I hope everyone had a productive week and recovered quickly from the holiday. Just think, only 3+ weeks until Christmas! Early Christmas presents for you below.

Contests
Montana Prize in Fiction. Sponsored by Cutbank, the submission period is December 1-February 29. Prize is $500 and publication in Cutbank 69. Entry fee of $13 includes 1 issue subscription. 

Carolina Wren Press Doris Bakwin Award. A prize of $2,000 and publication by Carolina Wren Press is given biennially for a collection of short stories, a novel, or a memoir by a woman. Jeanne M. Leiby will judge. Submit two copies of a ms of 150 to 500 pages with a $20 entry fee by December 1. (Sorry this is such short notice)

Cintas Foundation Fiction Fellowship. A fellowship of $15,000 will be given biennially for a fiction writer of Cuban descent to pursue a writing project. Cuban citizens, or writers with a Cuban parent or grandparent, who are not pursuing academic studies are eligible. Submit two copies of a fiction manuscript of up to 25 pages and two letters of recommendation by January 14, 2008. There is no entry fee. Visit the Web site for the required application and complete guidelines.

New Magazines 

Horror/dark fantasy/dark mystery. Shroud Magazine is looking for 5000 word submissions for their debut issue in 2008. Shroud will be a bi-monthly print magazine. They pay 2-5¢ a word ($250 max) and 1 copy. "Shroud considers horror, dark mystery, dark fantasy and suspense short stories. In addition, we are interested in tightly woven flash fiction, and (in some cases) serialized novellas. Thriller and Suspense tales with a horror aspect are also welcome."

SciFi/Fantasy. NewMyths.com is a Web quarterly looking for 10,000 word stories. They pay $30 flat. "There must be  some fantasy or science fiction element to the story. No pornography."

Anthologies

Science Fiction. Norilana Books is doing an anthology called Warrior Wisewoman. They want 10,000 word stories and pay 2¢ a word plus royalties. “I am looking for stories that shed light on the truth of what it means to be female, that illuminate the wisdom and the strength of a woman, but not in cliché 'goddess' stories. I love action and adventure, grand space opera, thrilling discovery, and intelligent protagonists. Make the story thoughtful, wise, and surprising, not merely the same old metal spaceship hull filled with cardboard military uniforms with female names 'barking' orders and firing at aliens. In addition, the stories in the anthology should appeal to genuine emotions, suspense, fear, sorrow, delight, wonder. The science can be part of the background and the characters foremost, or the science can be central to the story, as long as the characters are realistic and appealing." Deadline of January 31, 2008

Humorous fairy tales. Catscurious Press needs 5000-10000 word stories for a new anthology. Pay is 5¢ a word ($500 max). "Needs well-written, humorous fairy tale re-tellings! But there's a catch -- these stories must be written from ONE POV only... the protagonist's." Will open to submissions Jan 1, 2008. Deadline of March 31, 2008

Literary Speculative Fiction. Cone Zero is doing an eigth anthology, and Cone Zero: Scriptus Innominatus needs 2500-12000 word ms. Pay is £65. "Ideally, this story should be specially written for the gathered Nemonymous 'style' and for its new incarnation as 'Cone Zero'. Ideally, too, your story might be entitled 'Cone Zero'." Deadline of March 31, 2008