Novel and Short Story Writer's Market

Friday's Feast

Joe — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:32:59 GMT

You know how even when you're expecting something it can come as a surprise to you? Today is like that for me. I've known this day was coming, but it didn't seem real until now. This may come as a surprise for those of you who don't get the newsletter, but today is my last day as editor of Novel & Short Story Writer's Market. F&W decided to restructure how we produce the various market books, so I'm moving on to other opportunites. I've loved this job and I'm going to miss it. The blog will continue to be updated by the Writer's Market editors, so look for items from Alice Pope, Chuck Sambuchino and Robert Brewer. Please continue to send in your calls for submissions and questions to nsswmATfwpubsDotcom.

That being said, on with today's feast!

Submissions
General. Every Day Fiction is looking for very short (flash) fiction, of 1000 words or less. There's no such thing as too short— if you can tell a story in 50 words, have at it! All fiction genres are acceptable, and stories that don't fit neatly into any genre are welcome too. "While personal experiences and other non-fiction can be great sources of inspiration, please turn them into fiction for us, or send them elsewhere. Our readership is adult, so children's stories are unlikely to be accepted unless they are relevant to adults as well. On the other hand, we are not impressed by gratuitous sex and violence, or pointlessly foul language; edgy content should be necessary and appropriate to the plot and characters." Payment is token and they don't take reprints. Submit via on-site form.

Horror. Champagne Shivers will re-open to submissions Feb 14. They’re a yearly print magazine looking for “the work of poets, fiction writers, non fiction writers, cartoonists, photographers and artists with the ability to inspire shivers in readers.” Fiction should be 500-2500 words and they’ll pay $3-7 (oh and they do reprints).

Bizarro. The Dream People, an eclectic biannual e-journal, has a new eddress. They look for flash fiction that is “distinguished by absurdity, irrealism, the grotesque, narrative experimentation, dark humor, & ultimately a cult sensibility. We are looking for high-quality, stylized fiction that escapes the boundaries of reality & attempts to represent the unrepresentable.”

Conferences
Lesley University Writers' Conference is in Cambridge, Mass., July 27-August 1, 2008. The conference supports writers in a collaborative environment that will provide rich stimulation for anyone interested in fiction, nonfiction, children's book writing, and poetry. Enjoy rigorous workshops, guest speakers, faculty readings, craft lectures, publishing panels, and receptions‹all of which will provide extraordinary opportunities to receive feedback on your work from established writers, share ideas, make connections, and take your writing to the next level. Contact: Joyce Wadlington at 617.349.8298 or jwadlingATlesleyDOTedu.

New Magazines
Speculative Fiction. Dog Versus Sandwich is a blog zine based out of Australia. They want 10,000 word stories and pays $50 (AUS). "Dog Versus Sandwich is dedicated to the fantastic, absurd, surreal, obtuse, bizarre, fandangled, hyperbolic, “slipped streams”, the parable, the duck with the broken leg, the experimental, the mental, and also stories in which a dog eats a sandwich (or vice versa)."

General Fiction. Flash Fiction Online is a monthly Web zine out of the USA. They want flash fiction of 1000 words or less and will pay 5¢ a word. "We're not that concerned about genre. Many of us, including the editor, have a fondness for science fiction and fantasy, but great flash stories aren't always easily classified. If you wrote it, and you love it, then submit it."

Anthologies
Dark Science Fiction. SpecFicWorld is doing an e-anthology entitles It Came From Planet Mars. They want 1000-12,000 word stories and will pay $5 and a PDF copy (Which since it’ll be a free download is nice). "Looking for dark science fiction in all styles, mixes, and viewpoints. Please pay attention to the title of the anthology -- it should be obvious what kind of stories we're looking for with this project. Tip: Send only your best. The darker the better." Deadline is April 15, 2008.

Speculative Fiction. Permuted Press is putting together Robots Beyond. They want 3000-7500 word stories and will pay 1¢ a word and contributor’s copy. "Speculative fiction is, at its heart, the art of what-if. That's what this collection is all about: Robots beyond the normal sci-fi boundaries, crossing into other genres with their customary logic and precision. Feel free to speculate on the role of robots in the Cthulhu Mythos, or how androids might interact with werewolves, vampires, or zombies. But stretch your imagination, and roam farther a field." Deadline is April 15, 2008

Update on 2008 NSSWM info
The Rejected Quarterly is a semiannual print magazine. Contact Daniel Weiss and Jeff Ludecke, fiction editors, at P.O. Box 1351, Cobb CA 95426 or e-mail bplankton@juno.com. "We want the best literature possible, regardless of genre. We do, however, have a bias toward the unusual and toward speculative fiction. We aim for a literate, educated audience. The Rejected Quarterly believes in publishing the highest quality rejected fiction and other writing that doesn't fit anywhere else. We strive to be different, but will go for quality every time, whether conventional or not." They are no longer accepting email subs and pay went up to $12.50.

Tattoo Highway has upped their word limit to 2500. "Tattoo Highway publishes high quality literary prose, both experimental and mainstream, including hypertext and Flash media. Each issue has a theme, and subject matter generally spins off from that. The journal is visually handsome, with unusual graphics. We have no taboos except weak, hackneyed writing. Intended audience: grown-ups who appreciate well-crafted fiction and don't mind an occasional touch of the absurd."

Chronicle Books for Children has changed their submission guidelines: Submit complete ms (picture books); submit outline synopsis and 3 sample chapters (for older readers). Responds to queries in 1 month; will not respond to submissions unless interested. Do not send SASE; send SASP to confirm receipt. No electronic submissions, submissions on disk or fax.

Revolving Door
Harvest Books: Editorial director Tina Pohlman is leaving to join Spiegel & Grau as senior editor, hardcovers, and editorial director, paperbacks.

Harper Children's: Jodi Harris was promoted to editorial director of the Festival imprint. Erin Stein was promoted to her old position of executive editor in the company's Entertainment group.

Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint: Kerri Kolen and Sarah Hochman were both promoted to editor, and David Rosenthal's assistant Nina Schwartz was promoted to assistant editor.

Noctem Aeternus

Joe — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:24:42 GMT

I've actually had this one done for a while; it just got put on the back burner for more time-sensitive stuff.

Noctem Aeternus is a horror magazine in PDF format who put out their first issue this month. I should mention that I don’t typically read horror, and will only do so in public places during the day because I scare too easily. These stories did their job; I got psyched out several times. There were many interesting stories, but the chicken story had too much gore for me. Although...the weekend after I read this story I was driving along a windy, rural road to my friend’s house one night when all of a sudden I had this visual from the chicken story and totally freaked out and almost crashed. That is why I don’t read horror very often.

The composition of this magazine is mostly fiction with a few nonfiction articles about the genre. For some odd reason, most of the stories seem to be set in Ohio. The variety was wide, in that we had stories about an alien invasion/zombies, schoolyard legends, revenge, mutations and more.They also had a few interviews and a review.

The cover art is amazing, which is why I just had to share it (you should see it full size). The magazine was 70 pages long, and most of it was composed of stories. There were tons of ads (mostly for books), but the quality of the ads were good, and matched the tone of the magazine, so they weren’t too distracting. Actually, most of my negative thoughts about this magazine have to do with the PDF thing, and not with the content quality.

Different book formats

Joe — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:09:26 GMT

The novel has evolved over the years in composition, context, content, audience and delivery. Look at the difference between literature 50, 100 and 200 years ago and what we read today. There are more genres, and more ways of getting the stories, than ever before. Even more startling is the literary differences between countries today.

Japan has a serialized form of novels that hasn’t caught on yet here in the states. They’re called cellphone novels. No, I’m not talking about reading books on your cell phone. These are novels actually composed as text messages on cell phones. Apparently, there are Web sites you can send your texts to and post your novel. After a while, ta-da! You have a book. The grammar usually isn’t complex, but these novels are incredibly popular. Just as bloggers and self-published authors here in the US are getting book deals, so are cellphone novelists. I did a quick search and couldn’t find any cellphone novels in English, but has anyone ever read or wrote one? Would you want to?

China is also into cellphone novels, or just reading ebooks on their phone. (If you think getting published in the US is crazy, try working as a writer in China.) The Chinese are trying to branch out in terms of content, but with all the social and legal restraints this is difficult.

One of the ways writers in the US are expanding their horizons is by trying writing comics and graphic novels. However, it’s a lot harder than most expected. Whenever you change the format or delivery of a story, effective storytelling techniques also change. I guess that's one reason some writers are leery of trying something new while others actively seek new opportunites; they have to learn entirely new skill sets.

I’m not going to speculate as to why cellphone novels haven’t caught on in the US , but I do think writers should look to them as inspiration to find new forms of storytelling, and new ways to deliver it. (Yes, I know they sound simplistic, but have you read them? Hundreds of thousands of Japanse have. Come back after you've read at least three, then we'll talk) Form of experimentation I've seen include serialized novels on blogs, podcasted stories (serials and one-shots), and a hysterical short story comprised of an email conversation, but what else can we try?

Anecdotal proof young people read short story collections: I went home for the weekend for a family event and many of my brother’s friends (freshmen and sophomore college students) were also around. During one of the rare quiet moments I noticed one of the girls reading a book. Turned out she was reading a short story collection by a single author, published by a small press. Bonus points: She’s NOT an English major.

Friday's Feast

Joe — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:01:11 GMT

Wow, using a different Web browser does make a difference in what the Web page looks like. I could go off on some metaphor for writing, but I'm visiting my family in California (I'm using my sister's computer), so that's not going to happen.

Instead, I'll just give you the weekly market highlights. I had a few people send me information about their magazine and contests, and the offer still stands. Send your info on contests, conferences, and calls for submissions for books and magazines to nsswmATfwpubsDOTcom and I'll probably post them, and you can be considered for inclusion in the book.

Contests
Literary. The Library of Virginia Literary Awards are for books written by a Virginia author or having a Virginia-related theme. Winners receive $2500. Submit three copies of published book and the completed entry form by February 8th.

Spec Fic. The 2008 Byzarium Bad-Fic Contenst wants 1500 word stories, and they’ll pay you $10 and a 1 year subscription for your worst stuff. "Announcing the Annual Byzarium Bad-Fic Contest! That's right, people, we want to see it--the most clichéd, stereotyped, all around bad speculative fiction you have to offer!" Deadline is February 29, 2008.

Romance/Literary. The StoryQuarterly Love Story Contest is seeking previously unpublished works of less than 8,000 words. "The subject is love in any and all of its varieties and incarnations—familial, filial, romantic, platonic, the love of place, nature, animals, possessions, beauty, or truth, love that is intellectual, erotic, patriotic, real or imagined, fulfilled or denied, tragic or comedic. Tell us the truth about love!" Awards: First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1,500, and Third Prize is $750. The prize winners will be eligible for inclusion in the 2008 StoryQuarterly Annual. Additionally, ten finalists will receive $100 each. There is a $20 fee for each entry, which includes six months complimentary access to Narrative Backstage. Entries will be accepted until March 31.

Submissions
Speculative Fiction. Three-Lobed Burning Eye is a magazine of quality speculative fiction. "Seeking professional stories that expand the genre(s) by valuing originality in character, narrative and plot. We want only your best fiction, distinct and remarkable tales that the reader cannot forget. We tend more towards horror, dark fantasy and magical realism, maybe suspense or even western, though the story must contain some speculative element." No poetry, non-fiction, fan fiction, erotica, sword & sorcery or space opera. Publishes 2-3 times per year, plus an annual print anthology. Please read an issue and guidelines before submitting. Word count: 1000-7000 words. E-subs only: via on-site form. Pays $13 honorarium plus a copy of annual print anthology. Check site guidelines for details. "Stories that monsters like to read" since 1999.

Mainstream. Wanderings wants 1000-5000 word stories and pays with a contributor’s copy. “We enjoy stories that have something interesting and unique to say. The ideal story for Wanderings is one that takes the reader to some place he or she has never been before, or that portrays something which is seen every day and forces the reader to think about it in a new way. Presenting a fresh perspective through an interesting and engaging set of characters is the best way to make it into the magazine.”

Mystery. Crime and Suspense is looking for mystery/detective stories of 250-4000 words. They pay $5 for flash fiction and $10 for short stories, and $15 for audio short stories.

Pulp. Blazing! Adventures Magazine closes to subs Jan 20th. They want stand alone stories of 5000 words or serials (query first, and the whole story much be completed) and they pay $5.

Fantasy/Science Fiction. Drabblecast is a podcast zine. They pay 3/4 cent per word for stories of 500-2000 words. “In some special cases we will accept stories longer than 2000 words. It’s a very laid back system- we like to work with our authors a bit if necessary to make submissions work better in audio format.” They have a reader, so you just need to send in your story.

New Magazines
Mainstream. Kaleidotrope is a biannual print magazine that “will consider anything up to 10,000 words. (Query first for anything longer.) We want stories that surprise or delight, horrify or amaze, leave readers shocked or laughing aloud. Short-shorts, flash fiction, vignettes or other sundry ephemera are also welcome. Above all else, we want to be told good stories. Doesn't everybody?” Pays $5 and contributor’s copies.

Mystery/Comics. The Thrilling Detective pays $10-15 for 7000-10,000 word stories. All stories must have a P.I., and query before sending in your ms. They do feature a few comics, but you’ll have to query about those as there aren’t any guidelines I could find.

Mystery/Speculative Fiction. Speculative Mystery Iconoclast is a PDF magazine looking for 2000-6000 word stories for their debut issue. They pay $35 flat. "Speculative Mystery Iconoclast is looking for exceptional stories that fall into two categories: 1] Speculative Mystery: These are stories that contain elements of both Speculative fiction as well as Mystery. 2] Iconoclastic Speculative Fiction: These are stories that (either in part OR as the focus of the story) reveal what really inspired a tale from mythology OR what really happened during a historical event OR what really drives a particular phenomenon OR what’s really causing a current circumstance (for example, why we haven’t made contact with aliens yet)."

New Publishers
Speculative Fiction. Trytium Publishing will publish print and ebooks. They want stories of at least 35,000 words and will pays 35-50% net royalties. "Trytium specializes in novel-length science fiction, fantasy (classic, urban and dark) and horror. Trytium seeks fresh and unique stories from new authors as well as stories from established authors who want to make their back catalog available again or venture in a different literary direction."

Anthologies
Horror. Permuted Press is seeking 3000-5000 word stories for Giant Creatures and they’ll pays $15 plus a contributpr’s copy. "What we want: Original stories of animals/insects/etc. grown to enormous sizes (or at least vastly bigger than they should be). Take something that exists on earth and show us what happens when it gets really big. Anything from germs to spiders to rodents to monkeys to naked mole rats to swordfish…the opportunities are endless. Stories can be set in any location at any time period. Monsters need not be the result of radiation either—King Kong was simply big. Get creative, people. All genres welcome. (And please note this is not a Daikaju book…so Godzilla stories will be a very hard sell). Yes, giant people are okay, but you’ll need to really impress us. Same with plants." Deadline is March 31, 2008 or until filled.

Update on 2008 NSSWM info
Literary. Pearl, A Literary Magazine has changed their submission period to accepting submission January-June only. It's a biannual print magazine (mostly poetry). "We are interested in lively, readable prose that speaks to real people in direct, living language; for a general literary audience." Needs humor/satire, literary, mainstream, contemporary, prose poem. Publishes an all-fiction issue each year. Recently published work by James D. McCallister, Heidi Rosenberg, W. Joshua Heffernan, Suzanne Greenberg, Fred McGavran, Gerald Locklin, Robert Perchan, Lisa Glatt. Length: 500-1,200 words; average length: 1,000 words. Pays 1 contributor's copy. Acquires first North American serial rights. "We look for vivid, dramatized situations and characters, stories written in an original 'voice,' that make sense and follow a clear narrative line. What makes a manuscript stand out is more elusive, though--more to do with feeling and imagination than anything else."

Editor hide-n-seek

Joe — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:09:39 GMT

Lots of editors have been moving around lately. Congrats on all the promotions, by the way. Here's the latest on who's been moving where:

Abrams: David Cashion will leave his position as senior editor at Penguin to join Abrams February 4 as Executive Editor of Abrams Image. Other promotions include: Howard Reeves to svp, publisher Abrams Children's and Amulet; Susan Van Metre to editorial director for the Amulet imprint; and Chad Beckerman to art director for both children's lines.

DK Publishing: Anja Schmidt was promoted to executive editor.>>

Globe Pequot: Hilary Black has joined as editor at large, acquiring for their women's imprints.

Harper: Sally Kim is leaving her position as senior editor at Shaye to be an executive editor, starting on February 6 and reporting to publisher Jonathan Burnham.

Hyperion: Editor-in-chief Will Schwalbe is leaving the company at the end of next week.

Pocket Books: Jennifer Heddle was promoted to senior editor.

Random House Publishing Group: Susanna Porter was promoted to executive editor.

Simon & Schuster: They have finally announcemed their new editor-in-chief for the adult trade imprint, which will be Priscilla Painton, former Time magazine deputy managing editor.

Stewart, Tabori and Chang: Jennifer Levesque was promoted to executive editor and Kristen Latta was promoted to associate editor. >

Trail of Indiscretion

Joe — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:41:13 GMT

Trail of Indiscretion is a small speculative fiction magazine (50 pgs) produced by Fortress Press. I got to read issue #4. Visually, the magazine is appealing. The cover is some interesting fantasy art and the quality of the paper is good, plus it’s perfect bound.

One interesting feature they have is a short intro to every story. The intro is just two or three lines that try to hook you into the story. Here’s an example:

We all know the legends of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, right? Well, John Bruni is here to tell us that we don’t know anything about them…

They’re basically right on in terms of describing what’s going on in the story, but in some ways that made me less satisfied. There were a few stories where I wished I hadn’t read the intro because knowing the background took something away from the story.

The stories varied in type. The stories included a sci-fi conspiracy, a creepy horror story about the criminally minded, a fantastic romantic comedy set in hell, a western with a magical twist, a fantastical look at the writer/editor relationship, and a mythic telling of the origin of death and chaos. This didn’t have the blood and gore variety horror; it focused more on the psychological.

It was an interesting read. I must say though, the blind date set in Hell was my favorite J>

Defining Sci Fi

Joe — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:18:49 GMT

For all of you who like to explore genre boundaries, SFSignal asked several authors and editors, including Jeff VanderMeer, Nancy Kress, John Scalzi, and David Louis Edelman, the same question: “Everyone knows the ‘Old Guard’ definitions of science fiction. As part of the ‘New Guard,’ how would you define science fiction?” The answers are illuminating. Here's Part 1 and Part 2.

Individual input and big picture views

Joe — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:04:20 GMT

Monday is my catch-up day, so today you once again get all the things I noticed and wanted to share/talk about, but haven't had a chance to do so yet.

Dark Horse Interview
I don’t know what it is about the beginning of the year, but there seems to be a lot of interviews going on with publishers. ICv2 has an interview with Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson. "In Part 1, we talk about the state of the comics and graphic novel market, Dark Horse's history with licensed comics, and the new trend toward omnibus editions. In Part 2, we talk about Dark Horse's role in bringing manga titles to the States and its long-standing relationships with top creators. In Part 3 we talk about Webcomics, comic ratings, and plans for 2008."

Author Cory Doctorow talks about artist rights (found via SFSignal).

Publishing trends
Publisher's Weekly did an article on publishing trends to watch for in 2008. Some of the trends are obvious, like the rise of the ebook, while others are a little less so.

Science Fiction defined
One of my favorite features on Sfsignal’s is the Mindmeld, where they ask many publishing professionals the same question. This time they asked to define today's science fiction as oppossed to the old definition. We hear from newcomers like Matthew Jarpe and established writers and editors like Jeff Vandermer and John Scalzi.

Character versus plot driven narratives
I’ve frequently asked authors in interviews whether the plot or the characters came first. I’ve gotten a variety of answers, but I think I’ll skip asking LE Modesitt that question. He recently wrote on his blog about how plot, character, setting and style should all work together and how there shouldn’t be one element significantly dominant. Otherwise you have a story that isn’t living up to its potential.

What is that anyway?
If you've been wondering what the hoopla about graphic novels is all about, but don't want to test with your checkbook, here's a way to take a look. Dailybits has compiled a list of 17 graphic novels that are free online for download, all perfectly legal. There's a wide array in the genres and styles, and it gives a good representation of the variety out there. I'm excited to go home and read some of these.