Expressions 108

June 2009

Table of Contents

How to Participate in Expressions

Mr. Heartless - Poetry by Justin A. Sorrell

News Flashes

The Midnight Library

Sam’s Dot Publishing Update by Tyree Campbell

Paying Markets

 

How to Participate in Expressions

 

Expressions is published monthly, it’s open to submissions all year round, and participation is encouraged and appreciated.

 

Editors are invited to send their guidelines, readers are invited to share their news and views, writers and artists are invited to share their work, and their news about successes. If you’d like your book or magazine featured in The Midnight Library section of Expressions, please get in touch.

 

I welcome poems (under 20 lines preferred), flash fiction (under 500 words preferred), articles (less than 1,000 words preferred), interviews (less than 1,000 words preferred), book or magazine reviews (under 700 words preferred), and art (jpeg under 30k).

 

Include a fascinating bio of three or four sentences (written in the third person) at the end of your submission. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, crime, and seasonal work are most appreciated, but I will consider all genres.

 

Send each submission in the body of the email - no attachments please - with "Expressions" in the subject line. Send only one submission per email.

Submit to Editor Cathy Buburuz at cathyartist@hotmail.com

 

The payment offered for contributions to Expressions is sincere gratitude and free ad space for whatever it is you’re selling, especially if you’re selling your own work or want to promote your own website.

In most cases, your submissions will be responded to within 48 hours or less, longer if I’m extremely busy or on holidays. The deadline for each issue is the 15^th of the month. Everything received after the 15^th will be included in Expressions the following month.

 

Mr. Heartless
by Justin A. Sorrell

He calls himself Mr. Heartless…
Yes, he has a heart, but he's never really used it
Ironically, it’s in motion every day, it keeps him alive
But at the same time, it's killing him, daily, mentally,
He just wants something more, and his heart is the key
His heart just wants a break, it cares too much and it's tired of trying
His heart is waiting ‘til the day it can finally quit
They both have different agendas and they both pay for it
His heart knows what’s right, but doesn't have a mouth to say it,
He knows how to use his heart, but he's too scared to do it,
They're both so different, but physically connected to each other,
They can't live without each other, that's why this is such a struggle,
He doesn't want his heart to be crushed, he remembers how it felt
His heart doesn't want to be crushed, that's happened enough for a lifetime
So now they have this mutual agreement, they stay out of each other’s way,
He uses fate for an excuse in his decisions,
His heart just sits back, it has more important things to do,
This makes him even more lonely than before,
And his heart colder than ice,
Now they’re separated, yes, that's what he didn't need the most
And you wonder why he calls himself Mr. Heartless,
Only because he and his heart have never been in unison….

Justin A. Sorrell, age 20, attends East Carolina University, and has a thing for writing.  He thinks that writing is one of the most underrated forms of communication, and one of the most beautiful forms of art.

News Flashes

Arkham Tales is closed to submissions until further notice.

 

Blood Oranges Magazine pays three copies for art, poetry, flash fiction, comics, and short stories. The deadline for the next issue is September 1, 2009. Read the guidelines here: http://www.bloodorangeszine.com/2008/10/submission-guidelines.html

 

Cathy Buburuz’s short story titled Tin Lizzie appears in the gorgeous new issue of Cover of Darkness, published by Sam’s Dot Publishing.  This tall tale about the Wild West, is illustrated by a talented artist from the Netherlands.  To have Cover of Darkness delivered to your door:

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#coverofdarkness0509

 

Byzarium will close permanently after publishing its June 2009 issue.

 

Cemetery Dance is closed to submissions until 2010.

 

Champagne Shivers is available for purchase in The Vile Vineyard where all cover art is proudly displayed:   http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/vineyard/Champagne%20Shivers.htm

 

Clarksworld Magazine pays 10 cents a word for horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories to a firm maximum of 4,000 words. Read the guidelines here:  http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/submissions/

 

Contrary Magazine pays $20 to $60 for contemporary fiction and poetry. To read the guidelines: http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Submissions.html

 

Dark Discoveries is temporarily closed to fiction submissions, but visit the website for updates: http://www.darkdiscoveries.com/

 

Genre Magazine is temporarily suspending publication.

 

Fantasy & Science Fiction is now in its 60th year of publication. To learn more about the magazine, visit http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/current.htm

 

Lee Gimenez  had two short stories published recently. "Proxima Centauri" was published in the April 2009 issue of Beyond Centauri Magazine and  "Unhistory" was published in the May 2009 issue of Orion's Child Magazine.  Lee Gimenez is a science fiction writer and member of SFWA. He has had over twenty-five stories published in magazines in the United States, Canada, Australia and England. Visit his website at: http://www.leegimenez.com

 

Heavy Metal Horror Anthology has re-opened to submissions.

 

Horror Garage does not reply to rejections.

 

Lyrical Ballads is closing.

 

Necrotic Tissue is closed until the next reading period which begins in July.

 

Pedestal Magazine has increased its pay rates from 5 to 8 cents a word for flash fiction.

 

Potter's Field 3 has been published and is now available.  Check out the fantastic cover art on all three Potter’s Field trade paperbacks by clicking on this link: http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/vineyard/Potter.htm

 

Radioactive SF has been closed indefinitely.

 

Shock Totem is temporarily closed to submissions.

 

Side Show 2: Tales of the Big Top and the Bizarre is wide open to submissions.  Make a point to participate in this exciting new trade paperback to be released in early 2010.  You’ll find the guidelines for submissions in the Paying Markets section of this edition of Expressions.

 

Sorcerous Signals has re-opened to submissions.

 

SpecFicWorld.com has announced that all submissions were lost due to a computer crash. The deadline for submissions has been extended, so please resubmit your material.

 

The Pedestal Magazine pays $40/poem , eight cents a word for fiction,  five cents a word for flash fiction, and two cents a word for interviews and book reviews.

 

The Tel Aviv Dossier, the post-apocalyptic novel, is now available in trade paperback for pre-order. Order before June 30th and get a 15% discount. See http://www.chizine.com/chizinepub/books/tel-aviv-dossier.php for full details.

Weird Westerns Anthology has announced that all submissions were lost due to a computer crash.  The deadline for submissions has been extended, so please resubmit your material.

 

Weirducopia Anthology has announced that all submissions were lost due to a computer crash.  The deadline for submissions has been extended, so please resubmit your material.

 

The Midnight Library

 

Anomalous Appetites

An Anthology of Illustrated Speculative Poetry

Edited by John Irvine

Never before has an anthology like this been attempted. Many publishers spurn poetry, citing a lack of interest from the buying reader. However, it has long been my desire to offer poets in the speculative genre a platform to display their talents. I looked for subtle rather than brutal when selecting the final contributions, trying to avoid the ‘Hollywood’ style of hack and slash employed by most other magazines and anthologies in the genre. I wanted to offer the reader a vastly different experience.

 

As the poems for inclusion were selected, they were despatched to artists to interpret under the same plan… subtle rather than gory. The results of my desire have exceeded my wildest expectations. I am utterly indebted to the poets and artists without whom there would have been no anthology at all. I was also fortunate to secure the services of Australian graphic designer/artist/cartoonist Dave Freeman to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude.

 

For those readers who like their horror and science fiction sautéed slowly with garlic and served up on fine china, then this anthology is for you. Do not expect axe hacking, explosions, bug eyed monsters or crudeness. Do expect fine and subtle poetry augmented by exquisite art … every single poem is illustrated.

 

This is a collector’s anthology, created for those who are a little more discerning in their speculative tastes. We offer two hundred and nine pages of the best speculative poetry and art you will ever see from poets and artists from all corners of this creative planet, presented in the larger-than-usual format of 8.5 x 11”.

 

The book may be purchased by visiting the following link:

http://www.lulu.com/content/3236199 and on Amazon

It can be viewed, and samples read, on this website:

http://www.cooldragon.co.nz

Just click through from the link below the cover image on the Home page.

~John Irvine, Editor

~Dave Freeman, Design/Art Editor

 

 

Signs of Life

A Book of Visual Poetry

by John Ecko

Signs of Life is a unique collection of visual/concrete poems that stretch the imagination, taking the reader on a journey beneath the surface of man. From love to hate, politics to religion, the beautiful to the macabre; this book explores the many footprints left by the human race for the better, and sometimes the worse.  Now available for purchase online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Lulu.com. Come visit http://eckovision.wordpress.com/ for more details.

 

Space Grunts

Edited by Dayton Ward
Published by Flying Pen Press
http://www.flyingpenpress.com

Space Grunts is the third anthology of the Full-Throttle Space Tales series. Edited by Dayton Ward, Space Grunts contains 18 hard-hitting tales of soldiers in space, by established and rising-star authors

 

Dispatches from the front lines contained in this volume:

“98 Hill” by Julie McGalliard: A young soldier far from home writes a letter to her mother, describing the overwhelming experience of fighting an enemy on a distant planet.

“The Thing with Private Leon’s Face” by David Boop: A mysterious entity takes on the form of a dead soldier, bringing with it a harsh message for humanity.

“Blowback” by Derek Tyler Attico: A genetically-engineered subspecies of Humanity has finally had enough of being second class citizens. Time to send in the Marines!

“Rush” by Jeff D. Jacques: In the aftermath of a devastating ground battle, a lone soldier discovers there's more to the enemy than meets the eye.

“Price of Command” by Irene Radford: Continuing the adventures of Katie Talbet, younger sister of the O’Hara brothers from the Stargods Trilogy, when she is asked to betray the outlawed family she has just found and learned to love after a twenty-year separation.

“Target Market” by James Swallow: Near-future war is big business, and big ratings!

“Unchained” by Selina Rosen: Stashes was the planet of the damned; at least that’s what it was called by the soldiers who got sent there...those who survived, anyway.

“It’s Not A Game” by Jean Johnson: For a soldier, racing through a forest is never a game.

“Truth Metric” by Geoffrey Thorne: A commanding officer faces the unpleasant duty of notifying a parent about the death of their son, and explaining how and why he died.

“Finders Keepers” by Scott Pearson: Unknown aliens attack the starship Alliance and render the entire crew unconscious...except for a lone Marine who finds herself trapped in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a single intruder who has friends on the way.

“Who Stand and Wait” by Bradley H. Sinor and Susan P. Sinor: A soldier returns home after a long deployment, only to find that things are most certainly not the way he left them.

“An Assessment of the Incident at Camp Righteous” by Nayad A. Monroe: A theocracy plots damage control over a political disaster within a human-run prison camp on an occupied planet.

“Flashback” by Anne Stringer and Jason McDowell: A soldier on the run for murder escapes Earth and joins a far-flung foreign legion.

“Granny’s Grunts” by Alan L. Lickiss: What happens when your daughter is captured by aliens? If you’re a retired soldier whose past exploits are the stuff of legend, then you go round up your old squad and go get her yourself.

“Shin-Gi-Tai” by Robin Wayne Bailey: See what a hardened warrior and her alien lover will do to stop a generations-long war which has all but destroyed both sides.

“Across the Endless Sea” by John Coffren: The term “lifer” takes on a whole new meaning as one soldier volunteers for a decades-long stealth mission into enemy territory; the vanguard for a massive invasion...of Earth!

“Widow’s Weeds” by Kirsten Beyer: Colleen Conway is no longer the wife of a military officer. Now, she’s a military widow, and she has a few things to say about that.

“A Fresh Perspective” by Dayton Ward: An alien race comes calling, interested in whatever resources it can take from Earth, and unimpressed with any resistance which might be offered by anyone already living there.

Order from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Space-Grunts-Full-Throttle-Tales-3/dp/0981895743

Sam’s Dot Publishing Update

by Tyree Campbell

 

 

1. CAUTION: DO NOT FEED THE EDITOR

 

Of the several periodic Sam's Dot publications, I actually only edit Aoife's Kiss and Beyond Centauri, so what I am about to say applies principally to those two publications--although I daresay our other editors may concur with it.

 

Normally we decline approximately 75% of what we receive. The reasons for these declines vary, but generally revolve around the quality of writing, character development, and consistency of plotline. Lately, however, I've received a lot of horror stories, and a lot of horror stories that revolve around children. While I am not opposed to horror or kiddihorror in general, let me make two comments here, both of which I hope those who submit their work to us will take to heart and/or heed.

 

First, bear this in mind: meeting a zombie is not scary. It might be oogie, as King would say, or gross. But it is not scary. Meeting a zombie UNEXPECTEDLY is scary. When you understand the difference between the two encounters, you will understand what I look for in a dark or horror story.

 

Second, I receive a lot of kiddihorror, in which the protagonist is an adolescent or even prepubescent child who is going through some sort of hell. Usually--but not always--this protagonist has a stepfather who drinks and cannot keep a job, and a mousy and ineffective mother who takes the easy way out by siding with the stepfather. The child then has to fend for himself, and usually encounters some Dark Evil [Oooo!] that turns the child into a tool of Evil, or kills the parents, or both.

 

Yuck!

 

In other stories, the child is abused in some way, and uses the Dark Evil as a means of righting wrongs and/or achieving a measure of revenge.

 

Double yuck!

 

This is not to say that child abuse is boring. It's not. It's a problem in our society. It seems that every time society makes some headway in solving the problem, another example of it crops up. So please do not think I take the topic lightly.

 

However . . .

 

The individual human being has a complicated personality egged on by complex motivations. To reduce a human being to one aspect of her/his personality based on one motivation--the effects of the abuse--is, not to put too fine a point on it, reductionist. Regardless of background, individuals make choices. No matter how horrific the events of one's past, a person still chooses to do good or to do evil. Granted, that person may, when influenced by that background, perpetrate evil, but it is still a choice of action.

 

Reductionism aside, the problem with revenge horror and kiddihorror is that there is so much of it, in submissions and indeed in publication. It has become, I'm sorry to say, clicheed. Boring. Been there, read that.

 

It's been said, only half-facetiously, that Hollywood hasn't had a new idea since the talkies. Please don't follow the example of Hollywood. If you want me to buy and publish your [horror] story, send me something fresh and new. Send me character development and a logical plotline with unexpected twists. Send me a story that is interesting enough to "grab" me. Show me, metaphorically speaking, the unexpected zombie.

 

2. MOVING RIGHT ALONG: WHAT'S NEW AT THE DOT

 

Last month [please accept my apology] I was rushed when I did the Expressions blurb for Sam's Dot. Attending 7 conventions in 10 weekends will do that. Let's ketchup.

 

POTTER’S FIELD 3 came out on 1 May 2009. This trade paperback is the third volume of stories about tales from unmarked graves, edited as always by Cathy Buburuz. It really needs no introduction, except to say that Carole Hall again did the cover art, and that the volume is worth buying just for the art. You'll probably want it for the stories, though. Contributing writers include Ronda Scheerer, Dev Jarrett, Rebecca Nazar, Pete Mesling, Joe McKinney, and many more. You can order a copy by clicking on the cover icon below.

 

 

COVER OF DARKNESS -- MAY 2009 was released also on 1 May 2009, and in trade paperback format. It features short stories of dark fantasy, dark urban fantasy, and horror, and includes:

Weathergirl, by Elizabeth Donald
Murder on the Martian Express, by David Wright
Tin Lizzie, by Cathy Buburuz
Fire in Mica, by Gail Gray
Counter Creatures, by Ferrel D. Moore
Bones of Contention, by Jennifer Crow
and many more!

Cover of Darkness--May 2009 also features a killer cover art by Mitchell Davidson Bentley. If you would like a print of this cover, please e-mail me for instructions.

Meanwhile, you can order a copy of Cover of Darkness--May 2009 by--you guessed it!--clicking on the cover icon below.

 

 

HUNGUR--Walpurgisnacht 2009 is the next of our darker offerings. Featuring a killer cover by Roberta Shepard, and stories by Jenifer Rachel Baumer, David Bernstein, Dev Jarrett, and Terrie Leigh Relf, among others, Hungur #8 is a worthy member of the fanged family. Come get some, and mind those canines.

 

 

SCIFAIKUEST--May 2009 as always presents scifaiku, tanka, haibun, and those other minimalist poetry forms you've come to know and love. The featured poet this issue is David C. Kopaska-Merkel, and he has provided some truly off-the-wall poetic concepts. This issue also includes an article on Threesomes, by Shelly Bryant. Come get your copy.

 

 

ILLUMEN--April 2009 is also out now. Yes, you read that right. Sorry we're late. We'll try not to let it happen again. This issue contains lots of poems that you'll want to read even if you [think you] don't like poetry.

 

Contributors to this issue include Stephanie Green, LB Sedlacek, Bruce Boston, Carol Dorf, the inimitable s.c. virtes, Lucille Gang Shulklapper, Viridian Girl . . . well, you get the idea. The featured poet is Terrie Leigh Relf. Virtes takes a look at Blake's Book of Thel, and Marcie Lynn Tentchoff treats of Speculative Elements in Traditional Child Ballads. The creme de absinthe of the issue is Cathy Buburuz's "The Wrath of Dignity." Take a chance. Try some poetry. It might bite, but it won't hurt . . . much.

 

 

HEROES FALL by Dylan Brody is next on our list. It's a novella, published in trade paperback book format, and coming out on 1 June. Here's what's going on with it:

 

"Kelsey Darson falls from world to world doing what is needed of him in each new place. He meets a woman who tells him she is his lover, but he doesn't know this yet because they don't fall from world to world in the same order. He wonders why another man who falls from world to world keeps trying to kill him. He will find out in time that the strange man seeks revenge for a wrong not yet done by Kelsey, a wrong that Kelsey has done in revenge for an act the man does not yet know he is to carry out. Good, evil, love and vengeance play out in a complex, non-linear experience that reveals itself by the end to be elegant in its Moebius simplicity."

 

Good story, this one. Here's where to get a copy:

 

 

TOWARD ABSOLUTE ZERO by Karen L. Newman is up next. You might recognize the name--she only edits our beloved ILLUMEN. Her degree in chemistry has enabled her to concoct some explosive poetry. From one-night stands to breakfasts after Tiffany's, from little red churches to Titanic survivors, Newman lights the . . .

. . . wait. Little RED churches???

 

Never mind.

 

. . . Newman lights the speculative fuse to our human and social foibles and rearranges our molecules.

 

Here's the cover icon. You know what to click.

 

 

YOU ARE HERE. Sounds like Edward R. Murrow, doesn't it? Actually, it's Gene Van Troyer's opus magnus. Do they still say opus magnus? Anyway, it's Gene's biggie. It's poetry, and it's off-beat. Gene belongs in the same crowd as Kendall Evans, s.c. virtes, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, and the guy who came up with Bloom County. This collection of poetry comes with illustrations by Marge Simon and . . . collages, I suppose you'd call them, by Gene himself, one of which is on the cover, which is below and which you should click upon.

 

 

June is also the month for the anniversary issue of AOIFE'S KISS. The Sam's Dot flagship magazine now celebrates its 8th anniversary. This issue features stories by Carol Hightshoe [of Lorelei Signal], Selina Rosen [of Yard Dog Press], Luvia Swanson, Mark Allan Gunnells, Lee Clark Zumpe, Melissa Mead, and more! All this is liberally seasoned with poetry, with some special concoctions by Marge Simon and Elissa Malcohn based on some paintings, plus Shelly Bryant, Viridian Girl, Karen Newman, and a special haiku drabble by Jason Wittman. The cover design is by Eric M. Clark of Minneapolis. And now . . . you know what to do.

 

 

Yes, it seems like there's a lot of publications this month, but that's only because we're making up for last month.

 

3. COMING ATTRACTIONS

 

Last Expressions we kinda hinted that another limericks collection might be in the offing. So far we've lined up Scott Virtes and Karen Newman, and we're waiting for a response from their editorial partner in mayhem, Ed Cox. Once all the editorial pieces are in place, we'll issue calls for submissions. Watch for . . . something in the next Expressions.

 

The long awaited Wondrous Web Worlds 8 finally has a release date: 1 July 2009. Sorry for the delay.

 

The Book of Tentacles is tentatively scheduled to be released on 1 July 2009. All the pieces are there, they just have to be assembled.

 

4. UPDATED PUBLISHING SCHEDULE

 

July 2009

 

Veil of Whispers, by Dana M. Baird, the second novel in the best-selling Spellkeeper series.

 

Winter, by Rick Novy, a science fiction novella about a return to Earth . . . after some twenty millennia. This volume also includes a short story, The Adjoa Gambit.

 

The Book of Styx, a poetry collection by C. M. Mattison [this collection will actually be available in mid-June]

 

The Book of Tentacles, edited by Scott Virtes and Ed Cox.

 

My Life As Brother Rat, a fantasy YA novel of ancient China by Lenora Rain-Lee Good.

 

August 2009

 

Infradead: Tales of Human Extinction, edited by Scott Virtes, J Alan Erwine, and Tyree Campbell [tentative date]

 

October 2009

 

Cyborg Chimera, a collection of poetry by Shelly Bryant

 

Paying Markets

 

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine

Pays 8 Cents a Word

 

Finding new authors is a great pleasure for all of us here, and we look forward to reading the fiction you send us. Since we do read all submissions, there is no need to query first; please send the entire story. You don't need an agent.

 

Because this is a mystery magazine, the stories we buy must fall into that genre in some sense or another. We are interested in nearly every kind of mystery: stories of detection of the classic kind, police procedurals, private eye tales, suspense, courtroom dramas, stories of espionage, and so on. We ask only that the story be about a crime (or the threat or fear of one). We sometimes accept ghost stories or supernatural tales, but those also should involve a crime.

 

You might find it useful to read one or more issues of AHMM; that should give you an idea of the kind of fiction we buy. For a sample copy, send a check made out to AHMM for $5.00 to

475 Park Avenue South
11th Floor
New York, NY 10016

USA

 

Style. We prefer that stories not be longer than 12,000 words; most of the stories in the magazine are considerably shorter than that. They should, of course, be well written. We are looking for stories that have not been previously published elsewhere, and among them for those that are fresh, well told, and absorbing. They should be entirely fiction: please do not send us stories based on actual crimes, for instance, or other real-life events.

Manuscript preparation. Manuscripts should be typed on plain white paper (not erasable paper) and double-spaced (not space-and-a-half), with your name and address at the top of the first page. The title of the story as well as the byline you want to use should be on the first page of the story also. (We prefer that there not be a separate title page.)

 

Please do not justify the right-hand margin. The number of lines per page should be uniform. Indicate line breaks with a single line and a centered pound sign (#).

 

Every page of the story should be numbered, preferably in the upper right-hand corner. If you number the pages by hand, be sure before you start that no page has been omitted.

 

Do not use the italic, large-size, or boldface characters some computers are capable of generating. Underline words to indicate italics.

 

Indent for each paragraph. Do not leave 1-line spaces between paragraphs.

 

Stories should be mailed to us flat, with the pages bound together by a paper clip only-not stapled or enclosed in a binder. A cover letter isn't necessary. If you want the manuscript returned in the event we cannot use it, you must include a self-addressed stamped envelope; contributors outside the U.S.A. should send prepaid International Reply Coupons in lieu of stamps. If you have sent us a photocopy and do not want it back, please advise us of that and enclose a smaller SASE for our response. Please keep a copy of any material submitted, since we cannot be responsible for lost or misdelivered mail.

 

If you would like acknowledgement of receipt of your story, include a self-addressed stamped postcard in your original mailing that will be returned to you when your submission is opened.

 

We do not accept electronic submissions. Please do not send disks or e-mail attachments unless we specifically ask you to.

 

Revisions. Revised versions of a story should be submitted only on our request, as a rule. At the very least, tell us in a cover letter that the story has been submitted before but has been revised, and explain how.

NOTE: Stories submitted to AHMM are not also considered by or for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, though we share the same address. Submissions to EQMM must be made separately.

 

We do not accept simultaneous submissions.

 

Querying the status of your submission. We give each submission thorough consideration before responding. Our reply may take three to five months. When querying the status of your story, include your name, the title of the work, and the date you sent it in an e-mail to alfredhitchcock AT dellmagazines.com. Manuscripts are filed by week of receipt, so the more precise your query, the faster we will be able to locate your story.

 

Atomic Jack

Pays $20 for Stories,  Poems & Art

 

Atomjack is a quarterly, (soon to be weekly) speculative fiction magazine that peddles science fiction and science fantasy.

 

Turn-ons (things to get you in the door):

 

Read an issue. Really, this says it all. It'll take you an hour or two tops, and you'll have a much better idea of the things most likely to be published.

Hard science fiction - real science and/or scientific principles, and stories chiefly concerned with them.

 

Soft science fiction - like the "soft sciences." Sociological, psychological, archeological, anthropological, etc, and is usually character oriented.

Science fantasy - Science fiction with elements of fantasy in them, or (to a lesser degree) fantasy with science fiction elements. This includes stories involving deities, traveling to Hell via science (also known as the Doom scenario), and the like.

 

Speculative fiction - fiction that just wonders "what if?" alternate history, time travel, horror, superheroes, steam-punk, apocalyptic, etc. if you don't know where it goes, it probably goes here. Note: Fantasy is speculative fiction, but Atomjack does not currently publish fantasy.

·        Alternate Future - the branch of fiction that looks to the future, although our past is no longer the same. What would the year 2200 be like if the Aztecs had slaughtered the Conquistadors? How would FTL space travel be affected if the Nazis had won the war? What would first contact be like if the British Empire had successfully conquered the entire known world? You can tell these kinds of stories, giving the alternate history details very subtly--as shown in Issue 4's story "The Last Arabian Prince."

·         

Humor - funny + science fiction + blender.

Feminist science fiction - science fiction + the "v" word.

Surreal science fiction - trippy, dark, unexplained, or headache-inducing science fiction.

 

Artwork - typical and atypical science fiction artwork. We're talking robots and damsels in distress, aliens and alien landscapes, lasers and phasers, computers--basically anything off a Del Rey paperback cover. But we like the strange stuff too. Feel free to submit comic strips or comic pages.

Articles - book reviews (of lesser known works), movie reviews (of lesser known or foreign movies), science fiction essays, and reviews of science fiction music (trust me, it's out there, and it's good.)

 

Poetry - Poetry is a hard sell to Atomjack, but recently I have seen some astouding poetry that gives me hope for the genre. See Human Remains by Bruce Boston and Xenotheology I, II by F. J. Bergmann for good examples.

A cover letter - This shows me that you're a person, not a machine doing a smear campaign. When I receive a submission without any information in the actual email itself, I feel like you're a robot. That's bad ... unless you're actually a robot, which is probably unlikely.

 

Be a robot - I love robots. You prove to me you're a robot, and I'll probably publish your work. Probably.

 

Turn-offs: (things we probably won't publish)

 

Poorly written, punctuated, spelled or edited manuscripts-- polish it until you can see your reflection in it.

 

Fan fiction - unless you're one of my fans.

 

Bad science - there is nothing worse than bad or silly science, in any medium.

 

Clichés that don't know they're clichés - being postmodern (literary buzz word!) or deconstructionist (TWO literary buzz words!) is fine, however.

Sword-&-Sorcery - this fiction has its place (on my bookshelf), but its place is not Atomjack.

 

Horror that has no science fiction elements - your werewolf should have a genetic abnormality, not a magical pendant.

Navel-gazing - 'nuff said.

 

Romantic or erotic science fiction - again, this has its place (on the Rev. Brian Worley's bookshelves.)

 

Children's stories

 

Serialized science fiction - this is not the 1930s, and I am not John W. Campbell.

Tips for better stories:

·        Having a story set on or near Earth, with the surprise ending being "oh, it's Earth," is not an original one, nor a particularly good one. When I was in 6th grade, I read "Nightmare Camp" by R.L. Stine, and the ending was not particularly effective there either. Please DO NOT send me a story where there's a twist ending and it's Earth unless you're Pierre Boulle. What do you mean you don't know who he is? Cabbie, take us to Wikipedia! And step on it!

·        Cold fusion is a science fiction cliche and a scientific impossibility. Trust in Einstein; he knows of what he speaks. Use with caution.

·         

To submit a story or article, it should be between one word and seven thousand words. Longer (or shorter, if you can figure out a way to do it) pieces will be considered as time and patience allows.

 

All fiction or articles should be sent as an Openoffice.org (.odt), MS Word (.doc), or Text file, and should be attached to the email or included in the body. (Openoffice.org documents are preferred.) Please include the word "submission" somewhere in your subject line.

 

Include your name and mailing address, or we have nowhere to send the money (and it will be spent on vegetarian chilidogs instead.)

 

To submit artwork, please attach as a jpeg, or send us a link to your website. Submit or query for details.

 

We purchase first electronic rights (second in case of reprints), and archive all works on the site unless an author specifically requests otherwise (in which case, we take your first born--strictly for archiving purposes, I assure you).

 

Payment: We pay $20.00 for accepted submissions, paid upon publication. Solicited stories will be negotiated on an individual basis. All payments will be Paypal ONLY. Please consider this when submitting stories.

 

Response time for queries is usually a week or less, but response times for submissions can be as many as three months.

Submit stories to atomjackmagazine (@) yahoo (.) com. (Sorry for not linking directly, but the spammers are KILLING ME!)

 

 

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Pays 5 Cents a Word

 

Beneath Ceaseless Skies publishes "literary adventure fantasy": stories with a secondary-world setting and some traditional or classic fantasy feel, but written with a literary flair.

 

Secondary-World Setting: We want stories set in what Tolkien called a "secondary world": some other world that is different from our own primary world in some way. It could be different in terms of zoology (non-human creatures), ecology (climate), or physical laws (the presence of magic). It could be set on Earth but an Earth different from our primary world in terms of time (the historical past) or history (alternate history). It could have a "pre-tech" level of technology, or steampunk technology, or magic as technology, or anything else that's not advanced or modern technology. However, the setting should contain some element that is in some way fantastical.

 

The inhabitants of this secondary world should have developed their own culture in response to the uniqueness of their world. The characters should fit this culture, and the qualities of the secondary world should have some bearing on the plot.

 

We are not interested in urban fantasy or other types of stories set in the "real world," even if they contain fantasy elements.

 

Plot: We strongly prefer stories that have some plot. It can be external, in the character's surroundings, or it can be internal to the character, or it can be both. We are not interested in stories that meander between external events or internal emotions with no causality and therefore do not have any trace of a conventional-type plot.

 

Characters: We prefer stories that focus on the characters. We strongly prefer characters who yearn for something, external or internal, and feel driven to attain it. Our favourite characters are "round characters": ones who grow and change over the course of a story instead of remaining the same.

Literary Elements: We love modern literary devices like tight points-of-view, non-linear narratives, unreliable narrators, and ambiguous endings, so long as they fit that particular story. Our favourite literary device is round characters, who grow or change over the course of the story.

 

Narrative Style: We prefer styles that are literary but readable. We love gorgeous, poetic prose, but in genre fiction it's vital that the style be clear enough so the reader can understand what's happening. Our favorite prose styles are lush but still clear.

 

We have a preference for limited points-of-view, either first-person or third-person, because we find it harder for a story to get deep inside a character's head from an omniscient point-of-view. We find present tense often pretentious and second-person point-of-view always annoying.

 

We know grammar rules, such as which types of clauses should have commas between them and which types should not. We respect the author's freedom to bend the rules as suits their story. However, be forewarned that repeated ignorance of grammatical principles for no apparent artistic reason will make a manuscript look unprofessional to us.

 

Originality: We prefer stories that are as original as possible, particularly in the setting. We are unlikely to enjoy stories featuring elements we have seen repeatedly, such as elves or barbarian swordsmen or a quest to save the world from an evil overlord, unless they present that element in a unique new way.

 

Extreme Content: We prefer that graphic sex and violence not escalate beyond the level of an R-rated movie. We also insist that sex and sadistic violence not be acted upon children.

 

Fairy Tales / Myths: We usually find that fairy tale-style or myth-style narratives don't provide a gritty or immediate enough perspective to make us feel the texture of the secondary world or the direness of the protagonist's struggle. Any fairy tale-type or myth-type story probably isn't right for us.

Science Fiction: We aren't interested in science fiction; it's just not what we prefer to read. Any story with advanced technology or esoteric scientific concepts isn't right for us.

 

Science Fantasy: We do think there's common ground between fantasy and so-called "science fantasy," as some readers consider Dune because it focuses on secondary-world setting and culture rather than on advanced technology. For a detailed explanation of what science fantasy elements we are and aren't interested in, read this thread on the BCS Forums.

 

Steampunk / Smoke & Sorcery / Weird West / Sixguns & Sorcery / Etc.: In addition to fantasy, we also enjoy stories set in other types of secondary world that likewise don't have modern technology, including steampunk, smoke & sorcery, weird West, sixguns & sorcery, etc. Feel free to send us anything that you think might fit.

 

Humor and Satire: We don't mind humorous stories, but we have a very dry sense of humour. We love wry satire, but we rarely enjoy slapstick or puns. We aren't planning to publish much humour, but if you have a dry satire that hits us just right . . .

 

Length and Policies:

We prefer stories under 10,000 words. We will consider stories over that length, but the longer a story is, the better it must be to hold our attention.

We are not interested in reprints (stories that have previously appeared anywhere in print or online, including on a personal website or blog).

We do not accept multiple submissions (more than one story submitted at a time). Please wait until you have received a reply to your submission before sending another.

 

We DO accept simultaneous submissions (stories that are currently under submission to another market), but ONLY if you state in your cover letter that your submission is simultaneous, and ONLY if you notify us IMMEDIATELY when another market accepts your story. We accept simultaneous submissions as a favor to writers because we know that response times can be long, but if people abuse this policy, we will rescind it.

 

Acceptances, Payment, and Rights

All accepted manuscripts will be line-edited for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. The author will have the opportunity to review and discuss all of these edits. However, we do insist on a high proficiency of grammar and clarity in our magazine. Payment will be made after receipt of the final, line-edited manuscript.

 

For standard acceptances, we pay 5 cents US per word, which is professional rate as defined by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). For this payment, we purchase the following rights:

 

First World Serial Rights
First World Electronic Rights
An Option to buy Non-Exclusive World Anthology Rights
An Exclusive Period to buy Limited-Time Exclusive Audio Rights

 

This means that our payment buys the rights to publish your story on the Beneath Ceaseless Skies website, as well as the option, at our choice, to pay you again at the reprint rate specified in the original contract (usually 2 cents per word) to reprint your story in any future anthology of stories from Beneath Ceaseless Skies and distribute that anthology anywhere in the world. It also gives us a time period during which we have the exclusive option, at our choice, to buy limited-time audio rights to your story, at the rate specified in the original contract (usually 1 cent per word), and podcast your story from the Beneath Ceaseless Skies website.

 

You can't publish that story as a first-run or "new" story anywhere else in the world, and you can't have it appear anywhere else, in print or online or as audio, before or for ninety days after we publish it. But after that you can have it reprinted online and/or in a reprint magazine and/or in any reprint anthology, like one of the many Year's Best collections.

 

You also can't sell the audio rights to anyone else for ninety days after we publish the story. And if during those ninety days we buy the audio rights from you, you can't have the story appear in audio form anywhere else before or for ninety days after we podcast it. But after that you can resell the audio rights, including to one of the many fiction podcast websites.

We also hope that you will let us keep the story in our online archives after ninety days.

 

How to Submit:

 

Format: Format your manuscript in Standard Manuscript Format. If you don't know what that is, look it up. If you deviate from this in more than a few ways, your story will look unprofessional to us before we've read the first word.

 

Include your name, address, and email on the first page, and a running header with your last name, the title, and page number at the top of every subsequent page.

 

Cover Letters: We do prefer a short cover letter with every submission. Type it into the body of your email. Mention the title of your story in case the attachment gets lost. List the best one or two fiction sales you have and/or mention any writing workshops you have attended. TELL US if this is a simultaneous submission. DO NOT give a synopsis or summary of your story; we'll learn what it's about when we read it.

 

Attach your manuscript to an email as either a *.DOC MS Word document file or a *.RTF rich-text-format file. If you can't get either of these to work, you may paste the text of your manuscript into the body of your email. DO NOT send a *.DOCX file (the default format that Word 2007 uses); we can't open those files.

 

Send your email to submissions[AT]beneath-ceaseless-skies.com (replacing [AT] with @). Use the subject line Submission: (the title of your story).

IMPORTANT: your subject line MUST include the word "Submission" or our spam filter will delete your email.

 

Our Process and Response Times:

 

You should receive our email auto-reply within 24 hours after sending your submission.

 

If you don't, check your spam filter to be sure it didn't get caught there. Then make sure your subject line starts with Submission so our filter won't delete your email and send your story again. If you still don't receive the auto-reply 24 hours after that, query using the email form on our Contact page. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

 

Response Times: Our response times are currently averaging 3-5 weeks, occasionally as long as 6-7 weeks. To keep writers informed on our reading progress, we will post periodic Slush Updates in the Submissions Status section of our online forums. If we announce that we've replied to all submissions emailed before a certain date, but you sent yours before that date (and received our auto-reply confirming that it arrived), feel free to query us using the email form on our Contact page.

 

Please do not query if we haven't announced that we've replied to all submissions up to the date you sent yours. Any time that we spend answering extra queries is time we can't spend reading submissions or posting Slush Updates.

 

All rejections and acceptances will be notified by email.

 

Questions?

 

If you have any questions or comments about these Submission guidelines, feel free to post in the General/Other section of the Beneath Ceaseless Skies online forums.

 

Big Pulp

Pays $5/Poem and 1¢ Word for Fiction

Also welcomes Art, Comic, and Photography Submissions

 

Open to Submissions during the months of July and October 2009 Only

 

Big Pulp is an online journal featuring genre fiction and artwork of all kinds. We are actively seeking submissions of prose, poetry, photography, artwork, and comics for our pages.

We define “pulp fiction” very broadly – it’s lively, challenging, thought-provoking, thrilling, and fun, regardless of how many or how few genre elements are packed in. We don’t subscribe to the theory that genre fiction is disposable; in our opinion, a great deal of literary fiction could easily fall under one of our general categories.

 

 

Deadlines

Due to the enthusiastic response to our call for submissions, we need to institute a reading period. We have filled our weekly publication slots for the upcoming months and do not wish to schedule work more than 6 months in advance.

 

If you have not yet submitted, please make note of the following reading periods.:

 

July 1 - July 31, 2009

October 1 - October 31, 2009

 

Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry

Big Pulp publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry in all genres, styles, and tones. For our thoughts on what we'd like to see, follow this link.

We publish each piece twice - once online and once in PDF format. New online content is loaded weekly and the cumulative magazine is published quarterly. After those publications, all rights revert back to the author. In addition, we plan to publish an annual "Best Of" printed collection. Authors and artists chosen for the annual will be contacted prior to re-use of their work.

 

Payment
Fiction - 1¢ per word up to 2500 words (maximum $25.00)
Poetry - $5 per poem

 

Payment is made on publication, typically on the Sunday of the posting week. We pay electronically via Paypal

only. We are not able to send cash or checks in the mail.

 

Word limits
Fiction and non-fiction - 2500 words
Poetry - up to 3 poems; 50 lines total

 

Fiction and non-fiction longer than 2500 words will very likely be considered, but no additional payment is possible at this time. Please query for pieces greater than 10,000 words.

 

We ask for first North American serial rights. Reprints may be considered, but please query first. You must have the rights to your work. We prefer not to publish work posted online or archived elsewhere.

 

Simultaneous submissions are okay. Please submit only one fiction or non-fiction piece at a time, or up to three poems. Do not submit additional stories or poems until you hear from us regarding your previous submissions.

E-mail your submissions to submissions@bigpulp.com. In your subject line, enter the genre you are interested in submitting to - ex: "Submission : Mystery". Please be aware that if your submissions has elements of multiple genres, the editors may assign it to any "department" they consider the best fit and where room allows.

 

Written submissions must be sent electronically in MS Word as an attachment to your e-mail. Please use normal paragraph breaks, double-space and use Courier or Times New Roman 12 point as your font. Submissions that can't be opened or are sent in the incorrect format will be returned.

 

We do not accept hard copy submissions, nor submissions embedded in the body of an e-mail.

Response time for written submissions is 6 - 8 weeks from the date of receipt.

 

If we wish to publish your work, we will contact you with a standard publication agreement.

Big Pulp requests first-time North American serial rights. All other rights are retained by the author or artist. Your acknowledgement of Big Pulp as the first-time publisher of your work is greatly appreciated by the editors. Word of Mouth rocks.

 

Comics

Big Pulp loves comics, too! All styles, genres, and lengths will be considered, up to a maximum of 8 pages.

Stories should be complete; we are not accepting serials or continued stories at this time. Check our submission guidelines regularly for changes to this rule.

Simultaneous submissions are okay. Please submit only one piece at a time. Do not submit additional stories or poems until you hear from us regarding your previous submissions.

 

Artwork may be re-sized to fit the site layout, but will not be cropped or otherwise manipulated. Please keep in mind the general size of the browser window that readers will be using to view your images, as well as bandwidth. Your 24 x 36 inch poster might rock, but no one's going to wait for it to load or scroll for twenty minutes to see the whole thing.

 

All images should be submitted in JPG format.

E-mail your submissions to submissions@bigpulp.com. In your subject line, please enter the genre you are interested in submitting to. Please be aware that the editors may assign your story to any magazine they consider the best fit and where room allows.

 

Artwork and Photography

Big Pulp seeks original artwork for use as spot art throughout the site. Any style of artwork will be considered - colour and black and white drawings and paintings, computer generated art, cartoons, and photography. Artwork may be re-sized to fit the site layout, but will not be cropped or manipulated without permission.

 

E-mail your submissions to submissions@bigpulp.com. In your subject line, please enter the genre you are interested in submitting to. Please be aware that the editors may assign your story to any magazine they consider the best fit and where room allows.

 

Images should be submitted in JPG format.

 

If you have an online gallery, it is okay to send a note with a link to your artwork. Please indicate which pieces you are interested in submitting. Published artwork can be linked directly back to the artist's permanent online gallery.

 

Big Pulp will also consider hosting an online gallery outside our regular fiction pages.

 

WHAT WE NEED

 

We have found that not all genres are created equal and that even within the genres, some types of stories are more popular than others. The notes below are some observations regarding the work we've seen and what we haven't seen. Keep in mind that by the time you read this note, this could all change. If you have something to send, please do, but don't write for the gap. Write for yourself.

 

Horror
A large portion of our submissions have been in the horror genre. This is a very competitive area.

 

Mystery
We've received a lot of crime and ghost stories and very few classic whodunnits.

 

Adventure
This is a wide-open genre. Just about anything could fit here - war, survivalist, pirates, sports, vikings, a really stressful chess game. Even historical, depending on the plot.

Science Fiction
We have received very little science fiction, thus far. The super-intelligent, talking, Nazi gorilla sub-genre is grievously under-represented.

 

Romance
We've received lots of poetry, very little fiction. Be warned - we have found ourselves to be quite picky on romantic fiction. Don't take it personally. We definitely don't want formula woman-meets-unattainable-male fantasies (or vice versa) but we also aren't especially interested in how badly you were treated by your ex (just saying...) Like pornography, we'll know it when we see it. Like pornography, we would like to see more of it.

 

WHAT WE LIKE

 

Following are some of our ideas about genre entertainment. These aren’t rules, but we hope they will provide food for thought regarding your fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and artwork. Most importantly - think creatively, do your best work, and have fun!

 

Fantasy
Fantasy did not begin in the Middle Ages nor end with the Renaissance. People create magic every day, unaccompanied by thunder claps or sparkles. You do it with every story you write. Conversely, mundane events occur in the lives of even the most fantastical creatures. Surprise us!

 

Mystery
Most mysteries involve a crime or a threat of crime, but it’s not necessary. “Is that bastard cheating on me?” is also a mystery, provided someone is actively trying to find the answer. In a broad sense, an element of curiosity or the unknown would be pervasive in a Big Pulp mystery.

 

Humour
Okay, so maybe "humour" isn't a classic pulp fiction genre, but we like to laugh as much as the next group of bleary-eyed, oily-fingered editors. In general, if we can't fit a story into one of our other six genres, but still want to publish it anyway, we'll call it humour. It helps if you're funny, but experimental, flash, and slice-of-life fiction and poetry are okay, too.

 

Adventure
Adventure comes in many forms - as physical challenges or mental puzzles - and in many venues - on mountain trails or the theater of war.

Your protagonist could be an undercover CIA agent, a grunt in Iraq, a balloonist flying around the world, a doctor treating refugees, or an artist racing to get a contest submission to a gallery before a deadline. Strive for suspense, high stakes, and a spirit of achievement.

 

Horror
Vampires are horrific, but so is Rwanda. We love a good zombie tale, but we’re just as scared of people who believe everything they see on TV. Scare us with monsters, human inhumanity, or a devastating psychological truth.

 

Science Fiction
We love hard science and space operas equally. Alternative histories and speculative future fiction would also be welcome here. Physics is fascinating, but remember that politics and sociology are also sciences. The family unit has evolved more in the past thirty years than the automobile or the handgun. Charm us with dinosaurs or talking apes.

 

Romance
Not all romances are requited, nor are they guaranteed happy endings. Heartache is a part of romance, as is vengeance. People fall in love or become obsessed with lots of things, not just other people.

 

 

REJECTED?

Unfortunately, we cannot accept every submission, even ones that we enjoy.

 

We publish material from many genres and therefore we choose submissions that will bring variety to the numerous departments of Big Pulp. We also try to maintain a balance in tone and theme. For example, if we accept a serial killer tale for the Horror pages, we might be reluctant to take another too quickly. We also receive a lot of humorous shorts, so that area is very competitive.

 

We will attempt to communicate with interested writers via the submissions page under "What We Need". Your best bet is to read through a few stories, write your best, and don't be discouraged if we are not able to use your story or poem.

 

 

Black Gate

Deadline for Submissions is June 30, 2009

Pays 3-6 cents/word for fiction up to 5,000 words, $150-$200 from 5,000 to 15,000 words, and $200-$250 at greater lengths, on acceptance. We pay 3 cents/word for all non-fiction.

 

What We’re Looking For

Black Gate publishes epic fantasy fiction at all lengths, including novel excerpts, as well as articles, news and reviews. We’re looking for adventure-oriented fantasy fiction suitable for all ages, as long as it is well written and original.

 

The Seven Most Common Reasons We Return Manuscripts

There are lots of reasons a submission might not be right for Black Gate. Here are the most common (and some of the most easily avoidable) mistakes.

 

1) An electronic submission that arrives as an attachment, rather than straight text in the body of an e-mail.

We delete unsolicited attachments unread. Yes, we have anti-virus software, but it’s tempting fate a bit too much to daily open dozens of attachments from around the world.

 

2) The story isn’t adventure-oriented fantasy.

Black Gate is a magazine of adventure fantasy, so if you’re trying to get your foot in the door with a work of urban fantasy, magic realism, romantic fantasy, or contemporary horror, the odds are stacked against you. Yes, we buy all those genres, but very, very selectively. About 75% of what we publish is plot-driven epic fantasy with colourful settings and interesting characters, and it is the only genre in which we’re always actively buying.

Try also to be as original as you can in plot and setting. We receive hundreds of Arthurian fantasies every year, and never buy more than one or two. Again, the odds are stacked against you from the beginning with a setting or theme we’re likely to have seen multiple times before.

 

3) Too violent/adult for our target market (ages 12 and up).

We feel that it’s critical to attract younger readers to the genre, and have advertised ourselves heavily as a family-friendly publication. We have a responsibility to honour that promise to our subscribers.

What is too “adult” for a typical 12-year old? We like to think the 12 year-olds who read Black Gate aren’t really typical, but nonetheless we feel a certain obligation not to confront them with graphic scenes of violence, gore, or intense psychological horror. We ask you to be conservative with profanity as well, when that’s possible. This is fantasy — try to find a more original way to have your characters curse their fate!

 

Well handled scenes of a sexual nature aren’t as taboo as they used to be, as most modern teens are media-soaked with sexual content long before we get to them, but explicit sex, or sex and violence, no. Homosexual themes are certainly welcome (and in fact we’re still waiting to read the first great YA “alternate romance”), but we’re not interested in heavy-handed gay or lesbian tracts any more than we are in anti-homosexual fiction.

 

4) The story opens too slowly.

Just because you have 80 pages to work with doesn’t mean you can use the first 25 to explain the detailed politics and history of your world. Give your readers a reason to care first… and that usually means giving them characters they care about.

 

5) Not enough attention paid to character development (or great story, bland/unlikable characters).

See #4 above. Even a brilliantly plotted piece of fiction will fail if the reader doesn’t care what happens to the main characters… or (worse) actively dislikes them. Yes, it’s possible to tell a tale from the villain’s point of view, but even then the villain must be a believable, 3-D character, and in the best examples is often sympathetically portrayed.

 

6) Over-used plot devices.

Almost anything to do with slaying dragons, deals with the devil, private investigators in a world of elves and fairies, or ancient gods who’ve adapted to life in the city will usually get you bounced. There are exceptions, but we see these themes so often it’s almost impossible to impress us any more.

While we’re on the topic, if your story opens with an elf, dwarf, thief and ranger about to enter a dungeon, odds are not in your favour. Quick rule of thumb: the less your fiction reads like a gaming session, the more we’re likely to be interested.

 

7) Overuse of magic.

Black Gate publishes gritty, realistic fiction in which magic often plays a role… but if your story includes dueling wizards with wands and fireballs on page 3, it’s going to be a lot tougher to grab our attention. The further you can distance yourself from routine, by-the-book perceptions of magic and the supernatural, the better.

 

Six Things That Will Cause Us to Stop Reading

We try to read every submission completely, and respond with as thorough a critique as possible. But in some cases, the diagnosis happens on the first page…

 

1. Rough prose.

Admittedly, this is the hardest one to self-select for. But if you’re part of a writing workshop or reading circle, make use of it. Seek out honest criticism, not just praise from your friends. Ultimately, submitting to a professional market may be the only real test… if this is the biggest problem with your story, we’ll tell you honestly.

 

2. Excessive/gratuitous violence in an opening scene.

 

3. A main character who is obviously a vampire.

 

We see far too much bad vampire fiction, and if you think you’re going to surprise readers by revealing your hero is a vampire on the last page, you’re dead wrong.

 

4. Overused settings.

 

This includes hell, Camelot, any movie studio, or the office of an elf or dwarf Private Investigator.

 

5. Characters who are clearly superhuman.

 

Dealing death two-handed while stifling a yawn, etc. It’s impossible to generate any real dramatic tension with such characters, no matter how much angst you saddle them with.

 

6. The appearance of gods or demi-gods who rescue your heroes.

See #5 above.

 

Rates

 

We buy first North American serial and electronic publication rights. We pay 3-6 cents/word for fiction up to 5,000 words, $150-$200 from 5,000 to 15,000 words, and $200-$250 at greater lengths, on acceptance. We pay 3 cents/word for all non-fiction.

 

Art

Black Gate is also looking for artists — for line art, comics, and cartoons. If you have an online portfolio full of dynamic, fun b&w art, don’t hesitate to contact us.

 

Response Time

Our response time for physical submissions is 3-5 months. Due to the extremely high volume of electronic submissions, our response time can be significantly higher for e-submissions.

 

As we are a quarterly publication, we currently have space to purchase a maximum of one or two pieces per month. If your story is not accepted for publication, don’t be discouraged. Black Gate is a market with very specific needs. We try to offer feedback on virtually every story we receive, and always enjoy working with new authors.

 

Submission Format

Black Gate accepts both electronic and physical submissions. Our submission address is:

 

New Epoch Press
Attn: Submissions Dept
815 Oak Street
St. Charles, IL 60174

submissions@blackgate.com

 

Be sure to include your name somewhere on the outside of the envelope. Physical Submissions must also contain a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) or an e-mail address. Please only send us disposable manuscripts. If you need your manuscript returned, please so indicate (clearly) on your cover letter, and make sure you have sufficient postage on your return envelope.

 

If you are sending via e-mail, make certain the e-mail address you use is the one you wish us to reply to. In the event your address changes after your submission, please be sure to drop us a note. Electronic submissions must be sent as plain text pasted into the body of an e-mail message, not as an attachment or separate file (which are more prone to carrying viruses). Special formatting (such as italics or bold) should be indicated _like so_. To safeguard our computer systems, submissions sent as attachments will be deleted unread.

 

Novels and Serials

We are interested in publishing longer works of heroic and epic fantasy, including novel excerpts, and serials. Please query first for any work exceeding 25,000 words.

 

New Epoch Press does not publish novels, and publishes excerpts only from novels which have already been accepted for publication. Please do not send us your unpublished novel manuscript.

 

A Few Words of Advice

We know it’s a very tough market out there for short fiction at the moment. A lot of professional fiction magazines are overstocked, and Black Gate is no exception. But that certainly doesn’t mean that there are no opportunities. While we’re currently not buying in a lot of areas, we are still very hungry for our core requirement, heroic fantasy. The trick is to listen carefully to what we’re asking for, and see if you have anything in your inventory that can fill that need.

 

Finally, don’t give up. Much of the very best fiction we’ve published has been turned down by other markets, including some of our most acclaimed pieces — fiction that has gone on to be reprinted in Best of the Year collections and other places. Editors are very often forced to reject stories not because they’re inferior, but simply because they don’t fit the market… if it’s not right for us, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a breakout piece somewhere else, and vice versa. Keep trying!

 

Books for Monsters

Pays $5 to $20

 

Books for Monsters is an independent press specializing in action, humor and adventure fiction.

 

We are currently seeking submissions ranging from 500 words to 10,000 words. Fiction should be filled with action and / or adventure, boast strongly written characters and a smidgen of humour will not go astray either.

 

Flash Fiction | $5.00

 

Stories under 500 words. Difficult to pull off in the action adventure genre, but if you think your story has what it takes, we’d love to see if we agree.

 

Super Shorts | $10.00

 

Stories under 2,000 words. Short stories that get the blood pumping and put a smile on the reader’s face.

 

The Sweet Spot | $15.00

 

2,000- 5,000 words. This is the ideal length for most submissions, any shorter and we barely know who it is falling off the edge of the world, much longer and someone is sure to notice the reader hasn’t done any work for an hour or more.

 

Tall Tales | $20.00

 

5,000 + words. Got a story so gripping it just can’t end in 5,000 words? Well, okay, but that sucker better be nice and lean.

 

Super Serials

 

Serialized fiction may also be considered. Please query with the relevant details.

 

Submission Checklist / General Information

 

·        We prefer to receive stories as e-mail attachments.

·        Send along a bio which will accompany your story if we accept it for publication. A picture of yourself is also a nice touch for the readers, but is not necessary.

·        We pay on publication.

·        Accepted submissions will be published on the website and may be selected for inclusion in the periodical print publication.

·        We normally purchase first print, electronic and anthology rights. If your work has previously been published elsewhere, please state this in your submission.

·        We accept simultaneous submissions, with the proviso that this is clearly stated in the submission and you notify us immediately if the story is sold elsewhere.

·        Please send all submissions to editor@booksformonsters.com .

·        Please note that should we accept your story for publication and make an offer on it, payment will be made via PayPal. If you cannot accept payment via PayPal, we are unable to make payment at this time.

·         

We will send an email acknowledging receipt of your submission, if you do not receive an acknowledgment, check your junk mail folder then come banging at the cyber door until we show some signs of life.

If we send you an acknowledgement and then fail to respond in the alloted time period, (it does occasionally happen when we get busy, unfortunately,) feel free to also come banging, but be nice about it. Rude emails make us grumpy and growly.

 

Brutarian

Pays 5 to 10 Cents a Word for FNASR and Electronic Rights

 

Quarterly print, accepts dark fantasy & horror.

Pays 5-10¢/word for FNASR & Electronic Rights (for archiving on their web site), pays on acceptance.

 

Brutarian is strictly non-profit all the money from advertising & subscriptions goes right back to the artists & writers who help put Brutarian together.

 

"We want the best writing from the best writers. Period. If you can not write on a professional level do not waste your postage. The subject matter of the fiction or the poetry matters not a whit to us. We are looking for beautifully written material. Or crudely penned submissions that overwhelm us with their primitive sensibilities. We tend to prefer dark fantasy and horror, but any speculative fiction which keeps us turning the pages, has a few felicitous turn of phrases, and has an interesting theme or subtext intertwined within the narrative will do nicely. Impress us! Amaze us! Astound us! Offend us! Any of these reactions are what we like to see."

 

Simsubs OK if informed.

No multisubs.

 

E-submissions: brutarian(at)msn.com

In the above email address, replace the word ‘at’ with the @ symbol.

 

Dominick J. Salemi, Editor/Publisher of Brutarian

9405 Ulysses Court
Burke, VA 22015
U.S.A.

 

 

Crazyhorse

Pays $25-30 for each layout page

 

Crazyhorse reads year-round and welcomes submissions of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction/essay from any writer.

The journal publishes fine prose, poetry, and essays: the entire spectrum of today’s fiction, essays, and poetry—from the mainstream to the avant-garde, from the established to the undiscovered writer. The editors are especially interested in original writing that engages in the work of honest communication. We always ask "What's at stake in this writing?" "What's reckoned with that's important for other people to read?"

Send your best words our way and read a copy of the journal before sending your work for consideration so that you can see if your writing and Crazyhorse are a good match. The editors read and choose writing ecumenically, publishing newcomers and established writers alike, always on the lookout for writing that doesn't fit the categories.

The editors read all submissions in their respective genres.

Crazyhorse accepts simultaneous submissions (a submission of the same work sent to another publication). Please notify us by e-mail if your work is accepted elsewhere.

How to submit a manuscript online or by mail:

 

Please upload or mail a maunuscript of up to 25 pages of fiction or essay, or 3-5 poems; include a cover letter. Crazyhorse welcomes up to two separate submissions per year; please wait until you receive a reply regarding a submission before you mail or upload the next.

Crazyhorse would rather receive a manuscript by online upload than by mail: submitting a manuscript online eliminates paper and postage costs, logs the receipt of your manuscript automatically, and allows you to resubmit, withdraw, or replace a manuscript quickly and easily. By Jan. 2009 all manuscripts should be sent through the online submission manager. After Jan. 2009, the journal will receive mailed submissions only from writers who have limited or no access to a web browser and word-processing software.

To upload a manuscript:

Click here to submit a manuscript online using Crazyhorse's Submission Manager.

On the Submission Manager page will be complete instuctions on how to upload a manuscript.

To mail a manuscript:

Mail a cover letter and a maunuscript of up to 25 pages of fiction or essay, or 3-5 poems. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for reply.

Receipt of a mailed submission can only be confirmed by including a self-addressed stamped postcard or by USPS delivery confirmation. The editors regret that because of our small staff we can not keep received logs or replied-to logs of mailed submissions.

Mail to:

Crazyhorse
Department of English
College of Charleston
66 George St.
Charleston, SC 29424


Publication Rights and Author Payment:

Crazyhorse acquires First North American Serial Rights to published works, which means that copyright for any works published in Crazyhorse revert to the author upon publication. As part of the journal's publication contract, we request your permission to feature published works on Crazyhorse's website and in its print advertising.

Payment for accepted work: $20-35 per page of layout, depending on annual budget and grants received.

 

 

 

Dog Oil Press

Pays $10 for  Humour Under 981 Words

 

Dog Oil Press only publishes humour. Please do not send anything that's not funny.

Please do not send attachments.

All submissions must be 981 words or less.

 

For more details about what we're looking for, please read the rest of the

 

FAQ.

 

Q: What's an FAQ?
A: Don't be a smart ass.

 

Q: What is Dog Oil Press?
A: A web-based publication that showcases a short work of dark humor each and every Saturday - except when it doesn't.

 

Q: Does the World Wild Interweb really need to be cluttered with yet another rinky-dink web-based publication?
A: Buzz off.

 

Q: What's with the name?
A: Nosey, aren't you? If you must know, it's taken from Oil of Dog, a short story by Ambrose Bierce.

Q: What is dark or black humor?
A: What's it to you? Wikipedia, ultimate arbiter of all things in the human experience, calls black comedy "a sub-genre of comedy and satire in which topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in a satirical or humorous manner while retaining its seriousness." Fair enough. More of that here. For a great example of the form, check out the story mentioned above, one of a quartet by Bierce known as The Parenticide Club. Or try The Anthology of Black Humor. Or don't, if you don't want to.

 

Q: What type of submissions are you looking for?
A: Funny - first and foremost. If it's not funny, don't send it. Really. It should also be in line with the somewhat nebulous criteria for dark humour, as discussed above. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry - or whatever. 981 words or less (yes, including the title).

Q: What about naughty words and/or racy and/or offensive content?
A: Given the nature of dark humour, it's likely that it will tend toward being at least a bit offensive. If the racy/naughty junk is absolutely integral to the piece, bring it on. But it's probably not.

Q: Is this a paying publication?
A: Barely. The fee for published pieces is $10 (payable only by PayPal) for first rights, as well as the right to archive the piece at the Web site. A paltry sum, but surely better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Q: Where should I send submissions?
A: Anywhere you want. But if you'd like them to be considered for publication in Dog Oil Press, they must be sent as plain text in the body of an email (no attachments) to submit [at] dogoilpress.com.

Q: Is guava a doughnut?
A: Go away.

 

Eagle Wing Press Anthologies

Pays $5 for poetry and $10 for prose plus a contributor’s copy

Deadline is September 30, 2009

 

Submissions for recovery anthologies:

 

Eagle Wings Press anticipates the publication of anthologies by authors working Twelve Step programs. The recovery anthologies, will be similar to Silver Boomers: a collection of prose and poetry by and about baby boomers and Freckles to Wrinkles published by our parent publisher, Silver Boomer Books. They will be based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and the many other programs utilizing the basic blueprint set out in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Our current plan is first to focus on the promises and principles. (Lists of the principles differ. We’ll use these referring to the corresponding step: 1, honesty; 2, hope; 3, faith; 4, courage; 5, integrity; 6, willingness; 7, humility; 8, self-discipline; 9, love; 10, perseverance; 11, spiritual awareness; and 12, service.) The promises are set out in the paragraph on pages 83-84 of the Big Book. We reserve the right to utilize submissions sent for the promises and principles collection in other, later anthologies, with the permission of the author. The guidelines for this and other anthologies are set out below. We request submission for the promises and principles book by September 30, 2009.

 

Submissions for other anthologies

 

Eagle Wings Press will publish books with a spiritual emphasis not necessarily based on the Twelve-Step program. No specific subject has been selected, but you may on speculation submit work for anthologies on such subjects as:

 

Modern Mountain Moving Moments

U-Turns to Triumph

Angels Among Us

Book length submissions

 

We do plan eventually to accept book submissions from individuals. If you wish to propose a publishing project, please carefully describe it in an email (not over 1000 words.) We have a number of projects planned and limited time, but we will consider your requests. DO NOT SEND MANUSCRIPTS either by email or to our mailing address unless requested. Unsolicited manuscripts will be ignored and destroyed. Email your proposal to: SilverBoomerBooks@gmail.com

 

Our writers’ guidelines for anthologies

 

How We Want It:

 

Electronic submission is VERY STRONGLY preferred, with the manuscript or poem pasted into the body of the email. We are giving first preference to poetry of less than 50 lines, and prose not exceeding 1500 words. Poetry shorter than 12 lines tickles the editor in charge of formatting and stands a good chance of being used if the quality is there.

 

We ask for one-time rights. If the submission has been previously published, cite each prior publication. If prior publication history is not included (including "This piece has not been published") the piece will not be considered.

 

Please do not submit material you sent previously for a Silver Boomer or Eagle Wings Press book as we have that and will be contacting authors if we feel the work would fit in future anthologies.

 

Electronic submissions:

• Email us at SilverBoomerBooks@gmail.com.

• In the subject line type "Eagle Wings Submission -- Prose: Name of Entry" Substitute your title for "name of entry" and for poetry substitute "poetry" for "prose."

• In the body of the email type this information:

o Your name

o Your pen name if you desire to use a different name

o Your mailing address

o Your email address

o Your telephone number

o Previous publication history of your submission

o Word count for prose, line count for poetry. In counting lines for poetry, start with the first line and count each line to the last including blank lines.

o A 50 to 100 word biographical sketch of yourself written in 3rd person. This is NOT REQUIRED for recovery anthologies.

o For the promises and principles anthology the promise or principle where your piece fits.

o Cut and paste your entry into the body of the email.

• Multiple submissions are welcome but must be in separate emails with all information listed above in the email with each entry. Do not send more than five submissions, please.

• In submitting your entry, you represent:

o The work you are submitting is your work.

o You have the rights to the work and have not previously conveyed exclusive rights to any other publisher.

o You agree to the terms and conditions set out on this page.

 

Postal Mail Submissions:

 

Please consider using electronic submissions instead! If you need to use postal mail submissions, use good standard formatting rules and send the same materials required for electronic submission.

 

 

You may include a self-addressed stamped postcard for notice of whether or not your manuscript has been accepted. If you prefer to be notified by email a postcard need not be sent. If you include a second self-addressed stamped postcard, we will use that to inform you we have received the manuscript. This is optional. Manuscripts will not be returned to the author, and will be shredded after publication of the book.

 

Mail to: Silver Boomer Books, 4925 South 5th, Abilene TX 79605. Do not decorate your manuscript or envelopes with happy faces, lip prints, perfume, cookies or other gimmicks.

 

When We Want It:

 

For specific collections, the notice states the closing date, and admissions are accepted from the time the call for submissions is publicized. Postmark or email deadline is the same.

 

What You Get:

 

Payment is $5 for poetry and $10 for prose plus a contributor’s copy. If you label it prose but we think it's poetry, we'll pay the poetry rate. In addition, contributors will be allowed to purchase copies of the work at an author’s price for two years following the initial release. All payments are upon publication. Your name and story/poem title will be listed on the website for two years. You will be allowed to post to the authors' blog on the Silver Boomers website so you can publicize signings and speaking engagements as well as comment on the experience. For recovery anthologies, our rules for payment are the same, for we believe the writer is worth his hire. If you choose not to accept payment, you may say so and we will pay the fee that would otherwise go to you to a recovery group of your choice.

 

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly

Pays $100/Stories and $25/Poems

 

As its name suggests, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly is a quarterly e-zine dedicated to publishing heroic fantasy — in both prose and poetry. We are unrepentant in our goal of restoring unapologetic sword and sorcery to a rightful high place. We pay $100 for stories and $25 for poems, upon publication. We purchase first world English language electronic rights, electronic rights for 90 days, archival rights for twelve months, and excerpt rights.

 

We publish in July, October, January, and April. Each issue will include up to three stories and two poems. We accept submissions year-round. Our fiction word limit is 10,000 words, although we are willing to serialize at a maximum of 50,000 words over four issues. You may submit up to three poems, with a cumulative maximum of 30 pages. Tolkienesque (as in really long) poetry epics/sagas/vedas will most likely be treated — and paid — like fiction. Similarly, prose pieces of fewer than 1,000 words will be paid at poetry’s standard rate of $25.

 

Submission Method:

We accept submissions by email only.

Make sure the subject line of your email follows this formula:
Submission - [fiction or poetry] - [title] - [your last name].
For example: Submission – Fiction – Red Nails – Howard

Cut and paste the first 10 pages of your story or poems into the body of your email — but don’t kill yourself trying to perfect the formatting. For queries, we can live without paragraph indentations and double-spaced lines. We do need to have a line between paragraphs, though. If your sample pages look like a huge block of text in your email program follow these steps:

·        Open a new blank document in your word processing program.

·        Copy and paste the first 10 pages of your story into the new document.

·        Open the “Find and Replace” function [ctl+h].

·        In the “Find What” box put ^p

·        In the “Replace With” box put ^p^p

·        Click on the “Replace All” button.

·        The program will tell you how many replacements it made. Click “OK”

·        Close the “Find and Replace” function box.

·        Copy and paste the new document’s text into your email program.

Feel free to include a paragraph introducing yourself and detailing your publishing history, and anything you think we need to know about your story. Or not. All we really care about is the quality of your yarn.

You have about five paragraphs to hook us and 10 pages to impress us — use them wisely.

Our email address is: editors [at] heroicfantasyquarterly.com

(Replace the word ‘at’ in the email address with the @ symbol)

 

More Detail About Our Editorial Process

 

We start collecting material for the October issue beginning in June and extending through August.

 

If we like the cut of your story’s jib, we’ll contact you via email to ask for the rest of your work, which we’ll want as an RTF attachment. At this point your odds of being published with us go way up (+3 modifier!). From that stack we buy and/or make rewrite requests. We try to offer constructive criticism on everything that is rejected from this second tier.

 

Other Submission-Related Stuff

 

Our response time is about 60 days, but likely sooner.

If you’re curious as to what level of violence, sex and/or nudity is too much, just follow what you’d expect to see in movie ratings. We think an “R” rating is a suitable upper limit.

 

We consider reprints by invitation only. Our invitation — not yours! Unless of course your name is Gene Wolfe or Michael Moorcock.

 

Things we shouldn’t even have to say, but just to cover the bases:

No fan fiction. No thinly-veiled fan fiction. No thinly-veiled real-life revenge fantasies (especially against your esteemed editors).

Bonus Modifiers
Three Words: Heroic Fantasy Fiction
We are a Half-Orc positive venue
Action is an art, not a diversion
One word: Visceral
Know your horses
Dwarves who don’t always win
Barbarians with feelings

Negative Modifiers
Barbarians with feeeeeeeeelings
Three words: Heroic Fantasy Parodies
Really exacting blow-by-blow combat scenes
Frequent or lengthy inner dialogue
Two words: Overly Descriptive
Stuff you obviously lifted from your D&D/White Wolf/Legend of Five Rings/Tunnels and Trolls (OMG! Did anybody actually play T&T?) games
Any mention at all about playing Tunnels and Trolls
Your second tier submission is not in proper manuscript format
You let the “R” rating go to your head — violence and sex should augment the story, not be the story

 

 

 

Illumen

Pays $3+ for Poems, $1/Scifaiku; $10/Featured Poet, $5/Illustrations; $12/Cover Art, $10/Articles; $6/Reviews

(Reprints Pay Less)

 

Illumen is a print magazine of speculative poetry co-edited by Tyree Campbell and Karen L. Newman. It is published biannually by Sam's Dot Publishing, on 1 April and 1 October, in chapbook format. It contains speculative poetry, illustrations, articles, and reviews.

 

I. What we seek:

 

1. Poetry:

 

Speculative poetry is one result of the application of imagination to reality. In speculative poetry, one's "vision" often is taken from a different angle, from another perspective, perhaps even from another time and place. Speculative poetry is usually tinged with one or more of the genres. Thus, in speculative poetry you find hints of science fiction, fantasy, folklore, myth, the surreal...and yes, even horror. Good speculative poetry will awaken a sense of adventure in the reader.

 

That's what we're looking for: good, original speculative poetry. Yes, we will consider reprints, but we'll probably publish no more than two per issue. As regards length, we don't want to cramp your style, but poems of 100 lines or less probably will snag most of our attention.

 

2. Illustrations:

 

Illustrations should complement the speculative aspects of the poetry. We're looking for 2 or 3 pieces each issue that reflect this. We only use black and white illustrations, both interior and on the cover. We suggest a minimalist approach to illustrations: less is more. Greatly detailed illustrations can distract from the poetry. We'll consider both original and reprint illustrations.

 

3. Articles:

 

Those who submit articles for consideration have a loose rein on the topic. All we ask is that the article address some aspect of speculative poetry. We like to see articles between 500 and 2000 words. Probably we'll accept no more than two articles per issue. We prefer original articles, but we will consider reprints.

 

4. Reviews:

 

We like to see reviews of collections of speculative poetry. Because such reviews are usually "dated," we consider only original reviews of current or upcoming publications. We like to see reviews between 500 and 1000 words. Probably we'll accept no more than two reviews per issue.

 

5. Other:

 

No angst, please. No adolescent laments. Perhaps Life has sliced and diced you, but we'd rather not hear about it here.

 

About speculative horror poetry: making twisty-squeakies of one's intestines is great fun at parties, but it really doesn't belong in speculative horror poetry. Nor, broadly speaking, do gore, slime, entrails, fragments of tissue, toenail clippings, semen, phlegm, blood, urine, feces, lubrications, secretions, excretions...well, you get the idea. Speculative horror poetry evokes moods, often dark and spooky ones. It should not make you upchuck. Remember: twisted is an attitude, not an action.

 

II. Payment:

1. Poetry: 2 cents per word for original poems [minimum payment $3.00]. 1 cent per word for reprints. $1.00 for scifaiku and related forms.

 

a. Featured poets will be paid a flat $10.00 for their poetry in the issue in which they are featured.

 

2. Illustrations: $5 for original illustrations. $3 for reprints. $12.00 for cover art.

 

3. Articles: $10 for original articles. $5 for reprints.

 

4. Reviews: $6 for reviews.

 

5. Each contributor also receives one contributor's copy of the issue in which her/his work appears.

 

III. How to submit:

 

The e-mail address for all submissions and queries is: illumensdp@yahoo.com

 

All submissions must include your snail mail address. Don't make us come looking for you just to pay you.

 

Please indicate italics by underscores, like _this_. Please indicate bold text by asterisks, like *this*. If your poem/article/review requires special formatting, such as centering or unusual tab spacing, please tell us in your e-mail. If your poem/article/illustration has been published previously, please tell us where and when it was first published. If your submission is a reprint, you must hold all the rights to it.

 

1. Poems: submit poems in the body of the email. Please submit no more than three poems at a time.

 

2. Illustrations: submit illustrations as jpeg attachments of less than 500KB. Please submit no more than one illustration at a time.

 

3. Articles and reviews: submit your article or review in the body of the e-mail. No attachments, please. And please submit one article or review at a time. If you submit a review, be sure to include information about where and how our readers can order a copy of the work under review.

 

Response times: Illumen is a biannual publication. We ask that you be patient with us. Probably we will not determine our final line-up for an issue until one month before publication. Although you might hear from us sooner, please do not expect to receive a decision from us until March or September. In other words, our response time could be up to four months. To compensate for the possible long wait, we will acknowledge your submission within 72 hours of receipt, so that at least you will know that we have received it and are considering it. Still, if you feel you must query, query.

 

New Ceres

Offers Semi-Pro Payment for Fiction and Non-Fiction

 

What are you looking for?

 

We are looking for fiction of any length, and short “non-fiction” articles that explain an aspect of the society, history or world of New Ceres. We anticipate that the contents of the first several issues will be a combination of solicited and unsolicited works.

 

Submissions will be open to writers in any genre. The only proviso here is that your work must exist within the context and reality of the world. We are equally happy to see swords at sunset, romance, space opera, humour, social comedy, horror …there are as many variants as there are writers.

 

You can pick up characters already within or create new ones. You can have entire storylines within a corner of this world that is your own. You can write in any genre (almost - we do not pay for anything that cannot be viewed by a general audience).

 

No erotica or excessive violence. You can use themes that have already partly been explored, just as long as your story is well told and does not copy what is already there. Just make your story your own - we do not want stories that simply copy the life histories of characters already in our world. Given the recent history of New Ceres, there is a high likelihood that lots of people from Earth would end up there, out of necessity. And not only from Earth. New Ceres has *so* many possibilities. Explore them.

 

If you are submitting an unsolicited work, please take the time to read Issue 1 of New Ceres in great detail. Also explore the world-building details available from the New Ceres website. Substantial aspects of New Ceres will be left unfixed to allow our writers to add their own original touches, but it’s important that your story not contradict anything that has already been set in stone.

 

How can I submit?

 

We are open to submissions in mid-2009.

Unsolicited stories during the reading period should be formatted to standard manuscript guidelines and sent as an .rtf to ceressubs@gmail.com . All unsolicited stories received outside the reading period will be deleted unread.

 

New Ceres Universe Conditions of Use

 

1. The shared world of New Ceres (and surrounding system) [hereafter referred to as SWNC] is copyrighted under Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Australia, some rights reserved.

 

2. SWNC includes all “canon” information about the world, characters and history of New Ceres (and surrounding system) contained within the New Ceres webzine and New Ceres wikipedia (designated areas of website, specifically excluding discussion forum)

 

3. The writers and artists who contribute their works to New Ceres retain the copyrights to their individual works of art or writing, and must be approached individually for permission to reprint or otherwise use these works.

 

4. The standard contract for the New Ceres webzine requires all writers to release the original characters, worldbuilding details and history contained within their individual works into the SWNC, for common use.

 

5. Anyone may set their own artistic creations in SWNC (including but not exclusive to writing, visual artwork, games, merchandise, webpages, films) and distribute these in any way they wish, provided that they are not distributed for profit, under the Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Australia licence.

 

6. Anyone who wishes to set their own artistic creations in SWNC (including but not exclusive to writing, visual artwork, games, merchandise, webpages, films) that will be distributed for commercial purposes, must first gain permission from the New Ceres Executive Board (query email address provided). Depending on the nature of the proposed project and the intent behind its intended distribution, the New Ceres Executive Board may require a licensing fee, royalty agreement or other condition before providing their permission.

 

Realms of Fantasy

Pays $450 for Interior Illustrations

(An additional $200 if your illustration is chosen for the cover)

 

Artists Guidelines:

 

Here are our suggestions for submitting your artwork to Realms of Fantasy:

Submit samples of your work in the form of tear sheets or colour printouts. Please make sure samples will fit in a standard file folder. Indicate which samples should be returned and include a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope. If you don’t require any samples returned to you but would still like a response, please enclose a business-sized SASE. Submissions lacking some sort of return postage will go unanswered if we pass on your work. Please allow up to twelve weeks for a response.

 

Realms of Fantasy pays $450.00 for interior illustrations. Each issue, we will feature one of the interior illustrations on the cover. Artists who have an interior illustration appearing on the cover will receive an additional $200.00. In other words, if your interior illustration is chosen to appear on the cover, you will receive $650.00 total, your illustration will appear on the cover, and it will also appear inside the magazine with the story you were originally hired to illustrate.

Realms of Fantasy pays on acceptance, and asks for the following rights: First North American Serial Rights, and nonexclusive book rights for hardcover, trade paperback, and electronic. We seek trade paperback rights and electronic rights for a trade paperback edition and an electronic edition of the magazine. The hardcover rights are for a yearly hardcover that includes all six issues combined into one hardcover book. The art will only be used in conjunction with the story that it illustrates.

 

If you're just starting to break into the illustration field, please remember that Realms of Fantasy is a professional magazine that receives submissions from experienced professionals and it can be very hard to break in here.

Please send your submissions to the following address:

 

Realms of Fantasy Magazine
Art Department
P.O. Box 1357
Valley Stream, NY 11582

USA

 

Side Show 2: Tales of the Big Top and the Bizarre

Pays $12 for Original Stories & $7 for Reprints

Pays $25 for Cover Art

 

Description:

 

Side Show 2 is a trade paperback anthology of entertaining stories designed to awaken the thrills, chills, and spills, and memories of time spent on the midway and beyond. We want unique stories about side shows, freak shows, travelling shows, carnivals, circuses, and fairs. Stories may fall into one or more of three genres: horror, fantasy, and science fiction (although typically we do not expect many science fiction stories). Although we are looking for original stories, we will consider reprints, but probably will accept no more than two--we really want original work.

 

Please note that the editor prefers stories written in the third person, so those are the stories that stand the best chance for acceptance.

 

Guidelines:

Story length should be somewhere between 1,500 and 5,000 words. Your contact information must appear in your submission: your full name, mailing address, and e-mail address. Also include a word count, and let us know which rights are being offered. We prefer unpublished stories and are therefore most interested in First North American Serial Rights. Use a common font--we prefer Times New Roman, 12 point, but will also accept Courier New, 12 point.

 

Normally we include a notice here regarding writing. We'll keep it simple. It is not the editor's job to spell the words in your story correctly, or to punctuate your sentences correctly. We do understand that sometimes something gets missed. When the mistake is repeated over and over again, that's not an oversight . . . that's a problem. Please solve your problems before you submit your work.

 

Please do not send us your first drafts. We can recognize a "first draft" by the opening paragraph, and usually by the opening sentence. We want to see your best work, work that is high in entertainment.

 

Bios:

 

All submissions must include a bio of five or six sentences written in the third person. The bio must tie in with the theme of the Side Show 2 anthology. Include information on what inspired your story, or include a few sentences about your own experiences with carnivals or side shows.

The bios will be published with the stories, so please make them interesting.

 

Cover Art:

 

We want cover art depicting our theme and we will consider images in full colour or in black and white. The art will be published on the cover of a trade paperback (about 6” wide 9” long). Submit the art as a jpeg in the body of your email. Include this in the subject line of your email:

Side Show - Art Submission - Art Title

 

Where to Submit:

 

Submit your work, bio, and all relevant information in the body of an email to sideshowsubmissions@hotmail.com

I

Include this in the subject line of your email:

Side Show - Title of Submission - Your Name

And be sure to include a special bio (read the above information on bios)

 

Payment:

 

We pay $12.00 for original stories, and $7.00 for reprints. We also pay one contributor's copy of the trade paperback. Contributors receive a 25% discount on purchases of extra copies.

 

We pay $25.00 and one contributor’s copy for cover art.

 

Publication Date:

We will close to submissions when full. We hope to publish in January or February 2010. Please watch for further announcements in Expressions.

 

The Chattahoochee Review

Pays $25/page for Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Interviews, and Reviews

 

The Chattahoochee Review
2101 Womack Road
Dunwoody, Georgia 30338-4497
gpccr@gpc.edu

The Chattahoochee Review is a literary quarterly sponsored by Georgia Perimeter College and is a part of The Writer's Institute at GPC. Appearing regularly since 1981, it appeals to the educated general public for its readership. Although we enjoy publishing important writers from our own region such as William Gay, George Singleton, and Ron Rash, we also publish new and recognized writers from other regions of the U.S. and other countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Hungary, and England. Work from The Chattahoochee Review is regularly featured in nationally published anthologies and books. It features poetry, fiction, non-fiction, interviews, reviews, and occasional graphic work.

Method of Selection: The CR is not a refereed or peer review journal (that is, submissions are not sent to outside "qualified readers" for consideration.). Selections are based solely on the choices of the editorial staff, faculty editors, and student editors of The CR. Final responsibility for all selections rests with the chief editor.

Submissions should be works PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED IN NORTH AMERICA that are typed on one side of each page with the author’s name clearly identified. Please do not send multiple submissions in the same envelope, and please wait for a response before submitting another piece. Also, please INCLUDE AN SASE for return or reply. If you do not include an SASE, your manuscript will be rejected and we will not notify you. Clear photocopies are acceptable. Cover letters are encouraged but not required. Simultaneous submissions should be announced and will be considered but are discouraged. Because of the large amount of other editorial and academic work we handle on e-mail, electronic submissions are not accepted.

Responses take from one week to six months. As with submissions to any literary magazine, familiarity with our journal will facilitate understanding the kind of writing we want. Beginning with the Fall 2006 volume, Sample copies are available for $9.00 each. Subscription prices will rise from $20.00 to $24.00. Please support literary journals. They exist for you.

Fiction: The CR publishes high quality literary fiction characterized by interest in language, development of distinctive settings, and delineation of unique characters in conflict. We DO NOT consider such genres as fantasy, historical romance, and science fiction. Fiction should be double spaced with numbered pages and one-inch margins. Please submit only one story per envelope. We consider short fiction up to 6,000 words and will also consider novellas of great merit.

Poetry: Although we regularly publish the informal personal narratives that dominate North American poetry currently, we are also interested in formal poetry that is topic or theme driven. All verse formats and subjects are considered. Originality and precision of language are important for us. We consider English translations of poetry from other languages, in which case a brief biography of the poet should be included. Poetry should be single-spaced and include three to five poems per submission.

Non-fiction: We look for distinctive topical essays and personal "creative non-fiction" of any kind. Please keep in mind that our readers are the general public and topical essays should be written for a general audience. We are not an academic journal.

Interviews: We publish interviews with writers of all kinds: literary, academic, journalistic, and popular. Recent interviews have featured Tony Grooms, Tim Gautreaux, Larry Brown, Claude Wilkinson, Ferreira Gullar, and Kunal Basu. Please query us about your proposal for a particular interview.

Reviews and review essays: We review selected current offerings in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including works on photography and the visual arts. Several related works may be reviewed at more length in a review-essay that engages critical issues not appropriate to a single review. We are always in search of new reviewers. Please query us about the possibility of a particular reviews or review-essay, indicating your credentials for the review.

Visual Arts: By invitation only.

The Lamar York Prize for Nonfiction: A yearly award of $1,000.00 and publication in The Chattahoochee Review will be given for the winning essay in the annual Lamar York Prize for Nonfiction, which honors the founder and former editor of the Review. Submit essays of up to 5,000 words, double-spaced, with a $12.00 reading fee per essay, after October 1 and postmarked by January 31. Please include a cover sheet with name, address, and phone number.

No theoretical, scholarly, or critical essays will be considered, but all other approaches and topics are welcome. No electronic or simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Only unpublished essays will be considered, no manuscripts will be returned, and entrants will receive a year’s subscription beginning with the summer issue. You may include a stamped, self-addressed postcard for notification that your manuscript has been received.

Essays should be sent to:

Lamar York Prize for Nonfiction
The Chattahoochee Review
Georgia Perimeter College
2101 Womack Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338-4497

The Strand Magazine

Pays $25-150 for Stories

 

The Strand Magazine was founded in 1891 and, for the next sixty years, published the works of some the greatest authors of the 20th century.

In the Summer of 1891, The Strand published two stories by a then-unknown Scottish physician, Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his ingenious detective, Sherlock Holmes. As Holmes' popularity grew, so did that of The Strand. In the years that followed The Strand would feature the works of other mystery greats, such as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham, W. Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, P.G. Wodehouse, H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley and many others. Unfortunately, in 1950, economic difficulties in England caused a drop in circulation, which forced The Strand to stop publishing.

It would take nearly half a century for The Strand Magazine to once again appear on the scene, with a new editor and publisher, whose main goal it is to uphold the tradition of exceptional mystery fiction for which The Strand was known.

Our guidelines are simple:

We are interested in mysteries, detective stories, tales of terror and the supernatural as well as short stories. Stories can be set in any time or place, provided they are well written, the plots interesting and well thought.

We are interested in stories of almost any length, but preferably the 2000-6000 word range. However, we may occasionally publish short shorts of 1000 words, and sometimes we may consider even a short novella. At the moment, our payment rate for stories is $25-150. No submissions accepted by e-mail.

We purchase first North American serial rights. All manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, on one side of each page. For return of your manuscripts, please enclose a SASE of suitable size. Average response time is 4-10 months. We suggest before submitting that you purchase a copy of The Strand. You may do so by sending $10 or by visiting our web site www.strandmag.com

We urge you to follow in the footsteps of the greatest writers of the 20th century by having your work published in The Strand Magazine.

The Strand Magazine

P.O. Box 1418
Birmingham, MI 48012-1418

USA

Wicked Good: GLBT

Angels & Demons Erotic Romance Anthology

$10 per story advance against the royalties on ebook sales

Deadline is June 15, 2009

 

Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Editor: EM Lynley
Payment: Royalties/possibility of upfront payment instead
Email: lynley.editor at gmail.com
Length: 3,500 - 10,000 words
Deadline: June 15, 2009
Publication Date: July 2009

 

The concepts of good and evil have fascinated us for millennia. Add in some sex, and we can’t get enough! Let’s see some new twists on this ever-popular theme. Angels with kinks; demons who make us do things we’ve always wanted to. Each story should have angels, demons or both.

 

Preference for m/m pairings, but I’d love to see some hot f/f stories as well and ménage is welcome. I’m looking for erotic romance rather than pure erotica. That means there should be a relationship between the characters beyond merely a sexual one. The sex should have emotion and I want to feel that along with the characters.

 

How to Submit:

 

Specifics: 3,500 to 10,000 words. Please be sure your submission is free of typos and errors. Polish your story before sending it, please! No rape, underage, incest or bestiality. If you have other content you feel might be questionable, email me for clarification.

Format: send in RTF or Word (no docx), double spaced with no headers or footers.

Terms $10 per story advance against the royalties on ebook sales (and other non-exclusive subsidiary rights) for a period of three years. There is the possibility of an upfront payment rather than royalties, so email me if this is a deal-breaker for you to participate. Royalties are a pro rata share of the 35% on ebooks and 15% on audiobooks. If they sell additional subsidiary rights, additional payments will follow! More details of the rights here: http://ravenousromance.blogspot.com/...contracts.html

To submit, please send an attached document to my gmail address: lynley.editor. Be sure your name & pseudonym, address, email, word count and a short summary of the story appear on the first page of your attached document (not only in your email). Also please include a 150-word bio suitable for publication with the story.

Feel free to email me with any questions.

EM Lynley
http://www.emlynley.com
http://emlynley.livejournal.com

 

 

Visit Expressions again in July for more news about the publishing industry and the scoop on paying markets