Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!!  Enjoy the evening.

Black Treacle - Open for Submissions

Canadian zine Black Treacle has opened submissions for their next issue.  They're looking for short stories of 1500 to 5000 words in the genres of Horror, Dark Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction.  Payment is $50CAD.  They're also looking for non-fiction with the same pay rate.  You can find the details here.

Flash Bang Mysteries - Open for Flash Submissions on January 1

Quarterly online zine Flash Bang Mysteries submission period will open on January 1 and run to January 31.  They are looking for all types of crime/mystery flash stories of 500 to 750 words.  Payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Funny Fantasy - Reprint Anthology Call

Editor Alex Shvartsman has posted an anthology call for "Funny Fantasy".  He is looking for reprints of 500 to 7500 words that were published in venues paying at least 1cent a word.  Payment is 2cents a word and the deadline is February 29, 2016.  You can find the details here.

Betty Fedora - Opens for Submissions January 1st

I have six markets on my calendar that will be opening on January 1, 2016 so I'll be listing them the next couple of days so you can get a head start on your story.  First up is Betty Fedora - they're looking for crime stories of 1000 to 6000 words that feature kick ass women.  The deadline for this submission period is March 31, 2016.  This is a non-paying market except for a copy.   You can find the details here.

Time Alone Press - Anthology Call

Time Alone Press is a new market with an anthology call for "Let Us In".  They're looking for horror stories around 4000 words that address the theme of "horrors that we invite into our lives willingly or with reluctance".  They have some ideas listed to help you understand what they're looking for.  The deadline is April 30, 2016 and payment is 6cents a word plus a royalty share.   Submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone is having a joyous Holiday Season.  Wishing you all best wishes for a happy New Year!!

Independent Legions - Anthology Call

Independent Legions is a new publisher that has posted an anthology call for "The Beauty of Death".  They're looking for horror stories of 4500 to 7500 words.  The deadline is March 30, 2016 and payment is $100.  You can find the details here.

Grand Mal Press - Open for Novel Submissions

Grand Mal Press has opened for novel submissions in the genres of detective/mystery, thriller, horror, and science fiction.  In the guidelines there is this:

" NEW BUSINESS MODEL! Grand Mal Press is now a publishing alliance, wherein authors retain 100% of their sales royalties, as well as maintain complete control of their intellectual properties and sales channels. All our books are still produced as paperbacks, ebooks, and audiobooks. If we accept your novel, we will discuss the details in more depth."

I'm not sure but it sounds like writers might have to pay the upfront costs if they're to receive all of the royalties.  So be very sure you read your contracts carefully and be aware of what this new business model involves.  It could be all good but watch your back.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The December issue of Yellow Mama has gone live.  You can read it here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Markets

Angie has poster her December list of anthology markets.  Thanks, Angie!

Ink Smith Publishing - Open for Novella and Novel Submissions

Ink Smith Publishing is open for both novella and novel submission queries.  Novellas should be 30,000 to 50,000 words and novels over 50,000.  This market is open for Crime, Detective, and Mystery as well as other genres such as sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.  They publish in both e-book and print.  There is no mention of payment rates on their site so be sure to ask when you query.  You can find the details here.

Manawaker Studio - Anthology Call

Manawaker Studio has posted an anthology call for "Starward Tales".  They're looking for retellings of legends, myths, and fairytales set in a science fiction or xxx-punk setting.  There is no deadline set yet.  Payment is low, only $1 per 1000 words but they are taking reprints.  You can check them out here.

Bundoran Press - Anthology Call

Canadian publisher Bundoran Press has posted an anthology call for "Lazarus Risen".  They are seeking science fiction stories of 3500 to 6500 words that explore the concept of living forever.  The deadline is February 29, 2016 and payment is 4cents a word with a maximum payment of $300.  You can find the details here.

Advent Ghosts 2015

It's time for Loren Eaton's Advent Ghosts 2015.  Take some time to read the stories and put a little shiver in your Holidays.  I've posted my story below.  You can find the rest of the stories and links here.  Remember that each story is exactly 100 words so there's loads of easy reading.  Have fun and Happy Holidays to you and yours.

                                                        The Christmas House

"You boys stay away from that Henley house.  It's Christmas eve and evil takes hold of that place on Christmas."

"Okay, Mom," shouted the pair of brothers as they raced down the street.

The boys took turns pelting snowballs at the derelict house ignoring the brilliant Christmas moon as it blazed across the beaten down face of Henley house coaxing it awake.  A slinking, snow-shrouded fog nudged them ever closer to the shuttered building while their laughter stirred the Krampus heart of the house.  Ka-thump.  Ka-thump.

Christmas morning found their mother weeping as the town searched for her missing sons.

The Dark City - Open for Submissions

The Dark City Crime and Mystery Magazine is open for submissions of crime stories of 1000 to 7000 words.  While they prefer stories set in the American West they will consider mysteries set in other locals.  Payment is $25.  Their first issue went live in October so you can read it online to get a feel for what they're looking for.  You can find the details here.

Bracken - New Market

Bracken is a new market that is looking for short stories up to 2500 words for their first issue.  They're open to most genres ( I suspect from the guidelines that this is the various sub-genres of the speculative fiction arena ) but are biased toward magic realism.  Payment is 2cents a word.  You can find the details here.

The Saving Christmas Story Cupboard

If you're looking for a new angle on your Christmas story give the "Christmas Asteroid" a whirl.  It has the makings of a SyFy channel type of disaster story with a Christmas morning, family gathered around the tree, ending after their miracle escape.  If you want to delve into fantasy perhaps Santa hitches his reindeer to the asteroid and pulls it away from its path toward earth (and maybe he brings Bruce Willis along for the ride :)).  Have fun with it and always remember that Christmas is a time of miracles.

Lillicat Puplishers - Anthology Call

Lillicat Publishers has posted an anthology call for "Visions IV:  Space Between Stars".  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 8000 words that explore how people will live in deep space as they travel between the stars.  The deadline is February 15, 2016 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

The Crooked Holster: Ritual - Now Available

The Crooked Holster print anthology is now available for purchase on Amazon - check it out here.  Very happy to see several friends of the blog have stories in this anthology.

New Fantasy/Sci-fi Reprint Market With a Caution

Have you ever run across a publishing company that completely baffled you with their guidelines?  I ran across a market today that is asking for reprints but states that they have the right to require the author to make all changes that they request.  Now, isn't the purpose of publishing reprints so that you don't have to rewrite stories? 

In their mission statement they say that they are going to pay 6cents a word for original fiction but on their Submittable page they state that payment is a royalty split with writers, slush readers, editors, etc.  Basically, you'll be lucky if you see a dime.  This doesn't align with the fact that they're looking to become an approved market with the SFFWA.  They seem to be confused about what they're asking for in the way of stories.  They want reprints but seem to be posting guidelines for original stories.

I realize that this is a new market but if they're this confused...?  I read their submission guidelines at Submittable,  Checked out the original website that was linked from there in October (which has no postings).  And checked the website that was linked to from Duotrope.  Be sure to check out as much as you can before submitting so you can get an idea of who you are submitting to.  I thought this would be a good market for reprints but now I'm not so sure.

Now, with that said, this market is looking for sci-fi and fantasy reprints for two separate anthologies.  You can find their Submittable page here and their website here. 

New English Press - Anthology Call

New English Press is a new market and they've posted an anthology call for "This Book Ain't Nuthin' Ta Fuck Wit:  A Wu-Tang Tribute".  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 3000 words that give tribute to the hip hop group Wu Tang.  And they are looking for ninjas and crime stories and horror so this will be of interest to many of the readers here.  The deadline is March 1, 2016 and payment is $20.  You can find the details here.

I forgot to add that you should read their about page to get a feel for what they're looking for.

Farstrider Magazine - Open for Submissions

Farstrider Magazine has opened submissions for issue #2 which will be published in April of 2016.  Issue #1 is filled and will hit the virtual streets in January.  Payment here is 3cents a word for fantasy stories in all the various sub-genres.  Also this time around they're looking for stories on the lighter side with some humor.  You can check out the details here.

Apex Books - Poetry Anthology Call

I don't usually publish poetry calls but this one from Apex Books might interest some of you.  They're looking for poems about "animate but no longer living" creatures (zombies, ghosts, etc.).  The deadline is April 1, 2016 and payment is $5 a poem (you can submit up to three).  They're also accepting reprints for this one. You can find the guidelines here.

Betty Fedora - New Issue

The second issue of Betty Fedora is now available in both print and ebook editions.  You can check it out here.  And the Kindle edition is free until Sunday!

Advent Ghosts 2015

I meant to post this the other day but forgot (I swear that some days my mind is standing on a banana peel).  Loren Eaton has posted an invitation on his blog for Advent Ghosts 2015.  Everyone is invited to write a horror story  for the Christmas season - the catch is to write it in exactly 100 words.  Then post your drabble to your own blog or email it to Loren and he'll post it on his blog.  The posting day is December 19 then sit back and enjoy the multitude of Christmas horrors. :)  You can find the details here.  There's no payment or prizes, just good old Christmas fun.

How to Use Lovecraftian Horrors in Your Stories by David Mesick

Over on the Mythcreants website there's a great article by David Mesick about "How to Use Lovecraftian Horrors in Your Stories".  While you're on the site take a minute or so to look around they have a great many articles about how to write science fiction and fantasy.  Always a good thing if you're going to dip your writing pen into a new genre.

Hat tip to sfsignal.com

280 Steps - Open for Novel Submissions

Just received this note from the Kjetil Hestvedt the head honcho over at 280 Steps Publishing:

Thought I’d let you know that we have opened for submissions for our Spring and Fall 2017 lineups. We accept unagented submissions. We are looking for great crime, mystery, noir and thriller novels—standalone or first in a series. Authors from the US, UK, Australia and Canada are welcome to submit. Deadline is March 1, 2016. 

Submission guidelines are available here: http://280steps.com/submissions

280 Steps is a publishing house specializing in crime fiction, with titles from authors such as CWA Debut Dagger winner Ryan David Jahn, Tony Hillerman Prize winner Roy Chaney, Eric Beetner, C.J. Howell, Ro Cuzon, Christopher Irvin, Court Haslett, Joe Ricker and Keith Rawson. 

Best,

Kjetil Hestvedt

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

280 Steps

We Do Crime Fiction

www.280steps.com

Janet Hutchings - An Interview

Over at The Thrill Begins website there's an interview with Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine's editor Janet Hutchings.  It's an interesting look inside the magazine.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores - New Market

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores is a new online zine looking for sci-fi and fantasy in all its various forms.  Stories should be 1000 words and up.  Payment is 6cents a word for original stories and 2cents a word for reprints and non-fiction articles.  You can find the details here.

Chappy Fiction LLC - Anthology Call

Chappy Fiction LLC is a new market with a submission call for stories up to 7000 words for a time travel anthology (no title yet).  They will look at reprints but you have to query first.  The deadline is January 1, 2016 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Michael Bracken - An Interview

There is an excellent interview with short story writer Michael Bracken on the website of Dr. Jac Fitzenz.  The interview is full of good advice for writers.

Liminal Stories Magazine - New Market

Liminal Stories Magazine is a new market that is now open for submissions of shorts up to 10,000 words.  They're open to any genre but have a soft spot for the speculative fiction genre.  The deadline is January 15, 2016 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Crystal Lake Publishing - Anthology Call

Crystal Lake Publishing opened submissions today for a new anthology titled "Tales From the Lake: Volume 3".  They're looking for a "new generation of urban legend" stories of 2000 to 4000 words.  The deadline is February 29, 2016 and payment is $20.  You can find the details here.

Pulp Modern - Open for Submissions

Pulp Modern opened for submissions today.  They're looking for straight up crime stories, the nastier the better.  You can check out the call here where you'll also find a link to the guidelines.  The deadline is December 31.

Mysterical-E - New Issue

The Fall issue of Mysterical-E has hit the virtual streets.  You can read it here.

One Throne Magazine - Open for Submissions

One Throne Magazine is a Quarterly online zine that is open to all genres including mystery/crime stories.  This is a non-paying market.  They're looking for shorts up to 7500 words and flash fiction under 1000 words.  You can find the details here.

What Writers are Encouraged to Forget

"And it does no harm to repeat, as often as you can, 'Without me the literary industry would not exist; the publishers, the agents, the sub-agents, the sub-sub-agents, the accountants, the libel lawyers, the department of literature, the professors, the theses, the book of criticism, the reviewers, the book pages--all this vast and proliferating edifice is because of this small, patronized, put down, and underpaid person.'" - Doris Lessing

Larry Brown - An Interview

I found myself Googling Larry Brown today and ran across this interview.  I especially liked his advice for aspiring writers.

Just a Note

Just a note to say that there hasn't been much in the way of markets this past week.  Seems like everything I find is either non-paying or require fees to submit.  Very depressing.  Makes me wonder why I even bother to write.  The joy of writing seems to disappear a little bit more with every market search and the upcoming Holidays don't seem to help matters any.

Anyhoo, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you - May it be filled with family and friends.

ThugLit - New Anthology Now Available

ThugLit has a new anthology out today titled "ThugLit Presents:  Cruel Yule:  Holiday Tales of Crime for People on the Naughty List".  Kind of makes you feel all warm and cozy with that holiday cheer doesn't it? :)  You can check it out here.

Belt Magazine - Non-fiction Anthology Call

Belt Magazine has posted an anthology call titled "A 2016 Race Anthology:  Dispatches From a Segregated City".  The city in this case is Cleveland and the conversations that are taking place to address the race issues in their city.  They're looking for non-fiction of 700 to 3000 words "that push our conversation deeper".  Reprints are acceptable.  The deadline is January 10, 2016.  A stipend payment is mentioned but not an exact amount.  You can find the details here.

Stories of Music - Call for Non-fiction Submissions

"Stories of Music" has posted a call for submission to their second anthology.  They're looking for non-fiction pieces up to 9,000 with music as the centerpiece.  This can be creative non-fiction or memoir.  The deadline is March 1, 2016.  The publisher is Timbre Press and payment is $200.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Ember Magazine - Open for Submissions

You never know what you're going to find when doing a search for markets.  But "The Carrot is Mightier than the Sword" caught my eye tonight.  Ember magazine has posted a special call for one story using this title for their next issue.  They want one story to match the cover that's been designed for this issue.  Their audience is geared toward the 10 to 18 year old age group.  The deadline for this special call is December 31 and payment is 2cents a word or $20 whichever is more.  You can find the details here.  Submissions are through Submittable.  If that doesn't inspire you they're also open for general submissions. 

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has published her anthology submissions list for November.  Thanks, Angie!

Apex - Anthology Call

Apex magazine has opened submissions for a new anthology titled "Upside Down:  Inverted Tropes in Storytelling".  they're looking for stories up to 5000 words that examine the tropes of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.  Poetry and flash are also acceptable for submissions.  They have a long list you can use for inspiration.  This project is to be KickStarter funded and payment will be 6cents a word if successful.  The deadline is December 31.  You can find the details here.

Crime Syndicate Magazine - Update

Crime Syndicate Magazine has announced that the guest editor for their first issue is Eric Beetner.  Submissions for the first issue are open until December 5 for crime stories of 1500 to 4500 words.  Submissions are through Submittable and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Intro to Genre by Patrick S. Tomlinson

Finally!  Someone actually gives us the low-down on how to become a best selling author.  And that's said with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek :)

Hat tip to sfsignal.com for the link.

Jersey Devil Press - Special Issue Call

Jersey Devil Press has posted a call for a Sherlock Holmes special issue.  They want all kinds of Sherlock stories up to 8000 words.  They will also consider reprints so long as they're no available online.  The deadline is December 30.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.  This is a non-paying market.

Tree Lion Press - Anthology Calls

Tree Lion Press has three anthology calls posted.  All are seeking speculative fiction stories of 500 to 10,000 words based on themes for each anthology.  Payment is a $5 advance plus royalties.  Here are the themes:

"The Land of Dust and Bones" - weird Westerns - deadline March 30, 2016
"Keeping Pace With Eternity" - stories set in the world of long distance running - deadline January 15, 2016
"Menschen and Minyanim" - stories about the Jewish experience but no Nazis - deadline February 29, 2016

I've linked to the weird Westerns page where you find links to the other anthology calls and their specific details. Just scroll down the page

Visual Adjectives - Anthology Call

Visual Adjectives has posted an anthology call for a second superhero anthology titled "New Legends:  The Hero - The Antihero - The Vigilante, Book 2".  They're looking for stories of 2500 to 8000 words in any genre with your story relevant to the theme.  You can use one or all three (hero, antihero, or vigilante)  for your characters.  The deadline is February 8, 2016 and payment is $25 plus a royalty share.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to horrortree.com

Comet Press - Best Of Anthology Call

Comet Press has posted a call for your best hardcore horror short stories or novelettes that were published in 2015 for "The Hardcore Horror Annual 2015".  This will be a "best of" anthology so only reprints will be accepted.  Self published work is also acceptable for this call.  There's no mention of pay but this is a press that usually pays the writers.  Something you'll have to query.  You can find the details here.  The deadline is January 30, 2016.

The Lovecraft eZine - Open for Submissions

The Lovecraft eZine has reopened to fiction submissions.  They're looking for cosmic horror stories up to 5000 words that feature the themes of Lovecraft.  Payment is $25 for stories under 3000 words and $50 for stories over 3000 words.  You can check out the details here.

The Uber Story Cupboard

There are story ideas everywhere, even on TV.  Today I was watching a commercial for Uber, a company that supplies drivers with cars to transport people around a city.  I've never been fond of getting into cars with strangers so my imagination took flight.  Checking out their website I discovered that they actively seek ex-military personnel as drivers.  I had already thought of several ideas like a stalker pursuing one of his passengers or maybe a driver forced to drive for a group of bank robbers or kidnappers or maybe even a serial killer.  If you add in the military angle you've got a great action story.  And while you can't use Uber you can make up your own car and driver company and place it in any city in the world.  Story ideas are only as far away as your imagination can take you.

Belt Magazine - Call for Non-fiction Anthology

Belt Magazine is seeking non-fiction essays and long form journalism of 1000 to 4000 words for the next book in their Rust Belt anthology series.  The city for this anthology is Flint, Michigan.  The deadline is February 1, 2016 and payment will depend on what funding they can raise.  You can find the details here. 

Upstreet - Open for Submissions

Now here's a rare thing - a literary magazine that pays.  Upstreet is currently looking for submissions of poetry, short fiction, and essays for issue #12.  Stories should be under 5000 words.  The deadline is March 1, 2016 and payment is $50 to $250.  They have an online submission form.  You can find the details here.  There are issues posted online in pdf form so you can get a feel for what they're looking for.

Dark Moon Digest - New Management

Dark Moon Digest has been purchased by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing who will continue to publish the print quarterly.  This is a horror market but dark crime stories could also work here.  With the new ownership payment will be 1cent a word for both flash and short stories.  Submissions are through Submittable which contains the guidelines. 

A Guide to Classic Mystery & Detection

For those of you interested in the history of the mystery genre I ran across this site called "A Guide to Classic Mystery & Detection".  There's loads of links and information for you to check out.  It looks like it's been around for a while but I don't remember ever seeing it before. 

Crossed Genres Magazine - Closing

Sad to say that Crossed Genres Magazine is closing its doors after the December issue.  You can find out the reasons here.

ThugLit - Open for Submissions

ThugLit is open for submissions of crime noir stories of 3000 to 6000 words.  Payment is $50.  You can find the details here.

Pankhearst - Anthology Call

Pankhearst has posted an anthology call for "Life During Wartime".  They're looking for future dystopia blues stories up to 10,000.  The deadline is January 31, 2016.  This is a non-paying market but you might be able to fit in a crime story.  They have a long list of ideas to get you started.  You can check it out here.

Hat tip to Thomas Pluck.

Reinventing the Short Story Market by Benoit Lelievre

Benoit Lelievre has an excellent essay titled "Reinventing the Short Story Market" on his blog Dead End Follies.  I'm a sucker for short stories and I just wanted to scream Yes! Yes! Yes! when I finished reading.  Go check it out!

The Big Click - New Issue

The November/December issue of The Big Click is now available for purchase or to read online through the month.  This issue looks pretty cool as it is centered on noir comics.  Check it out here.

Ninestar Press - Open for Submissions

Ninestar Press is a LGBTQA market for Romance and Erotica stories but the genres you can write in are wide open.  They are currently looking for Romance ranging from 12,000 to 120,000 words, Erotica in the 5000 to 12,000 word range.  They also have an anthology call titled "Summer Love".  Here they're looking for romance stories with a summer theme.  This is a royalty paying market (FAQ's page).  You can find the details here. 

Ilanot Review - Open for Submissions

I'm always looking for markets that might be a fit for crime fiction and while The Ilanot Review (An Israeli Journal of Creative Writing in English) is a literary market and non-paying the theme for their Winter 2016 issue might work for those of you who write noir.  The theme is "Constraint" or the lack thereof.  They're looking for poetry and non-fiction but also short stories up to 5000 words.  Submissions are through Submittable and the deadline is November 30, 2015.  You can find the details here.

Nosetouch Press - Anthology Calls

Nosetouch Press has posted an anthology call for "Blood, Sweat & Fears:  Horror Inspired by the 1970's".  The reading period for this one opens on December 1 and ends February 29, 2016 so you'll have plenty of time to research the seventies if you didn't get a chance to live through them.  They're looking for horror stories of 3000 to 10,000 words that have a seventies (1970 - 1979) vibe.  They mentioned the Son of Sam murders so crime fiction with a horror twist should be a good fit.  Payment is $25.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.  They also have an anthology call for "Wax & Wane" that you can check out if you have a witch story tucked away in your files.  Payment for this one is $13.

Crime Syndicate Magazine - New Crime Market

From the lovely Michael Bracken comes a link to a new crime fiction market.  Crime Syndicate Magazine will be a quarterly online zine.  They are currently seeking stories of 1500 to 4500 words for their first issue and they are open to all types of crime/mystery stories.  Submissions are through Submittable and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Mystery Weekly - New Issue

And the November issue of Mystery Weekly is now available.  Check it out here.

ThugLit - New Issue

Issue #20 of ThugLit has hit the streets.  Available for your Kindles or in print.  Check it out!

Broken River Books - Anthology Call

Broken River Books posted a call back in July (which I some how missed ) for an anthology titled "The Broken River Review".  They're looking for crime based fiction stories up to 3000 words.  Be sure to take a look around their site because they have a very particular taste in the sort of crime fiction they publish.  The deadline is December 1 and payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Darkhouse Books - Anthology Call

Darkhouse Books opened submissions today for a new anthology titled "Stories From the Near Future".  They're looking for upbeat science fiction stories of 2500 to 6000 words set five to fifteen years from now.  They will accept reprints for this one.  The deadline is January 31, 2016, payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Vincent Price

And of course it wouldn't be Halloween without a little Vincent Price, would it?  Here he is singing "Monster Mash".

I wonder sometimes how Mr. Price wound up so very much associated with the Horror genre of films and TV when I see him in movies like "Leave Her to Heaven" and "Laura" and yet, even those films are tinged with Horror.  I guess he was just destined to embrace that world of the eerie and macabre.  It certainly suits him.

A Little Halloween Horror

Electric Lit has posted the "12 Haunting American Short Stories to Read this Halloween".  There are links to some of the stories for your reading pleasure.  I have to congratulate them on their list because they haven't included the usual suspects like "The Lottery" or "The Tell-Tale Heart".

Of course they also didn't include a favorite of mine called "Turntables of the Night" by Terry Pratchett or this little piece of flash by me :)

For me Horror seems to lend itself easily to the short story and some of the best don't leave you covered in blood, just shaking in your shoes.  What are some of your favorite Horror short stories?

And 10 More via Lit Reactor.

Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity - Submissions Calls

Erica Verrillo has posted 11 paying markets with November deadlines on her blog "Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity"  Check it out here.  Thanks, Erica!  For those interested she's also posted some November conferences and a listing for no-fee contests.

Subtle Magic - Anthology Call

I've never been fond of finding markets on Craigslist because you never know for sure who you are dealing with.  But...This one pays 3cents a word for  urban fantasy shorts up to 3000 words with the theme "Subtle Magic".  The publisher is a new market called Will Dunn Publishing.  I can't find a website and submissions go to an email at Craigslist.  If you're interested you can check out the ad here.

Mormon Alternate History Anthology - Anthology Call

Editor William Morris has posted an anthology call for a Mormon Alternate History anthology.  He's looking for flash stories under 2500 words and shorts stories of 3000 to 6000 words with Mormonism central to the story.  The alternate history should be post 1800 and pre 2020.  The deadline is March 19, 2016 and payment is $15 for flash and $25 for shorts.  You can find all the details here.  Be sure to read the whole page as he's provided a lot of information about what he's looking for.

Seeking One Good Project - Call for Submissions

Elaine Ash aka Anonymous-9 has an interesting proposition up on her AshEdit blog.  She's seeking "One Good Project" in the genre of mystery/crime.  If you have a novel that's making the rounds but you're smacking your head up against the wall with rejections send it to Elaine.  She'll make suggestions and help with the editing in exchange for a co-author credit when it's published.  You can check out the details and Elaine here.

Body Parts Magazine - Open for Submissions

Body Parts Magazine is an online zine that publishes Horror and erotica in all its many forms.  Each issue has a theme and the current theme is Grave Robbing.  They accept flash up to 1000 words (pays $5) and shorts to 8000 words (pays $10).  They also accept novellas and non-fiction essays.  The deadline for this issue is March 1, 2016.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to the Literarium blog.

Less Than Three Press - Anthology Call

Less Than Three Press has added another LGBTQIA anthology to their list of calls.  This one is titled "Less Than Dead" and the theme is Zombies.  Stories should be 10,000 to 20,000 words in any genre so long as you adhere to the zombie theme.  The deadline is February 28, 2016 and payment is $200.  You can find the details here.  Just scroll down the page.

A Dismal Trend

This morning I received Duotrope's monthly newsletter and was surprised (almost) that of the 128 new markets they listed in the past thirty days that only 28 were paying (13 pro - 12 semi pro - 3 token).  That is seriously out of whack.  Another trend I've also seen the past few months is the number of non-fiction markets that are non-paying.  How can so many publishers keep supplying content if they aren't paying the writers?  And if they're making a profit why aren't author's demanding their share?  It's a very lop-sided world out there.

Celebrating the Short Story

If you live in the UK near the University of Huddersfield they will be "Celebrating the Short Story" all day on Saturday, December 5.  There is a fee of 15pounds for the entire day's events.

Hat tip to SF Signal.

Also Applies to Short Mystery Fiction Anthologies

Over at the Kirkus Review site you'll find an excellent essay by John DeNardo titled "5 Reasons to Read Short Speculative Fiction Anthologies".  And yes, it also applies to short mystery fiction anthologies which we definitely need more of.

Crime Factory - Open for Submissions

Crime Factory is currently open for submissions of both short stories and non-fiction.  The deadline is October 31 and there's no payment.  They are no longer asking you to query the story but to send in your full manuscript (no novels at this time).  You can find the details here.

Not That Bad: Dispatches From Rape Culture - Anthology Call

Editors Roxane Gay and Ashley C. Ford are seeking non-fiction essays of 2500 to 7500 words that "explore what it is like to navigate rape culture as shaped by the identities we inhabit".  There is a list of topics included in the call to help you get started.  The deadline is December 15 and the anthology will be published by Harper Perennial in 2016.  There will be payment but the amount is not listed.  Submissions are through Submittable.  This call is open to all genders, not just women.  You can find the details here.

The Asteroid Story Cupboard

Did you know there's an asteroid that's going to be zipping past earth on Halloween?  How cool is that?  And imagine the stories you can find in that asteroid.  An alien invasion that comes face to face with themselves (in costumes, of course).  Gamma rays that turn everyone into the persona of the costume they're wearing.  Perhaps the asteroid hits the earth creating a new monster.  You have the makings of both humor and horror with one simple asteroid framed with a Halloween theme.  Let your imagination soar.

And here's another link to the story with a little more info.

Link via SF Signal.

KHP Publishers - Closed

KHP Publishers have closed their doors.

Flash Bang Mysteries - Open for Submissions

I forgot to mention that Flash Bang Mysteries is open for submissions this month so you only have two weeks left to submit a flash crime story of 500 to 750 words for the next issue.  The deadline is October 31 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Less Than Three Press - Anthology Call

Less Than Three Press has posted an LGBTQIA anthology call for "Fairytales Slashed: Volume 7".  They're looking for fairytales that are either original or retellings and in any genre.  Stories should be 10,000 to 20,000 words in length.  The deadline is March 31, 2016 and payment is $200.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

If You Live in Portland, Oregon

I ran across this announcement on Bill Johnson's blog and thought I'd pass it along for those of you who live in Portland, Oregon.  Sounds like a fun evening.

Queen of the Night: An Evening in Shirley Jackson's World.


6:30 - 8:30, Wednesday, October 28


Glyph Cafe, 804 NW Couch St, PDX

Free, and open to the public

Join readers Rene Denfeld, Jemiah Jefferson and Lara Messersmith-Glavin for an evening of uncannily great stories by Shirley Jackson, master of the eerie and the mundane. Beverages for purchase.

Reading begins at 7:30 pm, "Lottery"-style raffle at the end of the evening with prizes including copies of Shirley, a new literary magazine.

This event is made possible by generous funding from Soapstone.

See https://www.facebook.com/events/465673300271855/

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The October issue of Yellow Mama has gone live.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

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

Mysterion - Anthology Call

Submissions opened today for "Mysterion" a speculative fiction anthology rediscovering the mysteries of the Christian faith.  They're looking for stories up to 10,000 words that combine a speculative element that engages with Christianity.  They have a page that describes the themes they're looking for here.  The deadline is December 25 and payment is 6cents a word for original stories and 3cents a word for reprints.  You can find the guidelines here.

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

Submissions opened today for World Weaver Press's anthology "Specter Spectacular III:  13 Uncanny Tales".  While they're looking for "ghostly" tales they want and uncanny element added.  Their description - "the essence of uncanny is an unsettled feeling, a sense that something isn't quite right".  Stories should be under 10,000 words.  The deadline is January 15, 2016 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

Rock and Roll Pulp/Noir Anthology - Call for Submissions

Author Sean Taylor has posted an anthology call for a "Rock and Roll Pulp/Noir Anthology".  He's looking for stories inspired by rock and roll classics and "set in a historic noir or pulp mood and time between the 1920's and 1960's".  Stories should be in the 6000 word range.  The deadline is March 31, 2016 and payment will be in royalties.  You can find the details here.

Buttontapper Press - Call for Crime Novellas

Buttontapper Press has posted a submission call for their new mystery line called "Damned Dames".  They're looking for novellas of 15,000 to 30,000 words featuring female PI's and protagonists.  They can be either professional or amateur sleuths.  The stories can be noir, cozy, or caper.  The line will launch in March of 2016.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Cup of Tea Books - Open for Novel Submissions

Cup of Tea Publishing is an imprint of PageSpring Publishing.  They are currently open for submissions of novel length women's fiction, in particular cozy mysteries.  There is no mention of how much authors are paid so that is something you'll have to query.  You can check them out here.

Strange New Worlds Contest - A Caution

I just ran across the "Strange New Worlds Contest" being sponsored by Star Trek Books and Archway Publishing (the self-publishing arm of Simon and Schuster).  On the surface it looks like a pretty cool contest for Star Trek fans and Simon and Schuster will publish an anthology with ten of the stories.  But there are two catches.  First, only two authors win prizes and the prize is a "Book Seller Package" to self publish a novel through Archway.  The second catch is this clause in the official rules "All entries become the sole and exclusive property of the Sponsor and entries will not be returned".  Yep, you're giving up all rights to your story by entering the contest and they can do anything they want with your work.  Plus Simon and Schuster collects all the profits from the anthology.  Watch your backs out there, my friends.

Bouchercon Awards

For those of you who couldn't attend Bouchercon this year Mystery Fanfare has listed the winners for the Shamus Awards, the Barry Awards, and the Macavity Awards.  Check it out here.  And a big congrats to all the winners!!

Halloween Story Cupboard

Well, this story certainly gives a whole new meaning to domestic disturbance.  Of course, if you actually wanted to get away with something like this Halloween might be the perfect setting for your story :)

And yes, I've been coming up empty on new markets this week.

Getting More From Short Fiction Reviews by Greg Hullender

Back a few weeks ago I linked to Neil Clarke's essay "The Sad Truth About Short Fiction Reviews".  Today (via SF Signal) I found an essay by Greg Hullender who offers some ideas on "Getting More From Short Fiction Reviews".  He has some pretty good ideas about how short story reviews should be done.

The Compass Story Cupboard

I've mentioned before that my mind doesn't always travel in a straight line.  Just the other day a story title popped into my head - "Just South of True North" - and a couple of paragraphs followed that I wrote down to let percolate for a while.

That title made me think about other titles with compass directions in them, like the movie "West by Northwest", then my mind went sideways and I thought "East of the Lemon Bars".  Great title for a children's story, or perhaps there's a women walking along a buffet table and someone approaches her when she's just east of a scrumptious looking plate of lemon bars.  Not a title but it could make a pretty decent opening line with a little bit of work.  Then I wondered what if someone was traveling just east of the Lemon Bar.  What kind of person runs the Lemon Bar?  What kind of place is it?  Maybe a strip joint with a dead girl in the parking lot?  Or maybe a bakery that just had a body delivered with the flour order?

By just adding a few compass points to a sentence or a title can give you a whole new perspective on a story, or open up a new cupboard full of story ideas.  You know, like south of the river, north of the I-80, even east of the hog wallow could work.  Just open your mind to the possibilities and start tapping away at your keyboard or jotting down notes.

Dirge - Open for Submissions

Dirge Magazine is currently open for submissions for their first print magazine.  They're looking for dark fiction with an occult theme.  Stories should be 2000 to 4000 words.  The deadline is October 31 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details at their Submittable page.

Pulp Modern - Update

Pulp Modern editor Alec Cizak has announced that the submission period will not open until December 1 instead of the announced October 1 opening.  There will be no theme and he will publishing only crime fiction in the future instead of being open to other genres.  You can read the announcement here.

Dark House Books - Anthology Call

Dark House Books has opened submissions for an anthology called "Black Coffee".  They're looking for noir tales of mystery and crime.  Stories should be 2500 to 6000 words.  The deadline is December 31 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

On a side note they seem to have solved their virus problem.

Flash Bang Mysteries - New Issue

The first issue of Flash Bang Mysteries has gone live.  Check it out here.

Mystery and Horror LLC - Open for Submissions

Mystery & Horror LLC opens submissions today for novels, novellas, and short story collections.  They also have an anthology call for "Strangely Funny III".  For the novels, etc., they're looking for mysteries of 65,000 to 90,000 words, payment is a royalty split.  The anthology is looking for funny paranormal stories of 2000 to 6000 words, payment is a $5 advance plus a royalty split.  The deadline for both is October 31.  You can find the guidelines here.

Pulp Modern - Open for Submissions

Pulp Modern opened for submissions today for Issue #10 with the theme "The South".  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 5000 words "where hillbillies DON'T sleep with relatives or eat the innocent city slickers".  They accept stories in the genres of crime, horror, science fiction, and western.  You can find the guidelines here and the announced theme here.  The deadline is December 1 and payment is 1/4cent a word.

Comet Press - Anthology Call

Comet Press has posted a submission call for "Stiff Things".  This will be an erotic horror anthology.  They're looking for "erotic stories that push the boundaries of sex and horror" up to 9000 words.  Payment will be 3cents a word and if their Kickstarter fund is successful the payment will be 6cents a word.  The deadline is March 1, 2016 (or until filled).  You can find the details here.

Lessons for Writers: The Beatles Edition

"Lessons for Writers:  The Beatles Edition" by Walter Jon Williams is an excellent essay about how to improve your writing skills.  Here he shows how the Beatles came to be such a success because they kept changing and growing into their music skills.

via SF Signal

Crooked Holster - Anthology Call

Just received an email from the editors of UK based Crooked Holster.  They're open for submissions to their second crime anthology.  For this one the theme is "Ritual" (details on the home page).  They're looking for flash to 500 words, shorts to 2500 words, and poetry.  While they would prefer original work they will look at reprints.  The deadline is November 8 with publication in December.  Payment is a copy of the anthology.  You can find the guidelines here.

The Black Orchid Novella Contest 2016 - Open for Submissions

Just an early reminder that The Black Orchid Novella Contest sponsored by The Wolfe Pack and the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine is open for submissions.  The deadline is May 31 2016.  They are looking for novellas of 15,000 to 20,000 words that conform to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series.  The winner receives a contract and publication in AHMM.  You can find the details here.

Manslaughter Review - New Crime Market

We have a new crime zine posting a call for submissions called "Manslaughter Review".  This will be a biannual publication edited by Matt P. Ryan and Trenton Burns.  They're looking for crime stories up to 5000 words with a deadline of November 30, 2015 for the first issue.  This is a non-paying market.  Submissions are online through Green Submissions.  You can find all the details here.

Zimbell House Publishing - Anthology Call

I don't usually post non-paying markets with the exceptions of the crime/mystery genre and the Western genre.  Zimbell House Publishing has posted six anthology calls, with the only payment being a print copy of the anthology.  Of interest here is the anthology "Where Cowboys Roam".  They're looking for short stories and novellas up to 25,500 words in any type of Western story.  The deadline is February 15, 2016.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.  Submissions are through Submittable.

All Due Respect Magazine - Closed

All Due Respect Publishing has closed the doors of its quarterly magazine.  You can read the reasons behind this sad news here.  While the magazine is being shut down they will still be publishing novels, novellas, and short story collections,

EMP Publishing - Anthology Call

EMP Publishing has an anthology call posted for "The Prison Compendium".  They're looking for prison stories of 1500 to 6000 words in any genre.  The deadline is September 30, 2016.  Payment is 1cent a word for both original and reprint stories.  You can find the details here.

They're also open for stories for the July 2016 issue of their magazine Creepy Campfire Quarterly.  Payment is $25 for the magazine shorts.

Thanks to Michael Bracken for sending along the link!

PMMP - Call for Flash Fiction

Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing is open for flash fiction up to 1000 words for their newsletter.  They increased the payment to $25.  PMMP is a publisher of Horror and Dark Fiction  Submissions and guidelines are at Submittable.

They also have an anthology call still open until October 31 titled "Lost Signals".  Payment is 1cent a word.

To Fee or Not to Fee?

This morning I read an article over at Electric Lit by Lincoln Michael titled "Is it Time for Literary Magazines to Rethink the Slush?".  The article starts out discussing the subject of fees then talks about dealing with the slush piles.  He has some interesting ideas.  There were also links to other sites discussing this topic. 

And while he was talking about a $3 reading fee for a paying market, tonight I ran across an anthology market that charges a $35 fee and offers no payment.  Yesterday I found a market that charged between $25 and $45 depending on which category you were submitting to (poetry. short stories, and non-fiction) and also no payment.  Back a few months ago I found an anthology where they dropped the $10 fee because they received no submissions.  Better to have too much slush then nothing at all? 

It's bad enough these markets don't want to pay writers for their work but now they believe we should feel good about supporting their markets by paying all their costs in exchange to being published.  Vanity publishing in a new guise? 

Lillicat Publisher - Anthology Call

Lillicat Publishers has opened submissions for an anthology titled "Visions IV:  Deep Space".  They are looking for short stories of 3000 to 8000 words.  "The theme is whatever could occur in the deep regions of space between stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.  Physical contact and proximity to other stars/planets is off-limits, although communications of kinds are allowed."  There is an online submission form on the site and formatting guidelines that you can find at the submission link at the top of the page.  The deadline is December 15 and payment is $25.  You can find the call here.

Flash Fiction Chronicles - Open for Non-fiction Craft of Writing Articles

Flash Fiction Chronicles is open for non-fiction articles of 200 to 1200 words about the craft of writing.  They are especially interested in flash fiction articles.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here.  They have also posted a list of topics that they're interested in.  Submissions are through Submittable.

Dead Gun Press - Anthology Calls

Dead Gun Press has posted calls for two anthologies.  The deadline for both is February 20, 2016 and they're both non-paying.  The first is called "Hardboiled Dames and Sin" - for this one they're looking for shorts of 1200 to 5000 words featuring a woman as the main character in hardboiled crime stories.  The second is called "Hangmen and Bullets" - for this one they're looking for Western noir stories of 1200 to 5000 words set in the old West.  They don't want weird westerns here, just straight up Western stories.  You can find the details here.

The University of Iowa - Free Online Writing Course

The University of Iowa is hosting a free online writing course titled "How Writers Write Fiction 2015".  The course begins this Thursday, September 24, and runs through to November 24.  The course is free but for $50 you can receive a certificate of completion from the University.  You can find all the details here. 

The Masters Review - Fall Fiction Contest - Fees

The Masters Review site has posted the rules for their Fall Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers.  There is a $20 fee to enter.  The deadline is October 31 for short stories up to 7000 words in any genre.  The judges are Ann and Jeff Vandermeer.  First prize is $2000, second $200, and third $100.  You can find the details here.

Thanks to Brian Lindenmuth for the link!

That Lit Site - Anthology Call

That Lit Site has posted an anthology call for "Walk Hand in Hand Into Extinction:  Stories Inspired by True Detective".  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 3000 words inspired by the themes of either season of the TV show True Detectives.  The deadline is October 1 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted her anthology calls list for September.  Thank you, Angie!!

Sirens Call Publications - Anthology Call

Sirens Call Publications has posted an anthology call for "What Dwells Below".  They're looking for horror stories of 4000 to 8000 words about "what lurks below in the city sewers".  No zombies, homeless humans, or orphaned children - they want tales of true horror, not the horror of the human condition.  The deadline is January 1, 2016 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

Book Smugglers Publishing - Call for Novellas

Book Smugglers Publishing has posted a call for speculative fiction novellas for publication in 2017.  The stories will be published in both electronic and print form.  Stories should be between 17,500 and 40,000 words in length.  The deadline is May 30, 2016.  Those accepted will receive a signing bonus plus royalties.  You can find the details here.

Spider Road Press - Anthology Call

Spider Road Press has reopened submissions for their anthology "Approaching Footsteps:  Four Novellas by Women".  They're looking for literary stories of 9000 to 13,000 words that conform to the genres of suspense, mystery, and thriller.  The deadline is November 1 and payment is $150.  The guidelines are on their Submittable page.

Dark House Books - Anthology Call

Dark House Books will be opening submissions on October 1 for a new anthology called "Dark Coffee".  They're looking for Noir crime/mystery stories of 2500 to 6000 words.  They will also look at reprints.  The deadline is December 31 and payment will be a royalty split.  You can find the call here.

UPDATE:  I contacted the publisher and he said that he's aware of the problem (virus) and they've been working on it.  If it can't be corrected they will probably change servers.  I'll try to keep you updated as I find out more.

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

On Tuesday, September 15, World Weaver Press will open submissions for "Last Outpost" the next anthology in their Far Orbit series.  For this one they're looking for military adventure stories under 10,000 words in the science fiction genre.  The deadline is December 15 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

Mystery Weekly - New Market

There's a new mystery market that's just opened for submissions called Mystery Weekly.  They're looking for mystery stories of 1000 to 10,000 words with the preferred length of 3000 words.  They will be publishing one story a week and payment is 1/2cent a word.  There is an online submission form at the site.  You can check out the details here.  This market has been mentioned several times on the SMFS site.

All Due Respect - New Issue

Issue #7 of All Due Respect is now available for your Kindles.  Check it out here.

Hat tip to BV Lawson!

Fireside Magazine - Open for Submissions

Fireside Magazine is open for submissions of flash fiction under 1000 words and short stories up to 4000 words.  Any genre is acceptable so long as you tell a great story.  Payment is 12.5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

One Story - Open for Submissions

One Story has opened their reading period and is looking for literary fiction of 3000 to 8000 words.  Payment is $500 plus 25 copies.  Submissions are at their online site with a link included in their guidelines.  The reading period ends May 31, 2016.  You find the details here.

Lamplight Magazine - Open for Submissions

Lamplight Magazine is open for submissions to their Winter issue.  They are looking for literary dark fiction.  Flash should be under 1000 words and pays $50 and shorts should be 2000 to 7000 words and pays $150.  They are also open to reprints.  The deadline for this issue is October 15 and submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Just For Fun

I love good flash fiction and the New Yorker has posted "Eight Science Fiction Stories" for your reading  pleasure.

SQ Magazine - No Fee Contest

SQ Mag has posted their Story Quest Contest guidelines for 2015 with the theme of "Unlikely Partnerships".  You have the choice of creating partnerships between charters or world within the story or of smashing together genres.  The deadline is October 31 and submissions are through Submittable.  Five or six stories will be shortlisted and each will receive $15 and publication in SQ.  The top three stories will receive $100 for first prize, $50 for second place, and $25 third place.  You can check out the details here. 

A Flash Challenge From Brian Lindenmuth

Over at the Do Some Damage blog Brian Lindenmuth posted a flash challenge for a Book Title Story.  He wants you to write a story in 1000 words or less using as many book titles as possible while still writing a story that actually makes sense.  Post the story to your blog and drop a link on his post so he knows where to read your story.  There will be prizes.  You can check out the details here.

UPDATE:  Brian extended the deadline to September 28, so those of you thinking of joining in, there's still time.

From Michael Bracken

Over the weekend the lovely Michael Bracken emailed me a link to a new mystery magazine called Sleuth Magazine that is looking for people to spread the word and maybe purchase the first issue ($2.99 on their site).  They're based in Canada and will open for submissions if their first issue does well.  You can check them out here.  You'll also find an interview with the editors here.

Michael also sent me a link to a new blog by Aeryn Rudel called Rejectomancy where Mr Rudel talks about the dreaded rejections that every writer faces.  He's posted some very interesting essays and interviews on his site.

Hard Case Crime - Open for Novel Queries

Hard Case Crime is open to novel queries.  Novels should be 50,000 to 60,000 words.  They don't require chapters just your query/pitch.  You can find the contact information here.  This information came through the SMFS group with a link to this article.

Laska Media Group - Charity Anthology Call

The Canadian based Laska Media Group has posted an anthology call for "Where the Stars Rise".  They're looking for speculative fiction stories under 7000 words that celebrate Asian diversity.  This is for a YA/Adult audience.  The reading period opens December 1 and runs through May 31, 2016.  Payment is 6cents a word advance.  A $500 donation plus proceeds from the anthology will go to the Canadian charity Kids Help Phone.  You can find the details here. 

Writing and Illustrating for Children - A Market Source

Writing and Illustrating for Children is the blog of Kathleen Temean.  On the blog you'll find all sorts of information and markets in the field of children's writing.  You can check it out here.

The Book Smugglers - Open for Submissions

The Book Smugglers have opened submissions for speculative fiction stories of 1500 to 17,500 words that are based on the theme of Superhero.  The deadline is December 31, 2015 for publication in Summer of 2016.  Payment is 6cents a word with a cap of $500.  You can find all the details here.

Thoughts on Short Fiction Reviews

Clarkesworld editor Neil Clarke has some interesting thoughts on short fiction reviews.  Read "The Sad Truth About Short Fiction Reviews" here.

SFWA - New Model Magazine Contract

The Science Fiction Writers of America have posted a new model magazine contract on their site.  The model is designed to help clarify rights for both publishers and writers.  You can check out the post here, the sample contract is a pdf link.

The Big Click - New Issue

And the new issue of The Big Click is also available today.  Check it out here.

ThugLit - New Issue

A new issue of ThugLit hit Amazon today.  Check it out here.  And a very happy tenth anniversary to a great crime magazine!!

Cohesion Press - Anthology Call

Australian publisher Cohesion Press opened submissions today for the latest in their SNAFU anthology series.  This one is SNAFU:  Unnatural Selection.  They're looking for military-bio-horror stories of 2000 to 10,000 words (think along the lines of Lake Placid or Anaconda with a military slant).  The deadline is November 30 and payment is AUD 4cents a word.  You can find the details here.

On Becoming a Professional Writer

I ran across this post over at Horror Tree and thought it might be of interest.  We're often told to submit to the highest paying markets first then work our way down to the lower paying ones.  Annie Neugebauer gives you some good reasons for working this way in the short story market place.  This was originally posted at the HWA site but I linked here because it's easier to read.  The computer screen is tough on old eyes :)

Cleaning House

I've been away from the computer for the last few days though I've still ran a few searches and checked the usual suspects for market leads when time allowed.  But the markets are either finding more clever places to hide or they're just not there.  Perhaps after Labor Day. 

If you're looking for a good way to find story ideas try cleaning out your mother's house.  We've been at it for the last three days and we're still not done.  I don't think she ever threw anything away, but I know for a fact that they cleaned out their house about twenty years ago because a great deal of it wound up at my house.  Mostly my childhood treasures and a few things my mother passed along to me. 

There is so much stuff to go through and decide if we want to keep it, let the house cleaners take it, or just toss it.  We've been finding such random things as a coffee can full of those plastic bread bag ties to letters from back in the fifties, not to mention a few personal items that brought a blush to my sister's face.  And I don't know how it wound up on the living room floor but that's where I found my mother's thimble.  I never saw her use a needle and thread without that thimble on her finger.

There are so many memories and random discoveries about my parent's life together that the stories just keep crowding into my brain.  Hopefully one day I'll be able to write them down both as fiction and stories for my grandchildren so they can know about their grandparents and the large family that we all grew up in.

Farstrider Magazine - New Market

This is a short notice posting as submissions close on August 31.  Farstrider magazine is an online zine that is looking to launch its first issue in January.  Right now they're planning on publishing three issues a year.  They are looking for fantasy (this is wide open on all the sub-genres of fantasy) stories of 1000 to 4000 words.  Payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Black Beacon Books - Charity Anthology Call

Australian publisher Black Beacon Books has posted an anthology call for "Shelter from the Storm:  An Anthology of Spine-tingling Stories".  This is a charity anthology to help the homeless so there is no payment.  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 25,000 words in any genre that begin with a traveler caught in a storm and seeking shelter.  The stories must be spine-tingling.  While they prefer original stories they will consider reprints.  Submissions will close when the anthology is filled.  You can find the details here.

Timeless Tales - Submission Call

There's a short deadline on this one.  Timeless Tales is looking for short stories up to 2000 words but prefer under 1500 words that are a retelling of their current fairy tale or myth theme.  For the next issue the theme is Baba Yaga and the deadline is September 4.  Payment is a flat rate of $15.  You can find the details here.

Your Own Backyard Story Cupboard

I've become a soccer grandma this past week.  Yep, I've been hauling my grandson and his friend back and forth to practice.  While waiting for practice to end I get to read and write, sometimes sitting on a large rock at the edge of the field, other times in my car where the seat is more comfortable.  But the best thing about being there, other than spending time with my grandson, is thinking about how to place a murder or any type of crime in this setting.

That's the best thing about being a short story writer, you can place a crime in any setting.  You don't have to think city and dark streets.  You can actually think sunshine and soccer fields.  Over the past months I've thought about how easy it is to find different and interesting settings for short stories.  You have funeral homes and cemeteries.  Or how about the grocery store?  Perhaps a stone quarry or a gravel pit.  A family reunion where you suddenly discover the unsavory past of one of your relatives.  Or how about a nature walk?  Perhaps a lake or river setting.  Or maybe while scattering your husband's ashes you discover a bullet mixed in the remains.  Of course he died of natural causes, but when had he been shot and what kind of a dark past has he been hiding from you?  Will that past come after you or will you find  it?

So stop and take a look around you.  Where would you find the perfect place to commit a murder in your back yard?  And yes, the back yard works if you have a good friend and a back hoe to help bury the body. :)

Yellow Mama - New Issue

And the August issue of Yellow Mama has gone live.  Free to read online!

Mysterical -E - New Issue

The new issue of Mysterical-E has hit the virtual streets.  It's free to read!

Shock Totem - Open for Novella and Novel Submissions

Shock Totem has reopened for novel and novella submissions until November 30.  They're looking for stories in the genres of spec-fiction, horror, mystery, and suspense.  Novellas should be 17,500 to 40,000 words and novels over 40,000 words.  Payment is a 50/50 royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity - A Market Resource

Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity looks to be a pretty good resource for writers.  There are listings for markets, writing conferences, agents, and various other things that can help a writer with their career.  You can check it out here.

Ginger Goat Publishing - Call for Story Pitches

Ginger Goat Publishing has posted a call for short story pitches for an anthology about anti-villains.  The editor wants you to give him your definition of an anti-villain along with a sample of your writing and a pitch  for your story.  He's looking for stories in a variety of genres included under the speculative fiction umbrella.  Stories for the anthology should be 800 to 2500 words and payment will be 5cents a word.  This project will be KickStarter funded.  The deadline for pitches is August 31.  You can find the details here.

The Dark City - Update

I was checking out The Dark City magazine site again and discovered that under the current issue tab they have added that they want stories set in the Western United States.  This isn't stated in their guidelines but it would be best to use the setting they're asking for.  This is a mystery/crime market that pays $25. 

Zombies Need Brains LLC - Anthology Calls

Zombies Need Brains LLC has a fully funded KickStarter in place and opened submissions for two anthologies.  They are accepting stories up to 7500 words for "Alien Artifacts" and "Were-".  The first wants stories that feature the finding of an alien artifact and how it affects the world and the second wants stories about were creatures that are not a werewolf.  The deadline is October 3 and payment is a 6cent a word advance.  You can find the details here.

End of Summer Market Blues

The markets seem to be slacking off for a bit - at least the paying ones.  I've ran across a couple but they don't open until October so I've noted them on my calendar and will post when they're open.  I'll keep looking, but there probably won't be much until after Labor Day as I expect everyone is having their last of summer flings.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Markets

Angie has posted her August anthology markets list.  Thanks, Angie!

Undiscovered Authors

Norman A. Fox.  Never heard of him?  Neither had I until I picked up one of his novels at the local book sale.  I enjoyed "Rope the Wind" so much that I decided to look up the author.  Mr. Fox actually has a website online and I was very much surprised to learn that he'd written over 200 short stories, thirty-one novels, and had movies made from four of  his novels starring actors like Randolph Scott, Audie Murphy, and Jimmy Stewart.

I always find it strange that such successful authors are very rarely remembered by later generations.  Makes you wonder why writers try so hard to become famous.  Fame is so very fleeting and in the end it's the work that should make us feel successful not all the pats on the back about how great and wonderful a writer you are.  Just musing here.  Have any of you stumbled on a writer with a large body of work that you'd never heard of but found their words well worth the reading?

Hunting for Hemingway in Yellowstone Country

Kind of an interesting piece about Hemingway.  Interesting to see what inspired some of his work.

Alliteration Ink - Anthology Call

Alliteration Ink Publishing has posted a new anthology call for "No Shit, There I Was".  They're looking for speculative fiction stories of 2000 to 7000 words that start with the first line "No shit, there I was."  You can use it either as dialogue or prose.  Also the speculative aspect of the story must be integral to the plot.  The deadline is January 6, 2016.  Payment will be 6cents a word but payment will be dependent upon a successful KickStarter fund raiser.  The anthology will go forward if it fails but the pay schedule will change.  You can find the details here.

Writing Short Fiction for Fun and Profit Workshop

The South Bay Writers will be presenting a one day workshop in San Jose, California on Saturday, November 14 featuring short story writer Michael Bracken.  You can find the details and a link to the registration form here.

Piedmont Laureate Program - Looking for Mystery Writers

If you're a resident of the Piedmont area of North Carolina (including Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties) and a mystery writer with a respectable body of work (including short stories and novels) you might want to check out the Piedmont Laureate Program.  They're looking for one mystery writer to be laureate for one year in which you'll do reading and teach classes.  For this you'll receive a stipend of $5500.  The deadline for submitting applications is September 30.  You'll find the information here, you have to click on the link for the pdf file.  It seems like a good way to get your name and work out there for folks to see.

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

Tomorrow, August 15th, World Weaver Press opens submissions to their anthology "Sirens".  They're looking for speculative fiction stories up to 7500 words that feature mythical or reimagined sirens.  The deadline for this call is November 15.  Payment is $10.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.  

For Your Listening Pleasure

For those of you who enjoy listening to your stories the Open Culture site has five hours of Edgar Allan Poe stories read by Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone available on their site and links to where you can find more.  Check it out here.

Hat tip to SF Signal

Cheapjack Pulp - New Market

Cheapjack Pulp is a fairly new quarterly online zine.  They publish in both ebook format and online.  They are looking for stories in the genres of sci-fi/fantasy, dark fantasy, romance, western, adventure, detective, and horror.  The deadline for the December issue is November 1.  Payment is 25cent per 100 words.  There are already stories up on the site for you to read so you can get a feel for what they are publishing.  You can find the submission details here but when you submit go to the more button at the top of the page and click on the contact and submit link.

Punks Write Poems Press - Anthology Calls

Punks Write Poems Press has posted two anthology calls for short stories.  Both have a deadline of December 15 for stories of 2000 to 10000 words and payment is $15.  The first is "Melee" which is looking for medieval fantasy and the second is "Don't Open till Doomsday which is looking for science fiction stories.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

Silent Screams - Anthology Call

Editor Josh Strnad has posted an anthology call for "Silent Screams:  An Anthology of Socially Conscious Dark Fiction".  He's looking for horror stories of 1000 to 10,000 words that "either focus on the plight of specific silent victims of our modern world or that play with the idea of silence in general".  This is a charity anthology that will benefit The Salvation Army but the writers will paid 1cent a word for their stories.  The deadline is October 31.  You can find the details here.

Fright Mare - Anthology Call - Women Writers Only

Editor Billie Sue Mosiman has posted an anthology call for "Fright Mare:  Women Write Horror".  She's looking for horror stories of 3000 to 10,000 words from women writers only.  The deadline is October 31 (or when full) and payment is $30.  You can find the details here.

The WW II Plane Crash Story Cupboard

You just never know what is going to spark your imagination.  Tonight I read an article about the wreck of a US WW II fighter plane being unearthed in Germany.  The site had been marked with a monument so it wasn't like nobody knew the plane went down which makes waiting all these year to exhume both the plane and the body of the French pilot intriguing.

But then the wheels started turning.  A French pilot in a US plane?  It's always possible but what if that wasn't who was supposed to be flying?  What happened to the American pilot?  Did he run away?  Was he killed for the plane?  So now you have a mystery.

But what if the pilot's ghost is pissed off for being left buried in enemy ground.  Does he unleash his anger on the Germans who unearthed him?  When he died they were the enemy.  So now you have a ghost story.

But what if there was no pilot in the plane?  A young boy saw the crash happen, there were no parachutes.  Could the pilot have been time lifted out of the plane?  Does he come back to the site?  Is he the one who dug it up?  Or what if he was pulled out of the plane by an underground civilization?  Does digging up the plane open up a doorway into this other world?  Now you've got sci-fi and fantasy.

And that's your story cupboard.  A few simple what if questions added to a simple news article.  Your imagination can take you anywhere if you let it.

The Geeky Press - Anthology Call

The Geeky Press has posted an anthology call for "Bad Jobs and Bullshit".  They're looking for essays, poetry, and short stories about the shittiest jobs imaginable.  Stories should be 1000 to 5000 words in length.  The deadline is February 1, 2016 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Martian Migraine Press - Anthology Call

Canadian publisher Martian Migraine Press has posted a call for their fourth anthology "Cthulhusattva:  Lovecraftian Tales of the Black Gnosis".  They're looking for stories of 1500 to 7000 words about "those who go seeking the dark enlightenment of their own free will".  And yes, the guidelines are much for explicit in their details.  The deadline December 15 and payment is .03CAN.  You can find all the details here.

Pulp Literature - Submissions Opening Monday

Pulp Literature will be opening a short submission widow on Monday, August 10th and it will run until the 24th.  They accept all genres.  They pay 7cents a word for stories up to 7,000 words, 5cents for stories of 7,000 to 10,000 words, and 31/2cents for over 10,000 words.  Be aware that they only publish one longer story per issue so your best bet would probably be a shorter story.  You can find the details here.

Dark Passages Publishing - New Crime Novella Market

One bites the dust and another takes it's place.  Dark Passages Publishing is a new crime market looking for novellas of 15,000 to 35,000 words.  Submissions are read blind.  There is no mention of payment so that's something you'll have to query if you're interested in this market.  You can find the details here.

Crazy Cozy Stories - Closed Down

Back in May I listed a new mystery market called Crazy Cozy Stories.  And as the markets are apt to do at times this one has disappeared into the ether along with its sister site.  Too bad, it would have been nice to have a good market for cozy mysteries.

Far Horizons - Anthology Calls

UK publisher Far Horizons has two open anthology calls.  Both are looking for flash up to 1000 words and short stories of 2000 to 5000 words.  There's no deadline listed so probably "until filled".  Payment is a royalty split.  The first anthology is "Forever Hungry" which is looking for zombie stories and the second is "Fantastically Horney" which is looking for erotica.  You can find the details here.

Shattered Prism - New Market

Shattered Prism is a speculative fiction magazine that publishes twice a year.  The reading period opens for the November issue the second week of August which should be the 9th or 10th.  They're looking for stories of 1500 to 5500 words.  Payment is 6cents a word for original stories and 2cents a word for reprints.  You can find the details here.

The Myriad Carnival - Anthology Call

This call will be a long shot for most of you because there are only two slots left to fill but if you can get a spot you'll be in some great company.  "The Myriad Carnival" anthology is looking for "queer, weird and dark" stories themed around carnivals.  The carnival is a shared world named the Myriad Carnival but all the characters are the writer's own.  This anthology is also LGBT themed.  Stories should be 2000 to 6000 words and the deadline is August 31.  Payment is $40.  You can find the details here.

Free Esquire Stories

Did you know that Esquire will send you one of their classic short stories each week this summmer for free?  I found out quite by accident when I was looking for a short story called "Towel Season" by Ron Carlson that Steve Weddle mentioned on his Twitter feed.  In order to read the story you have to sign up for a free subscription.  Great story, by the way.  There are stories by Daniel Woodrell and Flannery O'Connor and many others there.  You can check it out here.

Crossed Genres Magazine - Open for Submissions

Crossed Genres Magazine is open for submissions until August 31 with this month's theme being "Pronouns and Genders".  Stories should be 1000 to 6000 words, payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.  They also have a list of themes that will take them into 2016 if you want a head start on your stories.

Nightmare Magazine - Open for Submissions

Nightmare Magazine is currently open for submissions in the genres of horror and dark fantasy.  Stories should be 1500 to 7500 words but they prefer under 5000.  Payment is 6cents a word or original stories and 1cent a word for reprints.  You can check out the guidelines here.  Their newest issue is also available for sale or you can read it online during the next two months.

Abyss and Apex Magazines - Open for Submissions

If you have a speculative fiction story tucked away in your files you might want to pull it out and polish it up.  Abyss and Apex magazines are open for submissions but only for seven days.  August 1 to August 8.  Payment is 6cents a word for stories up to 1250 words and a flat rate of $75 for longer stories.  You can find the details here.

The Liz McMullen Show - Anthology Call

The Liz McMullen Show has posted an anthology call for "LOL Laughing Out Loud: A Lizzie's Bedtime Stories Humor Anthology".  They're looking for humorous essays (2000 to 4000 words) and short stories (3000 to 4000 words).  The deadline is January 31,2016.  Payment is $50.  You can find the details here.

Full Quiver Press - Anthology Call

Full Quiver Publishing is a Catholic publisher that has posted an anthology call for "Image and Likeness:  Short Literature Reflective of the Theology of the Body".  They're looking for short stories up 7500 words and poetry that is "reflective of St Paul II's Theology of the Body".  Payment will be per word, but the final amount hasn't been set yet.  The deadline is November 1 for publication in 2016.  You can find the details here, there is an online form at the bottom of the page.

Just For Fun

Writer's Block - Six Famous Authors tell you how to work through it :)  I particularly liked #4.

UPDATE:  Just realized I forgot the link - doh.  Here you go.

Hat tip to SF Signal!

The M.O. - New Theme Announced

Over at Criminal Element they've posted the new theme for the next "issue" of the M.O.  This is basically a contest with the winning entry being published online and receiving  5cents a word for their story.  The new theme is "Lesson Learned".  Stories should be 1000 to 1500 words and the reading period is August 14 to August 28.  You can find the details here and be sure to click on their guidelines link for the rest of the information.

Just to Clarify

I just wanted to clarify a few things about what I do here on the blog.  When I post markets I have taken the time to check out the website, checked to see if they charge fees, and find out if they're a paying market.  That's the first things I look for.  The only non-paying markets I post these days are crime markets as that's mostly where my interests lie.  I also post the occasional charity anthology or no-fee contests.

If the market is already in business I check to see if they publish on schedule, who they publish, and if the stories have been edited or just slapped up mistakes and all.  I read their guidelines, if they're too picky about formatting I usually pass on posting them unless they're a pro paying market.  I also check to see if they have any clauses that might harm a writer in some way, but I don't always catch them.  If they're going to pay IF they have a successful KickStarter I always mention that fact.  Anyone can promise money, but that little loophole means they might not.  It's always your decision whether to submit or not.

In most cases I don't know the editors (crime markets are the exception in some cases).  I don't have any more information about who's running the market than you do.  I can't help you if an editor doesn't respond to your submission or the market goes belly-up.  We're all in that boat together.

What I do is pass along market information that I've found and thought might be of interest to other writers as well as myself.  I expect each of you to check out the markets yourself and make that final decision to submit after you've done a bit of research about the market.

All I do here is track down markets and post the information.  I'm not responsible for what that market/editor does.  That said, I'll keep on posting markets as I find them and hope that in some small way I've helped other writers out there find homes for their work.

Thanks for reading.

In Short Publishing Company - New Market

The In Short Publishing Company is a press based in Australia but accepting submissions from around the world.  They're looking for short stories of 3000 to 4500 words in any genre.  Stories will be published in pocket sized chapbooks.  Payment is royalties only.  You can check out the details here.

To MFA or Not

Over at Elaine Ash's AshEdit blog there's an interesting post by Les Edgerton about the MFA programs. Elaine has been running this topic as a series both pro and con so be sure to check out her other postings,

Postmark Books - Non-fiction Anthology Call - Canadian Residents Only

Canadian publisher Postmark Books has posted an anthology call for "Disconnectopia".  They're looking for personal essays of 1000 to 3000 words about digital detoxing.  The deadline is August 31 and payment is an honorarium of CDN $25.  Only residents of Canada are allowed to submit to this anthology (they say it's a tax thing).  You can find the details here.

FunDead Publications - Anthology Call

FunDead Publications has posted an anthology call (untitled at this time) for spooky short stories set in Salem, MA, any time period is acceptable.  Stories should be 1000 to 6000 words.  The deadline is March 15, 2016 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Microcosm Publishing - Anthology Call

Microcosm Publishing has posted an anthology for their fourth Bikes in Space series.  This one is "Bikes in Space 4: Utopia/Dystopia".  This series seeks "speculative fiction short stories with a feminist perspective that incorporates bicycling or bicycles in some way".  The average story is 2500 words but they accept longer and shorter.  The deadline is November 1 for publication in 2016.  Payment depends on a successful KickStarter.  You can find the details here.