On Spec - Open for Submissions

Canadian based On Spec magazine is open for submissions.  They're looking for spec-fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, horror) stories up to 6000 words.  Stories under 1000 words are paid a flat rate of $50 and stories of 1000 to 6000 words are paid $125 to $200 depending on length.  Submissions are through Submittable and the deadline is January 31, 2017  You can find the details here.

The Fantasist eZine - Open for Novella Submissions

The Fantasist ezine has opened submissions for their third issue.  They're seeking three (3) fantasy novellas of 15,000 to 40,000 words.  I couldn't find a deadline listed.  Payment here is $100.  You can find the details here.

Queer Pack - Anthology Call

Queer Pack Publishing has posted an anthology call for "Queerly Loving".  They're looking for stories of 5000 to 6000 words "that celebrate queer love in all its forms".  Stories can be any genre as long as there is at least one queer character.  The deadline is March 31,  2017 and payment is $40.  They're also accepting reprints.  You can find the details here.

Flash Bang Mysteries - New Issue - Open for Submissions

The Winter 2017 issue of Flash Bang Mysteries has gone live.  You can read it free here.  They are also open for submissions of crime flash fiction of 500 to 750 words until January 31, 2017.  Pay has been raised from $10 to $15.  You can find the guidelines here.

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas (or any other holiday that's celebrated at this time of year).  I hope your day is filled with good food, good friends, and loads of family to make your day bright.

Six Questions For - Gamut Editor Richard Thomas

Over at the Six Questions For... blog Jim Harrington interviews the editor of Gamut Magazine, Richard Thomas.  Check it out here.

Pulp Modern - Second Time Around?

Editor Alec Cizak is thinking about bring back his Pulp Modern magazine in a new format and he's looking for some feedback.  See what he's thinking about doing here.

Enchanted Conversations: A Fairytale Magazine - 2017 Themes Listed

"Enchanted Conversation:  A Fairytale Magazine" has posted their themes for 2017.  Submission periods are every other month starting in January (the 1st to the 30th) with the theme "Steadfast Tin Soldiers".  They want stories of 700 to 3000 words and the payment is $30.  You can find all the details here.

Good News for Short Crime Fiction

Very cool news for short crime fiction - Shotgun Honey has announced a new partnership with Down and Out Books to publish short fiction collections, novellas, and short length novels.  Check out the news here.

Unnearving Magazine - Open for Submissions

Unnerving Magazine has opened submissions for horror, dark sci-fi and fantasy, dark crime, and dark literary stories of 400 to 4000 words.  Submissions are through Submittable and payment is 1cent a word.  There is no deadline listed.  You can find the details here.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores - Opens for Submissions Tomorrow

Submissions open tomorrow, December 21, for the next issue of "Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores".  Their submission period is only one week so they close on December 28.  They're looking for sci-fi and fantasy stories of 1000 words and up.  Payment is 6cents a word for original work and 2cents a word for reprints.  They have an online submission form link at the bottom of their guidelines page.  You can find the details here.

Flash Fiction Online - Open for Submissions

Flash Fiction Online has opened for submissions.  They're looking for flash stories of 500 to 1000 words in a variety of genres.  There's no deadline listed and submissions are through Submittable.  Payment is $60 for original work and 2cents a word for reprints.  You can find the details here.

Upper Rubber Boots Books - Anthology Call

This is short notice as the deadline is December 30, 2016.  Upper Rubber Boots Books has posted an anthology call for "Women Up to No Good".  Authors must identify as female.  They are looking for dark speculative fiction up to 5000 words with a female protagonist.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Liminal Magazine - Open for Submissions

Liminal Magazine is open for submissions to their next issue until January 15, 2017.  They're looking for stories up to 10,000 words in any genre but they have a soft spot for weird fiction, magic realism, and soft sci-fi.  They're also open to crossed genre work.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The December issue of Yellow Mama has hit the virtual streets.  Read it for free here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted up her paying anthology calls for December list.  Thanks, Angie!!

Wizards in Space - Open for Submissions

Wizards in Space Magazine is open for submissions to issue #2.  They're seeking stories about wizards in any genre up to 5000 words.  Reprints are acceptable.  There's no deadline listed.  Payment is $30 and submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Betty Fedora - Open for Submissions

Betty Fedora opened submissions for issue #4 today.  They're looking for crime stories of 1000 to 6000 words that feature kick-ass women.  The deadline is March 31, 2017 and payment is one copy of the print magazine.  You can find the details on their Submittable page.

The Graffiti Story Cupboard

Where I live you don't see much in the way of graffiti.  Oh, there's the usual spray painted road signs which turn 30mph into 80mph but we've learned to ignore such things.  After all, if you're going around a twisty curve you know you're not going to make it going 80 and if a deer jumps out in front of you?  Well, it's not pretty.

As for the graffiti I saw which prompted this post, it was written on the red plastic side of a cart holder (not sure what they call those things where you put your grocery cart when you're finished with it so cart holder will have to do :).  I noticed it because I'd never seen writing on this particular holder at the grocery store where I shop.  And second, it was a very cryptic message.  Neatly printed in black magic marker was "Beware the Rinker Biker Bitch".  If you're like me, all sorts of stories began to dance around in my head.

Who had written it and why?  Who was the Rinker Biker Bitch and what did she do to this person?  Where I live the closest thing to a biker chick that I've seen is a retired woman and her husband out for a ride on their very expensive Harley.  Definitely not this Rinker person.  So where did she come from?  How does she hide her secret identity from people who know the Biker Bitch?  Is she an undercover cop or just a wild woman out for a bit of bitchy fun?

So, what kind of interesting graffiti has popped into your life and did it inspire a story?  

Western State Colorado University - Call for Western Submissions

I just ran across this one so there's not much time to their deadline of December 31, 2017.  Western State Colorado University is seeking submissions for "Manifest West #6:  Women of the West".  They're looking for poems, short stories of 1500 to 7500 words (also flash fiction), creative non-fiction essays, and cover artwork.  Work can be literary or genre as long as it follows the theme of women of the West.  There is no pay listing.  You can find the details on their Submittable page.

Swimming With Elephants - Call for Submissions

For those of you looking to promote your writing you might want to check out "Swimming with Elephants" new call for submissions.  Starting in 2017 they're looking to feature writers and a small of collection of their works on their website.  You can submit poetry, short stories, memoir, essays, or a combination.  They're open to all genres and you can choose your month to coincide with a publication or blog tour.  Submissions open December 15 and run through January 30, 2017 for postings from January to June.  You can find the details here.

Parsec Ink - Anthology Call

Parsec Ink has opened submissions for their anthology "Appetites".  They're looking for stories up to 6000 words (sweet spot is 3000) that deal with appetites and not just for food.  The genres are sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.  The deadline is February 28, 2017 and payment is 2cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Baobab Press - Anthology Call

Baobab Press has posted an anthology call for "This Side of the Divide".  They're looking for short stories of 3000 to 5000 words exploring the Western United States.  The stories can range from the old West to the new West.  The deadline is March 31, 2017 and payment is $100.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

Mofo Press - Erotica Anthology Calls

Mofo Press has posted three anthology calls looking for literary erotica.  The themes are "Wanderlust", "Hotel", and "Sacrilege".  Word counts are 1000 to 5000 words.  The deadlines are all in 2017 and payment is 1cent a word.  I'm linking to their submission page where you'll find links to each of the anthologies.  Submissions are through Submittable but each anthology has it's own page.

Smoking Pen Press - Anthology Call

Smoking Pen Press has announced a new submission call for their Read on the Run anthology Series.  This time they're looking for short stories of 1500 to 7000 words about pets.  All genres are welcome so long as there is a pet in the story.  The deadline is February 1, 2017 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here. 

Mysterical-E - New Issue

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

Level Best Books - Anthology Call

Level Best Books has opened submissions for a new anthology titled "Noir at the Salad Bar, Culinary Tales with a Bite".  They're looking for crime stories up to 5000 words that feature food, drinks, restaurants, bars or the culinary arts in any way.  The deadline is April 30, 2017.  This is a paying market.  You can find the details here.

Advent Ghosts 2016

Loren Eaton has posted the guidelines for his Advent Ghosts 2016 event.  Everyone is welcome to participate, all you have to do is write a 100 word eerie tale (scary) in any genre then post it to your blog on December 17 for everyone to read.  If you don't have a blog, Loren will be happy to post your piece on his blog.  You can find the details here.  This is always a fun project and there are so many great drabbles to read.

Flame Tree Publishing - Call for Novel Submissions

UK based Flame Tree Publishing has announced a new novel imprint called Flame Tree Press.  Submissions will open on December 5 for novel submissions of 60,000 to 120,000 words in the genres of Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Crime Fiction.  The deadline is January 15, 2017.  They don't list pay specifics.  You can find the details here.

Thanks to both Albert Tucher and Katherine Tomlinson for passing along the link!!

Gas Station Pulp - Call for Novel Submissions

North American Review has opened submissions today for their Gas Station Pulp imprint.  They're seeking crime/noir novels (60,000 to 75,000 words) that lean toward the literary.  Right now they're only looking for queries of the first fifty pages  The deadline is January.  You can find the details on their Submittable page.

42 Paying Calls for Submissions

Over at Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity Erica Verrillo has posted up her December calls for submissions.  This month there are 42 paying calls.  Thanks, Erica!!

Elm Books - Mystery Anthology Calls

Elm Books has posted two anthology calls for 2017 and both are for mysteries.

The first is "Death by Cupcake" and they're looking for cozy mysteries of 2000 to 10,000 words that features a cupcake somewhere in the story.  The deadline is January 1, 2017 and payment is a royalty split.

The second is "Undeath and the Age of Steam".  For this one they're looking for mysteries up to 10,000 words in a Steampunk setting.  The deadline is June 1, 2017 and payment is a royalty split.

You can find the guidelines for both here.

Happy Hours - Our Lives in Gay Bars - Charity Anthology Call

"Happy Hours - Our Lives in Gay Bars" is a charity anthology seeking fiction and non-fiction up to 5000 words that show the role gay bar's culture has played in your life or LGBTQ! people in general.  They're also looking for poetry.  Payment is one copy of the anthology.  Royalties will be donated to the Attic Youth Center in Philadelphia and the Ali Forney Center in New York City.  You can find all the details here.

Pen & Prosper - Writing Advice

While searching for markets I ran across Pen& Prosper, a blog that offers writing advice for those looking to make some money (write full time) with their words.  They're also looking for guest posts of 200 to 700 words about writing.  Payment is $10.  Just click on the Write 4 Us button at the top of the page for the guidelines.

NonBinary Review - Call for Submissions

NonBinary Review has posted a call for "submissions that relate to the work of Edgar Allen Poe".  They're looking for fiction and non-fiction up to 5000 words and poetry.  Payment for fiction and non-fiction is 1cent a word and poetry pays a flat rate of $10, this is for their print edition.  If you'd like you can also have your piece considered for their online edition which pays a flat rate of $10.  The deadline is February 1,2017.  You can find the details on their Submittable page.

Hat tip to horrortree.com

Switchblade - A Deadline Reminder

Just a reminder that the deadline for the first issue of "Switchblade" is fast approaching.  They're looking for flash fiction up to 1000 words and shorts of 2000 to 4500 words.  This is a print magazine for hardboiled crime fiction.  Payment is one copy and the deadline is November 30, 2016.  You can find the details here. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.  I hope that all of you are enjoying the company of family and friends on this special day.  While we always seem to focus on the food it's really the companionship that creates unforgettable memories.  Memories that we pull out and savor over the years and pass along to our children.

And my Thanksgiving Day gift to you is "Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen" by O. Henry.  It's one of my favorite stories.  No one plays on the heart strings as well as O. Henry.

Mantle Lane Press - Anthology Call

UK based Mantle Lane Press has posted an anthology call for "Mrs. Rochester's Attic".  They're looking for stories of 1000 to 6000 words that are "Gothic-tinted tales about mad love and terrible secrets".  The deadline is December 18, 2016 and payment is 1p per word with a max payment of 50pounds.  Submissions are through green submissions.  You can find the details here.

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

Invisible 3 - Non-fiction Anthology Call

Jim C. Hines has posted a call for the anthology "Invisible 3".  He's looking for personal essays and poetry about what it's like to see yourself misrepresented or erased in SF/F stories (he explains it in more detail so be sure to read the guidelines carefully).  Essays should be 400 to 1000 words in length.  He asks that you query your proposed topic by December 1.  Payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

A Scandal in Gomorrah: Queering Sherlock Holmes - Anthology Call

Editor Matthew Bright has posted an anthology call for "A Scandal in Gomorrah:  Queering Sherlock Holmes".  He's looking for stories of 2000 to 6000 words featuring queer characters in Sherlock Holmes stories.  The stories can be set in Victorian England or be updated versions (please read the guidelines as they include exactly what he's looking for).  The deadline is January 1, 2017 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Grivante Press - Anthology Call

Grivante Press has posted an anthology call for "Mashed:  The Culinary Delight of Twisted Erotica Horror".  They're looking for stories of 500 to 10,000 words that incorporate the theme of food related erotica horror.  The deadline is January 31, 2017 or until filled.  Payment is $10 to $30 depending on length.  You can find the details here.

The Backstory Story Cupboard

We live in an unbelievably crazy world and if you're looking for a backstory for your police detective or private investigator this story just might work.  There are so many different ways you could take the future of this child.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted her list of anthology markets for November.  Thanks, Angie!!

The Dark Magazine - Open for Submissions

The Dark Magazine is open for submissions of short fiction up to 6000 words in the genres of horror and dark fantasy.  Payment is 3cents a word for original fiction and 1cent a word for reprints.  You can find the details here.

The Museum of Science Fiction - Anthology Call

The Museum of Science Fiction has posted an anthology call for "Catalysts, Explorers, and Secret Keepers:  Women of SF".  they're looking for stories of 2000 to 5000 words that celebrate women with agency in science fiction.  The deadline is December 1, 2016 and payment is 6cents a word for original stories and 3cents a word for reprints.  While this anthology is for and about women, male authors are invited to submit as long as they stick to the theme.  You can find the submission details on their Greeen Submissions page here.  They have a fully funded KickStarter page where you can find more details.

Copper Pen Press - Open for Novel Submissions

Copper Pen Press has posted a call for novel submissions in the Mystery, Suspense, and Crime genres.  The novels should be 70,000 to 80,000 words but they're looking for queries first then chapters if they're interested.  There's no mention of what they're paying.  Please note that they want submissions professionally edited before you submit them so they're just publishing here and nothing else.  You can find the details here.

Pen and Kink Publishing - Anthology Call

Pen and Kink Publishing have posted an anthology call for "Ravenous".  They're looking for vampire romance stories of 1000 to 15,000 words.  The deadline is January 31. 2017 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Jaded Books Publishing - Anthology Calls (non-paying)

Jaded Books Publishing has three anthology calls posted.  The down side is that they're all non-paying.  The titles are "Shopping List", "Taboo", and "Beautiful Tragedies" (poetry).  If you're interested, you can check them out here.

Just a Quick Note

I haven't been finding any good markets (or even bad ones) to post up lately.  There were two markets that should have opened this month and didn't.  I'm not sure what's going on but I will keep searching.  Things are bound to get better.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Less Than Three Press - Anthology Call

Less Than Three Press has posted a new anthology call for "A Fool for You".  They're looking for "stories of tricksters and all the mischief they can manage--and what happens when they meet their match".  Stories should be 10,000 to 20,000 words.  This is a LGBTQIA anthology.  The deadline is March 31, 2017 and payment is a flat $200.  You can find the details here.

Blood Bound Books - Open for Novel Submissions

Blood Bound Books has opened up for novel submissions.  They're looking for horror stories in various categories up to 100,000 words.  The deadline is April 20,2017.  They pay a $250 advance.  You can find the details here.

Black Orchid Novella Contest - Open for Submissions

The deadline for the current Black Orchid Novella Contest is May 31, 2017.  They're looking for entries of 15,000 to 20,000 words that are written in the style of the Nero Wolfe stories by Rex Stout.  There's no fee to enter and the winner is published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and paid their usual rate.  You can find all the details here.

28 Paying Markets for November

Over at the Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity blog you'll find a list of 28 paying markets with November deadlines.  Thank, Erica!!

Cowboy Jamboree - Open for Submissions

Cowboy Jamboree has opened submissions for their Spring 2017 issue.  They are looking for both non-fiction and fiction.  The theme for this issue is "The Family Strain".  The deadline is March 15, 2017.  This is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here.

Crystal Lake Publishing - Anthology Call

Crystal Lake Publishing opened submissions today for their anthology "Tales from the Lake: Volume 4".  They're looking for horror stories up to 7000 words with the preferred length around 4000 words.  This anthology is non-themed so you don't have to set your stories around a lake.  The deadline is February 1, 2017 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Solarcide - Open for Submissions

Solarcide has opened submissions for short stories of 1000 to 3000 words.  They are open to all genres but they want the stories dark and weird.  Payment is $50.  You can find the details here.

Gamut - Opens for Submissions at Midnight

Just a reminder that Gamut magazine opens for submissions at midnight tonight (November 1).  They close after 300 submissions are received and that usually happens within 24 hours.  You can find the details here.  Submissions are through Submittable.

Broken Eye Books - Anthology Call

Broken Eye Books opened submissions today  for their newest anthology call, "Ride the Star Wind:  Cthulhu, Space Opera, and the Cosmic Weird".  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 6000 words that combine space opera with cosmic weird Horror either set within the Cthulhu mythos or inspired by it.  They are also looking for flash fiction under 1000 words.  The deadline is January 31, 2017 and payment is 8cents a word.  You can find the details here on the right hand side of the page.

Dark House Books - Anthology Call

Dark House Books has posted a new anthology call for "Descansos".  Descansos is Spanish for rest but in this case they refer to roadside memorials that mark an interrupted journey.  "Born of grief and loss, descansos memorializes love"  Dark House Books is looking for flash fiction, short stories, poems, and essays that embrace the spirit of descansos.  The deadline is December 31, 2016 and payment is a royalty split.  Reprints are welcomed.  You can find the details here.

Mighty Quill Books - Anthology Call

Mighty Quill Books has posted an anthology call for "Dead of Winter".  The anthology has no particular theme but they are looking for dark fiction stories of 1000 to 5000 words in any genre (there are a few exceptions like romance and erotica).  The deadline is November 15, 2016 and payment is $10 plus a print copy.  You can find all the details here.

Civil Coping Mechanisms - Non-fiction Charity Anthology Call

I ran across this call over at the HTML Giant site.  The call is for "A Shadow Map:  An Anthology by Survivors of Sexual Assault".  They're looking for poems and essays up to 1000 words by people who have been assaulted.  Proceeds will go to Planed Parenthood and RAINN.  The deadline is December 1, 2016, this is a non-paying market.  You can find all the details here.

Twelfth Planet Press - Non-fiction Anthology Call

Twelfth Planet Press has opened submissions for a non-fiction anthology titled "Letters to Octavia Butler".  They're looking for letters of 1000 to 1500 words addressed to Octavia Butler.  The deadline is January 8, 2017 and payment is 5cents a word with a $75 cap.  You can find all the details here.

Bouchercon 2017 Charity Anthology Call

The Bouchercon 2017 anthology is "Passport to Murder".  They're looking for mystery stories up to 5000 words that include travel in some way.  The deadline is January 31, 2017.  As this is a charity anthology there is no payment.  You can find all the details here.

Switchblade - New Crime Market

Switchblade is a new print anthology crime market.  They're looking for hardboiled/noir crime stories of 2000 to 4000 words and flash fiction up to 1000 words.  The deadline for the first issue is November 30, 2016 and payment is one copy.  You can find the details here.

Smoking Pen Press - Anthology Call

Smoking Pen Press has posted their third anthology call for their "Read on the Run" series.  This one has no title but the theme is romance.  Stories should be 1500 to 5000 words in any genre so long as romance is the central theme.  The deadline is December 10, 2016 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The October issue of Yellow Mama has gone live and is free to read.  Check it out.

Dark City Soul Magazine - New Crime Market

Dark City Soul Magazine is a new online crime market.  They're looking for crime stories up to 1000 words.  Payment is $5.  You can find the details here.

Catapult Publishing - Anthology Call

This came through SMFS via Kevin Tipple.  "The Gigantic Book of Tiny Crimes" is looking for flash pieces up to 1200 words that feature noir crime.  The deadline is November 15, 2016 and payment is $60.  You can find the guidelines on their Submittable page.

Computer Woes

Just a note to let everyone know that I'm still alive and kicking.  I wish I could say as much for my computer.  It's been having fits with the screen going black for some reason.  Hopefully I'll be able to get a new computer in the next week or so and everything will be back on track.  Today the darn thing is working so I'm hoping to catch up and post a few markets for you.  Unless, of course, the screen goes black again :) 

Writing the Crime Scene: Cops Don't Talk Like That

Over at Lit Reactor there's a good article about getting police dialogue right.  Check out "Writing the Crime Scene:  Cops Don't Talk Like That".  There's also some links where you can find some help with getting things right.

Dirge - Call for Non-fiction Articles

This popped up on Twitter for those of you who write non-fiction articles:

Dirge Magazine ‏@DirgeMagazine

Dirge will start paying for articles in 2017, & we're looking for writers to start NOW. Email an intro & samples to editor@dirgemag.com

You can find more information and check out Dirge here.  Also be forewarned that Dirge isn't for people who are easily offended.  They are a paying market (successful Patreon account) but they don't say how much.

RIP Ed Gorman

I just read on Bill Crider's blog that Ed Gorman has passed away.  I didn't know the man but I was a constant reader of his blog and learned a lot about books and writing from his posts. 

Long before I knew about Mr. Gorman I read his short story "The Face" in the first issue of Louis L'amour Western Magazine.  The story just blew me away and still does every time I read it.  It doesn't get any better than that.  I haven't read all of his work but what I've read always reminds me of how great a writer can be.

I was very lucky to have a story of mine chosen by Mr. Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg for inclusion in their best of the year crime and mystery anthology titled "By Hook or by Crook".  It was one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me and I will be forever grateful to have been included.

Rest in peace Mr. Gorman.  My sympathies go out to your wife and family.  You will be sorely missed by everyone who knew you.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

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

Manchester Speculative Fiction - Anthology Call

Manchester Speculative Fiction has posted an anthology call for "Revolutions 2".  They're looking for speculative fiction stories of 1500 to 6000 words that are linked in some way to Manchester, England.  The deadline is December 31, 2016 and payment is 15pounds Sterling.  You can find the details here.

Ella @ 100 Anthology - Call for Submissions

The Ella @ 100 Anthology is seeking poems, stories, essays, scripts, and graphic essays or stories inspired by the life and work of Ella Fitzgerald.  They looking for up to 15 pages per submission.  The deadline is January 15, 2017 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page for the guidelines.

The Obituary by Mike Penn

Over at Shotgun Honey you'll find this delicious little flash titled "The Obituary" by Mike Penn.  Maybe I shouldn't have, but it made me laugh.

I've added the link today (Saturday).  Don't know how I managed to forget it yesterday.  Sorry about that!

SQ mag - Story Quest Contest Open for Submissions

Australian based SQ mag has opened submissions for their annual Story Quest Contest.  This year's theme is Growth.  They're looking for speculative fiction stories of growth (literal growth, coming of age, or spiritual) up to 5000 words.  The deadline is November 30, 2016.  Five or six stories will be short listed and published, each of them being paid the usual rate of $15.  The first place story will receive an additional $100, second place $50, and third place $25.  There is no fee to enter and submissions are through Submittable.  You can find all the details here.

9 Tales - Open for Submissions

9 Tales is currently open for submissions.  They are looking for stories of 1000 to 15,000 words in the genres of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, crime, and westerns.  Payment here is $5.  They also accept reprints.  They will not be reading submissions from November 1, 2016 to January 1, 2017 but you can still submit during this period.  You can find all the details here.

Lovecraft eZine - Open for Submissions

Lovecraft eZine has opened submissions for short stories.  they're looking for new tales on old Lovecraft themes.  Payment is $25 under 3000 words and $50 for stories over 3000 words.  You can find the details here.

Flash Bang Mysteries - New Issue

The Fall issue of Flash Bang Mysteries has hit the virtual streets.  It's free to read here.

Flash Bang Mysteries - Open for Submissions

Flash Bang Mysteries has opened for submissions.  They are looking for mystery/crime stories of 500 to 750 words.  The deadline is October 31, 2016 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Weasel Press - Anthology Calls

Weasel Press has two anthology calls listed on their site.  The first is "How Well You Walk Through Madness".  For this they're looking for stories up to 5500 words about ordinary madness written in the Beat Style.  The deadline for this one is November 4, 2016 and payment is 1/2cent a word.  The second is "Passing Through".  For this one they're looking hitchhiking stories up to 10,000 words that have at least one "furry" character.  The deadline is May 1, 2017 and payment is 1/2cent a word.  You can find the details for both here.

Cowboy Jamboree - New Issue

The first issue of Cowboy Jamboree is now available as a free pdf download.  Check it out here.

Plots With Guns - New Issue

The Fall issue of Plots With Guns has gone live.  Read it free here.

Hat tip to Bill Crider!

Less Than Three Press - Novella Call

Less Than Three Press has posted what they call Collection Calls.  They want stories of 20,000 to 50,000 words that follow a theme and each story will be published separately as an ebook.  The collection is called "The Hoard" and the theme is dragons and their hoards.  You must have at least one LGBTQIA character in your story.  Your story can be in any genre so long as there are dragons and hoards.  The deadline is January 31, 2017 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Third Flatiron - 2017 Anthology Themes Posted

Third Flatiron Anthologies has posted their themes for 2017.  The first one is for weird westerns and opens on November 1, 2016.  Stories should be 1500 to 3000 words.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the themes here, just scroll down the page.

Mystery and Horror LLC - Anthology Call

Submissions open today for "Strangely Funny IV" over at Mystery and Horror LLC.  They're looking for funny paranormal stories of 2000 to 6000 words.  The deadline is November 30, 2016 and payment is $5 plus a royalty split.  You can find the details here, just scroll down a bit.

Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine - Open for Submissions

Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine is currently open for submissions.  Stories should be 3000 to 7000 words.  There's no mention of payment so you'll need to query for that.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.  Wildside Press is the publisher.

UPDATE:  Payment is 3cents a word.  Thanks to Michael Bracken for pointing it out.

Gamut Opens at Midnight Tonight

Gamut opens for submissions at midnight tonight (Oct. 1).  Last month they hit their 300 submissions mark within 14 hours so don't dawdle about getting your submission in.  You can find the details here.

Zombies Need Brains LLC - Anthology Calls

Zombies Need Brains LLC has just completed a successful KickStarter to fund three new anthologies which are now open for submissions.  They are looking for sci-fi and fantasy stories up to 7500 words for "Submerged", "All Hail Our Robot Conquerors!", and "The Death of All Things".  The deadline is December 31, 2016 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the submission details for all three calls here.

Grey Matter Press - Flash Fiction Contest

Grey Matter Press is having a flash fiction contest on their blog.  They're looking for flash pieces of 500 to 700 words that use the theme "I Can Taste the Blood".  Just post your story in the comments section of their blog for people to vote.  The winner will be published in the ebook version of the anthology "I Can Taste the Blood" plus a $50 Visa gift card, second place will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, and third place will receive a $25 gift code for Grey Matter Press' book store.  The deadline is October 21.  You can check it out here.

Tyrus Books - Open for Novel Submissions

It looks like Tyrus Books has opened for novel submissions.  They publish both crime and literary works.  You can check them out here.

Crooked Holster - Anthology Call

Crooked Holster has opened submissions for their third anthology.  The theme this time around is "Treachery".  They're looking for flash fiction up to 500 words, shorts to 2500 words, and poetry.  The deadline is October 30, 2016 and payment is one copy.  You can find the details here.

Workers Write Journal - Open for Submissions

Workers Write Journal is seeking submissions for issue #13 titled "Tales from the Casino".  They're looking for fiction of 500 to 5000 words about people who work in and around casinos.  The deadline is December 31, 2016 and payment is $5 to $50 depending on length.  They will also consider reprints.  You can find the details here.

Betty Fedora - New Issue

Issue #3 of Betty Fedora is now available in Kindle and print format.  Check it out here.

DeadLights - New Market

DeadLights is a new horror fiction magazine.  They have just opened submissions and are looking for flash of 300 to 700 words, shorts of 2000 to 7000 words, poetry, and creative non-fiction of 300 to 3000 words.  Payment is $10 for flash, $50 for shorts, $10 for poetry, and $5 to $10 for creative non-fiction.  Artwork varies from $5 to $80.  The deadline for the first issue is December 15, 2016 and that issue will go live on February 1, 2017.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to darkmarkets.com

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

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

Book Reviewer Yellow Pages - Anthology Call

Book Reviewer Yellow Pages has posted an anthology call.  While the guidelines are a trifle confusing most of the confusion is settled in the comments section.  What they're looking for is short stories in the genres of romance and spooky stories, and essays in the genres of humor and non-fiction uplifting stories (similar to the Chicken Soup essays).  Your pieces should be 7000 to 15,000 words.  The deadline is November 30, 2016 and payment is $100 to $125 depending on word count.  You can find the details here.

Kristell Ink - Anthology Calls

U K based Kristell Ink has posted three speculative fiction anthology calls.  The titles are "Infinate Dysmorphia", "Terra Nullius", and "Holding on by Our Fingertips".  They're looking for stories of 6000 to 10.000 words.  The deadline for all is January 31, 2017 and payment is 10pounds.  You can find the details here.

Oscillate Wildly Press - Anthology Call

Queensland based Oscillate Wildly Press has posted an anthology call for "Monsters Among Us".  They are looking for psychological horror stories up to 7000 words where humans are the monsters.  This would be a good fit for noir crime.  The deadline is November 30, 2016 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Azoth Khem Publishing - Anthology Call

Azoth Khem Publishing has posted an anthology call for "Carnival of Madness".  They're looking for stories of 5000 to 7000 words set in the world of carnivals.  The deadline is October 20, 2016 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Hat tip to horrortree.com

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores - Open for Submissions

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores opened their one week reading period today.  They're looking for stories of 1000 words and up in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, myths, legends, fairy tale, and eldritch (other worldly).  The deadline is September 28, 2016 and payment is 6cents a word for original work and 2cents a word for reprints.  You can find the details here.

Noir Crime Comics

Dirge magazine has a post about crime noir comics that I thought might interest a few of you noir folks out there.

The Anthony, The Barry, and the Shamus Awards for 2016

Mystery Fanfare has a roundup of the winners of the Bouchercon awards that were presented last night which include the Anthony Awards, the Barry Awards, and the Shamus Awards.  Congrats to all the winners!!

2016 Macavity Award Winners

From Mystery Fanfare comes the winners of the 2016 Macavity Awards.  Congrats to all the winners!!

The Lascaux Review

The Lascaux Review is now paying $100 for literary stories, poems, and essays.  Their submissions are through submittable but be careful when you submit as they have one choice where you pay $3 and one that is free.  Their contests have big prizes but the fees are also fairly steep ($10 and $20).  You can check them out here.

Lamplight Magazine - Open for Submissions

Lamplight Magazine has opened submissions today for dark literary stories in any genre up to 7,000 words.  The deadline is November 15, 2016.  Payment is 3cents a word with a cap of $150 for original stories and 1cent a word for reprints.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You'll find the editor's name in the Index of Writes link  You can find the details here.

Felony & Mayhem - Open for Mystery Novel Submissions

Felony & Mayhem is open for novel submissions.  They're looking for literary mysteries of 75,000 words and up but no hard-boiled or neo noir.  While they usually publish out of print books they are stating to publish new novels.  There's no mention of payment so that's something you'll have to query.  You can find the details here.  But be sure to read their FAQ page for more info and you'll find the publisher's name on the about page :)

Mofo Press - Anthology Call

Mofo Press, an imprint of Mugwump Press, has posted an anthology call for "Wanderlust".  They're looking for erotic tales of wanderlust of 1000 to 5000 words.  While this is an erotica anthology call you could easily incorporate crime fiction into your story.  The deadline is November 3, 2016 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can  find the details here.

North American Review Press - New Crime Imprint

From the lovely Michael Bracken comes this link to North American Review Press and their new imprint called Gas Station Pulp.  They're looking for novels of 60,000 to 75,000 words that combine old school crime noir with literary character driven fiction.  Submissions open on December 1 and run through to December 30.  There's no mention of their payment rates so that's something you'll have to query.  Submissions will be through their Submittable page here.

Gwendolyn Kiste - Paying Markets for Spec-fiction

For those of you who write speculative fiction Gwendolyn Kiste has posted up a September listing of six paying markets.  Thanks, Gwendolyn!

Pulp Modern - Closing up Shop

Earlier this summer I noted that Pulp Modern was no longer taking submissions and now the word has come down from editor/publisher Alex Cicak that Pulp Modern is closing their doors.  So sorry to see them go.

Double Feature Magazine - New Market

Double Feature Magazine is a new market looking for short stories in the sci-fi and horror genres.  Stories should be 1500 to 6000 words and payment is $25.  They will consider longer stories for serials and payment for these is $40.  The first issue up so you can get a feel for what they're looking for.  You can find the details here.

Sirens Call Publications - Anthology Call

Sirens Call Publications has posted an anthology call for "First Hand Accounts".  They're looking for short stories of 4000 to 8000 words told in the first person.  The stories can be about horrific acts, unimaginable horror, or terrifying moments.  The deadline is December 1, 2016 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

Calls for Literary Fiction - Paying Markets

For those of you who write literary stories you should check out writingcareer.com where they've posted quite a few paying literary markets that are open for submissions.

Dreaming Robot Press - Anthology Call

Dreaming Robot Press has opened submissions for their 2018 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide anthology.  They are looking for speculative fiction adventure stories with a middle grade (8 to 12 years old) main character.  Stories should be 3000 to 6000 words.  The deadline is January 31, 2017 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

36 Paying Markets for September

Over at Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity Erica Verrillo has posted her September list of paying markets.  Thanks, Erica!!

I Remember by Beau Johnson

It's been a while since I posted a link to a short story but I found "I Remember" by Beau Johnson a very beautiful story of a parent's love.  Odd thing to say when Out of the Gutter is the publisher :)

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

Submissions open today for the anthology "Equus".  Editor Rhonda Parrish is seeing stories up to 7500 words about magical equine - horses, unicorns, and Pegasus.  Stories must in the speculative fiction genre.  The deadline is November 30, 2016 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here just scroll down the page.

One Story - Open for Submissions

One Story opened submissions today for literary short stories of 3000 to 8000 words.  The deadline is May 31, 2017 and payment is $500 plus 25 copies.  You can find the details here.

Gamut - Opens for Submissions Tomorrow

Just a heads up that Gamut magazine will be opening submissions tomorrow, September 1.  They only take the first 300 submissions and last month they closed within twenty four hours of opening.  Submissions are through Submittable but you can find the details here.  This is a pro paying market.

Farstrider - Open for Submissions

Farstrider Magazine has opened for submissions.  They're looking for fantasy stories with a sense of humor ala Terry Prachett.  Stories should be 500 to 4000 words in length.  The deadline is September 15, 2016 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Mystery Weekly - Special Submission Call

I just received this email from Mystery Weekly's editor Chuck Carter.  It's a bit of a short notice but I'm sure you mystery writers out there can help him out.

Hi Sandra,

Mystery Weekly Magazine is putting together a special Sherlock Holmes
themed issue, and we could use a few last minute submissions.  I was
hoping you might be able to do a quick mention in your blog?  We're
looking for any Sherlock content including short stories 2k-10k words or
short non-fiction essays. The deadline is Aug 31st.  The submission link
is http://www.mysteryweekly.com/submit.asp

Warmest regards,

Chuck Carter

--
Mystery Weekly Magazine

Now Available on Digital Newstands!

http://MysteryWeekly.com
https://twitter.com/MysteryWeekly.com
http://facebook.com/mysteryweekly

ELJ Publications - Anthology Call

This is a short notice post as submissions are due by August 31, 2016.  ELJ Publications is seeking poetry, micro and flash fiction, and flash essay up to 750 words about "what pop culture did for you, to, or with you in the 1990's".  Payment is $10 per poem and 1cent a word for prose.  The anthology title is "Come as You Are".  You can find the details here.  There's an interview with the editors here so you can find more insight into what they're looking for.

Book Smugglers - Call for Short Stories

Book Smugglers opened submissions for short stories today.  This year's theme is Gods & Monsters.  They want speculative fiction stories of 1500 to 17,500 words.  Stories can be YA, have a strong romance element, or a strong horror element.  The deadline is December 31, 2016 with publication in Summer of 2017.  Payment is 6cents a word with a cap of $500.  If published in e-book or anthology form there will also be a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Candlesticks and Daggers - Anthology Call

Editor Kelly Ann Jacobson has posted an anthology call for "Candlesticks and Daggers:  An Anthology of Mixed-Genre Mysteries".  She's seeking stories up to 7500 words that have a mystery set in another genre such as sci-fi, fantasy, or romance.  The deadline is November 1, 2016 and payment is 1 copy.  This is also being run as a contest so the winner will receive $50 and the runner-up $25.  Submissions are blind.  You can find the details here.

Hippocampus Press - Non-fiction Anthology Call

Hippocampus Press is seeking non-fiction essays for their new anthology titled "Air".  The anthology is to be a "celebration of decades of broadcast radio".  They want true stories up to 6500 words inspired by the heyday of radio (pre-digital age) from people involved with the radio stations to the fans who listened.  The deadline is February 15, 2017 and payment is $50 plus 2 copies.  You can find the details on the Submittable page.

Unnerving Magazine - New Market

Unnerving Magazine is a new online publication.  They are looking for stories in the genres of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy but they're leaning more toward the dark horror in any genre.  For the first issue they will need seven stories and toward the end of the guidelines they've broken down the stories by word count (500 to 5000)  The deadline for their first issue is November 15, 2016 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The August issue of Yellow Mama has gone live.  Check it out here.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - Open for Submissions

Beneath Ceaseless Skies is open for submissions of "literary adventure fantasy stories set in a secondary-world setting".  Stories can be up to 11,000 words.  The deadline is to be announced.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Killer Reads - Open Submissions for Novels

Killer Reads is an e-book imprint of Harper Collins.  They are currently holding Open Submissions for novels in the crime/thriller genre.  There's no deadline listed and no pay specifics.  You can check out the details here.

Mythic - New Market

Mythic is a new quarterly sci-fi/fantasy magazine looking for stories of 2000 to 8000 words for their first issue.  Payment is a flat rate of $40.  You can find the details here.

Bella Books - Anthology Call

Bella Books has posted an anthology call to raise money for the Golden Crown Literary Society Fundraiser.  There's no title yet but the theme is "Conference Romance.  Think - 'I was a con virgin...' and let your imagination run wild."  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 6000 words.  The deadline is February 1, 2017 and payment is $50 plus two copies.  You can find the details here.

DarkFuse Magazine - Open for Submissions

DarkFuse Magazine has opened for submissions.  They're seeking stories of 1000 to 2000 words in the genres of horror, thriller, suspense, crime, and sci-fi - anything with a dark slant to it.  Payment is 5cents a word.  They will take longer stories but the pay cut-off is 2000 words.  You can find the guidelines on their Submittable page.

Proximity - Open for Non-fiction Submissions

Proximity magazine is open for submissions to issue #13 with the theme of guns.  They're looking for non-fiction stories of your experiences with guns.  The deadline is October 15, 2016.  There is no pay but I thought this might be of interest to many of you.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

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

Mocha Memoir Press - Anthology Call

Mocha Memoir Press has posted an anthology call for "In Curious Incidents:  More Improbable Adventures".  They're looking for Holmes and Watson stories of 4000 to 8000 words.  But they don't want the stories set in Victorian England and they must be paranormal in nature.  This is open to all genres.  The deadline is October 14, 2016 and payment is a royalty split plus a print copy.  You can find the details here, just scroll down to the Current Calls section.

Blink-Ink - Open for Submissions

Blink-Ink has opened for submissions of 50 word flash pieces for issue #25.  The theme for this issue is crossroads which could work well for noir.  The deadline is September 15, 2016.  Payment is a print copy of the magazine.

Red Leaf Hollow - Anthology Call

Red Leaf Hollow is a fictional town in New England and you're invited to submit a "spooky fall" story of 1000 to 4000 words in any genre.  The details of the town are in the guidelines where you take your story is up to you.  The deadline is December 4, 2016 for e-book publication in October of 2017.  Payment is $5.  The publisher attached to the project is Hocus Pocus & Co.  You can find the details here.

The Olympics of Writing by Jeff Cohen

There's a great piece about writing and becoming a writer by Jeff Cohen over at the Hey, There's a Dead Guy in the Living Room blog.

UPDATE:  He's changed the title of the essay to Can Anyone be a Writer?  Just so you know  that you're on the right page :)

Robbed of Sleep - Open for Submissions

Robbed of Sleep is a bi-yearly print anthology.  Submissions opened today for their Winter issue.  They are seeking flash stories of 100 to 1000 words and shorts of 2000 to 4000 words.  The genres seem to be pretty open but they're looking for dark, strange, and weird.  The deadline is October 31, 2016 and payment is $5 for flash and $10 for shorts.  You can find the details here.

Disquieted Dreams Press - Anthology Call

Disquieted Dreams Press has opened submissions for their anthology "In Our Bodies".  They're looking for horror stories of 2000 to 5000 words with the theme of body horror.  They want you to make the readers skin crawl.  The deadline is October 15, 2016 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Kraken Press - Open for Novel and Novella Submissions

Kraken Press is currently open for novel and novella submissions in the genres of horror, dark fantasy, and weird fiction.  The guidelines are on their Submittable page.  Their pay rates are not listed.

Collecting Rejections by Michael Bracken

Michael Bracken has an interesting post on his blog today about "Collecting Rejections". 

Many writers collect rejections like a they're a badge of honor, but there comes a point when a writer has to realize that they need to get better or get over the writing bug.  Of course, that's only my opinion and every writer has to find that point for him/herself.

Blood Sacrifices and the Catatonic Kid by Tom Piccirilli

Comet Press has posted a free to read Tom Piccirilli short story on their website.  You can read "Bood Sacrifices and the Catatonic Kid" here.

The Classic Car Story Cupboard

I ran across this story today about finding a dozen classic cars in a barn and I thought story cupboard.  The ideas came pretty fast.  What if they were all stolen?  What if someone stole them from the owner who was saving this treasure for his retirement?  What if the cars were part of an estate - do they sell them, fight over them, hide them?  How about a road trip in one or all of the cars?  Or a cross-country race with the winner getting all the cars?  They're classic cars, writers, take them for a joy ride across the page.

Down & Out Books - Open for Novel Submissions

Down & Out Books is currently open for novel submissions of 60,000 to 90,000 words in the genres of mystery, suspense, thriller, noir, and police procedural.  They're looking for both stand alone and first book in a series.  There's no pay details listed.  You can find the submission details here.

Murder Among Friends - Charity Anthology Call

Editor Dave Goudsward asked me to pass along a reminder that he's still in need of stories for the anthology "Murder Among Friends".  He's looking for cozy mystery stories of 2000 to 7000 words that are inspired by the life and work of John Greenleaf Whittier.  The deadline is October 1, 2016 or when filled.  Payment is one copy.  All proceeds will go towards the upkeep and operation of the Whittier Birthplace Museum.  You can find the details here.

A Murder of Storytellers - Anthology Call

A Murder of Storytellers has posted an anthology call for "The Book of Blasphemous Words".  They're looking for stories up to 10,000 words.  The theme - "A weird fiction, horror, and speculative fiction anthology about humanity's relationship with its gods".  The deadline is October 31, 2016 and payment is $15.  Reprints are acceptable.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Zimball House Publishing - Anthology Calls

I don't generally post anthology calls from Zimbell House Publishing because the only pay is one copy.  But they have two anthology calls that might be of interest here.  The first is a Western anthology titled "The Mountain Pass".  They're looking for Western/Cowboy stories up to 12,5000 words that involve a mountain pass.  The deadline is February 15, 2017.  The second anthology call is titled "Why?" and they're looking for mystery who-done-its up to 20,000 words.  The deadline is January 15, 2017.  You can find the details here, just scroll down to the bottom of the page.  It would be nice if these non-paying markets would take reprints.

Humans Wanted - Anthology Call

"Humans Wanted" is a SF anthology that is open for submissions until December 31, 2016.  They are looking for sci-fi stories of 3000 to 6000 words that show humanity in a positive light.  This project has a fully funded KickStarter.  You can find the details here on their KickStarter page.

Undertow Publications - Open for Submissions

Undertow Publications has opened submissions for "Shadows and Tall Trees Vol. 7".  They're looking for literary horror, weird fiction, and strange tales of 2500 to 8000 words.  The deadline is August 31 and payment is $50 to $100 depending on length.  You can find the details here.

Tacitus Publishing - Anthology Call

Tacitus Publishing has opened submissions for a new anthology titled "Shattered Space".  They're looking for stories of 1500 to 5000 words that "take place in space and have a strong horror element".  The deadline is October 31, 2016 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

Bracken - Open for Submissions

Bracken magazine has reopened for submissions.  They're seeking speculative fiction of 2500 words or less.  Payment is 2cents a word.  Their first issue is up so you can get an idea of what they're looking for.  You can find the submission details here.

Wicked Run Press - Anthology Call

Wicked Run Press has posted an anthology call for "Garden of Fiends: Tales of Addiction Horror".  They're looking for novella length horror stories of 16,000 to 25,000 words that fit the theme of addiction.  Submissions open on September 1, 2016 and close January 1, 2017.  Payment is $500.  Reprints are okay but there is a lower pay rate.  You can find the details here.

Dark House Books - Anthology Call

Dark House Books has opened submissions today for a quick turn around anthology titled "We've Been Trumped".  They're looking for stories of 2500 to 5000 words that are "light-hearted, satirical stories envisioning life under President Trump".  Stories can be in any genre put they prefer that they aren't about Trump or that he doesn't make a major appearance in the story.  The deadline is September 15, 2016 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Gamut - New Market

Gamut magazine opened for submissions today.  They are looking for short stories of 500 to 5000 words in all genres including neo-noir, crime, mystery, and thrillers.  All stories must have a literary bent.  Payment here is 10cents a word for original and 3cents a word for reprints. Submissions are through Submittable and they will only be accepting 300 submissions a month.  You can find the details here and there is work already published on the site so you can get a feel for what they're looking for.

Dog Patch Press - Erotica Anthology Call

Dog Patch Press has posted an anthology call for "Heat Volume 14".  They're looking for furry erotica stories of 4000 to 8000 words.  The deadline is September 19, 2016 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

Smoking Pen Press - Anthology Call

Smoking Pen Press has issued an anthology call for "A Bit of a Twist".  They're looking for stories "normal stories with a twist" of 1500 to 5000 words.  The deadline is September 30, 2016 and payment is $25.  Reprints are acceptable.  You can find the details here.

21 Paying Markets for August

Over at Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity Erica Verrillo has posted her August list of 21 paying markets.  Thanks, Erica!

Colors in Darkness - Anthology Call

Colors in Darkness is an interesting anthology call.  They're looking for horror/dark fantasy stories that are set in the fictional Kretcher Motel in Atlanta.  They have a description of the motel and the innkeeper which you must use.  The rest of your story must take place in one of the rooms and they're all up to your own imagination.  While they're looking for horror remember that noir crime stories can be an excellent fit.  Stories should be 2500 to 7500 words.  The deadline is September 1, 2016 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Dark Passage Publishing - Open for Crime Novella Submissions

Dark Passage Publishing has opened submissions for novella length crime fiction of 15,000 to 35,000 words.  Payment here is a royalty split (the percentage is not listed).  You can  find the details here.

Freeze Frame Fiction - Open for Submissions

Freeze Frame Fiction has opened for submissions of stories up to 1000 words in all genres.  The deadline is September 15 and payment is $10.  Submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Weird Blog Requests

I wonder sometimes why some authors feel the need to lie when they're seeking reviews.  Today I received a request to review a fantasy book on my blog The Drowning Machine.  The author claimed to be a dedicated reader of the blog, which seems quite odd since there's been nothing posted since 2014 at The Drowning Machine and they only reviewed crime/mystery fiction.

You authors out there would be better served to actually read a blog that you're sending a request to and see what type of books they review.  And getting the blog name right would be a step in the right direction of getting a blogger's attention.

Martian Migraine Press - Anthology Call

Canadian publisher Martian Migraine Press has posted an anthology call for their fifth anthology titled "A Breath from the Sky:  Unusual Stories of Possession".  They're looking for stories of 1500 to 7000 words that use H.P. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" as the seed story.  The deadline is January 31, 2017 and payment is 3cents CAD a word.  You can find the details here.

The Liz McMullen Show - Anthology Call

The Liz McMullen Show has posted an anthology call for "Southern Voices" (working title).  She's looking for short stories of 2500 to 4500 words that depict the diversity of the South.  The deadline is December 10, 2016 and payment is $50.  You can find the details  here.

Solarcide - Open for Submissions

Solarcide has opened submissions to the public for dark fiction of 1000 to 3000 words in any genre including the weird.  Payment is a flat rate of $50.  You can find the details here.  At the top of the page is a tab called special guest where you can find a list of authors and short stories that have already been published to get a feel for what they're looking for. 

SFFWorld - Anthology Call

SFFWorld has extended the deadline for their annual anthology to September 30,2016.  You no longer have to be a member to submit, the call is open to everyone.  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 9000 words that "feature a map, or maps, playing a central or pivotal role".  Reprints are welcome and payment is $15.  You can find the details here.

MacKenzie Publishing - Anthology Call

Canadian based MacKenzie Publishing has posted an anthology call for "Two Eyes Open".  They are looking for stories of 2500 to 5000 words in the genres of horror, suspense, thriller, and mystery that use the theme two eyes open (they also have a picture).  The deadline is March 31, 2017 and pay is $10CAD.  You can find the details here.

Level Best Books - Anthology Call

Level Best Books has posted an anthology call for "Busted:  Arresting Stories from the Beat".  Submissions open on August 1 and run to October 3, 2016.  The are looking for stories up to 5000 words by and about law enforcement professionals.  I didn't see any mention of pay but this publisher generally pays $25 per story.  You can find the details here.

Pole to Pole Publishing - Anthology Call

Pole to Pole Publishing has posted an anthology call for "In a Cat's Eye".  They're looking for dark stories of 3000 to 5000 words that include a cat as a central charater.  The genres they want are sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.  The deadline is August 30, 2016 and payment is 2cents a word. You can find the details here.

Farolight Publishing - Anthology Call

Farolight Publishing has opened submissions for "Horror Library Volume 6".  They're looking for light horror or psychological horror stories of 2000 to 6000 words.  The deadline is September 15, 2016 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Dark House Books - Closed?

Dark House Books has closed down submissions on their site.  Not sure if this is permanent or just temporary.  Too bad, as they were a good anthology market.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

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

Between Worlds - Open for Submissions

UK based online zine "Between Worlds" has opened submissions for their second issue.  They're looking for Autumn themed (Halloween) stories that include "portals between alternate worlds".  They'd like flash fiction of 500 to 1500 words (no payment) and shorts of 1500 to 5000 words (flat payment of 5pounds).  The deadline is September 1, 2016. You can find the details here.

Flame Tree Publishing - Anthology Calls - Short Notice

Flame Tree Publishing has posted two anthology calls with a July 22, 2016 deadline.  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 4000 words for "Sword & Steam" and "Dystopia Utopia".  Stories can be new or reprints.  For the "Sword and Steam" anthology the are looking for steampunk with a mystery/crime element.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

New Zenith Magazine - New Market

New Zenith Magazine is a new market seeking short stories in any genre up to 3000 words.  They are both an online and quarterly print publisher.  Payment is $5 for under 250 words and 2cents a word for over 251 words.  They don't say if this is payment for both the online and print or just the print edition so you might want to query about that before submitting.  Some markets don't pay for the online work.  You can find all the details here.

Pink Narcissus Press - Anthology Call

Pink Narcissus Press has posted an anthology call for "Brave Boy World: a transman anthology".  They are looking for science fiction stories of any length that feature a transgender male protagonist.  The call is open until filled.  Payment is $100 for original stories and $50 for reprints.  You can find the details here, just scroll down the page.

Shouldn't Post This but...

I sometimes wonder how some people can look at their face in the mirror and be comfortable with what they see.  I just ran across a charity anthology that is supposed to be making money for a cancer fund raiser.  Okay, but wait, there's a $25 non-refundable submission fee that goes not to the charity but to the publisher.  And then there's the editing.  The writer has to hire an editor or pay the submission editor to edit their work!?! 

Maybe I'm a bit jaded but it seems like the only one making any profit on this project will be the editor and publisher, especially if they don't put any effort into promoting and selling the anthology.  Money should flow to the writer or the charity not to the publisher and editor.  Shame on you for using a cancer charity project in such a way. 

Copper Pen Press - Anthology Call

Copper Pen Press has posted an anthology call today for "Freakshow:  Freakishly Fascinating Tales of Mystery and Suspense".  They're looking for mystery stories of 2000 to 7000 words set in the world of a traveling freak show.  There's no deadline listed.  Payment is $50.  You can find the details here.

Guidelines

I always get a kick out of submission guidelines that inform you that they will be editing your work then say something like this:

"Editing: Yes, your story will be edited if we decide to accept it. After we got through and edit your story, it will then be sent back to you for final approval.".

Dead Guns Press - On Hiatus

Dead Guns Press has posted that they're on hiatus.  It doesn't say if this is permanent or just temporary.

Just a Quick Note

Just a quick note to say that postings may be light for the next little while as everyone seems to be on vacation :)  The markets I'm finding don't pay and I try to stay away from them for the most part unless they're of the mystery/crime genre.  Doing searches yesterday I found a very interesting one, took down all the info then realized that the deadline was in 2015 (sigh).  Hopefully markets will start opening up soon.

Falstaff Books - Anthology Call

Falstaff Books has posted an anthology call for "Lawless Lands:  Tales from the Weird Frontier".  They're looking for Western style stories of 3000 to 7000 words in the genres of Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Horror.  The deadline is September 30, 2016.  Payment is 4cents a word, more if their KickStarter is successful.  You can find the details here. 

Quarter Castle Publishing - Anthology Call

This call is open to residents of Atlantic Canada only.  The call is for short stories of 1000 to 6000 words that center around the theme of the Halifax explosion of 1917.  The deadline is March 31, 2017 and payment is $40.  You can find all the details here.

7 Paying Markets for July

Author Gwendolyn Kiste has posted 7 paying markets on her blog that open for July submissions.  Thanks, Gwendolyn!

Diabolical Plots - Open for Submissions

Diabolical Plots has opened a month long submission period for short fiction for their online zine.  They are looking for speculative fiction up to 3500 words.  They encourage the mixing of genres so long as there is a speculative element.  They have an online submission form and the link is in the guidelines.  Payment is 8cents a word and the deadline is July 31.  You can find the details here.

Mantid Magazine - Deadline Extended

Mantid Magazine has extended the deadline for their Summer issue and are now open for reprints as well as original work.  They are seeking Horror and dark genre genre stories of 1500 to 7000 words.  Payment is $25 for 3000 to 7000 words and $18 for 1000 to 3000 words.  They're also paying $20 for non-fiction articles and $10 for reviews.  For the Summer issue they're looking for work from women, woman-identifying, and non-binary-identifying.  They also state that they're open to work from others as long as they are considerate and inclusive.  You can find the details here.

Hard Sentences: Crime Fiction Inspired by Alcatraz - Anthology Call

Author David James Keaton has posted an anthology call for "Hard Sentences:  Crime Fiction Inspired by Alcatraz".  He's looking for stories of 2000 to 3000 words set in Alcatraz.  He's also posted a list of ideas for those coming up short on the muse side :).  The publisher is Broken River Books and payment is pro to semi-pro based on length.  The soft deadline for submissions is September.  You can find all the details here.

via - Kevin Tipple through the SMFS

24 Paying Market Calls for July

Over at Published to Death...and other Forms of Insanity Erica Verrillo has posted 24 paying market calls for July.  Thanks, Erica!

Beyond the Threshold Studio - Crime Anthology Call

Beyond the Threshold Studio has posted an anthology call for artwork and short stories that "blend the gritty history of thrilling 1920's crime noir and the fantasy of classic fairy tales".  You don't have to do both as they're looking for artists and writers to team together.  The anthology is titled "Once Upon a Mystery!" and they need 3 to 5 samples of your best work by July 10.  Payment is dependent on a successful KickStarter.  You can find the details here.

Owl Hollow Press - Anthology Call

Owl Hollow Press has posted an anthology call for "Dark Magic: Witches, Hackers, and Robots".  They're looking for stories up to 8500 words that follow that theme and explore "the dark side of human abilities".  The deadline is August 31, 2016 and payment is $50.  You can find the details here.

Occult Detective Quarterly - New Market

From the lovely Michael Bracken comes a new market called "Occult Detective Quarterly".  They're looking for short stories of 3000 to 5000 words about "people who investigate the strange and unusual".  Payment here is $25.  They are also looking for non-fiction essays and reviews and are looking to build a stable of reviewers for the magazine.  Payment is 1cent a word for pieces of 3000 to 5000 words.  You can find the details here.

A Bit of Crime Fiction News

Sorry for the long absent between postings but I've been away from my computer and the Internet.  Hopefully it won't take too long to get caught up.  First up is some bits of crime news.

Pulp Modern has closed down to submissions.  I'm assuming this might be a permanent thing as they were already closed and not set to open until August 1.  If things change I'll let you know.

All Due Respect has reopened their online blog for non-fiction crime pieces.  There's no pay for these, but they're hoping to stir up a few discussions about the crime genre.

Flash Bang Mysteries has posted their Summer Issue and they are open for submissions until July 31.  This is a paying market for flash crime fiction.

And it is with a sad heart that I announce the final issue of ThugLit titled "Last Writes" is now available in both Kindle and Print editions.

Dense Weed Publications - Anthology Call

Dense Weed Publications is a new market looking for submissions for a horror anthology.  They want horror stories up to 10,000 words.  There is no theme.  The deadline is January 30, 2017 and payment is a royalty share.  You can find the details here.

UPDATE:  January 31, 2017  This site is no longer available so I'm guessing the anthology is a no go.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The June issue of Yellow Mama has gone live.  Check it out here.

18th Wall Productions - Anthology Call

The 18th Wall Productions has posted an anthology call for "Speakeasies and Spiritualists".  They're looking for stories of 1000 to 6000 words set in the 1920's "spook culture".  All genres are welcome.  The deadline is September 2, 2016 and payment is a 5% royalty split of the gross for stories over 1500 words and 4% for stories under 1500.  You can find the details here.

Lightspeed - Open for Submissions

Lightspeed magazine opened a short reading period yesterday, June 16, which will end on June 30, 2016.  They're looking for sci-fi/fantasy stories of 1500 to 10,000 word (under 5000 preferred).  Payment is 8cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted her June listing of anthology calls.  Thanks, Angie!

Firth Books - Anthology Call

Firth Books has posted an anthology call for "Restless".  They're looking for stories of 7000 to 12,000 words "that fit the theme restless and incorporate some element of ghosts, ghouls, unquiet spirits, or paranormal phenomena".  The deadline is August 31, 2016 and payment is $25 plus royalties.  You can find the details here.

The Norwegian American - Open for Short Story Submissions

The Norwegian American is an online newspaper that publishes short stories up to 1500 words "in any genre that has to do with Norway, or crime/mystery stories even if they have nothing to do with Norway".  The payment here is $50.  You can find the details here, just scroll down to the bottom of the page for the fiction submission guidelines.

Dark Park Publishing - Call for Novella and Novel Submissions

Dark Park Publishing is a fairly new market seeking novels and novellas in all areas of dark fiction.  They're looking for Horror, Dark Sci-fi, Fantasy, Western, or Dark Comedy.  Novellas should be 25,000+ words and novels 50,000+ words.  Payment is $150 advance plus royalties.  You can find the details here.

Black Heart Magazine - Charity Anthology Call

Black Heart Magazine has posted a submission call for an anti-gun anthology.  They are looking for poems and short stories up to 2500 words.  The anthology will benefit the Gun Control Lobby.  The deadline is July 31 and submissions are through Submittable.  You can find the details here.

Abstract Jam - Open for Submissions

Abstract Jam is a quarterly magazine based in the UK.  They are currently open for their September issue until July 31.  They're looking for dark, gritty stories of 1500 to 8000 words in all genres.  Payment is 5pounds sterling.  You can find the details here.

Digital Fiction Publishing - Open for Reprint Submissions

Canadian based Digital Fiction Publishing is currently open for reprints of speculative fiction in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and some crime stories.  Stories of 3500 to 7500 words must have been previously published in either a pro or semi-pro market.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details on their Submittable page.

Dark Passages Publishing - Open for Crime Novellas

Dark Passages Publishing is currently reading for their 2017 catalogue.  They're looking for crime novellas of 15,000 to 35,000 words.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

The Writer's Guide to Weapons

It's always fun to find helpful sites on the Internet.  This morning I ran across Benjamin Sobiek's blog "The Writer's Guide to Weapons" which contains all sorts of interesting articles about weapons and how to use them properly in your crime stories.

Award Nominees

And the 2016 Macavity Award nominees have been announced and what a thrill to see so many familiar names on the list.  Congrats to all the nominees!!

Also over at the Rap Sheet are the 2016 Shamus Award nominees.  A big congrats to all the nominees

Triangle Sisters in Crime - Anthology Call

The Triangle Chapter of Sisters in Crime has posted an anthology call.  In order to submit you must be a current member of SinC (any chapter) and a resident of North or South Carolina.  The theme is addiction, compulsion, and obsession.  Basically they're looking for crime stories of 1500 to 5000 words where addiction and obsession play a role.  The deadline is August 31, 2016 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Deadman's Tome - Call for Submissions

Deadman's Tome is an online horror zine that is open for submissions.  They're looking for flash fiction and short stories up to 7000 words.  There is payment but it is based on how many views, likes, and comments your story receives  (10cents per each).  You can check out the details here.

Dead Ink Publishing - Anthology Call

London based Dead Ink Publishing has posted an anthology call for "New Horrors".  They're looking for stories of 5000 to 30,000 words with the theme of 21st Century Horrors.  The deadline is July 1, 2016 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Turn to Ash - Call for Submissions

Print Horror magazine Turn to Ash is looking for short stories up to 3000 words for their second issue titled "Open Lines".  The theme this time revolves around talk radio personality Chuck Leek and they're looking for stories written in the first person by "callers".  Keep in mind that this is a paranormal talk show and your caller is telling his experience.  The deadline is August 8 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

The Questionable Witness Story Cupboard

Now here's a great twist for your next murder mystery.  People believe that a parrot witnessed the murder and is telling them who did it.  Parrot protection, anyone?

Ravynheart Publishing - Open for Novel Submissions

Ravynheart Publishing is an e-publisher which pays a 50/50 royalty split.  Currently they publish Romance and Fantasy/Sci-fi novels but they're looking to expand into the Mystery genre.  They're looking for novels of 40,000 to 70,000 words but they will also look at short stories and novellas.  They want cozies, romantic suspense, heist crimes, and suspense with paranormal elements.  You can check them out here.

Persistent Visions - New Market

Persistent Visions is a new magazine looking for science fiction and fantasy stories up to 7500 words, but no flash fiction as it will be a hard sell.  Payment is 7cents a word.  They have an onsite submission form, you'll find the link at the end of the guidelines.  You can find the details here.

Why Rejection Feels So Personal

And with the posting of new markets there will be some rejections so here's a great essay about rejection that will help get you over the bumps in the submitting process.  Many thanks to Michael Bracken for the link!!

Pen and Kink Publishing - Open for Submissions

Pen and Kink Publishing has opened submissions for their "Legendary" anthology.  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 15,000 words using the theme of Urban Legends Romance.  While they prefer original stories, reprints will be considered.  The deadline is July 31 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.  And you'll find an inside look at what editor Laura Harvey is looking for in the way of submissions here.

Liminal Stories - Open for Submissions

Liminal Stories has opened submissions for the month of June.  They're looking for stories up to 10,000 words in any genre but they have a soft spot for weird fiction and soft sci-fi.  The deadline is June 30 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Nightmare Magazine - Open for Submissions

A short submission period opens today for Nightmare Magazine.  They're looking for horror and dark fantasy stories of 1500 to 7500 words.  The deadline is June 15 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

17 Paying Markets for June

Over at Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity Erica Verrillo has posted her June list of 17 paying markets.  Thanks, Erica!

Plots With Guns Rides Again - New Issue

There is a new issue of Plots with Guns live and free to read online.  WooHoo!!!  They also appear to be open for submissions for crime stories of 2000 to 10,000 words and payment is $10 (which is new as this has always been a non-paying market).  You can check out the guidelines here.

What Does Quiet Horror Mean?

I've always thought that crime fiction and horror fiction are closely related and that those two markets can be co-mingled if you do it right.  Over at The Lovecraft eZine there's a piece about "Quiet Horror" that can help crime fiction writers see just how they can mix the two genres.

Under the Weather's Cruel Thumb

Just a quick note to let you all know that I am alive and well.  It's been a pesky week of me being "under the weather" and then Sunday a string of thunderstorms knocked out the internet and TV.  Luckily we didn't lose our electricity.  So, I'm back and will try to find some markets and catch up with everything else.  Hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend.

Torquere Books - Charity Anthology

Torquere Books has posted an anthology call for "Love Conquers All".  They're seeking cancer themed stories of 3000 to 10,000 words with a HEA ending.  This is a benefit for DJ Manly who is battling cancer.  The deadline is August 15, 2016.  Payment is a royalty share but writers are welcome to donate their shares.  Torquere Books will be donating their entire share of the royalties.  You can find the details here.

Repeater Books - Anthology Call for Women Writers

This anthology call for "Under My Thumb:  The Songs that Hate Women and the Women that Love Them" sounds quite interesting.  They're seeking wring by women on their relationship with music, on how they love songs that actually demean women.  And it's not just rap or rock and roll, they're looking for music from any era.  Your pieces should be 1000 to 3000 words and can be non-fiction or short story or any other form that suits your thoughts.  You need to send a pitch first and if accepted you have to have your piece in by September 1, 2016.  There is payment but they don't give the amount.  You can find the details here.

Stitched Smile Publications - Anthology Call

Stitched Smile Publications has posted an anthology call for "The Unleashed:  Monsters vs Zombies".  They're looking for stories of 3500 to 5000 about monsters fighting the undead.  The monsters can be Dracula, Frankenstein, or any other monster that comes to mind.  The deadline is July 31 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

I'm a little late with this one, but Angie has posted her May list of anthology calls.  Thanks, Angie!!

Carina Press - Call for Romance Novellas

Carina Press has posted a call for romance novellas of of 25,000 to 40,000 words.  There are five categories to choose from.  Submissions periods vary but the first opens in August and is for erotic thrillers.  Payment here is royalties.  You can find the details here.

Manor House Podcast - Open for Submissions

The Manor House podcast is open for submissions of horror or dark fiction.  Stories should be 3000 to 7000 words.  Payment is $30 for original stories.  They do take a few reprints but there is no payment except for a small royalty.  And yes, that's the way they phrased it.  You can find the details here.

The List Story Cupboard

Years ago I read an essay by Ray Bradbury where he wrote about making lists of titles.  His titles were things like The Lake, The Night, The Mirror Maze, basically all nouns that began to stir stories for him.  I expect most writers have lists of ideas that they write down and pull out when they need to find a story idea. 

Now, I keep my "list" on scraps of paper in front of my keyboard.  Mine aren't as neat and ordered as Mr. Bradbury's because I write down things I hear or read or see.  To be more accurate I usually mishear, misread, or see with the crooked side of my brain.  Here's a few of the things on my list.  Maybe they'll give you an idea or two for a story of your own,

1.  Praying Drunk or Preying Drunk - I wondered what a drunk person would pray for then I wondered how a drunk would prey.
2.  Paper Pajamas - One of those misheard things that made sense when I wrote it down.
3.  Finding Lost - Just a twist on lost and found.
4.  Agnes and True - Just a pair of names I wrote down.
5.  The Broken Rosary - Just seemed like an interesting start to a mystery story.
6.  Vinegar and Glitter - Yeah, this was at the bottom of a grocery list, no clue why.
7.  Last Worst Act - I blame Frank Regan for this one but I wondered what someone would do when they realized they'd just committed the worst act of their life.
8.  An Occasional Prostitute - Just wondered why a woman would become a part time prostitute aside from needing money.  Money is the easy answer but could there be other reasons?  And could those reason lead to an interesting story?
9.  Lady Bug - I was thinking about that lady bug poem about flying away home and how the unexpected always happens when someone returns to their childhood home or even a home they might have run away from.
10.  Identity Theft - I always liked those Bette Davis movies where she took over her twin sister's life and discovered that she'd walked into a nightmare.  Now imagine stealing the wrong identity.

Markets have been a tad scarce of late but hopefully that will improve.