Time for a Rant

Been a while since I've had a rant on the blog, but something the Criminal Element site did today really irked me. I clicked over there to read an article about the "Heroines of Summer TV" and was redirected to their Romance site to read the article. Why? I have no idea, because the article was about CRIME fiction characters.

Women keep pissing and moaning that they get no respect in their writing genres, crime and sci-fi in particular. Well, if you're going to allow all of your heroines to be dropped into the romance genre what do you expect? I tune in to watch Brenda Lee Johnson, Mary Shannon, and Fiona Glenanne solve crimes and kick ass. What they do in the bedroom is of little interest to me. So why do I have to go read about these ladies on a Romance site? Because, they're women? How many male crime fighters get slotted into the Romance category?

I find it very annoying that because a female character has a love interest, it's automatically categorized on some level as romance. Male characters have love interests and not just the wham, bam, thank you ma'am type. When's the last time you saw Matthew Scudder, Harry Bosch, or Lucas Davenport in the Romance section of your local book store or review site?

Female writers plus female characters does not automatically equal romance.

Anthology Call / Border Noir

I've been finding all kinds of calls for non-paying anthologies but not many paying. This one does pay though, $25 plus 2% royalties on the first 600 copies sold.

"Border Noir: Hard-Boiled Fiction from the Southwest" has a February 1,2012 deadline. There was no word count listed but they're especially interested in authors from South Texas. The editor is Alvaro Rodriguez. You can find all the details at http://publishing.valartout.org/anthology-guidelines/

New Flash Challenge

Dan O'Shea has issued another flash challenge for all you flash writers out there. You've got a July 23 deadline (almost a month) and 1000 words to tell a story revolving around a death in the family the squabble that ensues. Dan will be donating $5 for every entry to Heartsprings, a home for Autistic children. You can find all the details at http://danielboshea.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/the-happy-birthday-to-me-estate-planning-flash-fiction-challenge/

Will the Real

Anonymous-9 please stand up http://ashedit.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/the-real-anonymous-9-is/

Hyperpulp

Here's a new quarterly zine with a slight twist on the Pulp scene. "Hyperpulp" is looking for shorts in all the genres, but with a literary twist. The first issue is live as a pdf download and will soon be available for all those electronic devices. They're also open for submissions of stories up to 10,000 words. And they accept reprints. This is a non-paying market. http://www.hyperpulp.com

RIP Martin H. Greenberg

This is a sad loss, not only for his friends and family, but for the short story community as well. I didn't know Mr. Greenberg but last year when I received a request, on April Fools Day, to reprint one of my stories in an anthology I thought it was some kind of joke - until I saw Martin Greenberg's name in the email. Then I knew it was for real. Mr. Greenberg's name was on the cover of many of the anthologies on my shelf. Without his hard work and devotion I expect many short stories would have been lost forever. Rest in peace, Mr. Greenberg.

Ed Gorman, who worked with, and was good friends with, Mr. Greenberg has some thoughts here http://newimprovedgorman.blogspot.com/2011/06/martin-h-greenberg-has-passed.html

And from Bill Crider here http://billcrider.blogspot.com/2011/06/marty-greenberg-r-i-p.html

Anthology Reviews

Well, I just couldn't resist posting this one :) http://lareviewofbooks.org/post/6831010352/fresh-pulp-and-geezer-noir

Thanks, Cullen!!

Hat tip to Patti Abbott for the link.