Potter's Field 3

THE MARKET

• Publisher: Potter's Field 3
• Editor(s): Cathy Buburuz
• Pay rate: < $10 + copy
• Deadline: 31 December 2008 (est.), or when filled
  
• Response Time: about 2 weeks
• Description: Potter's Field 3 is the burial place for the indigent and the unidentified. Just about every city has one. Obviously, we're looking for works that are themed to graveyards in some way. However, it does not have to be a conventional graveyard. (More in guidelines.)
• Submission Guidelines: www.samsdotpublishing.com

NOTE: Horror author D.L. Snell conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.

THE SCOOP

1) What authors do you enjoy and what is it about their writing that captivates you?
One of my all-time favourite writers is F. Paul Wilson. I absolutely love every story in his Soft, and Others short story collection. He impresses me with his ability to find a unique angle or approach to every tale.

Joe R. Lansdale's horror tales about the Old West are equally fascinating. I love the movie Bubba Ho-tep, based on Lansdale's short story about Elvis and the weird goings-on in a home for seniors; it boasts a great imagination and a special gift for good old-fashioned storytelling.

When Stephen King's work focuses on events that could actually happen, he's one the world's top entertainers. Stand By Me and Delores Claiborne were stand-outs for this reader.

Not all the people I admire are well known or famous writers. I have had the good fortune as an editor to read the work of so many up-and-coming, talented writers, far too many to list in a single interview. But I will mention a few of them a little later on.

Editing Side Show: Tales of the Big Top and the Bizarre introduced me to a wide range of writers who also share my interest in things like freak shows, traveling shows, sideshows and circuses. In their bios the writers share notes about their personal experiences under the Big Top, or about why they chose to write on a particular subject. One of the reasons I insist on writers' and artists' bios for Potter's Field is because my readers and I enjoy knowing more about the participants.

Potter's Field is a success because some very gifted writers and illustrators choose to participate; people like you, Ken Goldman, Pete Mesling, Gary MacMahon, Thomas Canfield, Ed Lynske, Gary Fry, Debra Williams, S. D. Hintz, Tom Moran, Carole Hall, Lis Anselmi, Marcia Borell, Dick Starr, Jacob Parmentier, and Marge B. Simon, to name just a few.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which of these genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
Horror fiction has always held my interest more than any other genre, but in recent years I've enjoyed reading and writing tall tales about the Wild Wild West. When I worked for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as a communications specialist, a big part of the job was visiting the Indian reserves to take photos and write stories about Indian culture and tradition, social and economic development on Indian land, Indian treaties, and the Indian way of life. I wrote factual accounts for governmental publications, newspapers, and radio spots. During my five years with the feds I attended powwows and other special events, and had the good fortune to interview Indian chiefs, politicians, medicine men, historians, and Indian spiritual leaders.

Since that time, I've gained a special interest in the history, culture, spirituality, and traditions of First Nations and settlers of the early west. I also visit the old western town of Deadwood, South Dakota at least once a year. In the town's Mount Moriah Cemetery (commonly known as Boot Hill), I've visited the graves of such notables as Wild Bill Hickok, Seth Bullock (the town's Sheriff), Potato Creek Johnny, and Calamity Jane. Western horror fiction is something I truly enjoy.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
As I said before, the Wild Wild West is my favourite historical locale, but I love tales set in places like Louisiana, Mexico, Japan, China, or any other place that isn't the norm for horror stories. I'd love to receive stories for Potter's Field that take place in cemeteries of the unusual. I especially enjoy contemporary and historical horror fiction, and believable horror fiction stands the best chance with me. While I enjoy some science fiction, it's not really my thing, but I'd never pass on a great story.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
Fast paced fiction is my preference, and I'm more apt to take a story where the opening sentence grabs my attention and won't let go. The action or the fascination should commence within the first three paragraphs. It's not mandatory, but it certainly works for me. A writer I worked with recently sent a story that inspired complete and total claustrophobia in me--I had to buy his story.

5) What type of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Colourful and fascinating characters are always the key to a successful and entertaining story. I'm fond of stories about freaks, prostitutes, the misfortunate, the elderly, the insane, medicine men and women, folks in the backwoods, trailer trash, potionists, anyone who's faced with an unusual situation, circumstance, or dilemma. Simply put, I'd rather read a story about a medicine woman living in the backwoods, than one about a used car salesman in Detroit. I think it's just a better place for a writer to start, though I'm sure there have been great stories written about used car salesmen in Michigan (LOL).

6) Horror and violence can be blatant or suggestive. Which one do you prefer and why?
I'll confess to reading my fair share of stories about violence, great horror fiction that had a huge impact on me. But at the same time, that kind of well written, and tastefully handled horror fiction is rare, so I don't welcome it for Champagne Shivers magazine or for the Potter's Field anthologies. The reason I don't invite it is that most of the violent fiction I have received by way of submissions has been written by amateurs who don't quite know how to handle things like rape, torture or abuse. It takes a special talent to write about those in a way that can be respected and appreciated.

7) In fiction and in life, what do you find most horrific?
Reality scares me, the things that happen in our everyday lives, like losing a loved one or fearing for a child. I like horror fiction that's understated, but I also enjoy fiction that cuts to the bone. My own horror stories are often inspired by newspaper articles about tragedy because most tragedies are avoidable or preventable. Because it's fiction, we as writers can play and experiment with it, bend and twist it so it has an edge.

8) What are the top three things submitters to this market should avoid?

1. Don't send stories about vampires, werewolves, rapists, or druggies. Instead, send stories with believable characters in highly unusual situations. I like strange characters with idiosyncrasies, unusual habits or circumstance.
2. Avoid the kind of language that would gag a maggot. Yes, there are stories that require the kind of language you wouldn't use in front of your grandma, but keep it to a minimum or avoid it altogether when submitting to me.
3. A story with more than a dozen typos or misspelled words (or written in inconsistent tense) will likely be rejected because that tells me the writer expects me to work on the rewrite. And I despise rewrites. Listen up: Whenever writers email a manuscript to an editor, they should email a copy to themselves. That way, if the story arrives with no paragraph distinction, the writer can fix the problem and resubmit without the editor having to notify the writer. About every tenth or twelfth manuscript I receive arrives without paragraph indents or a line between paragraphs. If you want to avoid the problems associated with formatting, open a Hotmail account. Hotmail is free, easy to use, and it can be accessed from anywhere in the world. I love Hotmail submissions.

9) What commonalities are among the stories you've rejected? Is there a particular aspect authors seem to get wrong? (Question by Martel)
The majority of the stories I decline contain one or more the following flaws: Far too many typos and misspelled words or inconsistency in tense

1. They aren't written in the third person (which is my personal preference)
2. They're stories that have been told before, and the only thing that's changed is the name of the main character or the location.
3. I constantly reject stories that have nothing to do with the Potter's Field theme. It's annoying to read a 6,000-word story only to discover that it has very little, or absolutely nothing to do with boneyards or the dearly departed. Look people, I realize there are very few markets for long fiction, but that shouldn't inspire you to submit to Potter's Field if your story isn't in harmony with the theme.

10) If you reject a story, how open are you to a revised version, or do you only want revisions upon request? (Question by Martel)
I often point out the flaws in manuscripts so the writer will have a clear understanding that the story needs work. But, damn, if I want a rewrite, I'll ask for it. It's such a major waste of time when you decline a manuscript, offer comments and suggestions, then the writer approaches you again and asks if they can resubmit. Trust me, if an editor wants a rewrite, they will ask for it. If they don't ask, assume that your story has been declined. I make it crystal-clear in my responses, yet you'd be surprised how many writers email back to say they submitted the wrong draft of their story, or to ask if I could please give the corrected version a look-see. Sorry, but I prefer to read a poorly written manuscript just once. When a manuscript requires minor touch-ups, I'm more than willing to work with the writer towards the common goal of perfection, but I'm not into major rewrites, thank you very much.

11) What trait are you seeking most in submissions to this market?
I want stories and art that are high in entertainment.

12) Any last advice for submitters to this market?
Send me a story that's never been told before, a believable tale with unforgettable characters in a fascinating situation or unusual setting.

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For more scoops, go to marketscoops.blogspot.com.

D.L. Snell is an Affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association, a graduate of Pacific University's Creative Writing program, and an editor for Permuted Press. Snell's first novel, ROSES OF BLOOD ON BARBWIRE VINES, pits vampires against mutating zombies in a post-apocalyptic setting. David Moody, author of the Autumn series, calls it "violent and visceral...beautiful and erotic," and Jonathan Maberry, author of Ghost Road Blues, says, "[I]t has all the ingredients needed to satisfy even the most jaded fan of horror fiction." For more information and to read sample chapters, visit Exit66.net.

This article may be freely reprinted in any e-zine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as all links and this message remain intact, as well as Snell's byline and bio. The formatting may be adjusted to fit the venue, but the content of the article must not be altered without written permission from D.L. Snell.

Drollerie Press

THE MARKET

• Publisher: Drollerie Press
• Editor(s): Various (interview with Deena Fisher)
• Pay rate: 42% net
• Response Time: about 2 months
• Description: Drollerie Press publishes short stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels in various genres, including sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. (More in guidelines.)
• Submission Guidelines: www.drolleriepress.com

NOTE: Horror author D.L. Snell conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.

THE SCOOP

1) What authors do you enjoy and what is it about their writing that captivates you?
Oh goodness. I like so many. In speculative fiction: Robin McKinley, Tanith Lee, Charles de Lint, Terri Windling, Patricia Wrede, Caroline Stevermer, Neil Gaiman, Patricia Briggs, Caitlin McKiernan, Jay Lygon. I love the mythology that they bring into their writing. I think it gives their stories depth and texture. They have likeable, intriguing protagonists and well-drawn secondary characters, characters who aren’t interchangeable from book to book; strong plots, and a story I can believe in, one that I can be invested in.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which of these genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
I love speculative fiction of all kinds. The sub-genres I’m currently interested in are steampunk, space opera, and urban mythic. Those will likely change; they often do. The best stories, for me, are cross-genre and turn expected plot elements on their heads. I really enjoy stories that tease the reader into exploring more experimental fiction. Everyone knows what a story is, and, often, when we read for fun we like to read things that follow the patterns we know. I like stories that start from that accessible point, the hero’s journey or the coming of age tale or the romance, and then diverge from that point gently, bringing the reader along, so that by the end it’s become something new.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
I love everything if it’s told well. The stories that are hardest to sell to me are contemporary fiction without anything mythic, speculative or fantastical about it; and anything prior to about the Georgian period. I don’t love quasi-early-historical (pre-medieval ages) fiction or chick-lit. That’s not to say I wouldn’t accept one, but it would be a harder sell. Steampunk, as I mentioned earlier, so quasi-real of almost any period. I can’t think of any locale I wouldn’t enjoy for the right story.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
I like to start fast. I don’t want info dumping to occur--ever. I recently read a novel that I enjoyed, but it took me a long time to recognize that I liked it because, for me, it started too slowly. If a person browsing in the bookstore can’t be hooked in the first three pages, it’s not likely going to sell well.

I don’t care about a character’s hair or eye color, that she thinks about feminist issues while applying her mascara too heavily, or that he really wants a beer and to get laid while admiring his washboard abs in the steamy mirror after his shower. While those are the better ways to info-dump, they’re still bits of information that we can discover more organically as we watch the characters interact with others during the course of the plot.

5) What type of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
I’m a pushover for strong, competent adult female characters, like the protagonist in Tanya Huff’s space operas; broken characters, the best example for me would be Robin McKinley’s Deerskin; and plucky teens who overcome obstacles to do something amazing, like in the Wrede and Stevermer series. Any character has to have real flaws but they can’t be so flawed that they’re hateful. I have difficulty with the sympathetic killer as pro- or antagonist or the perfect Mary Sue.

6) Horror and violence can be blatant or suggestive. Which one do you prefer and why?
I have to admit, I like mine a little softer, more suggestive, but, other than a dislike of gore-fests, it depends on what’s best for the story.

7) In fiction and in life, what do you find most horrific?
Child abuse, rape, and serial killers, and it would take a story of monumental quality to get me to accept one that featured any or all of those things. I believe they’re too often used for shock value or as tricks to raise tension instead of organic parts of a great story.

8) What are the top three things submitters to this market should avoid?
Anything that’s horrific for the sake of shocking the reader into overlooking bad writing. Anything that doesn’t fit our guidelines; we don’t publish memoirs, for example, but we get at least one of those a month. Bad vampire erotica.

9) What commonalities are among stories you've rejected? Is there a particular aspect authors get wrong? (Question by Martel)

1. Stories that do not fit our guidelines, including books of poetry, photography books, memoirs, and stories that have nothing mythic or speculative about them.
2. Stories that are written with the same plot as a major bestseller. I don’t want the next Da Vinci Code; there are too many clones of it out there already. Nor do I want the next Anita Blake.
3. Stories that are too liberally sprinkled with stereotypes. If it starts out with bad stereotypes--flamboyant gay; kindly granny; “when will you give me grandchildren?” mom; autistic savant; albino sharp-shooter; middle-aged, middle-class guy with a beer gut who shapes up and saves the world; badly-written Ebonics-speaking African-American best friend--it doesn’t have a chance.
4. Badly written or poorly paced. If I’m itching to pick up a red pen to correct grammar, subject/verb agreement, pronoun usage, or the use of monkshood tea rather than verbena or chamomile to soothe the heroine’s nerves in the first chapter, I’m not going to ask to read more. If the story starts with the heroine dressing, calling her mother, picking out her jewelry and going to her normal day job where nothing happens, it’s not going to make it.

10) If you reject a story, how open are you to a revised version, or do you only want revisions upon request? (Question by Martel)
We try to give at least minimal feedback on every story, usually a paragraph or two about why it doesn’t work for us unless it’s just not our kind of story. From that feedback, the canny author should be able to tell whether or not we’d be interested in reading a revised version, though we do try to include that in the feedback as well. For instance, if I say “I hope you find the right publisher,” then I’m pretty sure I’m never going to be that publisher. If I say, “I thought this story had some remarkable strengths until your Amazonian heroine started crying for her mother,” then I’m probably willing to read a revision. Bottom line: we’re probably open to revisions about half the time, but if the author’s not sure, it’s usually best if he or she asks first.

11) What attribute are you seeking most in submissions to this market?
I can’t narrow it down to one. Tight writing, strong characters, new or unusual situations, myths from other cultures than we can find in any Western Civ. course; believable African American/multicultural protagonists, strong gay characters, strongly religious characters who live in a story that isn’t a thinly-veiled homily, and other unique points of view.

12) Any last advice for submitters to this market?
Read all of the guidelines and be sure you’re submitting your work to the right editor in the right format. Some of our editors will read works that aren’t quite according to our guidelines, others will decline. Either way, if you do it the way we ask you to, we’re going to be favorably inclined toward you. Make sure that your work has been read first by your most nitpicky friend and that as many errors as possible have been nuked. Make sure that you’ve told the best story possible in as few words as possible; make every word count, not because we’re worried about adding another page to the book, but because it will be a better story. Believe in your work and write a persuasive, friendly, short (please make it short) synopsis/cover letter that tells me why I should want to work with you and a little bit of what your story is about.

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For more scoops, go to marketscoops.blogspot.com.

D.L. Snell is an Affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association, a graduate of Pacific University's Creative Writing program, and an editor for Permuted Press. Snell's first novel, ROSES OF BLOOD ON BARBWIRE VINES, pits vampires against mutating zombies in a post-apocalyptic setting. David Moody, author of the Autumn series, calls it "violent and visceral...beautiful and erotic," and Jonathan Maberry, author of Ghost Road Blues, says, "[I]t has all the ingredients needed to satisfy even the most jaded fan of horror fiction." For more information and to read sample chapters, visit Exit66.net.

This article may be freely reprinted in any e-zine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as all links and this message remain intact, as well as Snell's byline and bio. The formatting may be adjusted to fit the venue, but the content of the article must not be altered without written permission from D.L. Snell.