Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

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

Just for Fun Christmas Contest

Weird Christmas has opened submissions for their second annual Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest.  They're looking for weird (and yes, they define what they think of as weird) Christmas stories up to 350 words.  The deadline is November 2, 2019 and prizes are $50 for first place an $25 for second.  You can find all the details here along with details of what they're looking for and what's been done to death.  No fee to enter.

The 2019 Anthony Award Nominees

Bouchercon 2019 has announced the nominees for this year's Anthony Awards.  Congrats to all the nominees!!

Apparition Lit - Open for Submissions

Apparition Lit opened submissions for their next issue today.  They're looking for speculative fiction stories of 1000 to 5000 words using the them Retribution.  The submission period is short, opening today and closing on May 31, 2019.  Payment is 3cents a word with a minimum payment of $30.  You can find the details here.

LitReactor - Call for Writers

If you're interested in writing non-fiction articles LitReactor just posted this on their Twitter account:

 Interested in writing for @LitReactor? We are looking to expand our roster. We specifically want articles on craft—plot, character, grammar, etc. Also anything on the current state of the publishing industry. Send bio, sample links and pitches to josh@litreactor.com.

If I remember correctly this is a paying market.

Less Than Three Press - Creature Feature

Less Than Three Press has posted a collection call for "Creature Feature".  This is a LGBTQIA call that features monsters.  Each story of the collection will be published separately and the author will receive royalty payments.  Stories should be 20,000 to 60,000 words.  This is basically a novella call with a specific theme.  The deadline is July 31, 2019.  You can find the details here.  While the genre is basically speculative fiction they're open to cross genre stories including mysteries.

Malice Domestic - Anthology Call

Malice Domestic has opened submissions for their fifteenth anthology "Mystery Most Theatrical".  They're looking for traditional mysteries up to 5000 words using a theatrical theme.  The deadline is August 31, 2019 and there's no mention of payment.  You can find the details here along with a link to their submission site.

Storm Dance Books - Anthology Call

Storm Dance Books is open for submissions to their anthology "Grumpy Old Gods Vol. 3 Halloween Edition".  They're looking for speculative fiction stories of 3000 to 4000 words.  The theme is "spooky myth, legend, or haunting involving grumpy gods".  Keep in mind that this is a Halloween edition.  The deadline is June 29, 2019 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Stupefying Stories - Open for Submissions

Stupefying Stories has opened their 2019 reading period.  They're looking for stories up to 10,000 words in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror (in that order).  The deadline is August 31, 2019 and payment is $15 for flash to 1000 words and 1.5cents a word for anything over 1000 words.  You can find the details here.  Be sure to read all of the guidelines (they are long) as there is a lot of information included near the end.

Econoclash Review - New Issue

Issue #4 of Econoclash Review has hit the streets.  You can find the details and a link to purchase a copy here.

Madness Heart Press - Anthology Call

Madness Heart Press has opened submissions for their anthology "Bullets, Bombs, and Boogeymen".  They're looking for stories over 1500 words featuring monsters and boogeymen during wartime strife and of soldiers and/or mercenaries dealing with supernatural threats.  The deadline is June 30, 2019 and payment is $5.  You can find the details here.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine - Editor Changes

It looks like Black Cat Mystery Magazine will have a new co-editor.  I received this announcement from Michael Bracken.  And I asked, but there's no news as to when submissions will open again.

Big news from Malice Domestic! A few months ago, Carla Coupe announced that she was stepping away from the co-editorship of @wildsidepress Black Cat Mystery Magazine. Today, I’m pleased to reveal that I am the new co-editor. Carla will be guiding me through the transition, and the next few issues will include stories she and John Betancourt already have on hand. Wildside Press has published several of my books, and I’ve had a story in every issue of BCMM, so I have a long and positive relationship with Wildside. I look forward to what’s to come, and I’ll share details when I have them.

Michael

Michael Bracken

Copywriting. Creative Writing. Editorial Services.

http://www.CrimeFictionWriter.com

2019 Agatha Award Winners

The Agatha Awards were announced last night at the Malice Domestic Conference.  You can check out the winners here.  Congrats to all the winners especially those in the short story category!!

Dragon's Roost Press - Anthology Call

Dragon's Roost Press has posted an anthology call for "Monsters in Space".  They're looking for dark speculative fiction up to 6000 words which features one (or more) classic monsters in space.  Payment is 1cent a word (3cents a word with crowd funding).  The deadline is July 31, 2019.  You can find the details here.  This is a charity anthology and proceeds will go to Last Day Dog Rescue.

Econoclash Review - Advance Notice

Econoclash Review opens for submissions tomorrow (May 1, 2019) for contemporary pulp stories of 1500 to 4500 words.  The deadline is May 31, 2019 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

35 Paying Markets for May

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

Dark Moon Digest - New Issue

Issue #35 of Dark Moon Digest is now available for purchase.  Check it out here.

2019 Edgar Award Winners

The 2019 Edgar Award winners were announced last night.  Congrats to all the winners and especially friend of the blog Art Taylor!!

Bronzeville Books - Open for Short Story Submissions

Bronzeville Books is going to be launching an online magazine in May and they are looking for submissions.  Stories should be 2500 to 3000 words in the genres of crime, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and YA.  There's no deadline listed and payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Underland Press - Crime Anthology Call

Underland Pres has opened submissions for their anthology "Eighteen".  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 5000 words in the genres of mystery, crime, dark fantasy, and horror using the theme of 18.  And yes they tell you in the guidelines what they want with that 18.  The deadline is August 1, 2019 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

Fiddler's Green Peculiar Parish Magazine - Call for Fiction Submissions

Fiddler's Green Peculiar Parish Magazine has opened submissions for an all fiction issue.  There is no theme but they'd like stories to be in keeping with the theme of their magazine.  Unfortunately there are no issues on line so you can get an idea of what exactly they want.  They want the stories to be 1500 to 3000 words and they can be new or reprints.  The deadline is July 1, 2019 and payment is $100.  You can find the details here.  From what I read on the site I believe they are more interested in literary stories then straight genre.

Flash Bang Mysteries - New Issue

The Spring issue of Flash Bang Mysteries is now available for your reading pleasure.  And it's free to read.

One Person's Opinion

Back in 2015 I first posted an anthology call for the non-paying market Zimbell House Publishing.   I posted about these anthology calls because they published both mystery and Western anthologies.

Now they were publishing about eight anthologies a year.  Authors are given one copy and Zimbell House pats themselves on the back for providing an opportunity for writers to "build their platforms".

For newbies this might a good deal and chance to dip their toes into the publishing business.  But here's my problem.  Last year Zimbell House started an erotica line call Temptation Press.  Same deal, one copy, no  pay.  This year they've started a children's line called Chipper Press.  Now we're talking about ten to fifteen anthologies a year, maybe more, and still no payment for writers.  After four years they should be able to at least pay authors a token payment or a royalty split, right?  If they're not making money they should be closing up shop not expanding their business.

And the final insult is that they're now accepting novel submissions.  If they decide to publish your novel they will "enter into partnership with the author".  You need to figure from the way this is worded that they will expect the writer to help pay expenses for a percentage of the profits.  You might as well self-publish.  It might be a better deal, especially if it's an erotica novel.

This is all just my opinion from watching the market, but it's been nagging at me for a while and I thought I'd share.  Your opinion could vary and that's okay.  I just wanted to put this out there so you can make your own decision about this market.

Zombie Pirate Publishing - Crime Anthology Call

Australian based Zombie Pirate Publishing has posted an anthology call for "Grievous Bodily Harm:  A Hardboiled Anthology".  They're looking for detective, classic crime noir, mysteries, and mafia tales of 1500 to 7000 words.  The deadline is July 1, 2019.  According to the goals set on their Patreon page they are currently at $10 per story.  You can find the details here.

Switchblade Magazine - New Issue

Switchblade #9 is now available for your Kindle.  You can check it out here.

Broadswords and Blasters - New Issue

Issue #9 of Broadswords and Blasters is now available for purchase.  You can check out the issue details and find the purchase link here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted her April listing of paying anthology markets.  Thanks, Angie!

A Murder of Storytellers - Anthology Call

A Murder of Storytellers has opened submissions for their newest anthology "When the Sirens Faded".  They're looking for horror stories under 6000 words that "dive into the lives of the people who lived through the horror movie".  The deadline is July 13, 2019 and payment is $15.  You can find the details here.

Yellow Mama - New Issue

The April issue of Yellow Mama is now live.  You can read it for free here.

Apex Magazine News

I don't publish a lot of science fiction markets but I have posted calls from Apex Magazine so it's only right to let you know that as of today they're going on indefinite hiatus with the hopes of putting together annual anthologies.  You can read the details here.

Noir Nation - Open for Submissions

Submissions to Noir Nation officially opened to all writers today.  They're looking for fiction and non-fiction to 3000 words and also poetry for issues 8 and 9.  The deadline is August 15, 2019.  There's no mention of pay on the submittable page but their website says they do pay but not the amount.  You can find the submission details here.

Bone & Ink Press - Anthology Call

Bone & Ink Press has opened submissions for their first anthology titled "Shut Down Strangers & Hot Rod Angels".  They're looking for poetry, flash fiction, and flash non-fiction inspired by the songs of Bruce Springsteen.  Maximum word count for stories is 2000 words.  The deadline is June 30, 2019 and payment is $10 plus a copy.  You can find the details here.

Oh, The Weird I Find

I ran across this "anthology" call today but decided against posting it as a legitimate call as the selected writers are called winners as in contest.  It's as if they can't decide if they're running a contest or an anthology call.  There's also a $15 reading fee and all the authors accepted into the anthology will receive two copies of the book as payment.  On the contest side the two best stories will each receive $100 plus two copies.  The publishing world just gets weirder and weirder.

Once Upon Anthology Series - Open for Submissions

The Once Upon Anthology Series has opened submissions for "Once Upon an Enchanted Forest:  An Anthology of Romantic Witchcraft Stories".  They're looking for stories of 7000 to 15000 words featuring an enchanted forest and witches.  The deadline is May 15, 2019 and payment is $75.  You can find the details here.  Submissions are through Submittable.

Frayed Edge Press - Call for Novelette Submissions

Frayed Edge Press is seeking novelette length (10,000 to 20,000 words) stories for their Street Smart Series.  They looking for hard boiled detective, noir fiction, street lit, and urban fantasy.  There's no deadline listed.  You have to query first.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Soft Skull Press - Anthology Call

Soft Skull Press has opened submissions for their anthology "Tiny Nightmares:  an anthology of short horror fiction".  They want horror stories under 1200 words.  The deadline is May 1, 2019 and payment is $100.  You can find the details here.

Crossed Genres - Anthology Call

Crossed Genres has opened submissions for their anthology "Recognize Fascism!".  They're looking for stories of 250 to 5000 words about people who recognize fascism for what it is and make the choice to fight it.  The deadline is June 3, 2019 and payment is 8cents a word.  They also note that this anthology depends on a successful crowding funding.  You can find the details here.

Mannison Press - Anthology Call

Mannison Press open submissions today for their anthology "Little Girl Lost:  Thirteen Tales of Youth Disrupted".  They're looking for stories of 2000 to 7500 words in any genre that follow the theme of a girl's life being disrupted in some way.  The deadline is August 31, 2019.  Payment is a copy of the book plus a small payment.  They're crowdfunding this and hope to pay 2cents a word.  You can find the details here.  Reprints are okay.

Fireside Magazine - Open for Submissions

Just a reminder that Fireside Magazine opened submissions today and will close on Friday April 12, 2019.  1500 words any genre and pay is 12.5cents a word.  You can find all the details here.

Noir Nation - New Issue - Open for Submissions

For those of you who don't subscribe to the Noir Nation newsletter editor Eddie Vega has announced that issue #7 is now available and they will be opening submissions soon for issues #8 and #9.  The call will be posted on their online website.  If you're a subscriber you can submit now.  You can read the newsletter here.

Avon Books UK - Open for Novel Submissions

Avon Books UK is currently open for submissions for their digital first publishing list.  They're looking for novels of 60,000 + words in the genres of crime, thriller, woman's fiction, romance, etc.  Payment is royalty based and there's no deadline listed.  You can find the details here.

Paper Butterfly Flash Fiction - Open for Submissions

Paper Butterfly Flash Fiction has opened submissions for flash stories of 1000 words or less in any genre.  The deadline is April 30, 2019 and payment is $10CAD.  You can find the details here.  Also note that publication will be in 2020.

Thuggish Itch - Open for Submissions

Submissions have opened for Gypsum Sound Tales "Thuggish Itch".  They're looking for horror, science fiction, and speculative fiction stories of 1000 to 2000 words that use the theme hospitality.  The deadline is July 24, 2019 and payment is AU$5.  You can find the details here.

Mysterical-E - New Issue

The Winter/Spring issue of Mysterical-E has gone live.  You can read it for free here.

Cohesion Press - Anthology Call

Cohesion Press opened submissions today for their anthology "Snafu:  Last Stand".  They're looking for military action-based last-stand horror stories of 2000 to 10,000 words.  The deadline is June 30, 2019 and payment is AUD 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Flash Bang Mysteries - Open for Submissions

Submissions open today (April 1) for Flash Bang Mysteries.  They're looking for crime flash stories of 500 to 750 words.  The deadline is April 30, 2019 and payment is $20.  You can find the details here.

Hollow Hills Books - Anthology Call

Hollow Hills Books has posted an anthology call for "Tales of Siblings-Not-So-Grim".  They're looking for speculative fiction stories of 8000 to 15,000 words that are lighthearted fairy tales.  Submissions open on April 1 can close on June 1, 2019.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.  Scroll down the page.

28 Paying Markets for April

Over at the Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity blog Erica Verrillo has posted her April listing of paying markets.  Thanks, Erica!

Denver Horror Press - Anthology Call - Colorado Writers Only

The Denver Horror Press has opened submissions for their anthology "Terror at 5280'".  They're looking for horror stories up to 5000 words related to or taking place in or around Denver, Colorado.  Stories must be written by authors living in Colorado.  Reprints are okay but preference will be given to original work.  The deadline is May 31, 2019 and payment is $25 for flash pieces up to 1000 words and 1cent a word with a maximum of $40 for shorts up to 5000 words.  If they like your story but it doesn't make the cut for the anthology they will pay $15 to publish the story on their website and in their newsletter.  You can find the details here.

Fireside Magazine - Advance Notice

Fireside Magazine will be opening for submissions on April 8 to April 12, 2019.  It is a short submission window.  They are looking for short stories under 1500 words in any genre.  Payment is 12.5cents per word.  They also have stories published online so you can get an idea of what they're looking for.  You can find the details for submitting here.  A link to their submittable page will be added when they open.

Jennifer Shelby - Market Listings

While doing a search for markets I ran across the blog of Jennifer Shelby.  Every Sunday Jennifer posts a market for speculative fiction short stories.  You can check out her blog here.

Rock and a Hard Place Magazine - New Market - Open for Submissions

Rock and a Hard Place is a new magazine looking for multi genre fiction focused on stories of desperate people forced to make difficult choices.  Seems a perfect spot for your noir fiction.  Stories should be 2000 to 5000 words and payment is $35.  You can find the details here.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores - Open for Submissions

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores is opened for science fiction and fantasy stories of 1000 words and up.  They have a preference for shorter stories.  They are only open for one week so the deadline is March 28, 2019.  Payment is 6cents a word for original work and 2cents a word for reprints.  They also are looking for poetry and non-fiction articles.  You can find the details here.

The Comedy of Rules

I just love how people set up contests.  This one for example at the very end of all the rules stated:

1.  By submitting (to contest) you agree to all the competition rules.

2.  Competition rules are subject to change.

Changing the rules mid competition and especially after the writer has paid a fee just doesn't seem fair.  And how do you agree to something you aren't aware of at the time of submitting.  Doesn't seem fair does it?

Bronzeville Books - New Website

Bronzeville Books now has a website.  You can check it out here.  And yes, they're open for submissions.

2019 Boucercon Anthology - Call for Submissions

Paula Benson the contest coordinator for the Bill Crider Short Story Award Contest has asked me to pass along the following details for the 2019 Boucercon Anthology which is separate from the contest.  Here are the details:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR 2019 BOUCHERCON ANTHOLOGY

Carol Puckett and the 2019 Bouchercon Dallas Committee along with Eric E. Campbell, Publisher of Down & Out Books, and editor/author Rick Ollerman are proud to announce a call for submissions to the 2019 Bouchercon anthology.

The anthology will honor the memory of Bill Crider. All proceeds from its sales will benefit LIFT, Literary Instruction For Texas, which works to enhance and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read.

Stories must be original works (no reprints) of less than 5,000 words. The theme is the conference slogan: Denim, Diamonds, and Death.

The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2019. Please send submissions to rick (AT) downandoutmagazine.com.

For additional information about the anthology, please contact rick (AT) downandoutmagazine.com.

The anthology will be published for distribution and signings at Bouchercon in Dallas.

A story entered in the Bill Crider Contest may be submitted to the Bouchercon anthology; however, if the story is selected and the author agrees to publication in the anthology, the story must be withdrawn from the Crider Contest because the contest rules require that submitted stories not be published before the end of Bouchercon 2019. For additional information about Crider Contest entries, please contact subs.deepintheheart (AT)gmail.com or Paula Gail Benson at pgbenson_4 (AT)msn.com.

Blood Bound Books - Anthology Call

Blood Bound Books has opened submissions for their anthology "Chew on This!".  They're looking for horror stories of 3000 to 7000 words that revolve around food.  They explain in the guidelines exactly what they're looking for and they have a list of what they don't want.  The deadline is June 30, 2019 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Markets

Angie has posted her March listing of paying anthology markets.  Thanks, Angie!

Dead on the Pin by John D. MacDonald

John D. MacDonald has always been hit or miss with me.  I don't care for his Travis McGee series but I have loved and admired several of his standalone novels.  I'm not familiar with his short work but I've read that he wrote nearly 500 short stories and this morning I read "Dead on the Pin" and was just blown away.  I love when an author can keep leading you down the path where you're sure you know what's going to happen then turns the tables on you.  That is exactly what Mr. MacDonald did with lovely story about a man who loves bowling.

I read this story in the anthology "The Sport of Crime".  I looked for it online but couldn't find it.  I did find out that it's also included in one of his short story collections titled "The Good Old Stuff".  If you ever run across it, have a read, you won't regret it.

The Titles Story Cupboard

Haven't run across any open markets worth passing along in the last couple of days so I thought I'd do a story cupboard post.  I've noticed lately that a lot of poetry journals and anthologies have great titles.  And from those titles come a few story ideas that might intrigue the writer in you or maybe an anthology editor could see a great collection of short stories based on those titles.  Titles aren't copyrighted, right?

1. Roam - A free-roaming stranger hits town, travel plans gone awry, road trips.

2.  Kissing Dynamite - This one conjures up femme fatales or a mad bomber who leaves lipstick kisses as his calling card.

3.  Paper Bag - Ever wonder what a group of writers could find in a paper bag found anywhere in the world?

4.  Digitally Disturbed - Computers, telephones, so many ways to cause trouble with the click of a key.

5.  Shit & Whimsy -  Ever wonder what a whimsical shit storm of trouble would look like?

6.  Life Beyond Reason - A trip through a madman's mind, or the exploits of a person driven to the point of madness.

7.  Cat Noir - The misadventures of a black cat, or a suddenly free tiger, or perhaps a plain old alley cat who thinks he's the meanest tom in town. 

Lamplight Magazine - Open for Submissions

Lamplight Magazine opened submissions today for their next two issues.  They're looking for literary dark fiction stories up to 7000 words.  They accept both original and reprint stories.  Payment is 3cents a word with a $150 max.  The deadline is May 15, 2019.  You can find the details here.

Pro Se Productions - Open Calls

Pro Se Productions has thirty open calls listed that cover all the genres.  In order to participate you must send a two to three paragraph proposal plus a four page writing sample.  Most of the calls are asking for 8000 to 10,000 words.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find all the details and calls here.

Translunar Travelers Lounge - New Market - Speculative Fiction

Translunar Travelers Lounge is a new online magazine looking for fun speculative fiction stories up to 5000 words for their first issue which will be published in August.  Stories can be in any genre so long as they have a speculative element.  And yes, they explain what they mean by fun stories.  Submissions open on March 15 and close April 15, 2019.  Payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Nightscape Press - Open Calls - Advance Notice

The lovely Michael Bracken has passed along a link for a Nightscape Press anthology call.  The title is Nox Pareidolia and they're looking for stories up to 6000 words that fit the theme of ambiguous horror/weird stories.  Submissions open on April 1 and close April 30, 2019.  Payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details  here, just scroll down the page.

They're also looking for reprints for Moksha:  Best New Weird 2018.  They want publishers to submit for this one.  There's no deadline listed nor payment information.

There's also a call for the Nightscape Press Charity Collection Line.  They want short story collections of 40,000 words or more.  Payment is an advance plus royalties with a share going to the author's charity of choice.  This one opens on May 17 and closes May 31, 2019.

Hinnom Magazine - Open for Submissions - Female Authors Only

Hinnom Magazine opened submissions today for their next issue "Retro 'Weird Tales' Edition:  Women Only".  They're looking for stories of 1000 to 6000 words using the theme of weird fiction or cosmic horror.  There are more details in the guidelines of what they're looking for.  Women authors only for this one.  The deadline is April 15, 2019 and payment is 6cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Switchblade Special Issue - Tech Noir - Open for Submissions

Switchblade Magazine opened submissions today for their special issue Tech Noir.  They're looking for cyber punk/future noir up to 5500 words.  No flash fiction for this issue so stories have to be at least 2000 words.  The deadline is May 5, 2019 and payment is $15.  You can find the details here.

Dark Moon Digest - Open for Submissions

Dark Moon Digest opened for submission of horror stories of 1500 to 7000 words.  Payment is 3cents a word and reprints pay 1cent a word.  There's no deadline listed.  You can find the details on their Submittable page.  They also have a list of what they don't want to see :)

Broken River Books - Closed

According to their website Broken River Books is permanently closed to submissions.

Corona Books UK - Anthology Call

Corona Books UK has opened submissions for their anthology "The Third Corona Book of Horror Stories".  They're looking for modern horror stories of 1000 to 8000 words.  The deadline is April 30, 2019 and payment is an advance royalty payment of 50pounds ($67).  You can find the details here.

Bronzeville Books - Anthology Call

Editor Sandra Ruttan emailed this call for submissions and asked me to pass it along:

Short Story Opportunity:

You’ve heard of illicit affairs, illicit sex, and illicit pictures. Bronzeville Books asks why our culture considers so many types of love, sex, and bodies illicit while we don’t blink at the truly forbidden – theft, murder, fraud. In Illicit, the first erotic anthology from Bronzeville Books, we’re looking for stories that showcase the beauty of love once considered forbidden alongside actual crimes and criminal behavior. If you’ve got a kinky bank robber, a queer hitman looking for more than one way to score, or a disabled private eye looking to solve a case and get some loving along the way, we want to see your story. We want people, sex, and bodies not usually seen in mainstream ideas of sex and sexy,  and we want tight, fun crime plots. Pro pay. 3,500 words or less. Sex in stories needs to be consensual, no minors, no animals. Send submissions to submissions.desk AT bronzevillebooks (dot) com with the subject line: ILLICIT SUBMISSION. See: https://www.shunn.net/format/novel.html for formatting instructions. Submissions due June 30, 2019.  

Those who would like to see our submission guidelines for novels and novellas can email submissions.desk AT bronzevillebooks (dot) com with the words 'submission info' in the subject line and they will receive an auto-reply with our guidelines.

I've requested a website url but until I get one you can find out about Bronzeville Books here.  And their Twitter account is here. 

And I was just informed that they don't have a website as yet, but they do have a Facebook page which you can find here.

Transmundane Press - Anthology Call

Transmundane Press has posted a call for an untitled Time anthology.  They're looking for stories up to 5000 words with unique takes on the subject of time.  The deadline is June 15, 2019 and payment is $5 to $20 depending on length.  You can find the details here.

Authors Publish - Market Listings for March

Authors Publish has posted a listing of 25 themed calls for March.  It appears that they're all paying.

Polis Books - Anthology Call

Polis Books has posted an anthology call for "Both Sides:  An Anthology of Border Noir".  To begin they want your story pitches of 100 words by April 1, 2019.  They're looking for noir stories of 5000 to 7000 words about life along the border.  Payment is $75.  You can find the details here.

Mystery Weekly - New Issue

The March Issue of Mystery Weekly is now available for purchase.  Check it out here.

Mad Scientist Journal - Anthology Call

The Mad Scientist Journal has posted an anthology call for "I Didn't Break the Lamp:  Historical Accounts of Imaginary Acquaintances".  They're looking for first person stories of 500 to 8000 words that focus on an imaginary acquaintance (friend or foe).  The deadline is March 31, 2019 and payment is 2cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Lowestoft Chronicle - Open for Submissions - Non-Paying

Lowestoft Chronicle is a non-paying market but I'm listing it because they publish genre fiction including mystery fiction.  They're currently open to submissions of short stories under 3000 words for issue #38.  They do give preference to humorous stories with an emphasis on travel.  The deadline is May 15, 2019.  You can find the details here.

Bill Crider Short Story Contest - Update

According to Paula Gail Benson contest co-ordinator for the Bill Crider Contest the deadline has not been extended and all submissions are due today, March 1, 2019.  Sorry for any confusion.

Flame Tree Publishing - Anthology Call

I'm posting this because Ralan.com is a very reliable market source.  According to their post Flame Tree Publishing is open for Detective Mysteries of 2000 to 4000 words today.  The deadline is March 24, 2019 and payment is 6cents a word.  I'm giving you the Ralan link because I cannot find a link to the call on Flame Tree's website.  Maybe you'll have better luck than I.

UPDATE:  And here's the url.  They just posted the guidelines today.  They're also looking for Epic Fantasy stories for another anthology.  And reprints are acceptable for both.

Mason Jar Press - Anthology Call

Mason Jar Press opened submissions today for their anthology "The Horror is Us".  They're looking for horror stories under 5000 words tht show the darkest of humanity.  This is open until filled.  Payment is $20.  You can find the details  here.

Rick Ollerman at The Rap Sheet

Over at The Rap Sheet there's news from editor Rick Ollerman that the Bill Crider Prize for Short Fiction deadline has been extended.  He also notes that he's editing this year's Bouchercon Anthology and he's still looking for submissions.  You can find all the information here.

Author Gigs and Deadlines - Closed Down

Market resource Author Gigs and Deadlines has disappeared into the ether.  It's a shame as they were a great resource for finding short story markets.

Also closed down is Writing Career another great source for finding markets.

Quartermarch Press - Open for Novels and Novellas - Texas Authors

Quartermarch Press is a new press based in Texas.  They're currently looking for genre (romance, mystery, and horror) novels and novellas (Beach Read Series) based on Texas themes or settings.  They're also interested in seeing work from Texas authors.  They don't list pay specifics but they do state that if your work is accepted they'll contact the author and negotiate payment.  So it is a paying market.  They also have an open anthology call "Keep Texas Salty" but there's no payment for this one.  You can find the details here.

28 Paying Markets for March

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

Belanger Books - Sherlock Holmes Anthology Calls

Belanger Books has posted their anthology calls for 2019.  There are six anthologies all relating to Sherlock Holmes.  Deadlines differ as do some of the submission guidelines so read them carefully.  Payment for all is $50 plus royalties and there will be Kickstarters.  You can find the details here.

Here are the titles in order of deadlines:

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Detectives
Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives.  More details on this one here.
The Early Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson
The Necronomison of Solar Pons
Sherlock Holmes:  Adventures in the Realms of Edgar Allan Poe
Beyond the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Prospective Press - Anthology Call

Prospective Press has posted an anthology call for "Predators in Petticoats".  They're looking for stories of 4000 to 7000 words featuring female predators.  Stories can be in any genre.  They also want flash fiction under 1000 words.  The deadline March 31, 2019 and payment is 4cents a word if their Kickstarter is successful.  You can find the details here.

Castrum Press - Anthology Call

Castrum Press has posted an anthology call for "Alien Days".  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 10,000 words that highlight the interaction between humanity and aliens.  Genres they're looking for are science fiction, fantasy, or horror.  The deadline is February 29, 2019 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Crystal Lake Publishing - Open for Novella Submissions

Crystal Lake Publishing has an open call for Novellas.  They're looking for novellas of 20,000 to 40,000 words featuring elements of horror or dark fantasy.  The deadline is April 15, 2019 and payment is a $500 advance against royalties.  You can find the details here.

Wickedly Abled - Anthology Call

Editor Sumiko Saulson has posted an anthology call for "Wickedly Abled".  They're looking for dark fantasy and horror written by disabled artists featuring disabled protagonists.  Stories should be 1500 to 5500 words.  Reprints are okay but they do list specifics for them.  The deadline is March 31, 2019 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here. 

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted her February listing of paying anthology markets.  Thanks, Angie!

Yellow Mama - New Issue

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

A Book Question

I don't know if it's fair to ask this question but I was wondering.  I just finished reading Alafair Burke's "Dead Connection".  I enjoyed it and was looking to purchase the next book in the series but, and here's the question.  Does Ellie Hatcher ever solve the mystery of her father's death?

At the end of the first book she's going home to look at the case but the next book in the series is all about a new case in New York.  I want to know if we're going to find out the truth or if this is just "baggage" she's going to carry around through the whole series.  A trope I'm not fond of because in the end I'm usually disappointed.  No spoilers if possible, it's not fair to other readers :)

Help?

B Cubed Press - Anthology Call

B Cubed Press has posted an anthology call for "Tales From the Space Force".  They're looking for stories (and poems) of 500 to 5000 words that answer the question What would an American Space Force do?  The deadline is April 15, 2019 and payment is 2cents a word with flash stories and poems being given the option of a flat payment of $25.  Reprints are okay but will be held to a higher standard.  You can find the details here.

Apparition Lit - Open for Submissions

Apparition Lit has opened submissions today for speculative fiction stories of 1000 to 5000 words using the theme of Ambition.  The deadline February 28, 2019 and payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Pulp Modern - Open for Submissions

Don't forget that today February 15, 2019) is the only day for submitting to Pulp Modern's next issue.  For this call only they are looking for science fiction, horror, and Westerns.  They haven't changed the date on their submission page but today is the day :)  You can find the details here.

Switchblade Magazine - New Issue

Switchblade #8 has now hit the marketplace.  You can find the details and a link to purchase here.  Just scroll down the page.  They're also still open for submissions until March 1 for their 2019 issues.

Post to Print Publishers - Anthology Call

Post to Print Publishers have opened submissions for their anthology "From a Cat's View Vol. II".  They're looking for stories of 3000 to 7000 words written from the cat's point of view.  The cat's character should impact the plot in a significant manner.  All genres are welcome.  The deadline is April 15, 2019 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Malarkey Books - Anthology Call

Malarkey Books has an interesting anthology call for "Dear Writer:  Stories That Just Aren't the Right Fit at this Time".  They're looking for stories of 2000 words or more in any genre that have been rejected at least ten times.  The deadline is February 28, 2019 and payment is $30.  You can find the details here.

Serial Magazine - New Issue

Issue #2 of Serial Magazine is now available for purchase.  You can check it out here.

Speculative City - Open for Submissions

Speculative City magazine opened submissions for their third issue.  They're looking for speculative fiction stories up to 5500 words that take place within a cityscape.  The theme for this issue is OCCULT.  The deadline is March 25, 2019 and payment is $20 to $75 depending on length.  You can find the details here.

Lethe Press - Anthology Call

Lethe Press has posted an anthology call for "Hatchet Job".  They're looking for stories under 10,000 words that involve the threat or concept of the axe murderer.  Most of the stories will be reprints paying 2cents a word.  They will accept original work but you must query the editor with a synopsis.  For originals they'll pay 4cents a word.  The deadline is April 30, 2019.  You can find the details here.

Orbannin Books - Anthology Call

Orbannin Books has an anthology call for "Letters from the Grave:  A Collection of Epistolary Horror".  They're looking for horror stories up to 10,000 words that use letters or any type of written or electronic communication to tell the story.  The deadline is March 31, 2019 and  payment is 5cents a word.  You can find the details here.

Occult Detective - New Issue

Issue #5 of Occult Detective is now available for purchase.

The Impotence of Editing by Peggy Christie

There's a funny tongue-in-cheek essay about editing your own work over at The Horror Tree.  You can check it out here.  Along with the fun is a very serious look at being a professional writer.

Indie Author Murder Mystery Anthology Call

I'm on the fence about posting this but because it's a crime fiction market...

The call is posted by Stephen Bentley and he's looking for indie authors to contribute to an anthology of "Murder Mystery Short Stories".  There is a "Good Reads Event" thingie that you need to sign up for.  He wants each author to submit three stories of 1000 to 3000 words using the theme of Murder Mysteries but also the three stories need to have another theme (your choice) that ties them together.  The deadline is May 1, 2019 and payment is a royalty split.

Now here's the catch.  Each writer will have to pay a share to have the stories edited and if they decide to do a paperback edition you'll have to pay a split for that also.  Now if you are an indie author you probably know what to expect in the way of fees for this one.

You can find the details here.

UPDATE:  As of February 8, 2019 Mr. Bentley has filled all his open slots and the call is now closed.

Pulp Modern - Advance Notice Submission Period

Pulp Modern has announced on their Twitter feed that the next one day submission period will be February 15, 2019.  For this issue they are only looking for science fiction, horror, and Western stories.  You can find the submission guidelines here.

Alone in a Room by Kent Harrington

I've been reading some of the old essays about writing that helped me as I was growing into a proper writer and this one by Kent Harrington is a beauty.  I'm still not a proper writer as I haven't been writing much for the last few years.  Always starting, rarely finishing, and never submitting even though I see markets that stir the juices.  Right now I'm working my way back to my joy.

Mystery Weekly - New Issue

The February issue of Mystery Weekly is now available for purchase.  Check it out here.

Buckshot - Open for Submissions

Buckshot is currently open to submissions of flash stories up to 2000 words in any genre.  Payment is $20 US ($25CAD).  You can find the details here.

Shotgun Honey - Anthology Call

Shotgun Honey has opened submissions for their fourth (untitled) anthology.  They are looking for crime, noir or hard-boiled stories of 1000 to 5000 words.  The deadline is March 31, 2019 and payment is $25.  You can find the details and submission form here.

PMMP Newsletter - Calls for Submissions

I subscribe to quite a few magazine newsletters and PMMP's came through yesterday with links to four short story markets, all paying.  Rather then post all of them here I'll just pass along the link to their newsletter.  The market listings are at the bottom of the page.

Switchblade - Open for Submissions

Switchblade Magazine opened submissions today for crime short stories of 2000 to 4500 words.  They will be picking all the stories for their 2019 regular issues during this period.  The deadline is March 1, 2019 and payment is $15.  You can find all the details here.

Rogue Blades Entertainment - Anthology Calls

Rogue Blades Entertainment has posted three new anthology calls looking for stories of 2000 to 9000 words.  You have to submit the first 500 words of your story then they proceed from there.  The deadline is September 2, 2019.  Reprints are okay.  The calls are:

1.  "Slaughter's the Best Medicine:  An Heroic Anthology of Mayhem and Mirth in Melee".  This one pats $30.

2.  "Reach for the Sky" is looking for cowboys and aliens stories.  Payment is $25.

3.  "Death's Sting" is looking for sword and sorcery stories about immortals.  Payment is $30.

All the details for each anthology is on their Submittable page.

Switchblade Special Issue - Advance Notice Special Issue

From Switchblade Magazine's twitter feed:

Switchblade‏ @SwitchbladeMag 22h22 hours ago

An update on Switchblade: Tech Noir This will be this year's Special Issue (Special Issues are not numbered issues) Cyberpunk. Think Blade Runner, or more appropriately--Altered Carbon. There will be NO FLASH in this issue. Word count max is 6k. Submissions open 3/10 (not before)

Broadswords and Blasters - New Issue

Issue #8 of Broadswords and Blasters is now available for purchase.  And yes, despite the name they publish crime fiction :) along with other genres.

19 Paying Markets for February

Over at Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity Erica Verrillo has posted her listing of paying markets for February.  Thanks, Erica!

The Weird Story Cupboard

So, we're in the middle of a snow storm and I hear this whiny engine going by our house.  I look out the window and see a golf cart driving by.  Now this isn't unusual except for the fact that they're usually a summer vehicle and not built for winter comfort.  But that's not the odd thing.  The golf cart is pink!  The mind explodes and stories ideas start to flow.  Have fun :)

2019 Agatha Award Nominees

In Reference to Murder has posted the listing of Malice Domestic's Agatha Award Nominees.  Congrats to all the nominees and especially to short story writers Art Taylor and Barb Goffman!!

Apparition Lit - Advance Notice Submission Call

Apparition Lit is looking for speculative fiction stories of 1000 to 5000 words using the theme Ambition.  Submissions will open of February 15, 2019 and close February 28, 2019.  So it's a short submission period.  Payment is 3cents a word.  You can find the details here.

One Story - Open for Submissions

One Story has opened submissions for literary stories of 3000 to 8000 words.  The deadline is May 31, 2019 and payment is $500 plus 25 copies.  You can find the details here.

Horror Addicts - Anthology Call

Horror Addicts has opened submissions for their 2019 horror anthology "Dark Divinations".  They're looking for horror stories of 2000 to 5000 words set in the Victorian Era (1837 to 1901) with divination being an integral part of the story.  Stories don't have to be set in England but they must be set during those years.  No Steampunk stories!  The deadline is October 31, 2019 and payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

You can find an interview with editor Naching Kassa here.

The Wolfe Pack's Black Orchid Novella Contest - Open for Submissions

The annual Wolfe Pack's Black Orchid Novella Contest is open for submissions.  They're looking for stories of 15,000 to 20,000 words in the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series.  The deadline is May 31, 2019.  The winner will receive a publishing contract from Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.  You can find the details here.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine - New Issue

Issue #4 of Black Cat Mystery Magazine is now available for purchase.

The Digest Enthusiast - New Issue

The Digest Enthusiast #9 is now available for purchase.  You can check it out here where you'll find links to a variety of places where the magazine is now available.

Gypsum Sound Tales - Anthology Call

Gypsum Sound Tales has opened submissions for their next "Colp" anthology collection.  The theme for this one is Big.  They're looking for stories of 1000 to 4000 words in any genre using the theme of big.  They have examples and also a list of what they're not looking for.  The deadline is April 11, 2019 and payment is AU$5 for stories under 2500 words and AU $10 for over 2500 words.  You can find the details here.

Hunting Down the Pleonasms by Allan Guthrie

One of the best things about the Internet is that good advice lives on forever.  That makes me happy because I wanted to pass along Allan Guthrie's 32 Writing Rules.  I'd forgotten about them until I was going through some papers and discovered a printed copy of them I had.  They're fun and entertaining but also very wise.  You can read them online here.

Switchblade Magazine - Open Submission Dates Announced

Switchblade Magazine will open submissions on February 1, 2019 for their 2019 issues.  They're looking for flash fiction to 1000 words and short stories  of 2000 to 4500 words, also noir poetry will be accepted.  The deadline is March 1, 2019 and payment is $15.  It's a short reading period so be careful you don't miss it.  This is a crime fiction market.

The Dark City - New Issue

The Winter issue of The Dark City has hit the virtual streets.  You can read some stories online or purchase a copy.

2019 Edgar Awards Nominees

The MWA has announced the 2019 Edgar Awards nominees.  Congrats to all the nominees and especially to friend of the blog Art Taylor for his short story nomination!!

True Crime - Anthology Call

Editor Mitzi Szereto has posted an anthology call for "True Crime".  The theme is Serial Killers.  She's looking for well researched non-fiction stories of 4000 to 7000 words.  The deadline is May 1, 2019 and payment is $130.  You can find the details here.

Angie's Desk - Anthology Calls

Angie has posted her January listing of paying anthology markets.  Thanks, Angie!

The Future is Female by Alexandria Lightman

Sometimes I wonder what women are thinking when they write something like this.  In six sentences she dismissed all the hard work of the women who achieved so much as they worked either alone or side by side with the men.  The men didn't do it alone and to say they did is to say that women didn't matter.  Shame on you.

And yes, I usually stay out of the political correctness battles but this one really pissed me off.  While women aren't given the credit they deserve it doesn't mean they were sitting on the sidelines wringing their hands while the men dashed about on their white horses saving the damsels in distress and making the world safe for femininity.  Finished with my rant now :)

No Alibis Press - Anthology Call

Belfast based No Alibis Press has posted an anthology call for short stories in any genre and any length.  There is no title at this time.  The deadline is January 31, 2019 and payment is 75 to 100pounds depending on how many stories they select.  You can find the details here.  This seems to be a crime fiction based press.  Sorry for the late notice but I just found this.

Tough - Open for Submissions

For those of you looking for open crime markets, Tough is open for submissions.  They're looking for crime stories of 1500 to 7500 words.  Payment is $25.  You can find the details here.

Fears of a Clown - Early Notice Anthology Call

UK based editor David Higgins has posted an anthology call for "Fears of a Clown".  He's looking for stories of 1000 to 10,000 words where the clown in the room isn't the real threat.  Open to a variety of genres.  Submissions open on February 1, 2019 and close March 31, 2019.  Payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Left Hand Publishing - Anthology Call

Left Hand Publishing has posted a anthology call for "Reimagining Classics".  They're looking for stories of 4000 to 10,000 words that reimagine classic stories.  All stories must have a twist or a moral.  Most genres are welcome but they're especially looking for stories in many of the subgenres of crime fiction.  The deadline is March 1, 2019 and payment is $25.  You can find the details here.  Be sure to read past the submission form for more guidelines.

Flash Bang Mysteries - New Issue

The Winter issue of Flash Bang Mysteries has hit the virtual streets.  You can read it for free here.

Pulp Modern - A Reminder

Just a reminder that Pulp Modern will open for submissions for one day only on January 15, 2019.  They're looking for stories of 3500 to 5000 words in a variety of genres.  Payment is $10.  You can find the details here.

Flash Bang Mysteries - Open for Submission

I'm a little late with this one but Flash Bang Mysteries opened for submissions on January 1st.  They're looking flash crime stories of 500 to 750 words.  The deadline is January 31, 2019 and payment is $20.  You can find the details here.

Oren Litwin - Anthology Calls

Editor Oren Litwin has posted two anthology calls that are open for submissions.  The first is "Asteroids" looking for science fiction stories of 3500 to 7000 words.  The second is "Family" looking for fantasy stories of 3500 to 7000 words.  The deadline for both is March 1, 2019 and payment is a $25 advance plus a royalty split.  You can find a link to both anthologies here.

Martinus Publishing - Anthology Call

Martinus Publishing opened submissions for their anthology "This Never Happened!".  They are looking for stories of 1500 to 10,000 words that look at the humorous side of alternative history fiction.  The deadline is April 30, 2019 and payment is a royalty split.  You can find the details here.

Nightscript #5 - Anthology Call

Editor CM Muller has opened submissions for his anthology "Nightscript #5".  They're looking for "strange tales" with a dark literary bend.  There is no word count listed.  The deadline is January 31, 2019 and payment is $20.  You can find the details here.

2018 Crime Fiction Roundup

Well it's that time of year again for the annual roundup of crime fiction markets.  First up the ones that closed their doors.

Crooked Holster
Manslaughter Review
Crime Syndicate
Spinetingler
Pulp Metal
Solarcide - hasn't opened for submissions since February
Snubnose Press
Midnight Ink

Betty Fedora - Listed as closed last year but the website came back and noted that they'd open in 2018 for issue five - didn't happen.

 Noir Nation announced a comeback this year but so far no call for submissions or new issues published.

Iridium opened in May and closed down a month or so later with only one issue published.

And finally Down & Out Books announced a new imprint called New Wave Crime in June then in December Polis books announced that the editor was heading a new imprint call Agora for them.  And yes the New Crime Wave imprint had been pulled from Down & Out.  So one loss, one gain.

Since our crime short story market seems to be shrinking I'll make this one post this year and list the markets that opened here as well.

I don't know if Bouchercon will make this an annual contest but this year they announced The Bill Crider Prize for Short Fiction.  Very cool of them and a great tribute to a wonderful man.

Who Knocks? - pays 1cent word still waiting on the first issue.

Serial - this market is seeking pulp type stories and pays $1.60 per page plus royalties.  The first issue is due out this month.

Dead Gun Press - reopened this year and published a new anthology.  Their ezine is open for submissions, but is non-paying.

Thriller - is currently open for submissions for issue three.  This is a non-paying market.

Retreats from Oblivion - is a non-paying noir market associated with Noir Con.

And with the closing of Spinetingler editor Sandra Ruttan opened a new site called Toe Six Press.  While they publish regularly online there is no short fiction published.  They opened a fiction submission call in April for a print issue but it hasn't been published as yet.  They also opened a site called Zombie Cat for reprints that are no longer available online.

Sorry to say it hasn't been a great year for crime fiction markets.

Level Best Books - Anthology Call

Level Best Books has opened submissions for their 2019 anthology "Seascape".  They're looking for crime stories up to 5000 words set in New England.  The deadline is April 30, 2019.  This is a royalty paying market and MWA approved.  You can find all the details here.

Thriller - Open for Submissions

Thriller Magazine has opened submissions for their third issue.  They're looking for thriller stories up to 4000 words in the genres of action, horror, and crime.  I didn't notice a deadline listed and this is a non-paying market.  You can find the details here.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  May your new year email inbox be filled with more acceptance than rejection letters from editors.

World Weaver Press - Anthology Call

Submissions opened today for World Weaver Press anthology "Glass and Gardens:  Solarpunk Winter".  They're looking for solarpunk stories up to 8000 words that take place in the winter.  The deadline is March 1, 2019 and payment is 1cent a word.  You can find the details here.

Unnerving Magazine - Open for Submissions

Submissions opened today for Unnerving Magazine.  They're looking for stories of 800 to 4000 words in the genres of horror, crime, thriller, and suspense along with dark science fiction and fantasy.  The deadline is February 1, 2019 and payment is 3cents a word for original work and 1cent a word for reprints.  You can find the details here on their Submittable page.  Check back to their webpage for formatting.

They are also open for novella, novel, and short story collections.