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.