World Weaver Press - Open Query Period

World Weaver Press will have an open query period during the month of June for novel and novella length speculative fiction.  You can find the details here.

Dreaming Robot Press - Middle Grade Anthology Call

Dreaming Robot Press is a brand new market with a call for submissions to the anthology "2014 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide".  The anthology is looking for short stories of 3000 to 6000 words in the various sci-fi genres and aimed at middle grade (9 to 12 year old) readers.  The reading period is June 1 to August 31 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

A couple of notes here - Please be sure to read all the way through the guidelines.  The first reason being that they're going to run a crowd funding and if it fails payment will be delayed.  And second, stories will be selected by committee and posted to a private website for reading and voting.  While they say this doesn't violate your first electronic rights it's something that you might want to check into just to be on the safe side.

Go World Travel - Call for Travel Essays

Go World Travel is looking for personal essays for two anthologies about travel.  The first is Chance Encounters and the second is Adventures Travel Tales.  Essays should be 2000 to 5000 words and reprints are acceptable.  The deadline is August 30 and payment is $75.  You can find the details here.

All Due Respect - New Issue

Issue #3 of All Due Respect is now available for your Kindles and what a great lineup of authors!  Check it out here.

Aghast - Open for Submissions

The Kraken Press biannual magazine Aghast has reopened for submissions.  They're looking for horror and dark fantasy stories.  Flash 250 to 1000 words and shorts of 1500 to 7000 words.  Submissions are through Submittable.  Payment is 1cent a word.  There's no deadline listed.  You can find the details here.

You can find an interview with editor George Cotronis here.

Number 13 Press - New Crime Novella Market

Over at Duotrope I came across a brand new crime e-publisher called Number 13 Press.  The editor is Chris Black and he's looking for pulp crime novellas of 25,000 to 35,000 words.  There's no mention of pay so that's something you'll have to query.  You can find the submission details here.

Country Noir

Court Merrigan has an excellent piece up at Electric Lit about Country Noir.

Bad Dream Entertainment - Call for Submissions

Bad Dream Entertainment is an online zine looking for short stories of 500 to 16,000 words in the genre of dark speculative fiction.  Payment is 4cents a word for original stories and 2cents for reprints.  They're also looking for novels and novellas with a royalty payment split.  You can check out the details here.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel - Call for Submissions

Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel is a literary magazine that focuses on Appalachian writers.  Submissions are open for issue #18 with the theme "The Dead".  The deadline is August 31.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find all the details here.

Walrus Publishing - Anthology Call

Walrus Publishing has issued a call for a new anthology called "Building Red:  The Colonization of Mars".  They're looking for stories of 1000 to 6000 words set in the year 2050 and showing how groups of people are setting up colonies on Mars.  The deadline is November 1 and payment is $25.  You can find all the details here.

Mega Thump Publishing - Anthology Call

Mega Thump Publishing has posted a call for a second anthology, this one will be Carnal Horror.  They're looking for "horror stories that use sex or overt sexuality as a primary theme" - No erotica.  Stories should be 1000 to 15000 words and the deadline is August 31.  Payment is $20.  You can find the details here.

World Encounters - Anthology Call

Bryan Thomas Schmidt has announced an anthology call for "World Encounters".  For this anthology he is looking for stories about "the culture clash between aliens and people of Earth's various cultures as they encounter each other on earth or in the universe".  The reading period opens on July 1 and runs to September 15 for stories of 3000 to 7000 words.  Payment is 6cents a word.  There will be 10 to 15 open slots.  You can find all the details here.

Shock Totem - Submission Deadline Closing In

Shock Totem will be closing submissions for this reading period in six days (May 31), so if you've something dark and horrifying now's the time.  Their next reading period doesn't open until August.  Payment is 5cents a word with a $250 cap and reprints are 2cents a word.  You'll find the details here.

Hell Notes has a review of issue #7 here.

A Question or Two

Have you ever stopped writing because you've become disillusioned with the publishing side of the business?  I love writing but when it comes to making a bit of cash it becomes an uphill battle to make myself sit down in the chair and actually write.

Why?  Well, let's just say that the cash doesn't always show up in the mail box.  People promise to pay for your work then rather politely stick it up your ass when you question when that money might possibly show up.  We're not talking large amounts here but ten dollars here and twenty there can add up.  And let's be honest, you can't dun people for such small amounts, it's not worth the aggravation.

I've found that every time I think about writing for a living I get stomach cramps and brain freezes.  I don't like causing trouble or getting in virtual brawls with people I like.  I actually feel guilty when I even think about asking these people to pay what's owed.  I even give them excuses, like maybe they don't have the money right now, or they're too busy to go to the post office, or maybe they're sick, or maybe...

So, what I'm asking is how do you folks deal with this?  I'd like to make at least a part time income with my writing but I can't get past trying to deal with the money issues.  I have dozens of projects sitting in writing limbo because I just don't feel the urge to finish.  Worrying about making money seems to take the joy out of writing for me.  How do you get past that and learn to treat writing as a business?

For Tom Piccirilli Fans

Beware the Dark magazine has published a special issue dedicated to Tom Piccirilli.  You'll find three new short stories, a non-fiction piece, and an interview with Tom along with tons of other goodness.  Check it out here.

Shroud - Open for Submissions

I've been offline for most of the day today as we've had thunderstorms rolling through the area for most of the day.  Besides that market pickings are pretty slim, of course as soon as I say that I'll stumble across a dozen or so markets.

Anyhoo, Shroud has opened for submissions and they're a paying (they've increased the amounts) market.  Just be aware when submitting through their submittable account that they have two sections that require fees to submit.  In exchange for the fees you're given a critique of your work.  You can find the details for submitting here.

The Anthony Award Nominees

The Anthony Award Nominees have been announced and you can find the list over at Mystery Fanfare.  What really tickled me was seeing so many names that started in the online trenches like Chris F. Holm, Todd Robinson, Travis Richardson, Josh Stallings (published by Snubnose Press-yeah!) and Art Taylor.  Congrats to all the nominees!!

Untreed Reads - Middle Grade Anthology Call

Untreed Reads has a second Thanksgiving anthology open for submissions.  This one is aimed at middle grade students.  Here's the details as they came through SMFS today.

Why should adults have all the fun? We've done The Killer Wore Cranberry for four years now, but we've left out the most important people. The kids.

Welcome to the Call For Submissions for The Killer Wore Cranberry: Trouble at the Kids' Table.

As in the previous anthologies, all the stories contained within must be about mayhem happening at Thanksgiving, and must feature a typical Thanksgiving dish as a vital part of the story (i.e.: turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie). The target audience for this anthology is the middle grade reader, so ages 8-12. Most importantly…it must be funny! This anthology is all about making middle readers laugh while enjoying a great mystery short at the same time. Think the humor of characters such as Big Nate, Wimpy Kid, Babymouse and others. 

The anthology will be edited by Untreed Reads Editor-in-Chief Jay Hartman. Public and school libraries will be the main market for this anthology.

And now, the rules:

1. All stories must be between 1500-5000 words and aimed at a middle grade reading audience (no YA, no early reader, no adult)

2. Protagonist must be a middle grade aged boy or girl. We all hated being stuck at the kids' table!

3. Deadline for submission for consideration is July 30th, 2014. This is a firm date; no submissions after this date will be considered.

4. All submissions should be sent to Jay Hartman at jhartman@untreedreads.com with the word KIDS TABLE in the subject line.

5. Submissions must be in DOC, RTF or ODT format.

6. We will not be publishing the stories individually. Only the anthology will be available. **NEW THIS YEAR: The anthology will be available as a POD, sold worldwide through Ingram!** You must agree to both our regular ebook contract and our print addendum to be included.

7. Authors will receive royalty, but not upfront payment. Authors will each receive a share of royalties of 50% of net (net = cover price – vendor commission) based on the number of authors in the final anthology.

8. Characters appearing in other Untreed Reads series or other series not published by us are strongly encouraged. If you are published outside of Untreed Reads, please check with your publisher to ensure you have the rights to create a new story for a different publisher with your character(s).

9. Your story MUST have humor in it, feature a Thanksgiving dish and have a great mystery or crime at the heart of the story.

10. Stories not accepted for the anthology may be resubmitted in the future for other submission calls.

11. **NEW FOR THIS YEAR** All stories must be original and cannot have been published or self-published elsewhere or previously submitted to Untreed Reads.

12. There are no restrictions whatsoever on age, race, sex, etc in the work.. Just tell us a great story!

Please direct any questions to Jay Hartman at jhartman@untreedreads.com. We recommend looking at the original The Killer Wore Cranberry and its sequels for an idea of the types of stories we're looking for. Be sure to stop by your local bookshop to see examples of middle grade fiction (Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are two great examples.)

All decisions on material will be made by August 15th, 2014. Every attempt will be made to notify all authors of the status of their submission at that time. Please do not inquire about status prior to September 15th, 2014.

This anthology has an expected publication date of October 15th (quite possibly earlier).

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

---

Jay Hartman

Editor-in-Chief

Untreed Reads Publishing

http://www.untreedreads.com

http://store.untreedreads.com

Beat the Dust - Gone

The online zine Beat the Dust seems to have disappeared into the ether.

On Writing Middles

Writing the middle of a novel or short story can be tricky but over at Paperback Writer this morning I found a post with some good suggestions to help get you through that sagging middle.  Check it out here.

Lit Reactor - Crime Fiction Writing Challenge

Lit Reactor has announced their 2014 writing challenge.  This year they're looking for crime stories from cozy to noir and everything in between.  Submissions open on June 2 and close July 1.  Stories should be 3000 to 5000 words and they have a list of what they don't want - no Italian Mafia, no hitmen or women, no sex crimes, and no serial killers.  There are no fees to enter.  The grand prize is publication in ThugLit.  You can find all the details here.

The Book Smugglers - Call for Submissions

The Book Smugglers site has issued a call for submissions of "subversive fairytale retellings".  They need stories of 1500 to 17,500 that bring fairy tales into the present.  The deadline is July 15 and payment is 5cents a word with a $500 cap.  You can find the details here.

Mocha Memoirs Press - Anthology Call

Mocha Memoirs Press has posted and anthology call for "Avast Ye Airships!".  They're looking for steampunk stories of 1500 to 6000 words with airships, pirates are optional.  The deadline is December 31 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to Coffin Tree Hill.

Kayelle Press - Closed

Due to illness in the family Kayelle Press has closed submissions for both their novel line and the Alternate History Anthology call that was posted earlier this year.

Pixel Hall Press - Call for Shorts

Pixel Hall Press is a small press based in PA.  They have an imprint called PHP Shorts that is open to queries of short stories of 4000 to 15,000 words.  The genre doesn't matter, only the characters and stories.  There's no mention of payment but since you have to query be sure to ask.  You can check out the press here.

Triptych Tales - New Market

Triptych Tales is a new market looking for submissions for their first issue.  They need stories of 2000 to 6000 words "that contain elements common to speculative fiction".  Pay is $100.  You can find the details here and be sure to click on their about page for more information on what they're looking for in a story.

Beat to a Pulp - Free eBooks

Beat to a Pulp has three ebooks available for free and two of them are anthologies!  Check out "The Girls of Bunker Pines", "Beat to a Pulp: Superhero" (which has one of my stories :) ) and "Beat to a Pulp: Round 2".

KnightWatch Press - Anthology Calls

Recently I've run across anthology calls for KnightWatch Press in several of the places I do market searches.  You can find all three calls here, just scroll down the page.  One of the things I do when finding calls on blogs is check out the publisher.  In this case I found that Knight Watch Press had closed shop in 2013.  Going a bit further I discovered that UK publisher Fringe Work Press took over the imprint.  You can check out their current news letter and the press here.  Always be sure of the publisher you're working with when responding to anthology calls from editors.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

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

The Big Click - New Issue

The May/June issue of The Big Click is now available for purchase or can be read online over the next two months.  Check it out here.

Sirens Call - Call for Submissions

Sirens Call ezine is looking for short stories for issue #15 - Crypto, "the search for creatures whose existence has not been scientifically proven...yet".  They need flash of 300 to 1000 words, shorts of 1000 to 2500 words, poetry, and drabbles (100 words exactly).  They also accept reprints.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here.

Their anthology "Out of Phase:  Tales of Sci-Fi Horror" is still open for subs until May 31.  Payment here is royalties.  Just scroll down the page for the guidelines.

Elektrik Milk Bath - Erotica Anthology Call

Elektrik Milk Bath Publications has posted another anthology call, this one is for dark erotica (no title as yet).  They need stories of 1000 to 5000 words in the genres of dark fantasy, horror, literary, or noir.  Writers can submit up to three stories so long as each is submitted separately.  The deadline is June 30 and payment is $30.  You find the details here, just scroll down the page.

FictionMagazines.com - Call for Submissions

FictionMagazines.com publishes monthly emagazines for electronic readers and they're looking for submissions for all their lines.  Payment is royalties paid once you hit $25.  The lines are:
Heater - for mystery/crime stories
New Realm - for fantasy
Nebula Rift - for science fiction
Romance Magazine - for romance
Under the Bed - for horror
eFiction - for literary

You can find all the submission details on their submittable page.

Ghostwood Books - Call for Dark Fiction Novels

UK ebook Publisher Ghostwood Books has posted a call for dark fiction novels or cleverly interlinked short stories of 70,000 to 100,000 words.  They don't go into payment details on the site that I could find.  You can check them out here.

That Lit Site - Charity Anthology Call

Here's something a bit different.  A charity anthology call contest.  That Lit Site has posted a call for short stories of 500 to 9000 words with a child/adolescent as the protagonist.  Stories must take place during war-time, either real or imagined.  Nine stories will be selected for the anthology and other may be published on site.  There's no payment except for copies to those accepted for the anthology.  All proceeds go to Unicef.  You can check out the details here.

Short Story Month - Detectives

I just stumbled across this great site called World's Best Detective Crime and Murder Mystery Books.  On the site they have pieces about many of the cozy detectives.  In their reading room you'll find short stories with some familiar detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown and the unfamiliar (at least to me) like Dr. Thorndyke and Uncle Abner.  Check it out here.

Eggplant Literary Productions - Call for Novellas

Eggplant Literary Productions is open for novella length fiction of 20,000 to 80,000 words for their ebook line.  They want speculative fiction in the genres of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror.  Payment is a $250 advance plus royalties.  You can find all the details here.

Their middle grade fantasy ezine Spellbound is also open for submissions to their Fall issue with the theme of Magical Cats.  The deadline is June 30 for stories up to 2500 words.  Payment is 2.5cents a word.  You can find the details by clicking on the general guidelines link at the site.

Short Story Month - 33 Scary Stories

Over on the BlastR site there's a list of 33 scary stories with links so you can read them all.  The authors include Neil Gaiman, Robert E. Howard, Joyce Carol Oates, Joe Hill, Stephen King, and many more.  Check it out here.  And the sites they're linked to have even more stories for your reading pleasure.

Samhain Publishing - Anthology Call

Samhain Publishing has posted a new anthology call for an as yet unnamed anthology about childhood fears.  They're looking for novella length horror stories of 25,000 to 30,000 words as each story will be published individually and collectively.  The deadline is September 15 and payment is royalties.  The work will be published in 2015.  You can find all the details here.  The pay details are on their submission guidelines page and on the FAQ page.

Belladonna Publishing - Anthology Call

Belladonna Publishing has posted a new anthology call for "Strange Little Girls".  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 8000 words that feature "weird" little girls, think Tuesday Addams.  The reading period opens May 15 and runs through July 15.  Payment is $120 plus copies.  You can find all the details here.

Short Story Month - Murder by the Book by Cathi Stoler

Today's story is a nicely done cozy mystery by Cathi Stoler call "Murder by the Book" posted over at the great online zine Beat to a Pulp.

Short Story Month - Stage to Lordsburg by Ernest Haycox

The first book sale of the season was today and I scored big time in the Western genre.  Usually there's very few Westerns but there were several boxes donated to the sale and he only put out one of them so I'm very much looking forward to next month's sale.  I managed to snag four Luke Short novels - "Ride the Man Down", "Marauders' Moon", "Station West", and "King Colt".  I read an collection of his shorts and loved how he wrote so I'm excited to start reading these.  I also picked up "The Wild Bunch" by Ernest Haycox.  I read his short story "Stage to Lordsburg"  and yeah, I loved that one, too.  I found a collection of shorts by Jack Schaefer and I'm looking forward to reading them as he's the author who wrote "Shane".  I lucked into a newer Western by James Reasoner called "Medicine Creek" and "Westward the Women" by Nancy Wilson Ross, which is not so new.  And so you can get that Western feeling for yourself I've found Haycox's "Stage to Lordsburg" online.  There's a long introduction before the story starts so you can scroll down if you're not into introductions.  Oh, this story is the basis for the movie Stagecoach.

Tacitus Publishing - Anthology Call

Tacitus Publishing has posted an anthology call for "It's a Grimm Life".  They're looking for stories of 1500 to 5000 words that bring the fairy tale into the modern world.  The deadline is August 31 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

SST Publications - Call for Graphic Novels

UK publisher SST Publications is open for submissions of graphic novels.  They're looking for horror, erotic, or anything dark.  You can find the details here.  And hey, they've signed Joe Lansdale and are getting ready to publish two of his short stories a graphic novel.

Hat tip to hellnotes.com!

Write Different by Michael Bracken

Michael Bracken has an interesting post up on his blog about how to "Write Different".

Great Old Ones Publishing - Anthology Call

Great Old Ones Publishing has posted an anthology call for "Pernicious Invaders".  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 8000 words "themed with having our bodies overtaken".  Payment is $25 and the deadline is July 31.  You can find all the details here.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com!

Charon Coin Press - Anthology Call

Charon Coin Press has posted a new anthology call for "Paying the Ferryman".  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 9000 words that "start after the main character has died".  Yep, you get to explore the afterlife.  The reading period begins on June 1 and closes September 1.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to horrortree.com!

Short Story Month - Classic Horror

Just found this great place full of classic horror stories from authors such as Poe, Lovecraft, Bierce, Blackwood, and HG Wells.  Just scroll down the page for the entire list.

Black Denim Lit - New Issue

The May issue of Black Denim Lit has gone live.  You can check it out here.  And they're open for submissions and pay 1cent a word.

Dead Gun Press - New Market

Looks like there's a new market for you crime writers out there.  Dead Gun Press has an online ezine in need of short stories of 500 to 2500 words in the genres of crime, noir, detective, westerns, horror, and sci-fi.  There's no pay for the ezine.  The press also puts out anthologies from time to time and have already published a few.  Payment for these is one copy.  There is also Showcase Selections which is looking for short story collections, novellas, and novelettes of 25,000 to 45,000 words and this one pays royalties.  You can find the details here.

The editor here is John L. Thompson and you can find his website here.

Short Story Month - The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Awards Nominees

Over at the SF Signal site they have listed the ten short story finalists for the 2014 The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Awards nominees with links for seven of the stories.

A Pair of Interviews

Over at Lit Reactor Keith Rawson does 10 Questions with Jeff VanderMeer and on the Italian (I think) blog Kipple there is an interview with Joe Lansdale.  Good stuff in both interviews

2014 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award - No Fee Contest

Baen Books along with Gen Con has post a call for the inaugural Baen Fantasy Adventure Award.  For this contest they're looking for fantasy stories up to 8000 words "that captures the spirit and traditions of the great storytellers".  The deadline is June 30 and there's no fee to enter.  First prize is publication with pro rate payment.  Second and third prizes are a book bundle from Baen Books.  You can find all the details here.

Burnt Offerings Books - Anthology Call

Burnt Offerings Books is a new publisher with an anthology call out.  "Yesterday You Said Tomorrow" is looking for shorts of 1000 to 7500 words about fixed time-line time-travel.  They have a very good example up in their guidelines so you'll know exactly what they mean.  The deadline is June 30 and payment is royalties.  You can find the details here.  The editor is Scott Lefebvre and you can check out his story for the anthology and him on his blog.

Short Story Month - All My Sad Captains by Joseph Mills

Literary stories are a strange thing.  They try too hard most times to show you how miserable life is.  Now, this story shows us the break down of a marriage but you never meet the wife and hear the usual yelling and screaming that accompanies a breakup.  This story is told from the husband's point of view as he's spending "quality" time with his friends.  The ending left me giggling because it was such a male thing and I could actually see it happening.  You can read "All My Sad Captains" by Joseph Mills over at Whiskeypaper.

Inkstained Succubus Press - Erotica Anthology Calls

Inkstained Succubus Press is an erotica publisher with four anthology calls listed.  The genres are open but they want dark stories.  Stories should be 5000 to 10,000 words, payment is royalties.  The calls are "Taking Flight" (wings as in angels, etc), "Candle in the Dark" (Christmas, etc), "Somewhere Out There" (sci-fi), and "Genre Genderqueer".  You can find the calls here.  Full details are on their guidelines page.

Silver Birch Press - Anthology Call

Silver Birch Press has an open call for their "Great Gatsby Anthology".  They're looking for poetry, short stories, essays, creative non-fiction, and plays that celebrate the book.  Payment is a copy of the anthology.  The deadline is September 1.  You can find the details here.

Shade Mountain Press - Anthology Call - Female Writers

Shade Mountain Press is seeking short stories up to 10,000 words for their anthology "The Female Complaint".  Female authors only and reprints are welcome.  The deadline is August 15.  There's no mention of pay so that's something you'll have to query if you're interested.  You can check out the details here.

Fossil Lake II: The Refossiling - Anthology Call

"Fossil Lake II: The Refossiling" will be published in both ebook and print format.  They're looking for dark stories in a variety of genres and "bonus points for somehow involving the thematic elements of fossils and/or lakes".  They'll be accepting poetry and flash fiction up to 1000 words with a $5 payment and shorts from 1000 to 5000 words.  They're also accepting reprints.  The deadline is September 30.  You can find all the details here.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

Carpe lector by Art Taylor

Over at the Criminal Minds blog Art Taylor has written a thoughtful post about the ephemeral nature of published work, especially for short story writers.  Read it here.

Gulf Coast Writers Association - Non-fiction Anthology Call

The Gulf Coast Writers Association has issued a call for their sixth annual anthology.  This year they're doing non-fiction in the form of biographies of Mississippians, living or dead.  They can be famous people or just a regular person but their stories have to relate to Mississippi.  The title is "Mississippi Profiles".  The deadline is May 30 for up to 2000 words.  Payment is $50.  You can check it out here.

Short Story Month - Our Fair City by Robert A. Heinlein

I've always associated Robert Heinlein with science fiction but I was pleasantly surprised by this frothy bit of fantasy.  Mr. Heinlein takes on the corrupt cops and politicians of a small city with, of all things, a whirlwind called Kitten.  A fun story.  You can read "Our Fair City" here in pdf.  This story was published in Weird Tales January of 1949.  I read it in an anthology titled "The Fantasy Hall of Fame" edited by Robert Silverberg.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Somehow I missed linking to Angie's Desk for her April anthology list, so here it is.  Thanks, Angie!!

Short Story Month - Acid Free Pulp

The Acid Free Pulp blog is celebrating Short Story Month by posting reviews of short stories with links to the stories.  Authors include Shirley Jackson (not The Lottery) and Philip K. Dick.  Check it out here.

The Agatha Award Winners

The Agatha Awards were presented at Malice Domestic last night and the Mystery Scene blog has posted the results.  Congrats to all the winners and nominees and especially to Art Taylor who won in the short story category.  And congrats to Barb Goffman on her double nomination in that category.  Well done to both of you!!

Death Where the Nights are Long - Non-fiction Anthology Call

I don't post too many non-fiction calls but the title of this one intrigued me and the pay is very, very good.  "Death Where the Nights are Long" is looking for essays, memoirs, poetry, and creative non-fiction that deals with "the idea and experience of death".  Pieces should be 2500 to 5000 words and the deadline is November 1.  Payment is $250 on acceptance and another $250 on publication with extra if the book sells well.  There is no publisher attached to the project at this time.  You can find all the details here.

And about that title - it would make for a great theme for a noir anthology you crime fiction editors out there.

Short Story Month - American Literature's Top Twenty

The American Literature site has a wealth of short stories by authors such as Ambrose Bierce, O. Henry, and Poe.  Here's a link to a collection of the first twenty stories that they published.  You'll also find some old novels available to read and thousands of short stories.  All free!

Short Story Month - Foodies by Rob Hart

There's a lovely, well I shouldn't really say lovely, piece of flash over at Shotgun Honey today.  "Foodies" by Rob Hart draws you in and keeps you reading because curiosity gets the better of you.

The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk - Anthology Call

The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk is open for submissions.  They're looking for original stories but there's no word count listed.  The deadline is August 1 and payment is 5cents a word.  Publisher appears to be UK publisher Prime Books.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to Coffintree Hill!

And the Winners Are

The Mystery Writers of America announced the Edgar winners last night.  Check it out here at Mystery Fanfare.  A big congrats to all the winners and nominees!!

ThugLit - New Issue

ThugLit #11 is now available for your Kindles.  Check it out here.

Short Story Month - Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl

May is short story month and like last year I'll try to post up a short story tid-bit every day.  Today's is an old favorite of mine, one I read many years ago and never forgot.  The story is "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl.

Crossed Genres - Open for Submissions

Crossed Genres is open for submissions from May 1 to the 31 with the theme of TYPICAL.  "What is typical?  What isn't?  How does it comfort?  How does it offend?  And does it matter?"  Stories should be 1000 to 6000 words and payment is 5cents a word.  This market is also SFWA qualified.  You can check out the guidelines and future themes here.

Needle - Open for Submissions

Needle has opened for submissions today.  This is a non-paying market but a very cool place for crime/noir writers to get published.  They fill up fast so get your story in early.