Needle Magazine - New Issue

The newest issue of Needle magazine has hit the streets.  Check it out here.

2014 Roundup of New Crime Markets

And now for the good news on the crime fiction scene.  All Due Respect magazine became a MWA approved market and have expanded into a press that publishes novellas.  And Pulp Modern has announced that they're now a paying market (token).  And our list of new markets:

New magazine.ezine markets:

Pulp Core - A German market that pays $20 per story.
Betty Fedora - Pays one copy for the print issue.  They'll also be publishing stories online (non-paying).
Dead Gun Press - Publishes anthologies, novellas, and will open submissions for a new print magazine in January.  Mostly a non-paying market.
Dark Corners - This is a non-paying market with their first issue now available.
Jack Hardway's Crime Magazine - This is a non-paying market with the first issue already live and the second ready to go on January 1.
Prose 'n' Cons - This market publishes both fiction and non-fiction.  Pay varies depending on length.
Akashic Books - This market opened to online flash fiction last year and added another category this year.  This is a non-paying market.
Crooked Holster - Just opened for submissions this month so no new issues yet.  This is a non-paying market.
Onyx Neon Shorts - Is looking for shorts of 5000 to 15,000 words for ebook formats and pays a 50% royalty split.
Dark House Books - Various anthology calls in several genres but tends toward crime fiction.

Presses looking for novella length fiction:

280 Press
#13 Press
One Eye Press - While they publish individual novellas they also have several magzines and one anthology call a year.
Brash Books - Okay this is a new ebbok market for novels but hey, they're new this year and worth a try.

And that's our roundup for 2014.  A pretty good year as we've added more paying markets and seem to have more new than we've lost this year.  If I've missed anything please feel free to add them in the comments.

2014 Roundup of Closed Crime Markets

For the past couple of years I've been posting up the annual market openings and closing for those writing in the mystery/crime genres.  These are the straight up crime markets and markets that take crime fiction.  And so here's the list of closed markets for 2014.

The magazines and ezines that have shuttered their doors:

Hardboiled
Thrills, Kills, 'n' Chaos
Misfit Quarterly
Midnight Diner
Plots With Guns
Best Fiction
Beat the Dust
The Fog Horn

Presses that published novellas/novels:

Full Dark City Press
Exhibit A Books
Dutton Guilt Edge

And on our iffy list:

Red Penny Papers - There's been nothing new here since April
Plan B - They've been closed for submissions since April and had an unsuccessful fund drive.
Bourbon Penn - Published only one issue this year
Blank Fiction - While this is still a viable market they now charge a $2.00 reading fee
Shine Your Darkness: A Noir Initiative - This is a new market that published one issue, posted the theme for a second but hasn't published that or posted the promised December 1 theme.
Grift - This was on my iffy list last year also.  This year they called for flash but never published any and in July posted a call for a third print issue that hasn't been published yet.
Pulpwood Fiction - Opened this year but has been pretty hit or miss with their postings.

T. Gene Davis's Speculative Fiction Blog - Call for Submissions

T. Gene Davis's Speculative Fiction Blog is open for submissions.  They're looking for spec-fiction stories of 250 to 6000 words in the genres of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi.  Payment is $75.  You can find the details here.

Breaking Fate Publishing - Anthology Calls

Breaking Fate Publishing has posted four Horror anthology calls and reading periods for 2015.  These pay in copies only.  They're also open for novels and novellas until May 31, 2015.  There's no mention of payment for these so you'll have to query about that if you're interested.  You can find the details here.

Xchyler Publications - Anthology Calls

Xchyler Publications has posted their reading periods and themes for their 2015 anthologies.  Submissions are blind and treated as contests with payment being a royalty share.  You can check out the details here.

Pulp Modern News

Editor Alec Cizak has announced that starting with issue #9 Pulp Modern will be a paying market.  He will now be paying 1/4cent a word for all stories.  And issue #9 is open for submissions until June 1, 2015 with the theme of "Dangerous Women".  You can find the details here.  Scroll down the page for issue #9 details.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!  Hope your holidays are wonderful and full of friends and family.  And for your Christmas reading pleasure here's three Christmas mysteries by Bill Pronzini, Marcia Muller, and Edward D. Hock.

Prose 'n Cons - Call for Submissions

Prose 'n Cons is open for crime/mystery submissions of both non-fiction and fiction.  Non-fiction up to 2000 words pays $40, mini-mysteries up to 100 words pays $10, flash to 1000 words pays $30, and shorts of 2000 to 3000 words pays $50.  This magazine is published in both print and ebook format and the first issue is now available.  Here's a link to what they're looking for and the page contains a link to their pdf submission guidelines.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The December issue of Yellow Mama has hit the virtual streets.  Check it out here.

18th Wall Publishing - Anthology Calls

18th Wall Publishing has posted three anthology calls with deadlines in 2015.  Payment for all is a royalty share.  The titles are "From the Dragon Lord's Library", "Just So Stories", and "Those who Lie Long Forgotten II".  You can check out the guidelines for all of them here.

Shared Storytelling: Advent Ghosts 2014

Today is the day for Loren Eaton's "Shared Storytelling:  Advent Ghosts 2014".  You'll find mine below and links to many more stories here.  Take a few minutes from your hectic Christmas preparations and relax with some great stories.  They're only 100 words long.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY NICK
by Sandra Seamans  

The prosecutor had told the gruesome truth, he should have won the case.  Nick was gleefully guilty, but he'd won the jury over with his best Santa Claus impersonation.  Nick had cultivated his resemblance to that paragon of hope, a gift that had saved his ass on many occasions.

Outside of the courthouse a North Pole chill crawled up Nick's spine when a voice whispered in his ear.

"It's not nice to mess with Santa's image, Nick"

The sound of sleigh bells smothered his screams as a coal truck careened out of control and jumped the curb where Nick stood.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Just a note to let you know that posting will be sparse over the next week.  Yeah, the usual, presents to wrap and cookies to bake among other things.  Plus the markets have been pretty scarce the past few days.  I will be posting my Christmas drabble tomorrow though :)  Enjoy your holidays!

Cutting Block Books - Call for Submissions

Cutting Block Books has posted a call for "Single Slices".  They want supernatural horror short stories of 8000 to 15,000 words to be published as individual ebooks.  The deadline is January 31, 2015 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

The Alcatraz Story Cupboard

If you love to write alternate history stories this Yahoo news story gives you plenty of food for thought.  Scientists have proven that the three men who escaped from Alcatraz in 1962 on a homemade raft could have made it to shore if they left at the right time.  Not only is the escape worth a few paragraphs in the story but what happened to them if they did survive?  Did they go back to a life of crime or did they go straight?  And how could they have changed history?

Drabble Challenge

Loren Eaton over at his blog I Saw Lightening Fall has posted a drabble challenge.  He'd like to see drabbles that center around Christmas but send chills creeping up your back - any genre welcome so long as there's that sense of dread.  For those who don't know drabbles are stories of exactly 100 words.  Stories should be posted on your blog this Friday, December 19.  You can find all the details here.

Pulp Modern - New Issue

Pulp Modern #8 is now available in both print and Kindle editions.  Check it out here.

Tokyo Yakuza - Call for Short Story Submissions

Tokyo Yakuza is a shared world project seeking science fiction stories of 2000 to 3000 words that help continue the world of Tokyo Yakuza.  Since this is an intellectual property owned by the publisher the characters you create will belong to them.  So basically this is a work for hire project.  Payment is 6cents a word plus royalties.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page for the guidelines.

Thanks to Michael Bracken for the link!

Parsec Ink - Anthology Call

Parsec Ink has opened submissions for their annual Triangulation anthology.  This year's theme is "Lost Voices".  They need stories up to 6000 words in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.  All stories must contain some element of speculative fiction.  The deadline is February 28. 2015 and payment is 2cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Sky Warrior Books - Anthology Call

I thought this call might tickle some of your funny bones - Sky Warrior Books has posted an anthology call for "How Beer Saved the World 2".  The deadline is March 1, 2015 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

The Sockdolager - New Market

The Sockdolager is a new online quarterly zine that's looking for adventure stories.  While they prefer sci-fi/fantasy they're open to other genres as well.  Stories should be 1000 to 5000 words.  Payment is 2cents a word and a flat $15 for reprints.  You can check out the guidelines here.

Number 13 Press - Submissions Open for Pulp Crime Novellas

Number 13 Press has opened for submissions of Pulp Crime Novellas.  Stories should be 20,000 to 35,000 words in length.  Payment is is 60% royalties.  You can find the details here.

Crooked Holster - New Crime Market

The lovely Michael Bracken just emailed me a link to a new crime fiction market called "Crooked Holster".  They bill themselves as "an anthology of crime, mystery, and thriller".  They need short stories up to 2500 words, flash up to 500 words, and poetry.  The deadline for the first issue is February 28, 2015.  Payment is one copy.  You can find the details here.

Clockwork Canada - Anthology Call - Canadian Writers Only

Editor Dominik Parisien has posted an anthology call for "Clockwork Canada" which will be published by Exile Editions.  They need steampunk stories of 2000 to 8000 words set in Canada and written by Canadian authors.  The deadline is April 30, 2015 and payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Lady Lit - Anthology Call

I don't publish many erotica markets but Lady Lit has posted a call for "Summer Love:  Lesbian Stories of Holiday Romance" that I thought might be of interest to the romance writers out there.  They are looking for "lesbian love during the summer holiday" romance stories.  The deadline is March 31, 2015 and payment is $45.  You can find the details here.

Sci Phi Journal - Open for Submissions

The Sci Phi Journal is looking for science fiction stories of 100 to 5000 words "that explore a philosophical idea or have a philosophical hook".  Payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to the Literarium blog!

Dead Guns Magazine - New Crime Market

Dead Gun Press has posted a new project called Dead Guns Magazine.  This will be a print magazine for crime fiction.  The reading period will open on February 1, 2015 and run through April 20, 2015.  Payment is one copy.  You can find the details here - just scroll down the page as they have several other submission calls listed.

Not to Worry

If I disappear for the rest of the week.  We've got a big storm coming into our area starting late tonight and probably piling up snow straight through to Thursday - at least that's what the weather man is saying.  With this type of storm we tend to lose our electricity and/or the Internet.  We've stocked up on supplies and the wood bin is full so we'll be comfy. 

For those of you who will also be getting storm battered - keep safe.  See you on the other side of the storm system!

2015 Bouchercon Anthology - Open for Submissions

Submissions have opened for the 2015 Bouchercon Anthology titled "Murder Under the Oaks".  They're looking for crime stories of 3500 to 5500 words with a March 1, 2015 deadline.  Payment is one copy and all proceeds go to charity.  You can find the details here.

Jack Hardway's Crime Magazine - Open for Submissions

Submissions are open for the January/February issue of Jack Hardway's Crime Magazine.  They're looking for short crime stories of 1500 to 5000 words with a deadline of December 21.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here.

The 2015 Nelson Algren Literary Awards - Open for Submissions

The Chicago Tribune has posted the rules for the 2015 Nelson Algren Literary Awards.  The deadline is January 31, 2015 for short stories up to 8000 words.  The grand prize is $3500 with four runners-up receiving $1000 each.  You can find all the details here.  There is no fee to enter.

The Crossover Alliance - Anthology Call

First off, this is a non-paying market as all proceeds of the anthology go to The Crossover Alliance which has posted the call.  The call is for "The Crossover Alliance Anthology Vol. 2".  They are looking for edgy Christian Speculative Fiction stories of 500 to 25,000 words.  The deadline is May 31, 2015.  You can find the details here.

Nightmare Magazine - Open for Submissions

Nightmare magazine is currently open for submissions of horror stories of 1500 to 7500 words.  Payment is 6cents a word, there's no deadline listed.  You can find the details here.

Hey Writers! - Market Source

It's always nice to find a new source for market leads and today I stumbled across Hey Writers! which has all sorts of calls for writers.  Check them out here.

Hydra Publications - Anthology Call

Hydra Publications has an anthology call for an untitled collection of dystopian stories.  Stories should be 1000 to 7500 words and the deadline is January 31, 2015.  Payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

Dark Hollows Press - Call for Romance Novelettes

Dark Hollows Press is looking for novelette length stories with a Valentine's Day theme for their "A Touch of Love" series.  Each story will be published individually.  The deadline is January 17, 2015.  They state that royalties will be paid at a flat rate of $50.  That seems confusing to me so if you submit make sure that your contract states they're paying you a flat rate of $50 and not that you will be paid royalties when they reach $50.  You can find all the details here.

Whortleberry Press - Anthology Call

Whortleberry Press has posted an anthology call for "Strange Mysteries #6".  They're looking for mystery stories that have a bit of the "strange" in them.  Up to 4000 words with a deadline of March 31, 2015.  Payment is $10.  You can find the call here with links in the call to their style guidelines.

Untreed Reads - Deadline Approaching for Crime Anthology

Just a reminder that the deadline for Untreed Reads anthology "Haystacks and Homicide:  Short Tales of Farmland Crime" is fast approaching.  They're looking for crime stories of 1500 to 5000 words set in farming country.  The deadline is December 31 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Pandora Society - Call for Steampunk Submissions

If you're into Steampunk you might be interested in the Pandora Society's call for submissions to their "Steampunk Short Story Sunday" series.  Every Sunday they will be post a short story with the best written story receiving a prize at the end of the year.  If they receive enough stories the best will be collected into an anthology and authors will receive a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Casia Schreyer - Anthology Call

Author Casia Schreyer has posted an anthology call for an Anthology on Race.  She'd like stories of 300 to 10,000 words in any genre that explores the question "What if there was only one race in your country?"  The deadline is February 28, 2015 and payment at this point is either a royalty split or perhaps a charity anthology.  You can find the details here. 

And the first thing I thought about with this call was HG Wells short story "The Country of the Blind", it makes a good jumping off point for ideas.

Inaccurate Realities - YA Anthology Calls

Inaccurate Realities has two anthology calls posted for YA speculative fiction shorts of 2000 to 7000 words.  The theme for #6 is Love with a deadline of January 15, 2015 and the theme for #7 is Hate with a deadline of June 15, 2015.  Payment is $15 to $25.  They're also open to reprints.  You can find the details here.

Great Old Ones Publishing - Anthology Call

Great Old Ones Publishing has post an anthology call for "From the Corner of Your Eye:  A Cryptids Anthology".  Crypitids are creatures such as Big Foot or the Jersey Devil.  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 8000 words featuring one of these monsters and they've provided a link to a list of these creatures.  The anthology will include only one story for each Cryptid.  The deadline is January 31, 2015 and payment is $25.  You can find all the details here.

Dream Fusion Press - Anthology Calls

Dream Fusion Press is a non-paying market and seems to be new to the world of publishing.  They have eleven anthology calls posted for a variety of genres including mystery/thriller, which is the only reason I'm posting this.  If you're interested you can check them out here.

Terraform - Call for Submissions

Terraform has posted a call for science fiction/speculative fiction stories up to 2000 words in length.  They are posting one story a week.  There are stories posted on the site so you can get a feel for what they're looking for.  Payment is 20cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to Paperback Writer!

Darkhouse Books - Anthology Call

Darkhouse Books has posted an anthology call for "The World of Tomorrow".  They're looking for science fiction stories that "take place in the future envisioned by the 1939 World's Fair, also known as 'The World of Tomorrow'".  Stories should be 2500 to 7500 words with a February 14, 2015 deadline.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

WolfSinger Publications - Anthology Call

WolfSinger Publications has posted an anthology call for a Weird Western anthology.  They're looking for stories of 500 to 10,000 words.  The deadline is December 31 and payment is a $5 advance plus royalties.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Also while I was off-line Angie posted her anthology calls list for November.  Thanks, Angie!

Grey Matter Pess - Anthology Call

Sorry for the long absence, but I've been working through some personal issues which have kept me away from the computer (still working through the email backlog).  Hopefully they're resolved and I'll be back at the keyboard and keeping you posted on marketing news.

And first up is an anthology call from Grey Matter Press titled "Monsters".  They're looking for horror stories of 3000 to 7000 words with the theme of "men as monsters" (and I'm sure they won't mind a few women monsters :) ).  The deadline for this one is January 30, 2015 and payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

On Writing - "Can You Do It Wrong?" by Cat Rambo

It's Monday morning, your fingers are frozen on the keyboard, and your eyes are darting from that blank screen to a bunch of scribbled notes that look like gibberish to your brain.  Take a break and go read this essay by Cat Rambo.  It'll help.

The First Line - Open for Submissions

There haven't been many interesting markets to post the last few days but I did find that The First Line has posted all their first lines for 2015.  First up for the Spring issue is "Fairy tales hardly ever come true for quiet girls.".  You have 300 to 5000 words in any genre.  The deadline is February 1, 2015 and payment is $25 to $50 depending on length.  You can find the details here.  They're also looking for serial stories that use all the first lines which could be an interesting challenge.

Unsung Stories - Call for Submissions

UK publisher Unsung Stories is opening submissions for short stories up to 3000 words in the genres of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and those weird in between stories.  They will send the stories out in their newsletter along with posting them online.  They have an online submission form.  Payment is 25pounds.  You can find the details here.

Shock Totem - Reading Period Winding Down

Just a reminder that Shock Totem's reading period ends on November 30.  This is a paying market for dark fiction.  They're looking for micro-flash, flash, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction.  Payment is 5cents a word for original work and 2cents a word for reprints with a cap of $250 for both.  Submissions are through Submittable.  Guidelines are here.

Lamplight - Open for Submissions

Lamplight magazine is open for submissions.  They're looking for dark literary fiction in the genres of horror, noir, and dark fantasy.  They need flash to 1000 words and shorts of 2000 to 7000 words.  They publish in both print and ebook formats.  Payment is $50 for flash and $150 for shorts.  Submissions are through Submittable but their guidelines are here.

The Cleveland Scene - Call for Submissions

The Cleveland Scene newspaper has posted a call for submissions to their "Second Annual Cleveland Science Fiction Issue".  They're looking for sci-fi stories up to 3500 words with a December 15 deadline.  They will give preference to writers from Cleveland but everyone is welcome to submit.  Payment will be discussed if your story is selected.  You can find the call here.

Charon Coin Press - Anthology Call

If you're into romance you might find this anthology call from Charon Coin Press interesting.  For "Carpe Noctem - Truly, Madly, Deeply" they're looking for stories of romance between a human and a supernatural creature, basically a mix of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.  Stories should be 4000 to 10,000 words.  The deadline is February 1 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

I've Made a Small Change to the Blog

Most of you know that for the most part I'm computer illiterate.  I'm always afraid to touch anything for fear of losing what I have on the site, but yesterday I added two new "gadgets" to the blog.  Down at the bottom of the page I've added "feeds" for the blog so you can sign up to receive posts in your email or via other sources.  Hope this helps those who follow the blog.

The Big Click - New Issue

The November/December issue of The Big Click has hit the streets.  You can purchase it for your Kindle or read it piecemeal online.

FictionVale - Open for Submissions

FictionVale has opened submissions for their seventh issue.  The theme this time is open genre.  They're looking for short stories up to 5000 words, flash to 1000, and micro-flash to 100 words.  The deadline for this issue is December 1.  Payment is 2cents a word.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You can find all the details here.

Since their guidelines page is rather confusing, here's the call for submissions for issue #7 which they refer to as episodes.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The newest issue of Yellow Mama has gone live for your reading pleasure.

ThugLit - New Issue

Issue #14 of ThugLit is now available for your Kindles.

Shroud - Open for Submissions

Shroud Magazine has opened for submission of dark fiction in all the genres.  Flash of 500 to 1000 words pays $25, shorts of 2000 to 5000 pays $50, 5000 and up receives $65, and $10 for poetry and reprints.  Submissions are through Submittable - there are some paying categories but you can submit for free.  You can find the details here.

Third Flatiron Press - Anthology Call

Third Flatiron Press opens submissions for their Spring 2015 anthology tomorrow November 1.  The reading period will run to December 31.  The theme for this one is "The Time It Happened...".  They're looking for stories of 1500 to 3000 words about "world altering events".  One or two time travel stories would be acceptable under this theme.  Payment has changed to 3cents a word with only the lead story receiving 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Jack Hardway's Crime Magazine - New Issue

The first issue of Jack Hardway's Crime Magazine has hit the virtual streets.

For Your Halloween Reading

Over at "The Dark" I found an excellent story by Stephen Graham Jones called "When Swords had Names".  It is both fantasy and horror and very chilling.  You can read it here.

Just for Fun

I love looking at photographs on the Internet because I never know what I'll find,  Today I found the photographs of Christine McConnell who mixes horror themes with the feminine beauty ideals of the 1950's.  She's done some pretty interesting things.  Check it out here.

SpeckLit - Call for Drabbles

For those of you who love the drabble form of flash fiction SpeckLit is open for submissions for their January/March issue.  They want exactly 100 words of speculative fiction by November 30.  Payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Washington City Paper - Call for Fiction Submissions

Washington City Paper has posted a call for short fiction for their third annual special fiction issue to be published in January of 2015.  They're seeking stories up to 2000 words that are related and relevant to the Washington DC area.  The deadline is December 1 and they will be paying (not much) for the stories they publish.  You can find all the details here.

Wicwas Press - Beekeeping Anthology Contest

Wicwas Press has posted a call for submissions to their anthology contest.  They're looking to collect true stories, fiction, and poetry for an anthology about beekeeping.  There's no fee to enter and the deadline is March 1, 2015.  Prizes are $500, $300, and $200 for the top three selections.  You can find the details here.

Blight Digest - New Issue

The first issue of Blight Digest has landed and is available for your Kindles, with print copies coming soon.  You can check out the details here.  And yes, I'm please to say that I have a story in this issue.

Otto Penzler - An Interview

Ran across an interview with Otto Penzler over at the Biographile site that I thought might interest many of you, especially the mystery fans out there.

Make that two interviews - Here's one at the Los Angeles Review of Books with short story writer Art Taylor asking the questions.

Diabolical Plots - New Market

The website Diabolical Plots will be publishing short fiction beginning in 2015.  They are looking for speculative fiction stories up to 2000 words in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.  The reading period begins on December 1 and closes on December 31.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.  Please note that you'll have to check back in December to find out where to send your submission, so mark your calendars.

Zero One Publishing - Anthology Call

Zero One Publishing has posted an anthology call for "Whispers From the Abyss Vol. II".  They're looking for stories of 2500 to 4500 words that are HP Lovecraft inspired.  They have a list of what they want and don't want to see for this theme.  They're also open to flash fiction submissions.  The deadline is May 30, 2015 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find all the details here.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

Crime Factory - New Issue

Issue #16 of Crime Factory has gone live.  Check it out here.

It's Really 10 Months - Non-fiction Anthology Call

This anthology call is looking for non-fiction stories of 1000 to 2000 about your pregnancy, labor, and delivery.  It doesn't specify female only, so maybe you fellows out there can slip something in.  The deadline is January 15, 2015 and payment is $100.  You can find the details here.

Germinid Press - Anthology Calls

Geminid Press, LLC has three anthology calls posted on their site.  All three need stories of 1000 to 7500 words with a deadline of August 31, 2015.  Payment is 5cents a word.  The themes are "Conspiracy Hour", "Space Opera", and "Take Me to Your Leader".  Here's a link to their Submittable page.  And a link to their site where you can find more about the calls.

18 Free Short Stories for Halloween

If you're looking to get your spooky ghoul on for Halloween check out these 18 short stories selected by Blastr and free to read online.

Darkhouse Books - Anthology Call

This call came through the SMFS this morning.

Call for Submissions for an anthology of historical crime and mystery fiction

Darkhouse Books seeks stories for an anthology of historical crime and mystery fiction. For the purpose of this anthology we are defining historical fiction as, those works set more than a few decades prior to the present and written by someone without direct experience in the setting and events of the story. But should a truly superb story happen to stray from the above strictures and cross our threshold, we would happily consider it.

The submission period is now open and will remain open through 11:59pm (PST), December 31st, 2014.

We are seeking stories in the 2500 to 7500 word range, though if it's knockout material, we'll consider any length.

The anthology will contain between twelve and twenty stories, depending on the overall length. Authors will share equally fifty percent of royalties received.

We accept MS Word .doc and .docx files. Submissions must be in standard manuscript format. Links to formatting guides are available here.

Previously published work will be considered, provided the author has the power to grant us the right to publish in ebook, audio, and print versions, and that it has not been available elsewhere more recently than January 1st, 2014.

Submissions may be sent to submissions@darkhousebooks.com.
Please leave "Submission-" in the subject line and add the name of your story.

Andrew MacRae
Darkhouse Books

Paperback Writer - Anthology Calls

The Paperback Writer blog has a new post with ten open submission calls.  You can check it out here.  Thanks Paperback Writer!!

Another Dimension - New Market

From the folks behind the Wily Writers Fiction Podcast we have a new quarterly zine called Another Dimension.  they're looking for stories of 1000 to 3000 words in classic style horror or dark fantasy.  Think Night Gallery and the Twilight Zone.  The deadline for the first issue is December 31 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted her October list of anthology calls. Thanks, Angie!!

Writer's Block

Found one of the best thoughts about writer's block written by Octavia E. Butler in an essay titled "Breaking Through Writer's Block".

"If you know your craft, you may even be able to write well in spite of writer's block.  What's missing is not your ability to write, but your ability to feel any joy, any passion, any satisfaction in your writing"

I know that feeling well.  The words are there, but they all feel and sound like crap to me.  Some people tell you to write the crap but for me it just feels wrong and makes me feel sad instead of happy that I've managed to put words down on paper.
                                                                                                                

Raven Internation Publishing - Anthology Call

Raven International Publishing has posted an anthology call for "A Bleak New World".  They're looking for stories of 1500 to 4500 words about a dystopian future.  The deadline is October 31 and payment is $55.  You can find the details here.  They also have a second anthology call for "Super Heroic Stories: but there's no mention of payment for that one.

Permuted Press - A Caution

The latest small press to find itself the center of controversy is Permuted Press.  You can read about the details here and here. 

Garden Gnome Publicatons - Open for Themed Novella Submissions

Garden Gnome Publications is looking for novella length stories for their Mythicals series.  Stories should be 20,000 to 40,000 words that "cast old myths into new lenses or that create new myths out of thin air."  Any genre is welcome and payment is 50% of net royalties.  You can find the details here.  Their drop-down submissions menu also has other openings listed., some paying some non-paying.

writingcareer.com - Market Listings

The Writing Career site has added quite a few open paying markets to their site.  Rather than repeat what they've already posted I'll post this link for you to check them out.  It's a great site with plenty of paying markets posted almost daily.

Gemini Magazine is Now a Paying Market

I've been a fan of Gemini Magazine for quite a while and I'm pleased to announce that they're now a paying market.  They're paying $10 per story.  You can check out their guidelines here.

The News Story Cupboard

News stories are some of the best sources for short story ideas.  Take this story about an old woman who was swindled out of her home and money yet the very same people took her along when they left.  Of course, they eventually abandoned her, but the seeds of a great story are there.

What if the neighbor who reported her missing was a Miss Marple type?  What if the kidnapped woman was sharp enough to realize what was going on?  And the people who took her were twins with their godson along?  Now there's some intriguing possibilities if you wanted to add a little paranormal to your story.

Yep, there are ideas everywhere, you just have to open your imagination.

Jack Hardway's Crime Magazine - New Market

SMFS member Dan Persinger has announced that he's created a new crime zine called Jack Hardway's Crime Magazine.  He's looking for short crime stories of 1500 to 5000 words (no flash fiction) for his first issue which will premiere on October 31 providing he gets enough good stories.  The deadline for the first issue is October 27.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here.

Pulp Modern - Open for Submissions

Editor Alec Cizak has announced the theme for Pulp Modern #7 is Dangerous Women.  He's looking for stories in any of the pulp genres and he'd also like to see more women contributors.  The deadline is June 1, 2015.  You can find the submission details here.  This is a non-paying market.

Burnt Bridge - Open for Novel Submissions

Burnt Bridge has opened for novel submissions in the pulp genres of Westerns (with a bit of weird) and Noir.  They publish in both ebook and print.  Submissions are through Submittable, guidelines here.

Anthology Call - Dreams From the Witch House - Female Writers Only

Editor Lynne Jamnek has posted a call for an anthology titled "Dreams From the Witch House" to be published by Dark Regions Press.  She is seeking Lovecraftian type fiction from female writers only.  Stories should be 2000 to 10,000 words in length.  The deadline is January 31, 2015.  Payment is 5cents a word for the first 5000 words and 3cents a word after that.  You can find the details here.

Short Story Sunday - Call for Submissions

A new UK based short story zine called Short Story Sunday is looking to launch in November.  They're looking for flash stories of 500 to 1000 words and shorts up to 3500 words.  They're open to all genres but they don't want erotica or extreme violence in the stories.  They're currently looking for holiday stories with a December 1 deadline for those.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here.

Kegedonce Press - Anthology Call

Canadian publisher Kegedonce Press is seeking horror stories for an anthology titled "Indigenous Anthology of Horror Stories".  The deadline is November 21 for stories up to 5000 words.  Payment is $250.  The call is posted on their home page.

Midnight Echo - Open for Submissions

Midnight Echo, the official magazine of the Australian Horror Writers Association, is open for submissions.  The theme this time is "Sinister".  They need stories up to 5000 words and the deadline is October 31.  Payment is 3cents a word with a maximum payment of $150.  You can find the details here.

Dark Recesses Press - Anthology Call

Dark Recesses Press is putting together an anthology titled "A Collection of Untimely Hours".  They're looking for novella length dark fiction of 15,000 to 25,000 words using the theme of time.  The deadline is December 31 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Fireside Magazine - Open for Submissions

Fireside Magazine has opened submissions for their next issue also.  They're looking for flash stories up to 1000 words and shorts of 1500 to 4000 words in any genre.  They're mostly looking for flash fiction as there are only a few openings for short stories, so if you're looking to crack this market flash may be the best way to go.  The deadline is October 31 and payment is 12.5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Nightmare - Open for Submissions

Nightmare Magazine has opened submissions for their next issue.  They're looking for Horror stories of 1500 to 7500 words.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

All Due Respect - Open for Submissions

All Due Respect magazine has opened submissions for their next issue.  They're looking for crime stories of 2000 to 8000 words.  The deadline is November 15 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Kraken Press - Open for Submissions

Kraken Press has opened submissions for novels, novellas, and short story collections up to 120,000 words.  You can find the details on their Submittable page

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Awards - Open for Submissions

The 2015 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Awards has opened for submissions.  They're looking for short stories up to 8000 words that show the near future of manned space exploration.  The deadline is February 15, 2015.  There's no fee to enter.  You can find the details here.

Plots With Guns - New Issue

The final (?) issue of Plots With Guns has just hit the virtual streets.  Sixteen stories and what a great lineup of authors!  Check it out here.

Don't Write This: Fiction in Danger Zones by John Wiswell

I just came across this essay by John Wiswell about writing fiction in the danger zones.  He looks at writing about topics that offend most people and how to get it right.  Interesting stuff.

Darkmarkets.com - Market Listings

I haven't been finding very many new markets and those I have are either charging fees or aren't worth the bother.  That said, darkmarkets.com does have a couple of new markets that might interest you.

The Western Online Press - New Western Market

Matthew Pizzolato the editor of the online Western ezine "The Western Online", has opened up The Western Online Press to publish Western ebooks of 20,000 words up to novel length.  There's no mention of the payment involved but since he pays $5 for short stories to the ezine I expect there will be some kind of royalty split on the ebooks.  He has a link on the site for you to query about the contract.  You can check out the press here. 

Saddlebag Dispatches - New Western Market

This market came through SMFS today via Kevin Tipple.  Saddlebag Dispatches is a new quarterly ezine looking for short stories, poetry, and non-fiction in the Western genre.  The first issue is up so you can get an idea of what they're looking for.  There's no mention of pay, so assume this is a non-paying market unless they tell you otherwise (hopefully).  You can find the details here.

UPDATE:  September 30, 2014 - I received an email from the head honcho over at Saddlebag Dispatches.  While they don't pay cash, they do provide advertising space for your work.  Here's what he has to say:

 Sandra  Saddlebag Dispatches  has a nice program in our quarterly

magazine for folks writing western short stories, serialized novellas and

articles we publish. We offer them a full page ad for their book when it

comes out or  in the issue their story comes out which is their option

Getting your book to the western reader is hard. We wanted this to be the

the magazine that western readers go for to read free and see your ads

We are getting lots of friendly well wishes--we appreciate anyone telling

their fans about it. we also have a reasonable advertising rates for authors

We're here for the long run  Dusty Richards

The Underground Story Cupboard

I ran across a contest today that was looking for stories about the Underworld.  Nope, not hell, well you could if you wanted too, but their underworld consisted of sewers, bomb shelters, basements, anything underground.  I remember in the "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy that the father found an old bomb shelter where they hid for a night.  I often wondered why they didn't stay there because there was plenty of food and a comfortable place to sleep, but I suppose it's pretty hard to run from danger when you're underground.

Anyhoo, having your story take place in an underground cave of some type could give you a whole new way to look at your story and give your characters a whole 'nother set of problems to deal with.  Think about it, you're dealing with the dark, perhaps a claustrophobic place, and what dangers could be hidden in the cracks and crevices?  Your setting becomes an integral part of your story.

Oh, yes, here's the link to the contest if you're interested.  You have to download a app in order to enter, but there's no fee.

The Big Adios - New Issue

The first of issue of The Big Adios Western Digest from One Eye Press is now available for your Kindle.  Check it out here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

I'm a bit late with this one, but Angie has posted up her September anthology list.  Thanks, Angie!!

Onyx Neon Shorts - New Market

Onyx Neon Shorts is an epublisher looking for short stories of 5000 to 15000 words in any genre.  Payment is a 50% royalty split.  One thing that bothered me is they mention they can't pay for cover art (If you're submitting your own) so make sure that any art they provide for your book isn't copyrighted somewhere else.  And yes, there was a press that did that.  You can check them out here.  I didn't see an editor's name, but I could have missed it somewhere.

Bikes in Space #3 - Anthology Call

Elly Blue Publishing is seeking submissions for their third "Bikes in Space" anthology.  The theme for this one is Zombies.  Stories should be around 1200 words and be from a feminist perspective.  The deadline is December 1 and payment will be based on their Kickstarter funding.  You can find the details here.

Sirens Call - Open for Submissions

Sirens Call ezine is looking for Halloween stories for Issue #17.  They need poetry, drabbles, flash of 300 to 500 words, and short stories of 1000 to 2500 words.  The deadline is October 3.  This is a non-paying market.  Reprints are welcome.  You can find the details here.

One Story - Open for Submissions

One Story magazine has opened their annual submission period for literary stories of 3000 to 8000 words.  the deadline is May 31 and payment is $500.  They only publish twelve stories a year so competition is fierce.  You can find the details here.

Ragnarok Publications - Anthology Call

Editor J.M. Martin has posted an open submission call for his Kickstarter funded anthology "Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues".  There will only be two slots open as there are already authors lined up for this anthology.  If you're game to try they need stories of 3000 to 6000 words in the genres of Grimdark, sword and sorcery, and alternate history.  The deadline is October 11 and payment is 7 to 9cents a word.  You can find the details here.  Ragnarok Publications is the press attached to this project.

All Due Respect - New Issue

Issue #4 of All Due Respect has hit the Kindle Bookstores.  Check out the contents here, then click the link to purchase your copy.

Less Than Three Press - Anthology Call

Less Than Three Press has posted another anthology call, this one is titled "Silver and Gold".  They're looking for stories of gay May/December romance within any of the sub-genres such as sci-fi, mystery, contemporary, steampunk, etc.  No vampires though.  Stories should 10,000 to 20,000 words in length.  The deadline is February 28, 2015 and payment is $200.  You can find all the details here, just scroll down the page.

The Future Fire - Anthology Call

Online site The Future Fire is seeking submissions for their third anthology called "Accessing the Future".  They're looking for speculative fiction stories that "explore the future potentials of technology to augment and challenge the physical environment and the human form".  Stories should be 2500 to 7500 words with the sweet spot being 4000 to 6000 words.  The deadline is November 30, and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find all the details here.

Maxim Jakubowski - Mammoth Books Anthology Calls

Editor Maxim Jakubowski has posted two anthology calls on his site for the Mammoth book anthology series.  The first is The Mammoth Book of Professor Moriarty Adventures and the second is The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Tales.  Both need stories of 4000 to 7500 words and payment is 130pounds which equals $215 American.  The deadline for the first is February 15, 2015 and for the second April 1, 2015.  He's looking for crime/mystery and horror for both anthologies.  You can find all the details here.

One Eye Press - Open for Submissions

One Eye Press has opened submissions for the second issue of "Blight", their horror magazine.  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 5000 words.  The deadline is December 16 and payment is 1cent a word with a $25 cap.  You can find the details and submission form here.  Their first issue will be available in October.

They're also open for "Singles", their line of novellas.  You can find the details here.

Lovecraft eZine - Anthology Call

The Lovecraft eZine has posted a call for an anthology titled "Autumn Cthulhu".  They're looking for short stories of 3000 to 6000 words of quiet horror with an Autumn setting.  They've posted a list of stories of the type they are looking for.  The deadline is October 31 and payment is $150.  You can find all the details here.

#13 Press - Open for Pulp Crime Novellas

Number 13 Press has opened for pulp crime novellas.  This is an ebook publisher in need of novellas of 20,000 to 35,000 words in length.  You can find the details here.

Leap Books - YA Anthology Call

Leap Books has posted a YA anthology call for "Beware the Little White Rabbit".  They're looking for stories of 4000 to 6000 words with a protagonist named Alice and a stuffed white rabbit that signals the start of an adventure.  All YA genres are eligible.  The deadline is November 15 and payment is $50.  You can find the details here.

Pulp Literature - Open for Submissions

Pulp Literature opens for submissions today.  They're looking for submissions in any of the pulp genres.  The deadline is November 1.  Payment is 7cents a word up to 7000 words, 5cents for 7000 to 10,000 words and 31/2cents for over 10,000 words.  You can find all the submission details here.

Bundoran Press - Anthology Call

Canadian publisher Bundoran Press has opened submissions today for their "Second Contacts" anthology.  They're looking for short stories set fifty years after first contact with aliens.  The deadline is January 15, 2015 and payment is 2cents a word with a cap of $130 (Canadian).  The preferred word length is 3500 to 6500 but they will accept up 10,000 words (don't forget the $130 cap).  You can find the details here.

East of the Web - Call for Submissions

East of the Web has opened up submissions for short stories in the genres of Mystery, Romance, Horror, Science Fiction, and Children's stories.  I checked out the Mystery call and they need stories of 7000 words and up.  Payment is 5cents a word or an advance plus royalties.  There is a query form to fill out first.  I'm linking to their submission page where you'll find links on the left to each genre's guidelines.

The Last Line - New Market

Blue Cubical Press, the folks who bring you "The First Line" magazine, are trying something new.  "The Last Line Journal".  Yep, they're giving you a last line to end your story.  You can start wherever you choose but you have to end with this sentence - "Brian pocketed the note and realized it had all been worth it.".  The deadline is October 1 for stories of 300 to 5000 words.  Payment is $25 to $50 depending on length.  You can find the details here.

Uncanny - New Market

Uncanny Magazine is a new bi-monthly e-book market.  They're seeking short stories of 750 to 7500 words in the genres of sci-fi and fantasy.  Payment is 8cents a word for original stories and 1cent a word for reprints.  For non-fiction essays they're paying $50 and $30 for poetry.  They had a very successful KickStarter.  They open for submissions today, you can find the details here.

How Much?

I always find it interesting that some new markets hate to include their payment rates with the guidelines.  This one comes from a new market for women called "Flawless".

 

"Pay: Absolutely. If your article is accepted and published, you’ll be paid. Please include a projected word count in your pitch and we’ll let you know the rate. Business Professionals who are focused on brand building and audience expansion can opt to receive other benefits, such as a listing on our Expert Contributor Page with bio and links, as well as deeply discounted advertising."

 

 Of course, if you don't like the pay, you can always refuse the job, but the time spent putting together a pitch is lost.  Certainly not a "flawless" way to work.

Lamplight - Open for Submissions

While Lamplight is open for subs year round the deadline for their next issue (Winter) is October 15.  They're looking for literary dark fiction (think Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Noir).  They want flash fiction up to 1000 words and shorts of 2000 to 7000 words.  Payment is $50 for flash and $150 for shorts.  Their first issue is available for free online so you can see exactly the type of work they're looking for.  Lamplight is published in both print and ebook form.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Wicked Words Quarterly - New Market

Wicked Words Quarterly is a new Kindle magazine looking for stories in the genres of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy stories with a twist.  They accept flash to 750 words and shorts of 1000 to 7500 words.  Payment is 1cent a word with a max of $150.  If the magazine makes a profit you'll also receive royalties.  Their first issue is already published so you can get an idea of what they're looking for.  You can find the details here.

Betty Fedora - Open for Submissions

Kristen Valentine @valentinewriter  ·  Aug 21

Loving all the stories of kickass women in crime fiction submitted to @BettyFedora so far. But where are the kickass women writers??

Yep, that's Betty Fedora's editor looking for a few good women writers to fill the pages of the first issue.

This is both a print and online market for crime fiction.  Check out the submission details here. 

Pulp Modern - Open for Submissions

The deadline for Pulp Modern #8 is October 1.  The theme for this one is drugs and editor Alec Cizak says he's still short some Western stories.  Check it out here.  This is a non-paying print crime market.

Crossed Genres Magazine - Open for Submissions

Crossed Genres Magazine's theme for their September reading period is "Indoctrinate".  They need stories of 1000 to 6000 words and payment is 6cents a word.  The deadline is September 30.  You can find the details here.

Unlikely Story - Submission Call

The Unlikely Story site has posted up the guidelines for its mini issue #11.5 which looks delicious.  It's called "The Journal of Unlikely Coulrophobia" and they're looking for flash fiction clown stories.  They want "horror, humor, existential angst, and tears" in any variety of genres.  You have up to 1038 words and payment is 6cents a word.  The reading period opens on October 1 and runs to November 1 and the issue will be published on April Fool's day.  You can find all the details here, just scroll down the page.

A Question

Why is Literary fiction referred to both as a genre and a style?  I've seen this mentioned in many literary magazine guidelines where they state that they're "open to all styles, including literary".  And genre magazines say that they're "open to all genres, including literary".  I'm confused.

Bete Noir - Open for Submissions

Print magazine Bete Noir is open for submissions.  They're looking for dark fiction of 50 to 4,000 words in a variety of genres including crime fiction.  The deadline is September 30 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Apex Magazine - No Fee Micro Fiction Contest

This year Apex is looking for Horror stories for Halloween and they have a list of acceptable monsters - five categories, in fact.  You can enter one story in each category if you wish.  You have up to 250 words to tell your story and the deadline is October 15.  Each person who enters receives a free issue of the magazine.  The winners will be published in Apex and be paid 6cents a word, plus a free twelve month subscription, plus a free critique of a short story up to 5000 words.  You can find all the details here.

Shine Your Darkness - Call for Submissions

Shine Your Darkness: A Noir Initiative has posted the theme for their second call.  This time around they're looking for Sci-Fi Noir stories up to 3000 words.  The deadline is December 15.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the call here.

Dutton Guilt Edged Mysteries - Closed?

Dutton Guilt Edged Mysteries seems to have shut down submissions.  I stopped by there yesterday and the guidelines were gone and their Facebook page hasn't been updated since July of 2013.  Anyone know if they've shut down for good?  They seemed like an excellent market for mystery novellas.

Noir Nation - New Issue

I somehow missed this one, but the fourth issue of print magazine Noir Nation is now available.  Check out the details here.

Hat tip to In Reference to Murder!

Edge Publishing - Anthology Call - Canadian Authors Only

Edge Publishing has announced the theme and submission period for their Tesseracts anthology series.  Titled "Tesseracts 19: Superhero Universe" they are looking for stories set in a superhero world.  Stories should be 500 to 6000 words in length.  The submission period begins October 30 and runs to February 2, 2015.  Submissions are through Submittable.  Payment is $50 to $160 depending on length.  You can find the details here.  This call is for Canadian writers only.

The Big Click - New Issue

The Big Click has hit the virtual streets with its September/October issue.  Check it out here or follow the online link to purchase your copy.

KillerReads - Open Call for Crime Novels

Harper Collins Publishing has opened their new digital crime imprint KillerReads for novel submissions.  The deadline is September 14.  There are no advances only royalties.  Be sure to read the FAQ page for more information.  You can find the submission details here.

Just to Clarify

I found myself in the difficult position of having to return a submission to a reader of my blog today.  I'm not sure where the confusion came from but all I do here at the blog is post possible markets for other writers.  There is always a link to the market so each of you can check them out, read their guidelines, and decide if they're a market you're interested in.  I'm not an editor or publisher (Thank, God!).  I hope this clears up any misunderstanding of what I'm doing here.

ThugLit - New Issue

Issue #13 of Thuglit has hit the Amazon Kindle boards.  For those who don't Kindle Thuglit is also available in print.

The Story Cupboard

I always find story ideas in the strangest places.  This morning I was watching a commercial where they kept showing feet and suddenly this phrase popped into my head  - The land of no feet.  Yes, I have a very weird mind.

But think about it.  There's no dancing, or walking, or running.  Do the people have wheels for feet?  Do they all just sit around in chairs waiting for someone to return their feet?  If there never were never any feet in this land what would happen if a stranger with feet passed through?  No toe tapping just finger drumming.  Do they all walk on their hands?  Perhaps they have flippers instead of feet.  Do they dance in the water?  Is their world made of water - a series of canals that they travel through?

One idea - A thousand questions - And finally a story.  I wonder would anyone read an anthology about a land of no feet.

Ideas are everywhere, add questions, stretch your imagination, then write.

Shock Totem - Opens for Submissions Tomorrow

Unless they push back the date again print magazine Shock Totem will be opening for submissions tomorrow.  They accept flash to 1000 words, micro flash of 200 words, and shorts stories up to 12,000 words.  While they're basically a horror market they accept stories in a variety of genres including crime fiction.  Payment is 5cents a word and 2cents for reprints.  The deadline for this reading period is November 30.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You can check out the details here.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The August issue of Yellow Mama has gone live.

Cohesion Press - Anthology Calls

Australian publisher Cohesion Press has added two more anthology calls to their submission guidelines page.

The first is Snafu II where they're looking for survival horror with soldiers.  The reading period is October 1 to December 31 for up to 10,000 words.  Payment is AUD 4cents a word.

The second is Snafu: Wolves at the Door where they're looking for military combat stories with wolves, and the wolves can be on either side.  Stories should be 2000 to 6000 words.  The reading period is September 1 to September 30.  Payment for this one is AUD 2cent a word.

I'm linking to the submission page where you'll find links to each anthology.

Shades of Terror - New Market

There's a new quarterly Horror market setting up shop called Shades of Terror.  They're looking for stories that cross genres in the mode of The Twilight Zone so crime stories could work well here.  They need stories of 1500 to 7500 words and payment is 5cents a word.  If they podcast your story payment is 1cent a word.  I'm not sure if this in addition to print or instead of.  They're also accepting book reviews and paying a small payment plus the cost of the book as they aren't supplying copies.  You can check out the details here.

They don't have a submission address for shorts and book reviews up, only for the art submissions.  I've contacted them and asked if it's the same addy for everything and will let you know.  The address goes to a John May so I'm assuming he's the editor as there is no about page with an editor's name attached.

Just a quick update.  I haven't heard from the editor but he's changed the guidelines to include the email address for each type of submission.

PMMP - Call for Flash Stories

Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing has posted a submission call for flash fiction.  They need dark fiction stories up to 1000 words in the genres of horror, sci-fi, crime, and noir.  Stories will be published in their newsletter and payment is $20.  Submissions through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

And thanks to the person who emailed me the tip!!

Flash Master 3 Contest - Open for Submissions

Grey Matter Press has gone live with their monthly Flash Master contest.  You've got until Friday, August 29 to get your story up.  Two hundred words maximum but you have to use these five words in the story - death, pearl, stairs, hate, and organ.  Prizes are books.  You can find the details here.

The Forensic Teacher Magazine

The Forensic Teacher Magazine looks like a pretty informative site for mystery/crime writers.  You can subscribe free, read online articles, or purchase copies.  They are also looking for teachers or writers to share their forensic experiences and lesson plans.  They have a list of topics for articles and the pay is 2cents a word.  Just click on the guidelines link at the top of the page.  There was a mini-mystery on the site but I didn't see any guidelines for submitting one of those.

Hat tip to writingcareer.com

Hardboiled

Over at Wayne Dundee's blog he bids a fond farewell to the crime magazine "Hardboiled" which just published its last issue.

Fiction on the Web - Open for Submissions

There hasn't been much in the way of paying markets the past few days but I did run across a non-paying market that publishes crime fiction.  It's called Fiction on the Web and they publish three times a week.  They accept stories up to novella length but since it's a non-paying market flash or shorts might be your better bet.  You can check them out here.

Non-editing Presses

Today I ran across a new press (Blue Table Press) that was running a no fee short story contest.  As I was reading their guidelines and FAQ I decided not to link.  This is the third or fourth new ebook press that I've run across this year that expects the writer to hire an editor before submitting their work.  Yep, they don't want to edit your work beyond catching an occasional misspelled word and for that they want half the profits.  If the writer has to hire an editor they might as well go ahead and self-publish the book themselves.  Just my opinion, of course.  Take care, my friends.

All Due Respect - Big News

Just had word from Chris Rhatigan, editor of All Due Respect, that they're branching out.  They will be looking for novels, novellas, novelettes, and short story collections in the future.  At the moment they are launching with a pair of novellas and have a stellar lineup in the wings.  To celebrate the launch of All Due Respect Books they will be offering issues 2 &3 of their crime magazine All Due Respect for free starting tomorrow (Sunday - August 24)  You can read all about this new project here.

A Writer's Place

The other day on the Do Some Damage blog Steve Weddle posted about Virginia Woolf's quote about a woman having money and a  room of her own in order to write fiction.  He spoke about not having a room and how he created a room in his head in order to write.  Of course I wanted to tell him how stupid he was, that men can write anywhere without interruption by family members who are in constant need of something.  But I stopped myself because in my heart I knew it wasn't true.

It is my truth, but many other writers, both men and women, have the same problem, spouses or partners who can't stand to see them writing.  You see when a writer gets lost in their story they tend to wrap themselves into a whole new world and many people just can’t stand the idea of being ignored while the writer slips away into that world.

I believe for most men they’re given the space they need to write, whereas a woman is expected to put other people’s needs above their own.  Now, this could just be a generational thing.  I see my sons giving their wives room to do the things they want without making them feel guilty.  But my husband is a different story.  And I live in his world.

It's easy for some people to say get up early or stay up late to write.  I tried that.  The later I stayed up the later my husband stayed up, if I got up early he suddenly couldn't sleep late.  A room of my own?  Yep, tried that.  Every time I went upstairs to work I found myself running up and down stairs.  I have an office downstairs now, but with no door it's definitely not private.

How do I cope?  I steal little pieces of time between cooking three meals a day, and baking, and cleaning the house, and taking care of whatever my husband decides he needs at any given moment of the day.  Sometimes it's an hour long block of time, other times fifteen minutes.  It's not easy, but I still get to write, 

And it's not just about having the space and time.  For many writers it's those cutting words about wasting time on the computer or what's the point if you're not getting paid.  And so you quit for a while, let the partner feel like they've won and then slowly you go back to putting words down, on paper, in your head, and finally at the keyboard.

It isn't just rejection that beats a writer down, it's those loud nagging voices of family that can finally wear you down and make you toss your dreams into a box and close the lid.  It makes the idea of "money and a room of one's own" a most pleasurable place to dream about.

Fantastic Stories of the Imagination - New Market

Fantastic Stories of the Imagination is a new online zine that publishes Science Fiction and Fantasy stories of any length.  Pay here is 15cents a word with a max of $500.  They also accept reprints and pay a flat fee of $25 for those.  There is an issue up now so you can read the stories and get a feel for what the editor is looking for.  You can find all the details here.

Hat tip to Coffintree Hill!

Brash Books - Editor Interview

Over at The Rap Sheet J. Kingston Pierce has posted an interview with editors Lee Goldberg and Joel Goldman, founders of the new crime imprint Brash Books..  There's also a link in the post that takes you to more of this interview over at Kirkus Reviews.

The First Line - Submissions Open

The First Line has opened submissions for their Winter issue.  The first line that you must use to start your story is "We went as far as the car would take us."  Stories can be 300 to 5,000 words.  The deadline is November 1 and payment is $25 to $50.  You can find the details here.

Night Train Literary Magazine - Reopened for Submissions

Night Train Literary Magazine has reopened for submissions.  They're looking for Firebox Fiction stories up to 1500 words for online publication and shorts of 1500 to 5000 words for their annual anthology.  They also accept poetry.  The deadline for shorts is October 31, and the deadline for Firebox and poetry submissions is November 30.  They have stories up in their archives so you can get a feel for what they're looking for.  Submissions through Submittable.  This is a non-paying market.

The Liz McMullen Show - Anthology Call

I ran across this anthology call for "Lizzie's Bedtime Stories: Valentines Day Anthology".  They're looking for Valentines Day stories in any genre from mystery to erotica but the focus must be on the theme of "appetite" and must include on lesbian main character.  Stories should be 3000 to 4000 words.  The deadline is November 1 with publication set for Valentines Day 2015.  Payment is $30 plus two copies.  You can find the details here.

A Mini Rant

"I can't pay much because it's my own money."  I'm so sick of hearing new publishers say this.  Of course, it's your own money, it's your business.  If you open a candle store you don't expect the candle makers to give you free candles so you can turn around and sell them at a profit do you?  So why should writers give you their words? 

Every small business I know operates at a loss the first year and sometimes for two or three.  It takes time to build up a business of any kind.  And it takes money.  If you're not willing to spend your own money to make a profit why should writers trust their work to you?

Please stop whining about YOUR money.  Either you're going into business or you're not.  Make up your mind and do the work and make the investment.  Will you fail?  Maybe.  But if you're willing to invest the money in your writers your odds will be a whole lot better.

End of rant.

Phobos Magazine - Call for Submissions

Phobos Magazine has opened submissions for their third issue with the theme of "Troublemake".  They want flash up to 1000 words and shorts to 2500 words "about biters of the hands that feed".  While they are a horror magazine they accept stories in all genres but "all work should contain strong elements of the macabre".  The deadline is September 30 and payment is 5cents a word.  This is both a print and Kindle magazine.  You can find the details here.

Pulpwood Fiction - Open for Submissions

Pulpwood Fiction has reopened for submissions with a request for some old fashioned Southern Gothic horror for the Halloween season.  Flash to 1000 words and shorts to 3000 words.  This is a non-paying noir/crime market.

PMMP Publishing - Elmore Leonard Tribute Anthology Call

Just a reminder that the Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing's Elmore Leonard Tribute anthology "Stay Cool" is still open for submission but the deadline of September 31 is fast approaching.  They need short stories of 1000 to 10,000 words "written in the same tone and spirit" of Leonard's work.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.  Submissions are through Submittable.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted up her monthly anthology calls post.  Thanks, Angie!!

Fire Goat Books - Anthology Calls

Fire Goat Books is a new publisher with a open submission call for an anthology with the theme, Greco-Roman Mythology.  They need flash of 500 to 1500 words and shorts up to 6000 words that are family friendly retellings of the myths.  They have prompts at the bottom of the call if you need help.  The deadline is August 31 and payment is $15.  You can find the details here.

They also have a Winter Solstice themed anthology call.  For this one they're looking for stories with a holiday theme of Christmas/New Year.  The deadline for this is October 31 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

The Best of American Science Fiction & Fantasy - Call for Submissions

If you've had a science fiction or fantasy story published this year you might consider sending it to "The Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy" anthology.  Editors are also welcome to send stories from their publications.  The editors are John Joseph Adams and Joe Hill.  Stories under 17,499 words must be published between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 to be considered.  You can find all the details here.

Less Than Three Press - Anthology Call

Less Than Three Press has posted an anthology call for "Villains, Inc.".  They're seeking stories of 10,000 to 20,000 words in any genre, but the stories must focus on the "baddies".  This is a gay press so there must be gay pairings in your stories.  The deadline is December 31 and payment is $200.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

The Ugh Factor

Our county fair starts next week and it had me thinking back to the years when I entered some of my amateur photographs.  One of the photos I entered was an oddball portrait of my husband.  Why oddball?  Because it was a black and white picture of his leg and hand.

He was sitting on the ground with his hand on his knee holding a cigarette.  I wanted to capture the swirl of the smoke as it rose into the air, but I also wanted to captured the essence of my husband and many of the men who live here in our area -- the Dickie work pants, cheap sneakers, and the eternal cigarette.

At the fair booth the woman filling out entry tags took one look at the picture and said, "Ugh, a cigarette.".  She couldn't see past what she didn't like to enjoy the picture.  The photo didn't win any ribbons and it was hung way above the line of sight of most fair goers.  One of my son's friends took one look at that picture though and said, "That's your husband, isn't it?"  He saw exactly what I was trying to capture.

I think we tend to read in the same way.  We decide what we don't like and avoid those books, deciding beforehand that we won't read them.  I'm guilty of that.  I find that I don't like know-it-characters and try to avoid those books.  I like my characters flawed and struggling to come to grips with what's happening in their lives, not those superman types that are always saving the day without much effort.

Other readers don't like it when animals or children are hurt.  Others hate noir and choose to read only cozy fiction.  The last few years I've been making an effort to read books that haven't appealed to me before.  I've been reading werewolf and fantasy stories, and books tagged as literary and classic.  I'm learning to read past my surface prejudice and enjoy what these new to me authors have to offer.  Sure, I don't like everything, but I've found a lot that I do enjoy and I'm glad that I didn't miss these books for they each had something that enriched my reading experience.

Have you read anything lately that would have normally brought out the ugh factor and did you enjoy reading something different from your regular choices?  

WolfSinger Publications - Anthology Call

WolfSinger Publications has posted an anthology call for a Weird Western anthology.  The submission period opens on December 1 and closes on December 31 so don't submit yet.  They need stories of 500 to 10,000 words "that are about the marginalized and under-represented groups of the old west".  Payment is $5 plus royalties.  They're also accepting reprints.  You can check out the details here.

Non-fiction Anthology Calls

The pickings have been pretty scarce on the market front the past couple of days.  I ran across this call over at Writing Career this morning.  The editor is looking for humorous essays in the form of letters to both teenage sons and daughters as they are about to leave the nest.  This is for two separate anthologies.  1000 to 2500 words with a deadline of September 1.  Payment is $100 paid 90 days after publication (in 2015).  One drawback here is that she wants the rights for five years.  You can find the details here.

BlackWyrm Publications - Anthology Call

BlackWyrm Publications has opened submissions for an anthology called "Reel Dark: Twisted Fantasies Projected on the Flickering Page".  They want dark stories in a variety of genres up to 3500 words.  Stories should be a reflection of movies on life (they explain it better).  The deadline is November 1.  Now the kick in the nuts - If you're a member of a professional writers group ( HWA MWA RWA SFWA) they'll pay you pro rates of 5cents a word, otherwise you'll get a flat $25.  Seems to me if your story is good enough to make it in you should get equal pay.  Just my opinion, of course.  You can find the details here.

Flapper House - New Market

Flapper House is an online zine that is looking for stories up to 5000 words that are "surreal, shadowy, sensual, and/or satirical".  They already have two issue up so you can see what they're looking for in a story.  Payment is 1cent a word.  You can check out the details here.

Eggplant Literary Productions - Shutting Down

Eggplant Literary Productions is closing its doors.  They were a market for middle grade and YA stories and had several magazine markets.  You can find the reasons here.

Pen L Publishing - Open for Novel Queries

Pen L Publishing has opened for novel submission queries.  They're open for a variety of genres but they seem to be a good home for Western novels.  You can find the details here.

Crossed Genres - Open for Submissions

The theme for Crossed Genres Magazine's December issue is "Destruction".  The deadline is August 31 for stories of 1000 to 6000 words.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You'll find the details here.

Subterranean - Final Issue

You can read the final issue of Subterranean Magazine online here.  There are stories by Harlan Ellison, Jay Lake, Kat Howard, and many others.  All the back issues are also available online so enjoy the reading!

Shine Your Darkness - A Noir Initiative - New Non-paying Crime Market

"Shine Your Darkness - A Noir Initiative" is a new online zine looking for noir submissions up to 3000 words for their first issue.  The theme is "First Kill" and the deadline is September 15.  You can find the details here.

Ticonderoga Publications - Anthology Calls

Australian press Ticonderoga Publications has opened submissions for the anthology "Bloodlines".  They're looking for dark urban fantasy stories of 1000 to 7500 words.  The stories must be non-traditional horror stories and use blood to live or do magic.  The deadline is October 15 and payment is 2cents a word with a maximum of $150.  You can find the details here.

Also still open for submissions is an anthology called "Hear Me Roar".  For this one they're looking for speculative fiction stories of 2500 to 7500 words about kick arse women.  Payment is AUS 2.5cents a word.  The deadline is November 5.  You can find the details here. 

Unlikely Stories - Call for Submissions

Unlikely Stories has opened submissions for issue #11 - "The Journal of Unlikely Cryptography".  They basically want cyberpunk stories up to 8000 words ( 5000 words or under is the sweet spot ).  The deadline for this issue is October 1.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find all the details here.

Timeless Tales - Open for Submissions

Timeless Tales has opened up submissions for issue #3 with the theme "Twelve Dancing Princesses".  They're looking for fairytale retellings in any genre so long as the story reads like a fairytale.  You have up to 2000 words but they prefer under 1500 words.  The deadline is September 22 and payment is $15.  You can find all the details here.

A Quote

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world from want of a little courage." -- Sydney Smith

Romance Anyone?

Why is that we only hear about the million dollar success stories and not about the tens of thousands who fail to make a million bucks by self-publishing? 

Steve Weddle - Interview

Wonderful interview with Needle editor Steve Weddle over at the Crimespree site.  Loads of good advice about writing.

Blank Fiction - Heads Up

Just a heads up on paying market Blank Fiction - they're now charging a $2.00 reading fee.  This isn't mentioned on their website, but it's on their Submittable page.

Pulp Core - New Market

Pulp Core comes from friend of the blog Paul Brazill.  Pulp Core is a German based publisher looking for pulp stories to translate for their online zine.  They need stories of 2000 to 6000 words in the genres of crime, horror, mystery, noir, sci-fi, and weird.  Payment is $20.  While they don't say they're looking for reprints, you might query to see if they'll accept reprints, could make for a good reprint market.  You can check out the details here.

Thanks, Paul!!

Mocha Memoirs Press - Anthology Call

Mocha Memoirs Press has posted an anthology call for "Dark Mocha Bites: Death's Cafe".  They're looking for horror stories of 8500 to 20,000 words.  The deadline is August 31 and payment is a royalty split.  They're asking for rights for 2 years in both print and ebook format.  You can find the details here.

FictionVale - Open for Submissions

FictionVale opened for submissions to their sixth issue today.  They're looking "punk" stories, any kind of punk from steam to diesel and everything in between.  They need micro-flash up to 100 words, flash up to 1000, words, and shorts up to 5000 words.  The deadline is September 15 and payment is 2cents a word.  You can find the details here, submissions are through Submittable.

Tides of Impossibility - Anthology Call

I ran across this call for fantasy flash over at SFSignal.  Editor KJ Russel is putting together a fantasy anthology called "Tides of Impossibility".  He's looking for multiple pieces from each author that blend together as a whole.  Flash should be 500 to 600 words.  Payment is 1/2cent a word and the deadline for flash is August 15.  He's also looking for longer stories up to 8000 words with a deadline of August 1 and payment of 1/2cents also.  You can find the call here.  And submission guidelines are here.

Grey Matter Press - Flash Masters 2 Contest

Grey Matter Press has posted the prompt for their July Flash Masters contest.  You have exactly 100 words to tell your story and you have to use these five words in your story - sift, gentle, sidewalk, disgorge, and agonize.  You can find the details here.  No fees to enter and books are the prize.

Untreed Reads - Anthology Call

Untreed Reads has posted an anthology call for "Haystacks and Homicide:  Short Tales of Farmland Crime".  They're looking for mystery stories of 1500 to 5000 words that take place in the country.  The deadline is December 31 and payment is royalties plus a print and ebook copy.  You can find the details here.

Grey Matter Press - Anthology Call

Grey Matter Press has posted an anthology call for "Savage Beasts: An Anthology of Primal Screams".  They're looking for dark and terrifying tales of 3000 to 7000 words "that have been scratched into the inside of our skull by the musical earworms to which you listen".  The deadline is September 5 and payment is 2cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Paperback Writer - Calls for Submissions

Paperback Writer is another site that lists submission calls.  Today she has a list of ten calls.

Tiny Owl Workshop - Anthology Call - Australian Writers Only

Tiny Owl Workshop has posted an anthology call for "Krampus Crackers".  This one is for Australian writers only.  They are looking for Christmas flash stories of 300 to 500 words that feature the myth of Krampus.  The deadline is September 5 and payment is $60AUD.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to the Literarium blog!!

Queer Sci Fi - Anthology Calls

In searching for anthology calls I ran across a site called Queer Sci Fi that has a list of anthology calls for LGBT sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural stories.  You can check out the calls here.

On Writing

Max Booth has an interesting take on POV over at the LitReactor site.

Solarwyrm Press - Anthology Call

Solarwyrm Press has posted an anthology call for "Marked by Scorn".  This will be an anthology featuring non-traditional relationships - "any romantic/sexual in nature relationships that deviate from society's stereotype of 'normal'".  Any genre is acceptable and the stories don't have to revolve around the relationship, it just has to be a part of the story.  1000 to 8000 words for shorts, they're also looking at poetry and non-fiction for this one.  The deadline is January 15, 2015 and payment is 1/2cent a word plus one print copy.  You can find all the details here.

Home is the Hangman by Roger Zelazny

I've never been much of a science fiction reader except for short stories.  I can take the technology in short doses, but in reading the shorts I've discovered that the best sci-fi isn't about the gadgets but the people who inhabit the worlds created by the authors.  "Home is the Hangman" is a perfect example.  The story is about a rogue robot called the Hangman, but everything comes back to the humans involved in creating him.  What also drew me to this book is the combining of a detective story with science fiction.

What really surprised me in reading this novella was how back in 1975 Zelazny very nearly has described the world we're living in today.  Such imagination!  Well worth the read if you can find a copy.  My copy is a hardback from the Science Fiction Collection Book Club that I found at a recent book sale.

I first discovered Zelazny through a short story called "Kalifriki of the Thread" and I've been on the lookout for other work by him ever since.  Any recommendations?

On Writing

Friend of the blog Jacquline Seewald has posted a listing of resources for writers, including lots of links to market resources, on her blog.  Check it out here.

Betty Fedora - New Crime Market

Hey, Hey, Hey, we've got a new crime fiction market opening in the online zine community.  "Betty Fedora" is looking for crime fiction with kickass women.  Shorts should be 1000 to 6000 words.  They're also looking for reviews, essays, and non-fiction articles.  Deadline for the fist issue is November 14.  There's no payment.  You can find the details here.

Burnt Offerings Books - Anthology Call

Burnt Offerings Books has posted an anthology call for "Blood Red Wet Dreams".  They need stories of 1000 to 7500 words that use the theme of at least one of the words in the title.  The deadline is September 1 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.