Permuted Press - Open for Novel Submissions

And Permuted Press is also open for novel submissions in the genres of horror, supernatural, and sci-fi.  You can check them out here.

Tyrus Book - Open for Novel Submissions

Tyrus Books is open for novel submissions in the genres of Crime and Literary Fiction.  You can check them out here. 

The Temporal Log Book - Doctor Who Charity Anthology

This one is for you Doctor Who fans out there.  "The Temporal Log Book" is a charity anthology to be published by Canadian publisher Pencil Tip Publishing.  They're looking for short stories of 3000 to 7500 words that feature one of the first eleven Doctors as seen on BBC.  They explain it better on their site :)  The deadline is June 28 and payment is one copy.  You can find all the details here.

Xchyler Publishing - Anthology Call

Xchyler Publishing opens submissions tomorrow (April 30) for their Fall anthology "Mr & Mrs Myth".  For this anthology they are looking for paranormal stories of 5000 to 15,000 words.  Like many other publishers they call this a contest but there are no fees.  The deadline is My 31 and payment is royalties.  You can find the details here.

Dark Hall Press - Anthology Call

Dark Hall Press has posted a new anthology call for "Techno-Horror".  They want stories up to 5000 words that show "the horrifying results of scientific and technological advances whether through accident or abuse".  They have a list of stories in the guidelines that will give you a good idea of what they're looking for.  The deadline is August 1 and payment is a profit split.  You can find all the details here.

Ticonderoga Publications - Anthology Call

Australian publisher Ticonderoga Publications has posted a call for the anthology "Hear Me Roar".  They are looking for stories of 2500 to 7500 words with "kick-arse chicks of all varieties in a spec-fiction world".  The deadline is November 5 and payment is AUS2.5cents a word (max payment of 187.50).  You must use Australian English spellings in your story.  You can find all the details here.

Hat tip to the Literarium blog!

Cohesion Press - Anthology Call

Australian publisher Cohesion Press has posted an anthology call for "Blurring the Lines".  They're looking for short stories up to 5000 words.  They want "horror that blurs the line between what is fiction and what is non-fiction and they have examples up in their guidelines.  The reading period begins on August 1 and runs to October 31 so you have lots of lead time.  Payment is AUD8cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Turkey City Lexicon - A Primer for SF Wrokshops

Just ran across this marvelous guide to help writers who are interested in writing in the genre of Science Fiction.  It certainly does a great job of getting you off on the right foot.  It's not copyrighted so you can print it off for your own personal use.

Pink Factory - A Crime Factory Special Issue Now Available

The fine folks over at Crime Factory have announced that their Pink Factory issue is now available in both print and ebook format.  Check it out here.

Fantasy Scroll Magazine - First Issue Up

Fantasy Scroll Mag has published its first online issue.  You can read it free online or purchase a copy for your reader.  They're also open for submissions and payment is 1cent a word with a minimum of $5 for microflash and $10 for flash and short stories.  You can find the details here.

Always the Fine Print

"By entering, you further agree to waive all rights of attribution and integrity if your Entry is used by Sponsor or anyone Sponsor authorizes, and to waive any moral rights in the Entry."

I've been seeing that sentence in a lot of contest calls of late especially those issued by high profile magazines and companies.  I didn't get why you have to waive your moral rights until I looked up the definition of moral in the dictionary -"of or relating to principles of right or wrong".  So even though they're wrong to use your contest submission without paying or crediting you (even if you don't win the contest), you have to give up the right to tell them they're wrong.  Not very nice and decidedly immoral.  One of the big reasons why I don't enter contests.  Watch your backs out there, my friends.

Sword & Sorceress #29 - Call for Submissions

Strong female protagonists seems to be the order of the day and that's what's required for Sword & Sorceress #29.  They're open for submissions and it's a short timeline as the deadline is May 16.  Stories can be up to 9000 words and in the genre of "sword and sorcery".  Payment is 5cents a word as an advance against royalties.  You can find all the details here.

Wicked Women - Anthology Call

Wicked Women is looking for short stories of 4000 to 8000 words about women misbehaving.  They need stories in the genres of fantasy, sci-fi, horror and/or crime.  The anthology will be published through UK publisher Fox Spirit.  The deadline is June 30 and payment is 10pounds.  You can find all the details here on the editor's page.  Both male and female writes are welcome to submit.

Spider Road Press - Anthology Call

I might have posted this earlier in the year but the deadline of April 30 is fast approaching so I thought a reminder is always helpful.  Spider Road Press has a call for an anthology called "Eve's Requiem:  Tales of Women, Mystery, and Horror".  Both men and women are welcome to submit.  They're looking for "intense stories in which women actively face dangerous situations" up to 8000 words.  Payment is $20 and submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Simian Publishing - Anthology Call

Simian Publishing has posted the guidelines for their next anthology but please note that they're not open until November 1 which gives you plenty of time to come up with and research a story idea.  The anthology is "Apotheosis" and they need stories of 2000 to 7000 words.  Here's what they're looking for - "Stories of human survival and defiance in a world subjugated by the return of the Elder Gods.".  The reading period is November 1 to December 31 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find all the details here.

Silence in the Library Publishing - Anthology Call - Female Authors

Silence in the Library Publishing has issued an open call for their anthology "Athena's Daughters II".  They're looking for short stories of 3000 to 6000 words in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, or horror with a female main character.  Only female authors for this one, guys.  The reading period opens on June 1 and closes July 1.  Payment is an equal share of net revenues through their KickStater.  You can find all the details here.

Untreed Reads - Anthology Call

Untreed Reads has posted a call for their fourth annual The Killer Wore Cranberry anthology.  They need short stories of 1500 to 5000 words.  The stories must have humor, a Thanksgiving dish, and a mystery or crime at the heart of the story.  The deadline is July 30, payment is royalties.  You can find the details here.

The 2014 Bloody Scotland Short Story Competition

Scotland's International Crime Writing Festival, Bloody Scotland, has issued a call for their 2014 Short Story Competition.  Writers from all over the world are welcome to enter.  The theme for this year's competition is ESCAPE and you're welcome to use it in any way so long as it's a crime story.  Stories have to be at least 3000 words and the deadline is July 31.  The entry fee is 10pounds.  1st prize is 1000 pounds, a weekend pass to the 2014 festival, and a bottle of Deaston Whiskey and two runners up will each receive a bottle of Deaston Whiskey and a selection of tickets to some of the events at the festival.  You can find the details here.

Big thank you to Albert Tucher for the link!!

The Value of Free: Writing for Non-paying Markets by Chris Holm

Great piece over at the Writer's Digest site by Chris Holm called "The Value of Free:  Writing for Non-paying Markets."

Never Give Up

I was cleaning out some old file boxes yesterday when I ran across the submission card for "The Bank Robber" which is in the new issue of Needle.  Believe it or not I wrote the original draft back in May of 2000.  Over the next two years I submitted that story to six different markets, and after collecting six rejections I finally put it in a drawer and tried to forget about it.

But it wouldn't let go of me.  Year after year, I'd put that story out and rewrite and rework it from different angles but I never felt confident enough to submit it anywhere.  Then last year I was looking for a project to work on and pulled that story back out of the drawer.  I'd always written the story from the point of view of a twelve year old boy and this time out I wondered what would happen if I wrote it from that boy's point of view as an adult.  So I wrote this:

"'I made love to a bank robber once.'

Silence cracked around the massive dining room table.  Mouths dropped open, food fell into laps, and a long stemmed crystal goblet spilled blood red wine across my wife's expensive lace tablecloth.

I suppose my own face mirrored their surprise.  Why had I blurted out such a private moment of my life, especially to this self-centered group of assholes?  Shock value?  Something to stem the flow of their narcissistic conversation?  Partly, but mostly it was to scare up that trapped look on Sally Mandeville’s face."

Suddenly I had two stories and what a blast I had weaving the two of them together.  The ending came as a total surprise to my blood thirty mind but it was a perfect fit for the story I'd written.  And boy, was I scared.  It was one of the longest short stories I'd ever written coming in at a whopping 8300 words and where the hell do you submit a story that long.  I stuck the story back in a drawer and started searching for markets.

After about a month I contacted Steve Weedle and asked when Needle submissions were going to open again and would he possibly be interested in an 8300 word story.  His reply - "Not if it's great, which I assume it is."  Well, shit, no pressure there.  I thought it was great, of course, but would he?  When the submission door opened I took a deep breath and sent "The Bank Robber" back out into the world.

Fourteen years and my story is finally published.  It's also taught me a great lesson.  If you believe in a story, keep working on it until you find the right voice to make it sing, even if it takes years.

 

Fiction Vale - Call for Mystery/Suspense and Fantasy Shorts

Fiction Vale will be opening submissions on May 1 for Mystery/Suspense and Fantasy short stories up to 5000 words.  You can write either genre straight or "smoosh" them together.  The deadline is June 15 and payment is 2cents a word.  You can check out the details here, scroll down to Episode 5 for issue details.

People Eating People - Anthology Call

Friend of the blog Dusty Wallace asked me to post this call.  Seems he's in the process of putting together an anthology called "People Eating People - A Cannibal Anthology".  And he's not looking for your run of the mill hillbilly cannibals either.  He wants fantasy cannibals, steampunk cannibals, even lawyer cannibals.  You have up to 8000 words and payment is a royalty share.  The deadline is "when filled" so get your hustle on.  You can find the details here.

Mozark Press - Anthology Call

Mozark Press has issued a call for their anthology "A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman".  They're looking for mystery stories of 2000 to 3500 words with a female protagonist with a PG rating.  The deadline is July 25 and payment is $20.  You can check out the details here on their blog.  The Shaker of Margaritas is a series of anthologies that this press publishes and they've already won a few awards according to their blog.

A big thank you to Michael Bracken for sending the link!!

Hellnotes - Call for Reviewers

Hellnotes is looking for book reviewers for their site.  There is no payment except for the books you receive.  But if your piece is selected to appear in Dark Discoveries magazine then you will receive $10.  You can find all the details here.

Strange Musing Press - Anthology Call

Strange Musings Press has an open anthology call for "Alternate Hilarities 3:  Hysterical Realms".  They are looking for stories that combine fantasy and humor.  Flash stories from 500 to 1500 words will receive 1/2cent a word plus 1 share of the royalties.  Short stories of 1501 to 6000 words will receive 1cent a word plus 2 royalty shares.  The deadline is July 31.  You can find the details here.

Simon 451 - Call for Novel Submissions

Simon and Schuster has a new science fiction imprint called Simon 451 and they're open for novel submissions.  There are no pay specifics.  Submissions details are up at their Submittable account.

A Story Cupboard Picture

It's been a while since I posted a story cupboard but this picture posted by Brian Lindenmuth just sent shivers up my back and twisted and twirled all kinds of ideas through my head.  From Salem to the weird west this picture could take your imagination anywhere.

Goldfish Grimm's Spicy Fiction Sushi - Pay Raise

Goldfish Grimm's Spicy Fiction Sushi is an online zine looking for fantasy and sci-fi shorts of 100 to 7500 words.  They've recently raised their pay rates to 1cent a word with a $10 minimum for flash and a $25 minimum for longer stories.  You can check them out here.

Scarlett Galleon Publications - Anthology Call

I ran across this anthology call for Scarlett Galleon Publications and had to chuckle about this part of their guidelines:

"It is expected that submissions will be fully edited and proofread prior to being sent in for consideration. Submissions with incorrect grammar, misspellings, or formatting issues will be disqualified and therefore excluded from the review process. ALL submissions that are accepted for publication in DEAD HARVEST - A Collection of Dark Tales, will be subject to minor editorial corrections. Any stories needing more than minor edits, but meritorious for their originality and content, will be discussed with the contributor prior to exclusion, however Scarlet Galleon Publications maintains the right to disqualify the entry if the overall editorial process would prove too exhaustive."

I don't know how you feel but I've always believed that if you're going to run a company and put out quality work you should expect to be tired.  It's a good thing, and part of the job..

Anyhoo, if you can turn in a really, really clean submission the anthology is titled Dead Harvest and they're looking for dark stories of 4000 to 9000 words.  The reading period is May 1 to May 31 and payment is $25.  

Anthology Call for Cozy-Noir Fiction

This call came through the SMFS this afternoon and I have permission from the editor to post the call for anyone who's interested.

An Anthology of Cozy- Noir Fiction

The submission period is now open and will remain open through June 30th.

For this anthology, we're seeking stories in the 2500 to 7500 word range, though if it's knockout material, we'll consider any length.

eBook versions for every major platform will be released with POD paperback copies available through a distributor.

Each author will receive royalty payments in an equal share between the other authors and the editor.

Submissions will be accepted through midnight (PDT) June 30th. Each story will be read by the editorial team, and all authors will receive a reply by August 15th. The anthology will contain between twelve and twenty stories, depending on the overall length.

We will only accept MS Word .doc and .docx files. Submissions must be in proper manuscript format.

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

Andrew MacRae

And here is Andrew's definition of cozy noir for those unsure of what exactly he's asking for:

 Cozy-Noir is the melding of two genres. Cozy, in the sense of a location
or other setting which is of interest to the reader, most violence occurs
off stage, there is a cast of secondary characters who the readers come
to like, and the murder victim is rarely someone for whom anyone would
weep. Noir, because desperate characters commit desperate acts and deadly
consequences ensue.

Electrik Milk Bath Press - Anthology Call

Electrik Milk Bath Press has posted a call for a second anthology call "More Dia de los Muertos Stories".  They're looking for stories of 1000 to 5000 words centered around the "day of the dead" theme.  The deadline is July 1 and payment is $30.  You can find the details here.

They've also extended the deadline for their motorcycle themed anthology to May 16.  Payment is $30 and the details are at the top of the submission page.

Serial Killer Check List

Over at his blog The Graveyard Shift Lee Lofland has a list to help you with your serial killer stories.  Check it out here.

Needle - New Issue Now Available

The Spring 2014 issue of Needle is now available at Lulu.  You've got Heath Lowrance, Jen Conley, Stephen D. Rogers, Patti Abbott, and that's just a few of the great authors in this issue.  And I have to say that I'm delighted to be a part of this issue, such great company to be in.

UPDATE:  According to editor Steve Weedle there are some issues with the quality of the paper so you might want to hold off on ordering.

UPDATE:  April 23 She's ready for sale now.  Check it out!!

Black Denim Lit - Pay Raise

Just heard from the folks at Black Denim Lit that they're raising their pay from a flat $5 to 1cent a word.  You can check them out here.

What Author?

I love the "Mind Meld" questions over at SF Signal and today's question is a great one.  "If you were imprisoned for life and your genre-loving (but seriously deranged) warden allowed you to read work from the bibliography of only one author, who would you choose and why?"

For me it would be Georgette Heyer because, for me, she's comfort reading and being stuck in prison for life I think I'd be needing a lot of comfort. :)  While her books are billed as regency romance they are filled with humor, mysteries, war stories, and even a bit of action/adventure tossed in for good measure.  How about you?  What author would you choose?

Innsmouth Freepress - Anthology Call - Women Only

Innsmouth Freepress has posted an open anthology call for "She Walks in Shadows".  They are only accepting stories from women writers for this one.  They want stories up to 4000 words inspired by Lovecraft that focus on a woman or female deity.  Any sub-genre, and any time period.  You can use Lovecraft's characters or create one of your own.  They have more details so be sure to read the guidelines carefully.  You have plenty of time as the reading period opens on November 15 and runs to December 15.  Payment is 6cents a word Canadian.  You can find all the details here.

Buzzy Mag - Call for Submissions

I've mentioned Buzzy Mag before but I ran across a call for fiction submissions from them and thought I'd give them another shout-out.  They are looking for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror stories up to 10,000 words.  Thriller, suspense, and paranormal tales that cross into tradition spec-fiction are welcome.  Payment is 10cents a word for original stories and 2cents a word for reprints.  You can find the details here.

Exhibit A Books - Open Door Announcement

Editor of Exhibit A Books Bryon Quertermous has announced that Exhibit A books will be having an Open Door submission period this year.  So all you crime writers out there have six months to get your novels polished and ready.  You can check out the announcement here.

UPDATE:  July 2014 - Exhibit A has closed their doors.

Elm Books - Anthology Call

For those of you who write mysteries on the cozy side Elm Books has an anthology call titled "Death and a Nice Cup of Tea".  They're looking for short stories with a female protagonist and tea has to figure into the story somehow.  There's no mention of length restrictions and payment is royalties.  You can find the details here.  Scroll down the page a bit.  And you can check out the editor here.

Elm Books seems to be a fairly new press but they have published quite a few books.  They also have an imprint call Gen-E Books that's looking for children's literature.  Their guidelines are at the top of the page.

A big thank you to Michael Bracken for sending along the link!!

Beachwalk Press - Novella Anthology Call

Beachwalk Press has posted an anthology call for "Sex, Love, and Aliens".  They're looking for sci-fi romance novellas of 15,000 to 20,000 words.  They pay a $50 advance and the deadline is June 1.  You can find the call here.  There is one thing I should mention, if your story is accepted you must join a special Facebook author's group.  I don't do Facebook because they ask for your birth date, I guess they haven't heard of identity theft :)

Greenwoman Press - Anthology Call

There have been many takes on the Fifty Shades of Grey theme but this one from Greenwoman Press brought a smile to my lips.  Their anthology call is "Fifty Shades of Green" and they're looking for erotica (sexy) stories in a variety of genres but each story must have a gardening twist.  Stories should be 1000 to 5000 words.  The deadline is June 15 and payment is $100. You can find the details here.

There Be Sharks Out There

I ran across a press this morning that had three anthology calls listed.  My first thought was this is great, some new markets.  And then I read about their payment split and the rights they acquire.  Yeah, it wasn't with the anthology guidelines, it was tucked away in two spots, their regular submission guidelines and their structure page.  You see they pay in royalties, a 70/30 split, thirty being the author's share.  Not too bad, but then they break it down and they get 50%, the editor gets 20%, and the author gets 30% so you're basically paying them to edit your book. 

Oh and the rights?  "MONTAG PRESS will retain a 70/30 share with the author for worldwide primary and secondary rights including digital, options, film and video production, and print rights, which will be exclusive for 10 years from the date of publication."

They basically own your work for ten years and they get the lion's share if it sells big time.  You don't even have the right to reprint your work in a collection of your own.  Always remember to check out everything, folks and be aware of the rights you're selling.  

Angelic Knight Press - Anthology Call

Angelic Knight Press has announced a new anthology call.  The first is "Grimdark Grimoire" which is looking for antihero stories of 3000 to 5000 words in the genres of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and/or suspense.  The deadline is September 15, payment is shared royalties.  Details for this one are here. 

Hat tip to horrortree.com

Laird Barron - Interview

Weird Tales has a great interview up with short story writer Laird Barron.

280 Steps - Crime Imprint Open for Submissions

I never know where I'm going to find new markets.  This morning I stopped by Hardboiled Wonderland and discovered an ebook publisher called 280 Steps that publishes crime fiction.  They are currently open for submissions of novels and short story collections of the noir or hard-boiled type.  The word count is 20,000 to 70,000 words so novellas are also an option here.  You can find all the details here.  I didn't notice any pay specifics so that's something you'll have to query.

Cleis Press - Erotica Anthology Call

For those of you who write erotica Cleis Press has posted a new anthology call for "The Princess's Bride: Lesbian Fairy Tale Erotica".  Yep, they're looking for fairy tale stories of 3000 to 6000 words with a lesbian spin.  The deadline is July 1 and payment is $50 to $100 depending on length.  You can find all the details here.

Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers Short Story Contest - No Fees

The twelfth annual Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers Short Story Contest is open to everyone and there is no fee to enter.  The theme this year is "Haarping on Conspiracies".  They're looking for shorts up to 4000 words about conspiracies.  The deadline is is July 31.  Everyone who enters will receive a critique of their story.  The first place story will have their story published in an issue of Space and Time Magazine and receive $75, second place will receive $40, and third $25.  There is no fee to enter.  You can find all the details here.

Spacesuits & Sixguns - Call for Submissions

Spacesuits & Sixguns is a semiannual online magazine looking for short stories around 4000 words in all the pulp genres.  Their number one rule is be fun!  There's no deadline listed.  Payment is 4cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Melange Books - Open for Novel and Novella Submissions

Romance publisher Melange Books is open for submissions of novels and novellas in all genres except sci-fi.  They pay 40% royalties on net for ebooks and 10% on print.  They are also looking for novella length (15 to 25K words) for an Old Fashioned Christmas Anthology.  The deadline is July 1 for the anthology.  You can check them out here.

In Defense of the Horror Short Story by Gary Raisor

Great piece about short stories over at the Cemetery Dance site called "In Defense of the Horror Short Story" and written by Gary Raisor.  While he's talking about the horror genre what he says could be applied to all genres of short stories.  The best writers in any genre are always willing to take the chance of falling on their ass.

Pulpwood Fiction - Call for Submissions

Pulpwood Fiction:  A Southern Noir Journal is a new online zine that's open for submissions.  They want shorts to 3000 words and flash to 1000 words.  Be sure to read their about page to get a good idea of exactly what they're looking for in a story.  You can find the submission details here.  This is a non-paying market.

Pulp Modern #8 - Theme Posted

While Pulp Modern #8 isn't open for subs yet, editor Alec Cizak has posted the theme - Drugs.  The deadline is October 1 so you have plenty of time to get a story polished and ready.  This is a non-paying market.

Hermeneutic Choas - New Literary Flash Market

Occasionally I receive a request from an editor to post a new market here on the blog, such is the case with today's market "Hermeneutic Chaos".  They are looking for poetry and flash (though they call it prose) fiction up to 500 words.  This is a new literary market getting set to launch their first online issue.  There are no deadlines listed and this is a non-paying market.  You can check out the guidelines here.

Pear Tree Press - Two Magazine Calls

Pear Tree Press is all about Lizzie Borden and to that end they publish two magazines.  The first is "The Literary Hatchet" which publishes dark fiction of 500 to 2500 words.  Payment is $15, deadline for the next two issues is July 1 and November 1.  The second magazine is "The Hatchet:  A Journal of Lizzie Borden and Victorian America".  Here they're looking for non-fiction, true crime, and humor in the form of fiction pieces.  Payment here is $5 to $15 depending on length.  You can find the details here at their Submittable account.

Wanderer's Haven Publications - Anthology Call

Wanderer's Haven Publications is a new press with an anthology call posted called "A Mythos Grimmly".  They are looking for short stories of 3000 to 7000 words that are a mash up of a fairytale and a Lovecraftian Mythos.  The deadline is May 1.  Payment is to be $100 IF they have a successful Kickstarter (planned for May).  You can find the details here.

My one hesitation here is that if the Kickstarter isn't successful they don't tell you what will happen with your story.  There is a form at the site for you to contact them with any questions so if you're interested in this project be sure to find out all the details.

Rymfire Books - Anthology Calls

Rymfire Books has announced that the next two states in their State of Horror anthology series will be Louisiana and North Carolina.  They will need horror stories of 4000 to 8000 words set in those states.  The reading period is May 1 to August 1.  Payment is royalties.  You can find the details and check out the press here. 

Crime Market Update

On my last post friend of the blog Dusty asked about pro paying markets for crime fiction and sad to say but there are very few.  While the pros are far and few between there are quite a number of straight up crime markets that do pay so I thought I'd put together a list of those paying markets for you.  The links are all over to the right along with other markets that publish crime fiction in other genres such as horror and spec-fiction.  Just because you've written a crime story doesn't mean you have to look at only crime markets.  And here's your list:

1.  Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine - pro rates though the payment scale is not listed in their guidelines.

2.  Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - pro rates from the same publisher as AHMM.

3.  The Strand - pays $25 to $150 be advised they're their response can take up to a year or longer.

4.  Woman's World - If I remember correctly they're paying $500.  Their stories are very specific and they have no online presence.  You can pick up a copy at your local supermarket.  Their stories are 700 word "solve it yourself" mysteries.

5.  Gum Shoe Review - pays 5cents a word for stories up to 1000 words.  Their guidelines are listed under the Just the Facts editorial each month.

6.  The Big Click - pays $100 but you have to query the editor first or be invited to submit.

7.  ThugLit - ebook and print magazine pays $25

8.  Spinetinger - online zine pays $25 but their response is sometimes slow and they publish on an irregular basis.

8.5.  Plan B - sneaking this in because I forgot it yesterday.  ebook and print pays $25.

9.  Big Pulp - this is a print magazine and payment is 1cent a word with a max of $25

10.  All Due Respect - print magazine and ebook pays $25

11.  Over My Dead Body - online zine pays 1cent a word.

12.  One Eye Press - publishes a yearly anthology called Both Barrels (currently open) pays $25.

13.  Comet Press - publishes dark crime novellas and pays royalties.

14.  Dutton Guilt Edge - publishes novellas and pays an advance of 5cents a word against royalties.

15.  One Eye Press - publishes novella singles and payment is royalties.

While that list is for paying markets there are plenty of non-paying markets that are worth getting published in just because of the great company you'll find yourself in like the print magazine Needle (some of their stories have been selected for Otto Penzler's "Best American Mystery Stories") and Beat to Pulp which has published some of the past masters of the Pulp genre.

If I've missed a paying market please feel free to add them in the comments.

Freeze Frame Fiction - New Flash Market

Freeze Frame Fiction is a new online flash site looking for stories up to 1000 words.  The deadline for the first issue is June 15 and payment is 1cent a word.  There's no mention of preferred genre.  You can find the details here.

The First Line - Call for Submissions

The First Line is open for submissions to their Summer Issue.  The first line is "Please, Sylvia, give me a moment to think.".  They accept shorts of 300 to 5,000 words in any genre.  Payment is $25 to $50 depending on length.  The deadline is May 31.  You can find the submission details here.

Ooops

My apologies if anyone is looking for the Criminal Pursuits post.  On double checking something I discovered that the submissions dates were for 2013.  I guess they haven't updated their site guidelines in a while.  They are publishing books this year so they are still in business if you'd like to query.

UPDATE:  May 2, 2014  Telas Moonrise Publishing has changed their url.  You can check it out here.

The Thrilling Detective - New Issue

There's a new issue of The Thrilling Detective!  Check it out.

Hat tip to Bill Crider!

Pink Narcissus Press - Anthology Call

Pink Narcissus Press has an anthology call posted for "(Gender) Queered Space" where they're looking for spec-fiction stories with characters that aren't gender specific.  The reading period opens on May 26 and closed on September 26 for stories of 2000 to 10,000 words.  Payment is a percentage of royalties.  You can find the details here just scroll down the page.  They're open for novel submissions and that's at the top of the page.

Less Than Three Press - Anthology Call (novelettes)

Less Than Three Press has posted an anthology call for "Lovely, Dark, and Deep".  You have to keep in mind that this is a gay romance press but they're accepting stories for this one in any genre.  For the anthology they want stories of 10,000 to 20,000 words that are "tales of all that can happen in the woods when those who shouldn't be there venture into them anyway."  The deadline is August 31 and payment is a flat $200.  You can find the details here and be sure to read their general guidelines so you understand exactly what they're looking for.

Free Download Sites

Over at the Creative Writing Contests site I ran across a post that lists 100 legal sites to download literature.  They have the classics, text books, mystery books, and pretty much anything you might be looking for.  Check it out here.

Charlotte's Web of Deceit by Eric Beetner

We've all seen stories putting a new twist on fairy tales, but Eric Beetner has put a wonderfully devious new twist on the children's story Charlotte's Web.  You can read "Charlotte's Web of Deceit" here.  You won't be sorry.

2014 Derringer Winners

A big round of Snoopy dances for this year's Derringer winners!!  Congrats to all the winners and nominees!!  The winners are in bold print, and yes, I stole this from the SMFS blog :)

For Best Flash (Up to 1,000 words)

• "Final Statement" by Robert Bailey (The Flash Fiction Offensive, July 18, 2013)
• "Not My Day" by Stephen Buehler (Last Exit to Murder, Down & Out Books, June 2013)
• "The Needle and the Spoon" by Allan Leverone (Shotgun Honey, November 15, 2013)
• "Luck is What You Make" by Stephen D. Rogers (Crime Factory, May 2013)
• "Terry Tenderloin and the Pig Thief" by John Weagly (Shotgun Honey, June 21, 2013)

For Best Short Story (1,001–4,000 words)

• "Pretty Little Things" by Chris F. Holm (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July 2013)
• "The Present" by Robert Lopresti (The Strand Magazine, February-May 2013)
• "The Sweetheart Scamster" by Rosemary McCracken (Thirteen by the Mesdames of Mayhem, August 2013)
• "The Little Outlaw" by Mike Miner (Plan B Magazine, August 9, 2013)
• "The Cemetery Man" by Bill Pronzini (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July 2013)

For Best Long Story (4,001–8,000 words)

• "Myrna!" by John Bubar (Best New England Crime Stories 2014: Stone Cold, Level Best Books, September 2013)
• "Bloody Signorina" by Joseph D'Agnese (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September 2013)
• "GIVE ME A DOLLAR" by Ray Daniel (Best New England Crime Stories 2014: Stone Cold, Level Best Books, September 2013)
• "Dance Man" by Andrew Jetarski (Last Exit to Murder, Down & Out Books, June 2013)
• "A Dangerous Life" by Adam Purple (Best New England Crime Stories 2014: Stone Cold, Level Best Books, September 2013)

For Best Novelette (8,001–20,000 words)

• "The Serpent Beneath the Flower" by Jack Bates (Mind Wings Audio, April 2013)
• "The Goddaughter's Revenge" by Melodie Campbell (Orca Rapid Reads, October 2013)
• "For Love's Sake" by O'Neil De Noux (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2013)
• "The Antiquary's Wife" by William Burton McCormick (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, March 2013)
• "Last Night in Cannes" by James L. Ross (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, November 2013)

EDWARD D. HOCH MEMORIAL GOLDEN DERRINGER FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

• Ed Gorman