Steampunk Cthulhu antho

THE MARKET

• Antho: Steampunk Cthulhu
• Editor(s): Brian M. Sammons & Glynn Owen Barrass
• Pay Rate: 3¢ / word + 3 contributor copies
• Response Time: variable 
• Reading Period: now until July 31
• Description: The age of steam meets the age of Cthulhu, in a past where technology unbound warps Victorian Britain and the world at large into a dark Steampunk reality.
• Submission Guidelines: www.freewebs.com/batglynn/

NOTE: 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 why does their writing captivate you?

GB: Gawd there are so many… let’s see now! Two favourites: Raymond Chandler, because of his attention to detail and the rawness of his prose, and of course, H.P. Lovecraft, so rich with imagination and darkness, I couldn’t imagine a world without his sinister vision.

BMS: Lovecraft, for his original vision of horror. Stephen King for being the first author of adult books I ever read and introducing me to the joys of reading. Robert Bloch and Joe R. Lansdale for doing both bleak horror and black comedy so well. Richard Matheson for being the most consistently good and enjoyable over such a long career. And I can’t forget Robert E. Howard for his manly badassery. 


2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?

GB: My genres, cyberpunk, and horror, for the most part. For this book, with immense clues in the title, we want to see the Cthulhu Mythos mixed with Steampunk, and are quite happy to see elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and even comedy within the subs.

BMS: Horror first and foremost, with various flavours of sci-fi and the occasional sword and sorcery fantasy, as long as it’s not too cute and fluffy. As for what I’d like to see for this book, a real blend of Lovecraftian nihilistic and inescapable horror with the often “future is bright” feel of steampunk. Also, I’d like to see some tales outside of the Victorian Britain setting.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
GB: I very much like alternate reality settings, whether it be past, present or future. Imagination can really soar when the world and reality have no boundaries.

BMS: I go through cycles. I’ll be into historical fiction for a while and then switch to something futuristic. However I always return to stories set in the modern world where reality clashes with the horrific or fantastic. 


4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
GB: Any really, though it is good sometimes to read something slow paced, that suddenly goes ‘boom’ at a mile a minute near the end.

BMS: While arguments can be made for any type of story, the majority of short stories I really like are fast paced. I like the sense of action they impart. Conversely when it comes to novels or horror movies, I prefer creeping dread. Yeah that’s weird, I know.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?

GB: Those that feel helpless against an overpowering Evil/Government/Religion, but fight back nonetheless. Doomed protagonists also read very well in a story.

BMS: I always like strong capable characters that nonetheless come up against things they just can’t overcome. It’s the whole feeling of yeah, you might be a bad ass (in whatever field) but compared to this you’re still nothing.

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?

GB: Dark for the most part, dystopian too. Steampunk tales in a grimy, polluted world with nothing shiny but the glint in the antagonist’s eye.

BMS: I’d be happy to run the gambit. From a few (but only a few) silly, humorous tales to the darkest, most feel bad stories imaginable, and everything in between. As long as it’s 100% steampunk and 100% Lovecraftian (or would that be 50% of both?) I’ll be happy.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?

GB: Swears are okay, as long as they are part of the story, but I don’t see our protagonists lowering themselves to such vulgarities. Violence, no problem where it is a necessary part of the story and not gratuitous. And sex… nothing X-Rated.

BMS: I’m fine with vulgarity; it’s a form of expression I’m fairly familiar with, as long as it’s warranted. Violence, I like violent horror. While not essential to tell a good story, I grew up in the 1980s reading plenty of splatterpunk. Sex, as long as it’s not just tossed in to be titillating and nothing more, I’m fine with it. As for taboos, for me it would be the victimization and sexualisation of children. No one wants to read that, and if you do, then this is not the book for you.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?

GB: Again, darkness in the Steampunk world, sinister conspiracies and things beyond comprehension breaking through into our reality.

BMS: Technology mixed with black magic or just going too far. Famous characters (fictional or real) from the era would be a good addition, as long as there’s a solid reason for them to be in the story. Perhaps pulpy adventure mixed with the darkest horror. 


9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?

GB: Either, and if it’s downbeat for the heroes and upbeat for the bad guys, that’s fine! The protagonist discovering the hopelessness of the human condition in the face of the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos would be a good (but not totally necessary) ending to a Steampunk Cthulhu tale.

BMS: Either, but if I had to lean one way or the other, I’d lean toward downbeat. Not only does it feel more Lovecraftian to me, but I think too many of today’s horror stories have happy endings.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?

GB: DO NOT pay lip service to the Mythos, as in throwing in a few names here and there just to make something Cthulhu Mythos when it’s not. We want the stories rich with the elements of both genres, blended seamlessly.

BMS: Let me stress that again, DO NOT play lip service to the Lovecraftian element. I’ve recently put together a number of Lovecraftian anthologies and you’d be surprised how many authors think that namedropping Cthulhu or the Necronomicon is sufficient. Well it’s not. The same should be said about the steampunk genre. If you’re not completely comfortable with one side of this genre blending experiment or the other, it will show. 

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For more scoops, go to www.dlsnell.com.

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth thrice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City, Apocalypse of the Dead. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.dlsnell.com.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Transtories antho

THE MARKET

• Antho: Transtories
• Publisher: Aeon Press
• Editor(s): Colin Harvey
• Pay Rate: Minimum £10 per story, possible bonus, plus royalties
• Response Time: 1 - 2 months - ish
• Reading Period: March 1st - 31st
• Description: Stories based on words prefaced by 'Trans' in dictionary, from 'transact' to 'Transylvania' (but this last is not recommended).
• Submission Guidelines: www.ralan.com

NOTE: 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 why does their writing captivate you?
I grew up idolising Roger Zelazny, and to a lesser extent Samuel R. Delany, and I still get a little shiver of anticipation when the occasional magazine or anthology crops up with Robert Silverberg's name in the table of contents.

Right now I'm enjoying Lucius Shepherd for his imagery and use of language; Nancy Kress for her characterization; Jason Sanford for his ideas; Greg Egan for his science. But that's only a smattering of the writers I like to read. And there will be four or five different names tomorrow if you ask me the same question! 

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
I'm not looking for horror, because Aeon Press is covering horror through Box of Delights. Apart from that, I don't really have favourites. I'm hoping that I'll see SF as well as fantasy, and maybe some slipstream—but I read all forms of speculative fiction. 

But the whole point of Transtories is that just as anthologies such as Eclipse, and older ones such as New Dimensions, Orbit and Universe, we're looking for a range of stories with no connection other than that they're good. I want sixteen different submissions, rather than sixteen different versions of the same story.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
All of them. But if I'm doing a regional anthology—as I did before with Dark Spires—then I'll say what I want the location to be. In the absence of that, writers can assume they have a free hand.

But to answer the question, I love Jack Vance's exotic planets, and Lucius Shepherd's use of Central America. Many of my favourite stories are set in more recognizable milieu; an alternate rural Dorset, the bars of New York where a man in the penthouse fights the rhythms of the universe, an isolated hotel on the Maine coast called the House of 31 February, the Sprawl, orbital zaibatsus, the city of Rebma, and London in 1810, where the Dog-faced Man prowls the streets.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
It's more important to me that the author displays control of the tempo of their story, rather than what that pace is. I'm not sure that this counts as pacing, but the best stories start as late as the writer can manage, and finish when the story's done.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Rounded, believable characters that are consistent. I like to see the protagonist evolve throughout the story rather than change abruptly, or worse, remain static.

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
I'm completely open-minded about this. There are stories like Bester's 'The Pi Man' and Zelazny's 'This Mortal Mountain' that couldn't be written by anybody but their authors. And then there are stories like Dozois' 'Morning Child' that seem incredibly simple. What I want is for the author to seem invisible, unless like Frederik Pohl in 'Day Million' he's talking to the reader. 

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
If the story calls for it, I have no taboos. But I don't want sex or violence in stories for the sake of it—there has to be a reason for it to be present. 

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
I like to see stories where there is not one idea but two, colliding in a nuclear explosion, sparking off one another.

If you read most pro magazines, they will have two or even more ideas, working off one another. As an extreme example, Mike Alexander's 'Ware of the Worlds' deliberately took Wells' War of the Worlds, with its Martian cylinders invading, then added the replicator from Star Trek, but twisted the outcome with a plot development from Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven, and rounded it all off with a denouement reminiscent of Alfred Bester. And all the time he was perfectly in control.

I don't expect all writers to achieve these levels of innovation and control—this was, after all, one of the very best stories of last year, written for a top-paying magazine. But these are the sort of stories that I'd like authors to aspire to.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
Upbeat, although if a downbeat ending is required, and can be justified, I'll accept it. I don't want what some are calling 'Pollyanna-ish stories' where the author has to pull a figurative rabbit out of a hat, to force a happy ending.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?
Write the story you want to write, rather than what you think I want to see. Surprise me. Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself to your limit—I’d sooner have a glorious failure which can be reworked, than a safe, dull story.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Albedo One magazine

THE MARKET

• Zine: Albedo One
• Editor(s): John Kenny, Robert Neilson, David Murphy, Frank Ludlow & Peter Loftus
• Pay Rate: €3 per 1,000 words
• Response Time: Up to 3 months
• Reading Period: Ongoing
• Description: Award winning Irish magazine of SF, fantasy and horror
• Submission Guidelines: www.albedo1.com

NOTE: 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 why does their writing captivate you?
My personal favourites include J.G. Ballard, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Brian Aldiss, Robert Silverberg, Paul Di Filippo, Howard Waldrop, Lucius Shepard and many, many others. I'm also a big fan of the work of Jonathan Lethem, Michael Chabon, Peter Carey, Kazuo Ishiguro, Paul Auster and others. As to why they captivate me, the styles, approaches and subject matter of the work of these authors is so varied and radically different from each other, it's difficult to give any particulars. If they have anything in common it's that they've all struck out in new directions, developing a unique voice for themselves and fearlessly examining issues that many authors wouldn't touch, or at least deal with in half as interesting a way.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
We publish science fiction, fantasy and horror. My favourites are probably SF and horror. The fantasy we publish tends to be more in the vein of dark fantasy or just plain weird, which I also like. Within the SF and horror genre work, we do usually steer clear of the more traditionally executed material. So the quirkier, the better.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
All of the above. We've published stories set in ordinary locales but with an exotic flavour to the language and situation. We've published stories that were almost mainstream literary works with just the barest hint of the fantastic. Anything set in the past needs to have a convincing verisimilitude to give the piece real weight. Generally, once the characters, situation and setting really grab us, the author is home free.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
Again, all of the above. We do like stories that start a decent way into the story, but once a slow build up is done effectively, with the right amount of foreshadowing and interesting enough characters, we're onboard.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Difficult question. I can more easily tell you what we don't like: drab, average type characters with no convincing inner life. That doesn't mean we just want to see characters gyrating off the page with bizarre fixations and peculiar personality disorders. If the story features ordinary people, they have to have a convincing freight of emotion and inner complexity that will win the reader over to whatever difficulties they face in the story.

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
People tell us there is a specific personality to Albedo One, that there is an Albedo One type story, but we really don't know what that is and don't necessarily want to examine it too closely. If the stories we publish have anything in common, it's that they are primarily character driven. That said, we have published short quirky pieces where character was very much in the background.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
No taboos. However, if the vulgarity, violence and sexual content is deemed to be gratuitous, i.e., not deployed fully in the service of the story, we're not interested.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
We're wide open as regards theme. We've published quite a few stories over the years that revolved around art or artists and there have been several that dealt with the cult of celebrity, but that's a coincidence. When we accepted those stories, we didn't think about the theme; we were just drawn to the story and the characters.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
Good question. I should do a review of everything we've published so far in the magazine to determine the ratio of upbeat to downbeat stories. I suspect, however, that I'd find the vast majority are downbeat. Dystopias are so much more entertaining than utopias, just as the villain in a movie or book can be more intriguing than the hero.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?
Read the submission guidelines and read a copy of the magazine (there are cheap downloadable PDFs of most issues if you don't want to shell out for a hard copy. There are even free stories posted on our website that you can check out). We get a vast number of submissions that are just not the kind of thing we go for and a quick review of the guidelines or a sampling of what we do publish would have saved you postage and us valuable time. Of course, the fact that we're open to email submissions may have something to do with this; when we're just a click away, some submitters (not all!) don't take the time to do a little basic research.

For hard copy submissions, please, please, please include an e-mail address on your cover letter so we can respond to your submission. I know this sounds obvious, but you wouldn't believe the amount of submissions we get that we can't reply to. If you require or want a reply in writing, you have to include a stamped self-addressed envelope. And the stamp has to be Irish. Our postal system won't post something from Ireland with a US stamp or UK stamp or whatever on it. 

Also, don't query before the stipulated three months response time. A query before this deadline just sends us all scrambling about looking for the story only to discover it's still with a first or second reader. Don't mean to harp on about our 'valuable' time; it's just we get such a large amount of submissions that anything the submitter can do to make our life easier is much appreciated.

Other than that, send us brilliantly original stories.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest, 2011

Press Release:

Albedo One, Ireland’s magazine of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, is proud to announce the Sixth International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest, for 2011. Grand prize is 1000 euro and publication in Albedo One. Second and third place prizes are 200 and 100 euro, respectively, alongside publication in Albedo One.

This year we have an added bonus prize for the winning story courtesy of the respected Authorlink.com. The winning story will have the option of free one-year publication in the Storywire section, where authors earn royalties from online readers of their work. Authorlink.com is a news, information and marketing site for editors, agents, writers, and readers with more than 50,000 unique visitors a month and a social network of 6,000+ friends.

The contest is open to stories of up to 10,000 words in any speculative genre, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, or anything in between or unclassifiable. The judges have a very broad definition of what constitutes a genre story. The contest is also open to writers of all nationalities, and the three winning stories will be decided upon by our Grand Judges (whom we will announce shortly). Last year’s Grand Judges were renowned speculative fiction author Ian Watson, Hugo award winning SF author Anne McCaffrey, multiple award winning SF author Mike Resnick and respected Irish horror and crime author, Sam Millar.

The contest is open from 1^st of January 2011 until November 30^th 2011, and runs in four rounds, at the end of which the interim judges (comprising the editorial team of Albedo One) will announce on the Albedo One website (www.albedo1.com) a shortlist of those entries they feel worthy of further consideration. The 1^st round ends March 31st, the second round, June 30th, the third round September 30th and the final round November 30^th.

The aim of the contest is to promote new writers and writing in the speculative fiction genres, and previous contests have certainly shown us that speculative fiction at the shorter lengths is alive and well, despite its many detractors and those who would pronounce the decline of SF, horror, fantasy etc. or the death of the short story.

Previous winners have been announced at the World Science Fiction Convention and European SF Convention, they have been reprinted or received Honourable Mentions in the prestigious Year’s Best Science Fiction and Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror volumes, and have been translated into other European languages and published in their national magazines (e.g. Galaxies SF, in France, and Phase X in Germany). So entering the Aeon Award will certainly get some attention for the respective authors and their work, never mind the prize money and publication in Albedo One.

A modest entry fee of 7 euro applies to all entries, and can be paid easily and securely via PayPal at the Albedo One website. Entries may be submitted to fraslaw@yahoo.co.uk Full details may be found at the following link: http://www.albedo1.com/aeon_award.html

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Bride of the Golem antho

THE MARKET

• Antho: Bride of the Golem
• Editor(s): Gus Ginsburg
• Pay Rate: $500 US
• Response Time: 2 weeks to one month
• Reading Period: Until April 4
• Description: A collection of humorous Jewish horror stories.
• Submission Guidelines: mimeticdeclination.blogspot.com

NOTE: 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 why does their writing captivate you?
For this anthology, authors who have written stories similar to what I am hoping to include are Shalom Auslander, Etgar Keret, Shulamit Hareven, Nathan Englander, S.Y. Agnon.  Of special interest are humorous stories in which the protagonist's ethics or religious scruples are a hindrance to effective action, or result in humorous consequences.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
I am open to writings which toy with the norms of genre writing, as long as the story is darkly amusing.  I am especially fond of classic B-horror films and bad 1950s horror sci-fi.  Surrealism and magical realism are welcome, as are works written in detective story style. 

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
I am open to most settings.  It would be challenging to make a fantasy-genre story Jewish and darkly funny, but if someone submits such a story I would be happy to read it.  I'm not opposed to futuristic tales of Jews in space with robots who season their monotone speech with Yiddish terms or Israeli mannerisms.   I'd love to see stories set in medieval Spain, Provence or N. Africa.  Also welcome: funny Jewish ghost, zombie, vampire and werewolf tales.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
The pace of the action and plot is not as important as the humorous narrative voice.  It should be slightly scary, but mostly funny, and the humor should start early on.  A story with deep character development can be up to 10,000 words, but Etgar Keret has shown that you can deliver a poignant story in 500 words or less.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Neurotic and normal characters are welcome.  They can range from Ultra-Orthodox to Reform or secular Jews of any nationality.  Converts will also not be turned away.  The characters from Nathan Englander's short stories are good models.

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
I would like the collection to offer a range of voices in third and first person narration...the narrative voice can be clever, neurotic, untrustworthy, as long as the overall effect is one of dark humor.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
I would prefer to avoid incest, rape and Nazis, as well as stories with a racist or sexist or homophobic bent.  Also I'd rather not see stories with a political axe to grind on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  If there is vulgarity, violence and sexuality, it should not be gratuitous but integral to the plot and character development. 

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
The intersection of humor, horror and halakhah.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
My favorite are absurd endings.  I also like open/unresolved endings.  Humorous endings are welcome.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?
The story should feel at least somewhat Jewish.  Don’t take a story you’ve already written and merely change the main character’s name to Goldberg or throw in a quote from the Talmud before your story begins.  This won’t be enough.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Leather, Denim & Silver antho

THE MARKET

• Antho: Leather, Denim & Silver – Legends of the Monster Hunter
• Editor(s): Miles Boothe
• Pay Rate: ¼ ¢  / word. Anything over 5,000 words includes a contributor’s copy.
• Response Time: Under 1 Month
• Reading Period: Open Until Filled
• Description: Hair-raising, Hell-bent stories about the people that take the monsters down.
• Submission Guidelines: www.pillhillpress.com
  

NOTE: 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 why does their writing captivate you?
I recently discovered Brian P. Easton’s Autobiography of a Werewolf Hunter, loved it, and realized that there is a terrible shortage of monster hunting books out there.  Looking for more, I turned to non-fiction hunting books with a safari flavor; old Peter Hatahaway Capstick and Robert Ruark tales about big-game hunting in Africa, some of which will raise your hair as much as any monster hunt.

All of their writing is action oriented, and all of it deals with hunting something that will hunt and kill you right back. Great stuff.

Mix in a few old Westerns from Louis L’Amour, add a little Stoker, and you’ve got the general recipe for this antho.

2)  What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
Dark Fantasy and Horror are at the top of my list, and are a natural fit for this antho. Action-adventure and mystery are also a good fit.
 
3)  What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
I’m a sucker for a “hidden” setting, something unusual, something that you didn’t necessarily know was there. If it catches my attention and draws me in without beating me purple, I’m there. I do prefer real settings over fantasy, and am interested in past or present day stories.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
For me, this depends on the story and the writing. As long as I’m drawn in, I’m up for whatever ride the writer wants to take me on.

For this antho, action will be a central part of any story, so I expect to see a lot of fast pacing, hopefully mixed with some slow, atmospheric stuff.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Characters who experience life in unusual ways grab me every time. Someone who is motivated by deep loyalty, courage, terror, or anguish is worth reading about.

Movie characters are the most recognizable, and for this book I can easily picture male and female characters similar to Indiana Jones, Josey Wales, Quint from Jaws, Van Helsing, Sherlock Holmes, or the short lady from Poltergeist. Any character who deeply inspires you can be used as a model.

6)  Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
I’m really hoping for all different kinds of tones. This is one area that I am wide open in, and stories built on grim determination or revenge are great, but I’m hoping for a wider range to balance those out. Just make it powerful.

I would love to see at least one piece built on somber tones that ends in complete anguish.

I’m open to voice as well. Whatever moves you will probably move your readers.
 
7)  What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
Violence is almost required in monster hunting, and a well-placed curse is only natural. I don’t expect to see a lot of sex, but it’s welcome if it is central to the plot and really moves the story along.

On the other hand, anything that pulls the reader out of the story is undesirable, so a poorly placed curse can be equally damaging. The same goes for pointless sex and gore.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
For these types of stories, anything highly emotional is good.  Commentary about the current human condition is great, but so are timeless themes such as love and valor. Subtle themes are more difficult to present with monsters lurking about, but I’m open to any interpretation.

I love sideways views of society that highlight the kind of stuff you just glance past day to day. I feel like a lot of monsters can hide there as well.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
I very much enjoy both. I love a triumphant hero, but I equally love a decimated squadron leaving behind only a crackling radio.

Anything goes, and I’m happy as long as I read that last sentence and wish there was more!

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?
Keep the hunters human, and the monsters non-human (at least until the end – a turned hunter is great)!

A lot of writers go to great lengths to avoid cliché’s, but in this genre, those stories are sometimes the best! Don’t limit yourself!

Mary Sue’s are boring, but exciting and emotionally wrought deaths can be great.

Good writing!

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Through the Eyes of the Undead 2 antho

THE MARKET

• Antho: Through the Eyes of the Undead 2
• Editor(s): Robert Essig
• Pay Rate: 1¢ / word and one contributor copy
• Response Time: Up to two months
• Reading Period: Until April/May 2011
• Description: This is an anthology of stories based upon the zombie perspective.
• Submission Guidelines: http://undeadeyes2.blogspot.com/

NOTE: 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 why does their writing captivate you?
Robert Bloch, Richard Laymon, Douglas Clegg, Stephen King, and Ray Bradbury to name a few.  I like these authors because they pull me into their stories with such ease using great writing, believable characters, and interesting themes.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market? 
Horror and dark fantasy above all.  For this anthology I am looking for a little bit of everything just so long as the story is from the zombie's perspective.  Steampunk, western, crime, sci-fi, bizarro, fantasy—I'll look at just about anything.  The one exception: no erotica.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future? 
I like strange locales.  Something that strays from the ordinary.  I'm not a huge fan of futuristic stories; however, for this anthology I am very open-minded about setting and time periods to achieve a wide variety of stories.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc. 
I tend to enjoy stories that are fast throughout, but I don't knock a slower paced story for that reason alone.  If the writing is captivating, the pace matters very little.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples? 
Strange, flawed, eccentric, and unusual.  Characters that the average reader can relate to are great. 

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples? 
From Hunter S. Thompson to Poe.  A diversity of tone is very welcome.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos? 
I'm fine with all of the above as long as it pertains to the story and isn't thrown in for shock value alone.   No gratification of rape, racism, bigotry, or child and animal abuse.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you? 
Just make sure the story is from the zombie's perspective.  I can't stress this enough.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings? 
I prefer downbeat, but I would like a good mix of both.  If all the stories were one or the other, they would run the risk of becoming monotonous.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's? 
Do not send a first draft.  Follow the guidelines carefully.  Be sure that your story is written through the zombie's perspective.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Mortis Operandi antho

THE MARKET

• Antho: Mortis Operandi
• Editor(s): Kfir Luzzatto & Dru Pagliassotti
• Pay Rate: $50/story
• Response Time: Around 30 days
• Reading Period: Jan. 1, 2011 until filled
• Description: Criminal investigation stories with a supernatural twist
• Submission Guidelines: theharrowpress.com

NOTE: 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 why does their writing captivate you?
Two of my long-time favorites have been Raymond Chandler, for his mastery of language and his dark, deadpan humor, and China Mieville, for his bizarre but beautiful weird-fantasy settings. Simon R. Greene's novels make me grin and KJ Parker's twisty political plots impress me. I'm eagerly awaiting the last book in Steven Erikson's epic Malazan Book of the Fallen.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
We're looking for crime-investigation stories, of course, and they must contain some kind of central supernatural element — as we say in the guidelines, "magic, monsters, or miracles." However, we'll take any subgenre of crime fiction and any sort of overall treatment (tragedy, comedy, horror, romance, parody, etc.). 

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
I can't tell you how many submissions I've read over the years that have been set in contemporary middle-class white suburbia. It's always a pleasant change to get a story about different cultures, subcultures, or historical periods. Of course we'll accept stories set in generic suburbia if they're well written, but exotic locales and different historical periods will stand out more. That said, authors must be familiar with the culture or time period they're writing about — we don't want stories full of stereotypes or errors. And for this particular anthology, we're not interested in science fiction or stories set on other worlds, either — sorry!

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
I tend to prefer stories that grab my attention in the first page and keep me hooked throughout, whether via action or suspense.  However, Kfir and I both appreciate a gentle, slowly paced, atmospheric story; sometimes those are the works that linger with readers the longest.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
I like characters who have distinctive personalities.  I have a weakness for male characters who are oddly charming social misfits like Sherlock Holmes, Gregory House, Stephen Maturin (the Aubrey-Maturin series), and L (Death Note).  Similarly, I appreciate female characters who are confident, strong, and a bit dangerous, such as Ellen Ripley, Gretchen Lowell (the Beauty Killer novels), Sydney Bristow, O-Ren Ishii, and so many of Pam Grier's characters.

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
We don't have any particular tone preferences, but we do appreciate a distinctive authorial voice.  Most of the authors I mentioned above serve as good examples.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
Vulgarity, violence and sex are OK if they further the plot. However, I personally find distasteful stories that feature graphic descriptions of violence against women or have protagonists who are woman-haters, so those will be much harder sells. Although sex crimes of any sort are fair game for Mortis Operandi, I'd prefer they occur off-stage; I'm not interested in publishing stories that might encourage someone's violent sexual fantasies.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
It'd be great to see stories that go beyond the simple search for "truth" and "justice" to address more nuanced themes; some of the best crime fiction is also thoughtful social commentary.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
For this anthology, either is appropriate. The investigator should solve the crime, because that's the point of crime fiction, but whether the criminal is brought to justice is entirely up to the author — and whether that's an upbeat or downbeat ending depends on which character happens to be the story's protagonist.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical do's or do not's?
We're expecting to get about a dozen stories featuring a white, middle-class male vampire or werewolf investigating a murder somewhere in the contemporary UK or US, probably teamed up with a spunky female spell-caster who has a secret crush on the investigator.  Please send us something different!

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Universe Annex zine

THE MARKET

• Zine: Universe Annex
• Editor(s): Sam Hidaka
• Pay Rate: 5¢/word
• Response Time: None per se; selection occurs within 3 months of last revision
• Description: The Universe Annex will emphasize discovering and developing new writers, as the Introducing section of Jim Baen's Universe did. Publishes sf/f adventure.
• Submission Guidelines: www.grantvillegazette.com

NOTE: Universe Annex, a department of the Grantville Gazette, has a rather unique submission process. So, this time around, I’ve decided to give you guys a rather unique Market Scoop.

THE SCOOP
1. Your acquisitions process is fairly unique, where writers initially submit to a sort of writer's group for critique. How does this process work, exactly, and where can writers find clear instructions?

The submission instructions are rather long.  Here is the short version:

- A writer submits a story by posting it in the "Baen's Universe Slush" forum area of Baen's Bar -- the web forum of Baen Books.  The Bar is a password-protected members-only forum, so the writer does not risk losing first publication rights.

- Others read the story and post comments, in the associated "comments" area.  These others who read include:

1. other writers who are participating in the forum 
2. non-writing fans of Baen who hang out on the Bar
3. and members of the editorial staff

That other writers would critique a story is normal; it's how most writers' workshops operate.

To have non-writers comment on stories might seem counter-intuitive, but it's actually not.  These people are a good representation of the SF/F reading public.  They might not be able to comment on technical writing issues, but they can provide a reader's perspective on which parts drag, or when something that needs more detail is glossed over.  And most important, they can tell you if they like or dislike something.

And multiple members of the editorial staff look at every story, every version of every story -- and they frequently post comments.  Most writers find the comments of experienced slush readers considerably more valuable than a "doesn't meet or needs at this time" form-letter rejection.

- The writer has the option to revise the story and post the revision.  There is no limit to how many times the writer can post revisions.

- If we like a story enough to want to publish it, we will post a notification in the story's comments thread, to let the writer know.

This part of the process is still a work-in-progress, that we will fine-tune in the course of time.

When the slush forum was used for Jim Baen's Universe, a member of the editorial staff (usually me, as assistant editor) would post a notice asking the writer to email the manuscript file to one of the staffers (usually me).  The staffer would give the manuscript a detailed edit, and then work with the writer until both were satisfied that the story was as good as it could be.  Most publications only edit stories after buying it, but we added this pre-purchase-decision edit in order to increase the odds that the purchase decision would be positive.

For the Universe Annex, I'm thinking about skipping the step of plucking a story out of the slush for a purchase decision.  Since I'm fairly active in the forum, I might just post in the comments thread of a story that we want to publish it.  (This is what Eric Flint did in the very early days of the forum.)

- There are no formal rejections.  Rejections tend to discourage further revisions, and a subsequent revision might be the one that breaks through.

- If three months pass since posting a story, then the writer can take that as an implied rejection.

2. What are the benefits, both for you and the writer, of a preliminary critique? Do you believe this type of workshop creates better writers and raises the standards?

There are many good online writers' workshops.  They help writers to write better.

But our slush forum has a somewhat different focus.  We seek to help our writers learn to write publishable commercial fiction.

Granted, for most novice writers, learning to write better is a major part of becoming publishable.

But it takes a lot more than that.  Being able to string words together into smooth, clear, and concise sentences is necessary -- but it isn't sufficient.  At least as important -- possibly more important -- a commercial fiction writer has to be able to construct emotionally compelling stories.

Having read over ten thousand submissions to a pro-level SF/F publication does tend to give a slush reader some insight into what works and what doesn't, when it come to storytelling.  And the writers in our slush forum can benefit from the feedback by experienced slush readers.

For our part, we benefit from getting the first read of the stories from some very promising future-star writers.

As to raising the standard . . . no, I don't think so.

I have no illusions that we can make the writers we work with better than other pro-level writers.

What we can do -- and we have a pretty good track record here -- is help aspiring writers more quickly ascend the learning curve to reach the point where they can compete at the pro level. 

3. How does the quality of Universe Annex stories differ from the quality published by your competitors, thanks to this process of critique? Is there a definite indicator, such as an astounding number of awards?

The "Baen's Universe" slush forum has not produced any major award winners . . . yet.  But you have to keep in mind that the slush forum was originally set up to find and develop new writers for the "Introducing" section of Jim Baen's Universe (the section specifically set aside for new writers -- with "new writer" defined as being not yet eligible to join SFWA).

The Introducing stories were fairly well received, though.  For example, Lois Tilton often remarked in her short-fiction reviews that a story in the new-writer section was the best story in the entire issue.  And during its 4-year run, JBU was the highest-paying market in short-form SF/F—so we had a consistent flow of very good material from major writers.

A few of the writers who had stories published in the Introducing section of JBU had one or two previous pro-level sales.  But for most of the writers, their Introducing story was their first pro sale—and for many of those writers, it was their first sale at any level.

4. Would you say this type of critique system increases your acceptance rate compared to similar markets?

This is more complicated than you might think.

First, we don't get major name writers—those who might submit "over the transom" but wouldn't submit through a slush forum.

So if you compare our acceptance rate to other pro-level publications, with name writers taken out of the equation . . . our acceptance rate is probably higher.

Second, for administrative purposes, we treat every version of a single story as a separate submission.

If you count a story and all its revisions as one story, then the acceptance rate becomes substantially higher.

5. Technical support for this submission process must be intensive. What are some of the common technical mistakes writers make, and what are the solutions?

Yes, I suppose.

If by "technical," you mean computer or forum issues . . .

"Baen's Universe Slush" operates on Baen's Bar—the web forum of Baen Books.  So for any of the technical issues that require the web administrator, we just pass along to the people who run the Bar.

The most common mistake of this sort is that someone posts in the wrong forum area of the Bar.  There are three forum areas that have "slush" in the name—"1632 Slush," "Baen's Universe Slush," and "Slush Pile."  (The "Slush Pile"—despite its name—isn't a submission venue.  It's a pre-slush workshopping area, to help writers polish works for actually submission.  But because it's been a part of Baen's Bar since the 1980s, it hasn't been renamed, as a matter of tradition.)

If by "technical," you mean writing craft issues . . .

These issues are plentiful and unending—which is, perhaps, why a forum like ours is of value.

---

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Ideomancer magazine

THE MARKET

• Zine: Ideomancer Speculative Fiction
• Editor(s): Leah Bobet (interviewee), Marsha Sisolak, Jaime Lee Moyer, Claire Humphrey, Elizabeth Bear, John Bowker, Beth Langford, Erin Hoffman, Alena McNamara, Michael Colangelo, Alyssa Smith
• Pay Rate: 3 cents a word up to a maximum of $40.00 USD
• Response Time: 30 days maximum
• Reading Period: December-January, March-April, June-July, September-October
• Description: Ideomancer publishes speculative fiction and poetry that explores the edges of ideas; stories that subvert, refute and push the limits. We want unique pieces from authors willing to explore non-traditional narratives and take chances with tone, structure and execution, balance ideas and character, emotion and ruthlessness. We also have an eye for more traditional tales told with excellence. We are especially interested in non-traditional formats, hyperfiction, and work that explores the boundaries not just of its situation but of the internet-as-page.
• Submission Guidelines: www.ideomancer.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 why does their writing captivate you?
China Mieville, for the twists of his sentence-level craft and the layering of his worlds; Matt Ruff, for the sheer imagination and balls; Sean Stewart, for his incredibly flawed and human and three-dimensional characters; Connie Willis, for her wry sense of humour; Dashiell Hammett, for his incredible prose; A.S. Byatt, for her ability to examine every single angle of a thematic idea; Patricia McKillip, for her ability with subtext; Emma Bull, for the way she weaves whole worlds by implication; Caitlin Kiernan, for the ability to make ugly things beautiful, or at least fascinating; Sharon Shinn, because she’s sneaky; Peter Beagle because he inevitably makes me cry.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
We’re interested in any of the speculative genres: fantasy, science fiction, horror, fabulist fiction, slipstream, interstitial, anything punk—the works. That said, we’re usually more interested by work that’s aware of the tropes of its genre and has something to say about them, as well as work with a bit of a literary twist.  Think China Mieville, not J.R.R. Tolkien!

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
We’re happy to read stories and poetry set anywhere, so long as it’s done well! The quality of the setting work and the author’s skill in evoking it are more important to us than it being any specific setting.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
Whatever pacing works best for the story you’re trying to tell; we view things like pacing as a tool for telling stories, rather than an end in itself. Again, this is a question of something done well versus a preference for a particular kind of story.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Characters who are, above all, deeply human; who work by an emotional logic that makes the reader think yes, this is a real person instead of this is a character in a story.

6) Is there a specific tone you’d like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
Passionate. About whatever it is the characters have to say.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
We’ll consider anything so long as it’s actually in service to telling an interesting story.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
We tend to prefer stories in which the world just isn’t that simple.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
We prefer endings that are well-crafted and work best with the story the author’s trying to tell.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical dos or don’ts?
There is no magic button for selling a story to Ideomancer, and no kit to build an Ideomancer story. We’re a fairly eclectic magazine, and while there are some slight trends in what we choose to publish, the only strong and constant one is stories that do what they set out to do very, very well. The best way to get a feel for what we’d like, as stereotypical as it may sound, is to read a few issues and see how they strike you. That’s how you’ll know if the stories that grab us resemble the story that you have in your hand.

And if you’re in doubt? Just send it along. The worst thing we can say is “not this time.”

Good luck!

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Often Inspired Magazine

THE MARKET

• Zine: Often Inspired Magazine
• Editor(s): William V. Burns
• Pay Rate: Individual 2000-5000 word short stories from $25 to $100
• Response Time: One to two weeks after contest end or submission
• Reading Period: One week
• Description: Often Inspired is a magazine that celebrates the bond between writer and reader. We exist to encourage writers to improve their craft by showing examples, having fun, and constructively giving advice and counsel.
• Submission Guidelines: Editorial Guidelines | Contest Rules

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 why does their writing captivate you?
John Steinbeck, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Rex Stout— they have in common just enough description to get the job done, precise dialogue, good solid plots, and colorful characters that pull you right into a story.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
I enjoy: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction—unsurprisingly these are the submissions we accept.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
The mundane can be made fascinating by skillful writing, the exotic can be painted in your mind by a colorful author, real or fantastic, past present or future. If you bring me into the scene, that's what I love.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
Pacing should be fit to the genre—mysteries build a pattern of clues, and then have a faster pace towards the end; fantasy has a consistent pace where cycle leads to cycle of exposition; horror just starts and then builds, builds, builds until you shriek. But any story can be subtle and slow in its pace throughout if you have a compelling tale.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Earthy. Direct. Poignant. Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck. The characters in The Maltese Falcon by Hammett.

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
I want our magazine (and our forum) to be friendly and accessible to readers and member authors. Fun, creative, fascinating. People who are creative and love to share, but have that competitive fire. We run a contest/meet centered around National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org) and you see the fire in our writers come out in November.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
We like to keep to a standard of PG-13 for most of our work. Some curse words are inevitable in describing conflict, anger, or outright terror. We don't accept stories that overuse profanity and vulgarity. Please don't submit toilet humor or needlessly gruesome work. Think mature themes, but not obscenity.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
Our scope is wide. Think big. We avoid fanfic, slash, or writing heavily derivative of someone else's work (except when we run parody).

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
Both are good. Lift or fall, but take me somewhere.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical dos or don’ts?
Polish your work. Correct your spelling and grammar. Format your paragraphs so we don't confront a wall of text. Keep politics, religion, and topical subjects out. Make your work timeless. Don't disappoint the reader and we'll get along just fine.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Basement Stories Magazine

THE MARKET

• Zine: Basement Stories Magazine 
• Editor(s): Carol Kirkman and James Dent 
• Pay Rate: 1¢ / word (fiction and nonfiction), $10 flat (poetry) 
• Response Time: Hopefully less than 30 days. Query if longer.
• Reading Period: Reading period for Issue 2: July 1 – September 1 
• Description: A science fiction, fantasy, and horror 'zine about the extraordinary in the ordinary, the wonderful, and the fantastic. (More in guidelines.) 
• Submission Guidelines: basementstories.org

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 why does their writing captivate you?
I am in awe of short fiction writers like Ted Chiang and Tim Pratt who, in a very limited space, are able to create memorable characters and settings while still saying something significant. The short story “Impossible Dreams” by Tim Pratt made me look at movies in an entirely different way. But I also like stories that are just beautifully weird, like anything by Becca de la Rosa, and some of Neil Gaiman’s short stories – that kind of thing isn’t necessarily sustainable over a whole novel’s length work, but in short doses lyrical madness is amazing.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
I’m a fan of all the subgenres under the umbrella of Speculative Fiction – cyberpunk, urban fantasy, space operas, whatever. The only genre I really can’t stand is Sword and Sorcery, or at least, those stories and books that seem to be copy/pasted from Mr. Tolkein. I don’t know if I wasn’t exposed to Lord of the Rings young enough or if I’m just too impatient to keep all of the different clans in The Game of Thrones straight, but S&S just never rubbed me the right way. I think there are ways to do great big, sweeping, epic fantasy right – examples would be N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, or Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora.

I’d really like to see – and I’m not entirely clear if this is a genre or not – more time travel stories, because I love love love time travel, as well as more hard science fiction.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
I tend to not like any fiction in historical locales, if only because I'm an amateur history buff and my inner know-it-all starts searching for historical inaccuracies, which can really impede my enjoyment of the story. By all means, though, give it a shot if you think you’ve got your facts straight.

Beyond that, I’m game for pretty much any setting. I love both fantastical and ordinary locales, set in both the present and the future, though I’m always really interested to see what people are going to do when they set their stories in the future. A concrete setting can really make a story feel richer and more exciting.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
I like stories that start off with a bang, that demand my attention and never let go. Which is to say, I think, that I’m much more of a fan of fast paced stories.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Religion, appearance, creed, gender, orientation – none of it matters, as long as you make me care about them. I cannot emphasize that enough.

6) Is there a specific tone you'd like to set in your publication? What kind of voices grab you and keep you enthralled? Any examples?
What I really want to capture with Basement Stories is that sense of impossibility, of wonder and excitement and dread, that comes out of well told fantastic tales.  I want to believe six impossible things before breakfast.

This doesn’t mean I’m not looking for darker stories, that every story has to have a childlike sense of joy. But I want stories that bring out the extraordinary in the ordinary, that make people laugh or think or cry, that suck them away from their cubicle or desk or bedroom and make them live in another world, for a brief time.

7) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content? Any taboos?
The only taboo I have is racial slurs. It’s one of the few things that will make me just walk away from a story. Other than that, go for it, as long as the swearing or sex or explosions is in service of the story, and not purely to titillate or shock.

8) What kind of themes are you seeking most in submissions to this market? In general, what themes interest you?
I think speculative fiction has always been, since its inception, about The Big Questions. Why are we here? What does it mean to be human? What do technological changes occurring now mean for the future? Will we have a future? In particular, work that addresses our humanity, what makes us human as opposed to alien life forms or magical creatures or artificial intelligence. That being said, I’d look at anything with any theme, as long as it’s interesting.

9) Overall, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
I like endings that I will remember years and years later, though I do have a soft spot for downbeat endings. A good example: “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin. I read that story once when I was young and my brain was still squishy, and I remembered the ending perfectly, for years, long after I’d forgotten the title or author.

But more importantly, and this is something I feel a little silly saying, your story should have an ending. Just because the fiction you are writing is short, it should still have a definite conclusion, not just a sudden stopping point. A successful ending can make a good story magnificent, just as a lack of an ending can easily lead to rejection.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market? Any critical dos or don’ts?
Spend time on your titles – they’re the suit your stories wear to their job interview. A good title can make the story.

This might seem kind of obvious, but make something happen in your story – let the characters be changed by the events of your story, let it have impact. And let the story have an impact on your reader. Stories matter.

On a less serious note, we’re always looking for more visual art. I always, when I’m reading magazines, wish there was more of a visual aspect, so if you’ve got it, please send it.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.exit66.net.

To reprint this article, please contact D.L. Snell.

Aspen Mountain Press

THE MARKET

• Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press
  Aurora Regency/Aurora Historicals
• Editor(s): Celina Summers
• Pay Rate: 35% US download price; 40 % after 100 sales
• Response Time: 1 month
• Description: Aurora Regency and Aurora Historicals are imprints of Aspen Mountain Press, a multi-genre, royalty-paying, independent e-publisher. (More in guidelines.)
• Submission Guidelines: www.aspenmountainpress.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 why does their writing captivate you?
I enjoy all kinds of authors. I read many genres, so my tastes are eclectic--ranging from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer to JK Rowling and Jacqueline Carey. I find that all of these writers inherently tell a good story, the kind of story that leaves you waiting anxiously for the next installment of it. That's what I look for in submissions I consider.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which of these genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
Fortunately, Aspen Mountain Press publishes most fiction genres so I find that my needs as an editor are met. Right now, I'm busily getting Aurora Regency ready for launch, and we are focusing initially on Regency romances and fiction set between the Georgian and Victorian eras. I would like to see that expanded into Elizabethan/Tudor England and medieval Europe in the very near future, and I always have a soft spot for western romances and Greco-Roman mythology.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
At the moment, I'm focused upon settings that are historically and socially accurate. At Aurora, we are stringently fact checking everything in our novels from where specific shops are on streets to popular slang and dances. Accuracy is a must at Aurora. But at Aspen Mountain, I really adore stories in fantasy/sci fi/steampunk settings that are rich and fully developed. Nothing fascinates me more than outstanding world building.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
I think a great story has levels of pacing. It's like you're climbing a mountain. Sure, the majority of it is straight up but every once in a while you need a plateau, where you can sit down for a minute, catch your breath and reflect on what has already happened. To me, the same thing needs to happen in a good story.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
I want real characters--characters that could walk right by me in Walmart and be credible. A perfect character is boring. Give me a character who thinks he's perfect and then destroy everything he holds dear. How he reacts to adversity is what makes his story interesting.

6) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content?
Aspen Mountain Press publishes stories at any heat level. My epic fantasy series with no sexual content (but fairly graphic battle scenes) is published through AMP. We have specific guidelines listed on our submissions pages at www.aspenmountainpress.com.

Aurora Regency and Aurora Historicals are a bit different. Traditional Regency romances do not have sexual content at all in keeping with the historical accuracy we espouse. That's why spicier Regencies will be released through Aurora Historicals while traditional Regencies will be released through Aurora Regency.

7) In general, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
I prefer an ending that is in keeping with the story. Traditional Regencies--in fact, most romances--require a happily ever after ending and that's what we seek. In other genres, a happy ending is neither necessary nor required.

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

1. Not knowing the difference between pornographic and erotic.
2. Not providing a manuscript as clean and technically perfect as it can be. Seriously--spelling/grammatical errors will get your manuscript rejected faster than anything else.
3. Not being prepared for the eventuality that this manuscript will be edited thoroughly and correctly. If you think your manuscript is perfect, you will not enjoy the editing process. There is no such thing as a perfect manuscript.

9) What trait are you seeking most in submissions to this market?
We are seeking well-written, engaging stories that force a reader to care about what happens to the characters.

10) Any last advice for submitters to this market?
When you submit a manuscript to AMP or any other publisher, follow their submission guidelines EXACTLY. Make it easy for an acquisitions editor to go through your submission: format it correctly, write a proper query letter, take the time to put it in the preferred font and spacing and make certain it's as technically clean as you can make it.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.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.

Apex Magazine

THE MARKET

• Zine: Apex Magazine
• Editor(s): Catherynne M. Valente
• Pay rate: 5 ¢ / word
• Response Time: 4-6 weeks
• Description: We want science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mash-ups of all three—the dark, weird stuff down at the bottom of your little literary heart. (More in guidelines.)
• Submission Guidelines: www.apexbookcompany.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 why does their writing captivate you?
I love anyone who can captivate me with language and honesty--in that I'm not too different than any other editor, I suppose. Theodora Goss, Jeff Vandermeer, Kelly Link, Gemma Files, Christopher Barzak--all of these writers are doing great work right now. But I hate listing favorite writers. Even the best writer varies from story to story, book to book. All I really want is for a story or a novel to arrest me for one moment, make me forget everything else, and anchor me in the tale.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which of these genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
Obviously, I'm partial to fantasy, but my first love was horror. As a child I read countless horror novels and their sensibilities seriously informed my work and my reading habits. And I deeply want to see SF innovate and evolve and experiment as fantasy has in the last several years. I even like a good deal of realist work, though my heart will always be with the fantastic. I'd like to see any fantastic stories submitted to Apex--so long as they have a dark edge and a uniqueness to them. The key isn't genre, it's quality, it's what a story can do to the reader, not the category the reader can put a story in.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
I'm intrigued by all of those, to be honest. There's no such thing as ordinary in the hands of a capable writer. I want to see all of these locales cross my desk, because a genre cannot be healthy without including all of them.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
I enjoy interesting, non-standard structures that break up narrative and put it back together in new ways. But not every story can be like that--in general I enjoy a consistent pace. In short fiction there is a lot of focus on twist endings and building up toward an end, but that can lead to a rushed feeling, and I'd rather have a story that is good and absorbing all the way through than one that is only interesting on the last page.

5) What is your policy for vulgarity, violence, and sexual content?
Bring it on.

6) In general, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
I suppose I have a bit of a preference for downbeat endings, because upbeat endings are more difficult--to make them authentic and earned. So I see fewer quality optimistic endings. But if they are high quality I love them just as much. It's the artificial "twist" endings I really can't stand. They are usually telegraphed and uncreative. Endings can be the hardest part of a story, and as a writer I totally understand how complex it can be to stick the landing. Just don't rely on a twist to retroactively justify the whole tale and we'll be fine.

7) What are the top three things submitters to this market should avoid?
Cliché, unpleasant -isms of any kind, and derivativeness--which is another way of saying cliché. Just give me something from the hip and from the heart and from the gut, not the same old thing you've seen in a dozen other magazines.

8) What trait are you seeking most in submissions to this market?
Awesomeness. All that that word implies, both ridiculous and sublime.

9) Any last advice for submitters to this market?  
I'm a tough editor to get by--but not as tough as you think. I want to be thrilled by your story. I want to buy it. Think of me as an ally, not an obstacle to publication. I want you to be the best writer you can be and if I see that potential I will definitely take the chance. All you have to do is blow me away.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.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.

DISTANT REALMS

THE MARKET

• Antho: DISTANT REALMS
• Editor(s): Lance Schonberg
• Pay rate: $100
• Response Time: 1-2 weeks
• Deadline: 31 March 2010
• Description: Novella-length fantasy stories between 20 and 30,000 words
• Submission Guidelines: dwdr.wordpress.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?
The names that jump to my lips are probably familiar to a lot of genre readers: Guy Gavriel Kay, Terry Pratchett, Lois McMaster Bujold, C.J. Cherryh, Robert J. Sawyer. The things they have in common are their abilities to create interesting or unusual characters and drag them through stories that force growth and change while still being entertaining.

But in the last couple of years I’ve discovered a lot of smaller press authors as well, telling stories just as fun and compelling. The internet is making it a lot easier to find new and interesting people to read and listen to. Philippa Ballantine, Greg van Eekhout, Scott Sigler, Rhiannon Frater, Nathan Lowell.

And we’re in the early days of a Golden Age for short fiction. Picking out a fraction of the short stories I’ve enjoyed recently would take a lot of time and space. There’s more good short fiction being run today than I could ever hope to get to.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which of these genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
Fantasy and Science Fiction. I do some horror and humour as well, both reading and writing, but “Distant Realms” is a Fantasy anthology so that’s really what I’m looking for here. My definition of Fantasy is fairly broad, so when in doubt, send it.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
Whatever serves the story. I know that’s kind of a vague answer, but I don’t want to say I’m bored with such and such a setting or locale just in case someone has the best story ever written and then doesn’t send it to me because that’s where it’s set. I try never to let my own preconceptions get in the way of enjoying a good story.

4) Explain the type of pacing you enjoy, e.g. slow building to fast, fast throughout, etc.
Pacing depends on both the length and nature of the story, but again the answer is going to be whatever works best. Fair warning, though: by the time you get to novella lengths, careening from scene to scene is hard to maintain. Sometimes you have to slow down for a bit and let me almost catch my breath before pushing me over the next cliff.

5) What types of characters appeal to you the most? Any examples?
Complicated, realistic characters. Two dimensional cut-outs get old fast, and if I can’t care about any of the characters, I have a hard time caring about the story. I don’t expect to know the main POV character’s life history, but I do need to know more about them than a basic physical description. They need to have hopes and dreams and fears, just like those of us in the real world.

6) What is your policy for vulgarity and sexual content? (Question by Ralph Robert Moore)
Does it serve the story?

Too much swearing can rob the words of power and effect, but there are people who talk like that, so it can be legitimate to have a character who does, too. But if everyone in the story swears constantly, it gets tiring.

Do your main characters sleep with whoever’s handy every chance they get? Chances are, some of that activity is gratuitous. Like anything else in the story, sex needs to do something to advance some part of it, character, scene, or plot. If it doesn’t, then why is it there?

7) Horror and violence can be blatant or suggestive. Which one do you prefer and why?
Suggestive. Or maybe blatant. Or both. It’s going to depend a lot on the situation. Don’t show me what the monster’s doing until you’re ready to have it wreck the city/eat the main characters/whatever, but feel free to show me the gory results of its work. On the other side of things, it’s hard to write a battlefield sequence without a little blood and guts and maybe the odd flying limb or head. Every story is different and every scene is different. I think things tend to work out best if you only show the reader what they really need to see.

8) In fiction and in life, what do you find most horrific?
Violence against children. This may stem from being a parent, but I can’t think of anything that turns me off faster. Hearing about a child murder or an Amber Alert on the news makes me want to find my kids and make sure they’re okay. As a reader, I’m less interested in being disturbed than being entertained or made to think. As an editor, doing nasty things to children “on screen” isn’t going to endear the story to me. I’ve stopped watching TV shows and put down otherwise good books for this. It needs to be crucial to the story or a character’s motivation, and even then I find it tough to stomach.

9) In general, do you prefer downbeat or upbeat endings?
Satisfying. Whether the possible future for whoever survived is good or bad doesn’t matter so much as an ending that flows logically from the rest of the story. If boy gets girl/boy/amorphous alien life form, that’s fine, as long as it fits the story, but don’t pull a happy ending out of your butt. Turning that around, if everyone’s dead on the last page, that needs to fit, too. When I’m finished reading, I want to think, “Yeah, that works.”

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

1. Passive voice drives me nuts. I get tired of reading about how Bob was standing, was watching, was twiddling his thumbs very quickly. Bob stood, he watched, he twiddled his thumbs. Things happen, even if they aren’t very exciting things. I don’t have anything against the verb To Be, but if it’s your main verb with a lot of –ings scattered around, it might be time to let your writing become a little more active.
   
   
2. Over-writing. Make every word count, whatever your story length. “The plane went down, trailing smoke behind it.” Where else would the smoke be? In the same vein, a lot of dialogue tags are unnecessary. If you’ve just told me Sabrina stared at Michael while she spoke, tacking “she said” on the end is a waste of keystrokes.
   
   
3. Too many POV characters. Telling the story through too many sets of eyes dilutes things and makes it hard for your reader to get attached to any one character--and I want to get attached to the characters. It makes the story much more enjoyable.

11) What commonalities are among the stories you've rejected? Is there a particular aspect authors seem to get wrong? (Question by Martel)
Sometimes it’s the little things that just add up to the point where they’re overriding an otherwise good story, things that some extra proofreading would fix: typos, spelling and grammatical errors, misused homonyms. Never, ever trust your spell checker. It lies.

Sometimes it’s bigger things, like all the characters having the same voice, magical (and unjustified) leaps in understanding or ability to get the protagonist out of a tight corner, or the protagonist doing something completely contrary to their presented character to force the story in a certain direction. Reality doesn’t have to, but fiction needs to make sense.

12) If you reject a story, how open are you to a revised version, or do you only want revisions upon request? (Question by Martel)
Generally, if I want a rewrite I’ll request it, but that’s normally going to be part of the publication process. By the time I ask for something to be changed, it will be because I’ve decided I want to include it in the anthology but feel it needs to be tweaked in some way.

I suppose it never hurts to ask, but if I’ve said something like, “I wish you the best of luck finding a home for the story elsewhere,” you can probably figure out what the answer will be.

13) Describe a story you’ve recently accepted or short-listed. What made it stand out from the slush pile?
I recently shortlisted a story I’d consider labelling a Secret History, something that fictionalizes real events and speculates a little deeper, but in a way that doesn’t interfere how history actually played out. It took a moment in time I wasn’t familiar with and breathed life into what might otherwise have been dry, dusty characters. And it was fun.

14) What trait are you seeking most in submissions to this market?
Entertain me. Give me at least one character I can care about and a plot that always has me wanting to know what comes next. Weak or boring characters make it hard to get attached to anyone, and it doesn’t matter how interesting the characters are if nothing happens to them and they don’t do anything.

15) Any last advice for submitters to this market?
Don’t try to do too much. A 20-30,000 word novella gives you a lot of space to play with, but if you find yourself compressing events to squeeze the story into the length guidelines, maybe it’s time to reconsider how long it needs to be. For “Distant Worlds”, I rejected several stories because they really needed to be novel-length. I haven’t read one of those yet for “Distant Realms”, but it won’t surprise me when I do.

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

D.L. Snell writes with Permuted Press. He edited Dr. Kim Paffenroth twice, John Dies at the End once, and provided a constructive critique to Joe McKinney on his next major novel after Dead City. You can shoot D.L. Snell in the head at www.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.