beat to a Pulp ezine.  And I'm happy to announce that I have a story up there this week called "The Cinderella Myth".  David has published my Sci-fi bounty hunter story, a Western, a Steampunk Fantasy serial, and now a crime story.  You've got to love an editor who trusts a writer no matter what genre pool they jump into.  Thank you, David!

"The Cinderella Myth" was originally written for the Watery Grave Invitational last year.  After it didn't place I left it sit for a while pulling it out every now and then to tinker with it.  I liked the story but it seemed to be missing something.  When I pulled it back out a month ago I'd been reading some fairy tales and tinkering with an idea for a new story.  As I read over the story I realized that it wanted to be a Cinderella story of sorts, so I went with it.  Of course, there's no happily ever after but then life doesn't always give you what you want, does it?

Science Fiction Trails - Open for Submissions

Science Fiction Trails is a once a year print magazine.  They've opened for submissions of short stories with sci-fi content set in the Wild West of 1850 to 1900.  Stories should be 1000 to 7000 words, payment is $20.  You can find all the details here.

Writer Resources Links

150 Resources to help you write better, faster, and more persuasively.  Yeah, they went a little over the top with the title, cause you know that butt in the chair is the first requirement of writing. :)

Hat tip to sfsignal.com

Black Treacle - New Issue

The June issue of Black Treacle has gone live.  You can read it online or download a free copy to your reader.  Due to a low volume of submissions they've switched from a monthly to bi-monthly publishing schedule and upped the payment to $25CAN.  They pay for both fiction and non-fiction in the genres of Horror, Dark Fantasy, and Spec-Fiction.

What Do You Look For in a Non-Paying Market?

Yesterday I posted that The Hard-Boiled Dimension had closed up shop.  The editor, Dusty Wallace, stopped by and explained why.  He had received only one submission in the month the site had been up.  Which made me wonder why no one else submitted, so I thought I'd start a discussion about what writers look for in a market, especially when that market is non-paying.

Here are some of the things I look for in a non-paying online market.

1.  Does the site look good.  This isn't just about the graphics, it's about the editor's skill.  Are the guidelines clear.  By that I mean does he explain what he wants clearly ( I've seen sites where the editor just says send your shit.  And then there's the one that nit-picks every detail.).  Does he spell check and use correct grammar.  Because the bottom line is if he doesn't care about his words, he's not going to care about yours.  Most important does he have a clear vision of what he wants the zine to be or is he just posting whatever comes through the submission door.

2.  Who else is published there?  If I'm familiar with the published writers and admire their work, I'm in.  Writers like to be in good company.  In the first issue of Pulp Modern the editor managed to snag a reprint from Lawrence Block and there I was on the same TOC.  I didn't get paid, but I had bragging rights to being published in the same magazine as Mr. Block.

3.  Even non-paying markets need a good editor.  I want someone who looks at my story, offers suggestions if needed, and puts in those pesky commas I tend to miss or catches a missing or extra word that I didn't see after the 100th read through.

Those are just a few of the things I look for.  What about you?  What do you look for when submitting to a market?

Back in 2011 I posted a list of things people who are starting zines should consider before opening up for business.  These still  hold today and they're things I look for before submitting.

Samhain Publishing - Novella Antholgy Call

Samhain Publishing's Horror line has issued an anthology call for Gothic Horror novellas.  The stories will be published first as individual ebooks than collected together as a print book.  25,000 to 30,000 words with a deadline of September 15.  You can find all the details here.  This is a paying market.

Hat tip to Cindi Meyers Market News!

The Hard-Boiled Dimension - Closed Up Shop

I've pretty much reached the point where I hate posting new markets.  In May I posted about a new mystery market called The Hard-Boiled Dimension and today I found that it's home page has been removed.  No reason given.  Be nice if these publishers would get their shit together BEFORE posting up a new market.

Twisted South - Call for Submissions

Twisted South magazine is looking for short stories set in the South up to 5000 words with payment of $10 per printed page.  They're also looking for feature articles, interviews, reviews, and food writing.  They pay for these, too.

Stephen Graham Jones - In the Short Story Spotlight

Everyone has a different opinion about the worth of short stories and Stephen Graham Jones is no different.  Here's an interview with Stephen over at Solarcide where he talks about shorts.  He has some very interesting thoughts on the subject.

And it occurred to me that you might like to sample some of Mr. Jones' work and I remembered that Mixer Publishing did a special issue of his work in all the genres they publish.  So go have a read.

Hat tip to Brian Lindenmuth!

Fantasy Artwork - Just for the Fun of It

I love artwork of all kinds and over at sfsignal.com they post links to some of the best fantasy and sci-fi illustrations around.  Today's artwork by Michael Anthony Gonzales is fabulous. 

Chamberton Publishing - YA Anthology Call

Chamberton Publishing is a YA imprint and they've issued a call for short stories for a new anthology.  They want inspirational YA stories that show God's work in the lives of young adults.  2000 to 10,000 words with an August 5 deadline.  Payment is a flat $25.  You can find all the details here.  They don't refer to themselves as a religious press but instead state that they are conservatives.

The Shoot-Out at Burnt Corn Ranch Over the Bride of the World by Catheryne M. Valente

The Summer 2013 issue of Subterranean is out.  You can read it online or download it for free.  I've got to say that Catheryne M. Valente's story "The Shoot-Out at Burnt Corn Ranch Over the Bride of the World" is the best weird Western I've ever read.  The story is full of everything you'd ever want in an end of world Western story.  Beautifully written, and both funny and tragic at the same time. 

Horrified Press - Anthology Calls

Horrified Press has listed two anthology calls.  Both have deadlines of February 20,2014 for stories of 1000 to 4000 words.  They will consider poetry and reprints.  The titles are "Nightmare Stalkers & Dream Walkers" and "Dark in the Limelight".  The link I've posted will take you to their home page where you'll find both calls.  Please do scroll down the page to a post called Royalties Structure to find out how they figure the royalty payments.  Nathan J.D.L. Rowark is the Founder and the editors for each anthology is listed with the calls.

Monster Corral - Online Flash Market

I ran across Monster Corral over at ralan.com  This is a flash market looking for stories up to 1000 words in the genres of sci-fi, horror, and crime noir.  Their theme for 2013 submissions is the "extreme antagonist", or simply put, monsters of all types.  Payment is 1cent a word.  You can find all the details here.

UPDATE: November 22, 2013  Ralan.com has declared this a dead market.

Newton's Law by John M. Floyd - A Western Short

John M. Floyd is one of my favorite short story writers.  "Newton's Law" is wonderful example of his work.  On the surface it's a Western but it's also a great crime story.  You'll find it over at The Big Adios.

Dark Continents - Anthology and Novel Open Calls

Dark Continents Publishing has an anthology call for "The Sea" open with a deadline of June 21.  3000 to 9000 word spec-fiction stories that revolve around the sea.  Payment is a flat $20.  Their novel reading period has also opened as of June 1 and will close July 31.  You can find the details for both calls here.

Apex - Open for Submissions

Sci-fi magazine Apex has opened for submissions.  They accept stories up to 5000 words and pay 5cents a word.  You can find all the details here.

Untreed Reads - Anthology Call

This call came through the SMFS today. 

The Killer is back!

We had so much fun with The Killer Wore Cranberry back in 2010, and The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping in 2012, we have to reset the table this year with The Killer Wore Cranberry: Room for Thirds.

As in the previous anthologies, all the stories contained within must be about murder and mayhem happening at Thanksgiving, and must feature a typical Thanksgiving dish as a vital part of the story (i.e.: turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie). Most importantly...it must be funny! This anthology is all about making people laugh while enjoying a great mystery short at the same time. The anthology will be edited by Editor-in-Chief Jay Hartman.

And now, the rules:

1. All stories must be between 1500-5000 words.
2. Deadline for submission for consideration is September 1st, 2013. This is a firm date; no submissions after this date will be considered.
3. All submissions should be sent to Jay Hartman at jhartman@untreedreads with the word THANKSGIVING in the subject line.
4. Submissions must be in DOC, RTF or ODT format.
5. We will not be publishing the stories individually. Only the anthology will be available.
6. Authors will receive royalty, but not upfront payment. Authors will each receive a share of royalties of 50% of net (net = cover price - vendor commission) based on the number of authors in the final anthology.
7. Characters appearing in other Untreed Reads series or other series not published by us are strongly encouraged. If you are published outside of Untreed Reads, please check with your publisher to ensure you have the rights to create a new story for a different publisher with your character(s).
8. Your story MUST have humor in it, feature a Thanksgiving dish and have a great mystery or crime at the heart of the story.
9. Stories not accepted for the anthology may be resubmitted in the future for other submission calls.
10. Previously published works are fine providing that electronic rights have reverted to the author and the story is not currently offered for free anywhere on the Internet or currently published through a self-publishing venue (i.e.: Smashwords, Amazon KDP, etc.).
11. There are no restrictions whatsoever on age, race, sex, sexual orientation, etc in the work.. Just tell us a great story!

Please direct any questions to Jay Hartman at jhartman@untreedreads.com. We recommend looking at the original The Killer Wore Cranberry and its sequel The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping for an idea of the types of stories we're looking for.

All decisions on material will be made by September 15th, 2013. Every attempt will be made to notify all authors of the status of their submission at that time. Please do not inquire about status prior to September 15th, 2013.

This anthology has an expected publication date of October 15th.

This is an open call, and may be reposted anywhere and everywhere.

Best,
Jay Hartman
Editor-In-Chief
Untreed Reads Publishing
http://www.untreedreads.com
http://store.untreedreads.com

Confederates by Charles Dodd White

One of my favorite literary writers is Charles Dodd White.  He's had several short story collections and one novel published but you can still find his work online.  There is a softness in his writing that just draws you in and keeps you reading but behind that softness hides the bitter truth that life is never fair.  This morning I ran across one of his short stories over at Word Riot.  It's called "Confederates" and it's well worth the read.

Inner Sins - No-fee Contest

Online zine Inner Sins is featuring a no-fee contest called "Cross Words".  Basically you have to tell the story in the form of clues for a cross word puzzle, and yes, there are examples on the site.  The prizes will depend on how many people enter the contest.  The deadline is August 1.  Looks like a lot of fun.  Below is the press release I poached from Hell Notes with more information.

From the press release:
Cross Words Horror Stories Writing Contest, $100 in Prizes
Innersins.com is pleased to announce a writing contest for a new kind of horror story. A horror story in the form of clues in a crossword puzzle. You have probably never seen or read anything like it, and most assuredly haven’t written anything like it, but a chance at up to $100 should make it worth the effort.
“Cross Words” first appeared in issue 3 of the webzine Inner Sins as “Crossword Anxiety” by Reed Beebe and has been a steady feature ever since.
“We recognized the creativity of Beebe’s submission right away even though we felt it needed a little work to polish it up,” said Co-founder and Publisher Michael Martin. “We worked with Reed on some details and got a feature we were proud to publish.”
“It didn’t take long to imagine the possibilities,” said Co-founder and Managing Editor, J. Scott Kunkle. “In that same issue we told everyone to stay tuned for a new recurring feature, which turned into our “Cross Words” feature each month.”
The basic structure is rather simple; there are two stanzas or paragraphs, labeled strangely enough, “Across” and “Down.” Each stanza should start with a number, like a crossword puzzle clue, and have at least 10 lines but not more than 15.
“It seems simple enough, but to build it into a coherent story can be quite challenging,” said Beebe. And he should certainly know, having created this format originally.
“This is why we’ve decided to have a contest with a significant cash prize,” said Kunkle. “We want to expose this interesting and challenging new story format to as many readers and writers as we can and what better way to do that than with a contest and cash!”
Go to www.InnerSins.com for info and your chance at pocketing up to $100!

Western Fictioneers - The Peacemaker Award Winners

It was very cool to see that Wayne Dundee's short story "Adeline" published in the ebook anthology Protectors:  Stories to Benefit PROTECT won in the short story category.  You can check out all the winners here.

Congrats to all the winners!!

Shimmer - Call for Submissions

Spec-fiction magazine Shimmer is open for submissions.  They accept stories up to 7500 words and pay 5cents a word.  You can find all the details here.  And issue #16 is now available for purchase.

Nightmare Magazine - New Issue

The June issue of Nightmare Magazine is now available for purchase.  Unless they push the date back again this market will be opening for submissions on June 20, so keep them in mind.  This is a paying market.

Dark House Press - Submission Period Opens Today

Dark House Press opened for submissions today with their submission period ending on June 30.  They're looking for novels, short story collections and there's one anthology call.  The anthology is titled "Exigencies" and they're looking for shorts of 2,000 to 5,000 words about "a situation that demands prompt action or remedy".  Varied genres will be included and payment is a pro rata share.  This call is open until filled.  You will find all the details at their Submittable page.