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.