Writing 2017

I spotted this multi-sub op over in the Paying Markets forum at AbsoluteWrite.com:

"We are a horror fiction magazine open to submissions! This will be for our April Issue, both in Print and on Kindle. It is our second issue. Our Featured Author for this issue is Jack Ketchum. We'll be open for about a month!

Pay for Short Stories is $50 plus a print copy. As an added bonus, we do not maintain copyrights over your work. As soon as we publish, the rights return to you.

We also accept:
Poetry
Flash Fiction
Creative Non-Fiction

And, if you'd like to review, there may be a spot open for that as well.

Visit us to find out more! We have a bunch of shenanigans going on!

www.deadlightsmagazine.com"

Instantly reverting rights and shenanigans are always good things in my POV, so you horror writers should check it out.

We're already past the middle of January, which leaves eleven months and eleven days to write in 2017. My count for the month is already 55K, so I feel like I've started as I mean to go on, and I need to. I'm currently working out with the clients what I will write for the next eight months, and beyond that I've been reserved to write until December, so there's even more to do before 2017 wraps.

Working out a writing schedule for an entire year can seem daunting, especially for the organically minded, but it's really just a matter of deciding what you want to do and how much time you want to devote to it. Most pros eventually figure out what they can comfortably/reliably produce, and (unless they're superstars who can do whatever they like and still make millions) map their time out accordingly so they know what and how much to pitch in advance.

Here are some tips to help you plan your 2017 writing year:

Calculate your daily count: Write at a pace that's good for you for a week or a month, and keep track of your total wordcount. Divide the total by the number of days it took you to write that, and you'll learn your daily count, or how much you can write in a day. This should allow you to calculate how long it will take you to finish any project.

Get a writing calendar or planner: 2017 Calendars are super cheap right now, and devoting one strictly to your writing schedule will keep all your plans and quotas in one place. You can also use a digital version on your computer or your phone.

Factor in time off: Unless you live by yourself, write seven days a week, and never leave the house, there will be days when you can't/won't write, so it's a good idea to know when your holidays, family events, vacations, etc. land on your year. Mark these on your writing calendar first so you can see them while you're scheduling your writing time.

Allow recharging space: Try to take a little time off from writing every month to allow the well to refill, recharge your creative batteries, etc. This month I'm taking only be a couple of days, but next month I've reserved a weekend for fun and two days to attend the county quilt show.

Have a reward system for making your goals: I get paid by the clients when I finish their projects, but that's my income. I've found that having a little reward to look forward to helps keep me motivated, so I make a point to give myself one every time I do make those goals. Rewards don't have to be big or expensive things, but they should be something you really like. For example, last week I took my daughter out for lunch at a neat Japanese restaurant we both like, and this pic is the bento box lunch I had, which was a delicious reward.

Are you going to schedule your writing year? Got any tips to share? Let us know in comments.

Sub Ops

Third Flatiron Publishing has open calls for several upcoming anthos: "We are looking for submissions to our quarterly themed online anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We want tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer."

On payment: "Your story must be original work, with the digital rights unencumbered. Accepted stories will be paid at the flat rate of 3 cents per word (U.S.), in return for the first publication rights to the story for six months after publication. All other rights will remain with the author. We no longer offer royalties. If your story is selected as the lead story, beginning July 1, 2014, we will pay a flat rate of 6 cents per word (SFWA professional rate), in return for the permission to podcast or give the story away as a free sample portion of the anthology. We also pay SFWA members 6 cents per word. You do not need to be a SFWA member to submit work."

No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Themes and submission periods for their upcoming anthos:

"Only Disconnect - Presentism as a theme: the pitfalls of distraction, overstimulation, attention thieves. Too much to do, too little time, headlong into the singularity. Advantages of being bored or being "in the present." Connecting with the Earth rather than Bluetooth (gardeners, here's your chance). Are we becoming ADD? Should we disconnect--or connect even further?" Deadline March 31st, 2015.

"Ain't Superstitious - Theme involving superstition, e.g., luck, prophecy, magic, rational and irrational thinking, Spinoza, dark times, black cats, Orpheus, the Flying Dutchman, Sleepy Hollow, Tam O'Shanter, astrology, witchcraft, etc." Submissions open May 1st, 2015; Deadline June 30th, 2015.

"It's Come to Our Attention or Scratching the Surface - Under the radar: things that are happening quietly, without a lot of fanfare, that may still be extremely significant or make a big difference." Submissions open August 1st, 2015; Deadline September 30th, 2015.

2 Sub Ops

I spotted this double op over in the Paying Markets forum at AbsoluteWrite.com:

"We love anthologies. Can’t get enough of them. So what are we doing about it? Well, Broken Eye Books is preparing to unleash two new anthologies, following up on this past year’s By Faerie Light.

It is our pleasure to announce the new anthologies Ghost in the Cogs and Tomorrow’s Cthulhu. The first is alternate history steampunk ghost stories and the second is transhumanist near-future science fiction tales of the Cthulhu Mythos.

If you would like to submit a story for one of them, we are having an open reading period for original fiction submissions from March 1, 2015 to April 1, 2015.

We are paying six (6) cents per word for up to 4,000 words. Publication requires first rights for the print and digital versions of the anthology. No reprints. You may submit one submission per anthology. Please, no simultaneous submissions."

Get more details on the anthos from Broken Eye Books here.

2 Sub Ops

Ghostwoods Books has two open calls here for some upcoming anthos:

Antho #1: Cthulhu Lies Dreaming

Looking for: "Lovecraft-styled cosmic horror with a modern sensibility, by which we mean without the lengthy passages of exposition and racial biases that were common in Lovecraft's day. This anthology has the working title of Cthulhu Lies Dreaming. The overarching theme will have to do with the way in which Cthulhu's dreams interact with the real world, either in the past or in the modern day. What horrors would Cthulhu dream of? If the substance of Cthulhu's dreams were made manifest in the world, what might happen? Stories do not have to mention Cthulhu or his dreams. To get an idea of what kinds of stories we might be looking for, a quick read of the back cover text of Cthulhu Lives! could be useful. Creativity will be rewarded as long as the story fits the general theme. Stories should be enjoyable for both those who have read Lovecraft's own work in depth, as well as those who haven't. As in Cthulhu Lives!, our goal is to reflect upon how deeply Lovecraft's themes remain embedded in the human psyche." Length: 3-8K; Payment: "Pays a small advance + an author share per story of 50% of the proceeds from the book." See guidelines for more details. Deadline: "When we get enough good stories. (We're shooting for May, but we'll put something firmer up when we're close to having enough.)"

Antho#2: Haunted Futures

Looking for: "The most suitable genres will be variations or combinations of sci fi, fantasy, thriller or mystery. We are not trying to scare the audience as with traditional horror. Haunted here is used more in the Romantic sense. Stories must be both excellent and suitable for an audience that enjoys the work of the notable authors who are to be included in the book. Outside of these primary concerns, we would also like to see more submissions from women and people underrepresented in traditional genre publishing." Length: 2.5-5K; Payment: "Advance plus royalties. Exact amount depends on the number of stories we accept." No reprints, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: "Early Summer 2015. When we get enough acceptable stories (we'll post a firm deadline as we get close)"

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Bundoran Press has an open call for their upcoming Second Contacts anthology: "Science Fiction is our conversation with the future. But what if we're talking with alien voices? Second Contacts seeks stories which explore what happens fifty years after first contact, for us, for them, for our shared future. The possibilities are endless — conquest, collaboration, assimilation, or, even abandonment. On Earth, in space, or on alien planets, what will happen to individuals and societies after two generations or more of staring into alien eyes?" Length: "Our preferred length is 3500 to 6500 words. We will accept stories of any length to 10,000 words." Payment: "$0.02 a word to a maximum payment of $130.00 (all figures Canadian dollars)" Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Submission period: September 15th, 2014 to January 15th, 2015.

ChiZine Publications is now open for submissions: "We will be accepting submissions for CZP, and for our imprints ChiTeen (YA/new adult), ChiGraphic (graphic novels), and ChiDunnit (mysteries/thrillers). We're still looking for dark, literary, genre fiction that tests boundaries." Length: up to 100K; Payment: according to Ralan, "advance & royalty (varies)" No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: August 31, 2014.

Golden Fleece Press is now open for submissions: "At the present time we are mostly seeking short submissions for Wee Tales and Refractions, and these must be age appropriate for the journal. If you have something more geared toward an adult market please still submit to be in early consideration for a future project. General and Refractions short submissions should be between 1000 and 5000 words, Wee Tales submissions should be between 600 and 2000 words. We are always seeking new novel, novella, non-fiction, or serial projects." According to Ralan they pay $50.00 for the short fic; query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

The Novel Fox is seeking "talented authors who desire a publisher that takes an active role in all aspects of the book selling process, including helping the author refine the story, producing a polished and professional finished book, and aggressively marketing the book post-publication. If you are an author interested in partnering with The Novel Fox, please closely review the below information and instructions on submitting your manuscript." What they're looking for: "action/adventure, fantasy, military/espionage, science fiction, thrillers/suspense, and young adult." Length: "The preferred word count for novels is generally in the range of 70-110 thousand words, or 50-75 thousand words for young adult." Payment: "For novels, The Novel Fox pays advances starting at $1,000, with 10% of the advance payable upon execution of the publishing contract. Advances for shorter fiction are determined on a case by case basis. Generally, royalties are 30% of The Novel Fox’s gross receipts for digital book sales and 20% of gross receipts for physical book sales." [PBW notes on rights: "The Novel Fox requires exclusive universal and derivative rights for the life of the copyright with every publishing contract, subject to certain reversion rights."] Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Panverse Publishing has an open call for their upcoming Panverse Four anthology: "Pro-level novellas of between 17,500 and 40,000 words (wordcount is firm). Stories should be Science Fiction (any flavor), Alternate History, or Fantasy with a discernible science-fictional foundation (aka Science Fantasy--think Zelazny's Lord of Light). We'll also look at Magic Realism and Fabulism. The story should be original and unpublished in any medium, including web publication. Depth of characterization will count for a lot--however clever the idea, if we don't care for the protagonist, we'll bounce it. We like stories that instill wonder. Subject matter is pretty wide open. If we care, can't put the story down, and find no big holes in the plot or worldbuilding, you've got a good shot. Panverse is especially open to new writers." Payment: 50% of net royalties. Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: Sept 30, 2014 or when filled.

Pithy Pages for Erudite Readers would like to see "...stories that will make you think, cry, ponder, laugh, renew your subscription and recommend Pithy Pages for Erudite Readers to friends, acquaintances, and the stranger on the bus." Length: "Short Stories must be fiction of 3000-5000 words (will accept but not pay for words up to 6500);
Flash Stories must be fiction of 400-1000 words (may accept a few more if relevant to story but will only pay for up to 1000 words)" Payment: "Short Stories - .05 per word (maximum of $250.00); Flash Stories - $0.05 per word (maximum of $50.00)" No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Pop Seagull Publishing has an open call for their upcoming Love, Time, Space, Magic anthology, and would like to see: "truly romantic stories with a science fiction or fantasy flair, especially where love is a potent force in the lives of the characters. Love can be as long-standing and life-changing a force as time, space, or even magic… so send us your biggest, boldest love stories!" Length: .5-10K, Payment: "For short fiction we are currently paying 1 cent per word, plus three free copies of the book and a discounted rate on future purchases." Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: December 20, 2014.

Pop Seagull Publishing has another open call for their upcoming Robotica anthology, and would like to see: "SF or Steampunk Short Stories between 500 and 10,000 words" and "Wow us with your take on the intersection between eroticism and robots or other artificial life forms! This could take the form of a look at robotic self-replication, humans in love with robots, robot courtship, or anything your imagination can come up with! Just take ‘Robotica’ and run with it. We’re not necessarily looking for pure erotica, but more solid science fiction that examines the intersection of sexuality and robots in a unique way. Having said that, have fun with it! If a sexy, sexy scene suits the story, go for it." Same payment as previous antho, query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: March 2015.

Shock Totem e-zine will be opening for submissions on August 1st, and would like to see "Fiction: We consider original, unpublished stories within the confines of dark fantasy and horror—mystery, suspense, supernatural, morbid humor, fantasy, etc. Up to 12,000 words (firm). Flash and Microfiction: We are interested in tightly woven flash fiction, 1,000 words or less, and microfiction, 200 words or less." Payment: Pay: 5¢/word (max $250) +copy. Reprints okay (pays 2¢/word for these), electronic submission via offsite form only, see guidelines for more details. Reading period closes November 30th, 2014.

Here's an open call from Christina Escamilla Publishing for their upcoming SF anthology: "When it comes to the future, the possibility is seemingly endless. This is the focal point of the “Welcome to the Future” anthology. Your future may be filled with new and innovative technology like flying cars or hoverboards or it could be a place where technology has become the dominate species. Perhaps your focus is instead on a positive and uplifting utopian or a dark and bleak dystopian. Whatever your vision is – I want to hear about it!" Length: 2-8K; Payment: $100 + 2 copies. No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Submission period: runs from July 30th until September 15th, 2014.

All of the above ops were found among the marvelous market listings at Ralan.com.

Sub Op Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Apex Magazine wants to see dark spec fic that is "sheer, unvarnished awesomeness. We want the stories it scared you to write. We want stories full of marrow and passion, stories that are twisted, strange, and beautiful. 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. This magazine is not a publication credit, it is a place to put your secret places and dreams on display. Just so long as they have a dark speculative fiction element—we aren’t here for the quotidian. Keep in mind that the search for awesome stories is as difficult as writing them. If you are rejected, don’t get angry—instead, become more awesome. Write something better, and better, until we have to accept you, because we have been laid low by your tale. It really is that simple" Length: up to 7.5K (firm); Payment: $.06 per word; no unsolicited reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Cohesion Press has an open call for their upcoming horror antho: "Blurring the Line (working title) is seeking to blur the line between what is fiction and what is non-fiction. We want horror stories, tales that are serious and frightening, hard-hitting and imaginative. We want monsters; vampires and zombies and werewolves and the mummy and creatures from the Black Lagoon and giant killer plants and mutated ants and demons and devils and Mothmen and everything else you can think of or that hasn’t been thought of yet. But we also want your serial killers and demented and depraved humanity. We want it all. Push your imagination and take us into the far reaches of your darkness, without letting go of reality. Make us believe. BUT, we want to be scared, made to feel uneasy and uncomfortable. We do not want to be shocked for no reason; if you’re going to eviscerate someone, there needs to be a good reason for doing so. We want style over shock value. We do not want supernatural romance, or weird fiction. We’re not looking for tales about a monster hunter or a covert monster hunting team (we love these stories but they’re not what we’re looking for here)" Length: up to 5K; Payment: 8¢/word; no reprints, electronic submission preferred, see guidelines for more details. Submission period opens August 1st, 2014; Deadline: October 31st, 2014.

FictionMagazines.com has a whole page of mag sub ops here, including one for romance: "Reflect on Traditions; Challenge Convetions
Love, lust or heartache, we want it all! We aim to capture the diversity of romantic experience, be it modern or dated, unconventional or relatable, or something entirely new. Tell us a story; how do we connect, how do we feel love? Fiction, poetry and book reviews accepted. Pieces will be chosen by the editor with consideration of reader responses and voting processes." [PBW notes: I'd check into that mention of voting process and get more details before submitting.] Length: up to 10K; Payment: lifetime royalty of 50%, no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Ghostwoods Books is looking for dark fiction novel submissions: "Ghostwoods Books, a small fair-trade press located in London, UK, would like to see new and interesting dark fiction novels or cleverly connected short-story collections. Dark fantasy, gothic fiction, dark historical, creepy (but not mindless) horror. No slasher novels, no zombies, probably no YA. Let it be sinister and clever or enchanting yet creepy. We'll know it when we see it. Examples of books we would have taken for this call: Frankenstein, Dracula, An Interview with the Vampire, The Night Circus, The Throne of Bones. Note that historical novels must be somewhat updated in writing style to accommodate the tastes of modern readers. (No lengthy, needless exposition or purple prose.)" Pays 50% royalties; see guidelines for more details.

Ghostwoods Books is also looking for romance novel submissions: "Ghostwoods Books is planning a new romance imprint. We'd like to start with a slate of books. Books must be complete and in a finished state, meaning that the book has been revised and errors removed to the best of the writer's ability before submission. If possible, writers should enlist the aid of beta readers or an editor. Think of this like submitting to a literary agent. Impress us. Length will be between 60,000 and 90,000. We're looking for well-written books that evoke true romance. Other aspects of the work may vary. The key to a good romance is romantic tension." Pays 50% royalties; see guidelines for more details.

Simian Publishing has an open call for their upcoming Apotheosis antho: "Stories of human survival and defiance in a world subjugated by the return of the Elder Gods. Humanity struggled to grow and evolve as a species for thousands of years forever caught in the shadow of a dread threat known only to a devoted few. When the stars are right, the Old Ones will return to claim utter dominion of the world. Lovecraft Mythos stories often climax at the moment of the fateful return of the Elder Gods and the audience is left to ponder what might happen next. This anthology features stories about humanity under the reign of the Elder Gods and ancient terrors. We’re looking for stories inspired by the stories of H.P. Lovecraft and associated writers such as August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smit , Robert E. Howard , Robert Bloch , Henry Kuttner, and Frank Belknap Long. We’re also interested in writers that inspired Lovecraft such as Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood and Lord Dunsany. We’re interested in classic mythos gods and monsters and originals that have inspired by the mythos" Length: 2-7K; Payment: "3 cents per word (or 1 cent per word for reprints)" Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Submissions open November 1st, 2014. Deadline: December 31st, 2014.

Sekhmet Press has an open call for their upcoming third Wrapped antho, which appears to be witches and occult-themed, but the only mention of what they want to see on the guidelines page is this: "We are not looking for stories reflecting religious dogma." Length: 2.5-5K; Payment: $0.01 per word + contributor copy; no reprints, electronic submissions only. Submissions period open May 18th, 2014; Deadline: June 8th, 2014.

Storm Moon Press has several open calls for upcoming unusually-themed anthos, and among them is one for bisexual steampunk: "Advanced technology is essential in good cyberpunk, but what really sets it apart is the way it showcases that technological achievement while also exposing the seedy underbelly of society. Has technology polarized society, created an underground counter-culture? There is infinite potential for adventure, especially when you have a bisexual hero/heroine in the cyberpunk setting. Are they jacked into virtual reality to express themselves, or do they have some other way of blazing a trail through high society or the downtrodden? For our Surfing the Aether anthology, we want to see what makes your bisexual characters stand out from the world they inhabit. Cyberpunk protagonists are often misfits and anti-heroes, so we'd love to see where your characters fit in the hierarchy. How do they use the technology at their fingertips rather than letting the technology use them? Have the advanced tools changed the sexual climate, and if so, how does it impact your hero/heroine's identity and expression as a bisexual? We want to discover the darker consequences of the time's industrial successes through your characters' eyes" Length: 10-20K; Payment: .0075 per word [PBW notes: this is flat free; no royalties offered]; no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Whippleshield Books has an open call for their upcoming Venus-themed antho: "To put it bluntly, if you think your story is a good match for a science fiction magazine, it may not be for me. I’m looking for stories that are realistic, but that doesn’t mean they have to be science/space fiction. However, the planet Venus has to feature in there somewhere. Your story could be about the first attempt to land on Venus, or life in a habitat on the surface. It might describe a present-day group of engineers and scientists controlling a probe on the surface of Venus; or perhaps a journalist discovering evidence of a past secret mission to the planet. There are plenty of tales that can be told about Venus. Surprise me. I’m big on realism, so I’ll be looking for that. And good literary prose too." Length: up to 6K; Payment: 0.03£/word (>5¢/word); no reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 31st, 2014.

World Weaver Press has three upcoming antho open calls for 2014 that have not yet opened, but include themes of dragons, corvids and scarecrows -- stay tuned to their guidelines page for more details and opening dates.

Biblical Sub Op Trio

Garden Gnome Publications has an open call for their Biblical anthology series: "The Biblical Legends speculative fiction anthology series was born to give writers a chance to use their imaginations interactively with Old Testament and New Testament texts to create a new type of fiction within a growing genre. This is a marriage between the ancient and the new."

What they want to see: "Each anthology will feature flash fiction, short stories, essays, and poetry. Specific guidelines are: Flash Fiction – 300-1,500 words. We want stories that address the specific theme of the anthology and that fall within the word count. From the weird to the orthodox, stories that stretch readers’ imaginations about the possibilities are encouraged; Short Stories – 1,501-10,000 words. Stories that address the theme or explore possibilities within the broadest possible interpretation of the Biblical passage; Narrative Poems – 50-500 lines. We’re looking for narrative poems, or poems with narrative structures. Lyrical brandishings are encouraged. Feel free to mix and match formal elements with the avant-garde. As Ezra Pound said, “Make it new.” But please address the theme; Essays/Nonfiction – 1,000-2,500 words. From personal essays to journalistic pieces, from creative nonfiction to creative histories, and from scientific explorations to biographical exposes, we want spectacular essays that challenge conventional thinking about the Biblical themes we are addressing." Payment: "For flash fiction, the pay is $3 per story; for short stories, pay is $7 per story; for essays, pay is $11; for poems, pay is $13 per poem. In addition, each contributor will receive a digital copy of the anthology in which they appear. All payments will be made by PayPal."

Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadlines: "Sodom and Gomorrah – Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction set in these two pre-historic legendary cities. Deadline: Midnight EST, March 23, 2014; Deluge – The flood came and only one family was saved. How does everyone else cope/react? Deadline: Midnight EST, June 23, 2014; Land of Nod – Cain killed his brother and was banished to the Land of Nod. What did he find when he got there? From its origin until the flood or any time in between, tell us what happened. Deadline: Midnight EST, September 23, 2014."

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Belfire Press will be open to novel submissions from 2/01/14 to 5/30/14, and is looking for "mystery, adventure, fantasy, romance, historical, horror, thriller, science fiction, paranormal, urban and YA. We are particularly interested in cross-genre works. We publish almost every genre, with few exceptions. Over the years we’ve published mainly horror, and are looking to move into other areas. Horror submitted to us at this point will need to be something that really grabs us to receive a full request. All that being said, we are most interested in cross-genre fiction; urban-paranormal-fantasy-romance-YA-thriller-scifi-apocalyptic (sans zombie) sounds about right. If you’ve got a mix of any (or all) we’d take a look." Length: up to 90K; Payment according to Ralan.com: "no advance; print=25%; e-book=50% (½ if Dual Novella)" Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Circlet Press is looking for erotic microfiction submissions: ". . . 250-1000 word short-shorts of erotic sf/f and related genres (no horror, though) that make an enticing fictive snack. Microfictions should be sex-positive. literary quality, and although they may be explicit should be tastefully written. Stories without that sf/f/speculative element will not be considered." Payment: "Microfictions pay $5 via Paypal (you must have a Paypal account), or a free ebook from our extensive digital library." See guidelines for more details.

The Dark Magazine is open to fiction submissions for its bimonthly e-zine, and is looking for: "Mainstream fiction with elements of the fantastic mixed in; Dark fantasy / science fiction; Magic realism (“a literary genre or style that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction—called also magical realism”) —Merriam-Webster, www.m-w.com; Surrealism: (“the principles, ideals, or practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art, literature, film, or theater by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations”) —Merriam-Webster,www.m-w.com. Don’t be afraid to experiment or to deviate from the ordinary; be stylistic—try us with fiction that falls out of “regular” categories. However, it is also important to understand that despite the name, The Dark is not a market for graphic, violent horror. The “horror” should be subtle and fall in with one or more of the themes above. It is also not a market for ordinary science fiction or fantasy." Length: "1,000 – 5,000 words (query for longer)" Payment: "We pay 3 cents/word for original fiction up to 5,000 words on publication for FNASR. Query for longer." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Fantasy Scroll Magazine has opened its virtual doors: "Fantasy Scroll Mag is a quarterly publication featuring science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal short-fiction. We are a brand new publication and our mission is to publish high-quality, entertaining, and thought-provoking speculative fiction." Length: up to 5K; Payment: 1¢/word; reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Inscription Magazine publishes science fiction and fantasy for teens, and is looking for ". . . stories with strong writing and memorable characters. There must be a clear genre element, science fiction or fantasy, so no non-genre fiction, please. But while genre is key, we consider characters and story to be even more important. Humor is welcome, but the point of your story shouldn’t just be a punch line at the end. While we hope readers of all ages will enjoy this magazine, we do primarily publish fiction for teens. It is always difficult to draw a definite line around what makes a story young adult, but here are some rough guidelines if you’re deciding whether your story is a good fit for our magazine – you can also read some of the fiction already posted on our site." Length: "We accept stories between 500 and 9,000 words in length." Payment: 5 cents/word. Reprints okay, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Resurrection House has an open call for their upcoming XIII antho, and is looking for: ". . . science fiction, fantasy, horror, and creative non-fiction for a loosely themed anthology to be released in the winter of 2015. “Thirteen” is the first month of a new yearly cycle, wherein the old skins have been shed and the newborns are still learning to walk. “One” and “Three” make “Four,” which is the number of completion, of coming home, and of realizing the form that has been in process for some time. Nothing is true; everything is possible. And the more things change, the more they stay the same. The thirteenth Tarot card is Death, and he is the symbol of transformation and rebirth. This is the genesis and root of XIII." Length: "Stories should be between 1,000 and 7,000 words" Payment: 5 cents/word. Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: March 13th, 2014.

The Act Itself erotica e-zine is calling for submissions, and is looking for: ". . . fun, sexy stories and quality erotica artwork. We'll not consider anything which includes underage characters or stupidly dangerous acts. We will consider some fetish-oriented themes, but keep them light. This publication is to bring everyone together, and for everyone to have a good time. What do we like to read in our spare time? Some like Penthouse Letters, others like Literotica.com, others enjoy the Marketplace books, or anything from Blue Moon. That should give you some idea as to what we're looking for." [PBW notes they also want authors to be 21 or older.] Length: up to 8k; Payment: 3 cents per word; no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Villainous Press has an open call for their upcoming Steampunk: The Worlds Beyond antho, and requires the following story elements: "Protagonist is either a (strong, empowered) female OR an under-represented race (Black, Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, Asian, Native, etc.); The setting must be anywhere EXCEPT on Earth. Please worldbuild so we can “see” your setting; You may mix in dark, horror, mystery, romantic, fantasy, or science fiction elements, as long as it doesn’t overpower the theme of steampunk; This is a Steampunk anthology, so there must be Steampunk elements. A bit of electricity or dieselpunk is acceptable, but the majority must be steam-oriented; A solid plot involving a conflict of some sort. Make your “villain” believable and a good match for your hero." Length: "Stories must be between 2,500 words and 8,000 words, strict." Payment: "From 2,500 to 6,000 words: $15US plus a copy of the print edition. For countries other than the United States, $15US plus a copy of the digital edition; From 6,000 to 8,000 words, $25US plus a copy of the print edition. For countries other than the United States, $25US plus a copy of the digital edition." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: February 28th, 2014

There's an open call here for a dark ritual antho: "Rituals have always been a powerful part of human life, from the ancient Aztec nation’s human sacrifice to the supposed transubstantiation of the Communion elements during Catholic Mass. They impart a sense of history, comfort, community, common ground—but also power, mystery and horror. Since this isn’t Clam Chowder for the Coddled Child, I’m interested in the latter attributes. I want to see dark ritual in all the various forms you can imagine—from the ancient and ceremonial to the simple and home-grown. The rituals in your stories can be grounded in painstaking research or your own twisted creations. They can have real power or simply exist in the minds of your characters. They can produce the desired effect or something else entirely. Stories predicated upon the standard voodoo doll or zombie need to be particularly mind-blowing, as such topics are expected given the theme—the same goes for Cthulhu Mythos. If you’ve read CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY? you’ll know that I’m especially interested in the kind of stories that play with people’s preconceived notions and turn tropes on their ears. I’m anticipating a modern setting for most pieces, though I’m open to historical stories told with today’s sensibilities. Cross-genre stories will likely be a hard sell. No Science Fiction. Urban Fantasy might work. Gore and sex need to support an actual story, rather than be the end in and of themselves." Length: "Word count is 3-5,000." Payment" "will be split royalties, paid quarterly*." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: June 1st, 2014.

WritersWhoRock.com has an open call here for an upcoming Nana-themed antho: "We are looking for true life stories about specific memories, incidents and lessons learned from your grandmother. What impact did she have on the woman you have become? You can convey her essence through conversations you had and remembrances you cherish-or cringe about. Unusual, provocative, irreverent, poignant, shocking, sad, or funny are the kinds of stories we are looking for. Are you and your grandma radically different or two peas in a pod? Was she traditional nana or a forward thinking feminist? Was she kindly? Or best described as a witch?" Length and Payment: "We pay $30 for 500-2000 words upon acceptance and two contributor copies after publication." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: March 14, 2014.

Much of the above was found among the marvelous market listings at Ralan.com.

Work It Ten

Ten Web Sites with Jobs for Writers

AbsoluteWrite.com Forums: Check out the Freelance & Work for Hire section in the forums for open calls. Mostly sub ops for anthologies, e-zines and start-up book publishers.

Ed2010.com: Looking for magazine jobs, freelance article work, editorial positions, internships, etc.? Check out these classified listings.

Editor & Publisher.com: Searchable classified listings for those of you who are looking for writing, editing and other publishing employment.

Ellora's Cave: We could rename it "Romantica and Erotica Sub Ops R Us." To see where your work might fit in, read up on EC's extensive line of imprints here.

Freelance Writing Jobs: Job leads for just about every kind of publishing job. Probably the best daily-published listings of wide-spectrum writing jobs on the internet.

JournalismJobs.com: This one provides global job listings for media professionals.

Mediabistro: Lots and lots of industry job listings here.

Ralan.com: if you're writing SF, fantasy or horror fiction, this is the place where you'll find the most market listings for your novels and stories. Also especially good for timely listings for anthology and contest open calls.

Samhain Publishing: An established and respected online e-publisher; wants novels in "all genres of romance and erotica, as well as fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction with strong romantic elements." Currently branching out into reprints and horror, too.

The Market List: Geared toward genre writers; offers resources as well as market listings.

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Dark Oak Media has an open call for their upcoming Big Bad 2 – An Anthology of Evil Volume 2: "The immediate success of The Big Bad has been mind-blowing, and Dark Oak has signed us on to do it all over again! Emily Lavin Leverett and I are back to create another anthology of the greatest bad guy stories we can find. This is a mixed anthology, which means that there have been some folks invited to participate, and we will accept some stories through open calls. The invitations have gone out, and we have ten open slots, so we expect the competition to be fierce. Send us your best short story (3,000 – 9,000 words, if it has to be longer contact me first) that features a bad guy or evil character as the protagonist. It can be fantasy, urban fantasy, superhero, sci-fi, horror, whatever. Just send us your best bad guy story. We’re taking ten. That’s right, there are only ten slots available in this anthology." Payment: "This is a royalty-based anthology, with exclusive rights for one year. This is not a “for the love” antho – Dark Oak is a real publisher that sends out real royalty checks. I should know, I’ve already received one for Big Bad 1. After the first year we retain rights to publish electronically in the anthology only, and in print in this anthology only, but you can take it and sell it somewhere else, or sell it yourself as a standalone." See open call post here for more details. Deadline: November 1st, 2013.

DreamSpinner Press has an open call for their upcoming Feelgood antho: "Dreamspinner Press is seeking romantic short stories with medicine/physical health themes. Examples: A Band-Aid, a kiss, and a lollipop make kids’ boo-boos all better, so Mason decides to try that when his boyfriend bangs his knee on the coffee table; Two doctors in separate departments of the same hospital keep running into each other in unlikely places; A physical therapist struggles against falling in love with his patient; Don’t forget dentists, optometrists, and the dermatologists who do laser tattoo removals; Two researchers collaborating on a medical advance start talking about more personal matters. Editor’s Note: Because of the packaged nature of the anthology, all stories need to stand alone." Length: 3.5 - 12K; also noted: "Manuscripts shorter or longer will be considered but will have to be extraordinary." Payment: Unspecified, but I found this note: "Short stories and novellas for single-book anthologies are purchased for a flat amount based on the length of the work." Also no mention on reprints I could find so you might query on them; electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: October 1st, 2013

Good Mourning Publishing has an open call for their upcoming super hero-themed romance antho: "This is an open call for an anthology of short romantic fiction which takes place in a super hero universe; at least one of the love interests has to be a superhero or villain. Any story containing copyrighted characters is not permitted (Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Psylocke, etc.) but fanfiction which has been edited to be a stand-alone story with original characters is acceptable [PBW notes: this bit concerns me for a number of reasons, so I recommend sending in only your original fiction for your submission]. All gender pairings, sub-genre, and content rating are accepted for this book, but the main theme has to be romance." Length: up to 15K; Payment: "$30.00 USD for accepted works" + "a free paperback copy of the book upon publication." Editor notes that authors will retain all rights. Electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: December 31st, 2013.

Hazardous Press has an open call for their upcoming antho: "We are now open to submissions for Tales of the Black Arts, a swords & sorcery anthology, for POD paperback and eBook publication. We are looking for dark fantastic tales in the tradition of Moorcock’s Elric stories, Wagner’s Kane tales, or the Morlock Ambrosius stories by James Enge. As you might expect from the title, magic must play a central role in the story, not just be in the background. Length: "Word Count: 2,000 to 15,000 words." Payment: "$25, plus one paperback contributor’s copy." No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: October 31st, 2013.

Inaccurate Realities has an open call for submissions for their January time travel-themed issue: "Prompt: Play with the wibbly wobbly structure that is time and space. Finally all those hours watching Doctor Who will come in handy. Is there a time or place you’ve always wanted to visit? Ever wondered how a certain historical event really happened? Does your character need to deliver a warning to the future? Example: Doctor Who, Tempest by Julie Cross, Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston, Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone." Length: 2-5K; Payment: Pay: $15-$25 based on length; query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: November 15th, 2013.

The Pedestal is open to poetry submissions for their December 2013 issue: "For Issue 73, we will be accepting submissions of poetry (only) from September 1-November 30. There is no need to query prior to submitting poetry. There are no restrictions on length, theme, style, or genre. Submit up to six (6) poems via the provided link. Please submit all poems in one (1) file." Payment: "$40 per accepted poem"; no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Reading period: September 1st - November 30th, 2013.

Supernatural Tales is open for submissions: "I must insist that a story submitted to Supernatural Tales might - however tenuously - be described as a tale of the supernatural. Awfully restrictive, I know, but there it is. That said, a conventional and predictable ghost story of the kind we've all seen, heard and read a thousand times should not be submitted to ST. Come to think of it, such stories should not be written in the first place. Horror is all very well, but there are plenty of horror magazines out there. Try them first if you're into writing about people's viscera exploding all over the tea things. You will impress me by showing subtlety and wit, as opposed to gore-porn and OTT prose." [PBW notes: I think I'm in love with this guy now.] On length: "It's hard to spell out what I'm looking for in a short story, but I think the word 'short' is awfully useful. The shorter a story - and I mean this in a blindingly obvious sense - the easier it is to fit into a little magazine. So while I set a quite arbitrary upper limit of 8,000 words on a submission, in practice anything that long had better be superb. I have a soft spot for very short stories in the 1,500 word range. But, as with the long 'uns, the short-shorts have to be pretty damn good to stand out." Payment: Story that receives the most reader votes earns £25; other contributors receive two free copies of the magazine. Electronic submission only; see guidelines on reprints and for more details.

Third Flatiron has an open call for their upcoming Mars-themed antho, and want to see "short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome" (some other details on the sort of stories they like to see can be found in this interview.) Length: 1.5-3K; Payment: "3 cents per word (U.S.), in return for the digital rights to the story. All other rights will remain with the author. We no longer offer royalties, as we're now into our second year. If your story is selected as the lead story, we will pay a flat rate of 5 cents per word, in return for the permission to podcast or give the story away as a free sample portion of the anthology." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 30th, 2013.

Timeless Tales has an open call for short stories for their upcoming Puss and Boots-themed issue. I can't copy any of the guidelines for reposting here, but basically the fiction they're looking for should be a retelling of the theme fairy tale, so you'll want to send in any spin on Puss and Boots. Length: up to 2K (1.5K preferred); Payment: $15.00; reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: Midnight PST November 1st, 2013.

World Weaver Press has an open call for Fae, their upcoming fairy-themed antho: "Have you ever noticed that, despite the name, there is often a conspicuous absence of fairies in fairy tales? Historically speaking fairies have been mischievous or malignant. They’ve dwelt in forests, collected teeth or crafted shoes. In Fae, we want stories that honor that rich history but explore new and interesting takes on fairies as well. We want urban fairies and arctic fairies, steampunk fairies, time-traveling and digital fairies. We want stories that bridge traditional and modern styles and while we’re at it, we want stories about fairy-like creatures too. Bring us your sprites, your pixies, your seelies and unseelies, silkies, goblins or gnomes, brownies and imps. We want them all. We’re looking for lush settings, beautiful prose and complex characters." Length: under 7.5K; Payment: $10 and paperback copy of the anthology; no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: November 30th, 2013

Many of the above sub ops were found over among the marvelous market listings at Ralan.com.

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Birkensnake doesn't want poetry, but they are looking for "stories that sustain themselves over more than one or two pages. We hope for strong inhuman voices. We are weary of stories that present luminous dialogues between men and women. We hope for less luminous dialogue. More biology. More necrology. Holes that are really tunnels. Healthy mutants." Length: up to 20K. Payment: "at least 1¢/word" according to Ralan. Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Australian publisher Cohesion Press has an open call for Snafu, an anthology of military horror: "SNAFU will be an anthology of original military horror novellas and short stories. Bioweapons unleashed, mutations, ancient species unearthed in lost caverns deep within the earth… and the soldiers who fight them. You get the drift? There will be approximately 60,000 words taken up with novellas by the solicited authors, so we are looking for three or four original short stories via the submission process to fill the rest of the wordcount up to about 80,000." Length: 3-7K; Payment: 3¢/word, no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Submission period: September 1, 2013 until December 1, 2013.

Cohesion Press is also open to book-length submissions, and their current reading period is open until October 2nd, 2013; see regular submission guidelines here.

Clarkesworld magazine has an open call out for submissions for Upgraded, an "original science fiction anthology of cyborg stories edited by a cyborg." [I'd probably query on exactly what that means, folks.] What they want to see: "Obvious Requirement: Cyborgs or cyborg-related issues must play a role in the story. Feel free to explore this theme as widely as you like. Have fun with it and keep in mind that not all cyborgs need to be human." Length: 1-8K; Payment: "Seven cents per word", no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Tentative deadline: September 15th, 2013.

Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers is holding their annual short story contest; this one requires a $7.50 entry fee which doesn't make me happy but it's not as bad as some others. Their theme this year is "Storm of the Century", and their contest guidelines are available by .pdf here. Also, entry deadline is August 31st, so if you're interested, hop to it.

Hellfire Publishing is looking for "most well written fiction and non-fiction. At this time we are NOT accepting, Children’s books, no multi-author anthologies, collections or poetry. We are avidly looking for novels—in the following genres and all subgenres: Romance, Horror, Sci-fi, and Stories that are intended to be a part of a series." Length: "Between 20,000 to 100,000 words. Stories must be 60,000 words to be considered for print. No exceptions." Payment: "Ten percent (10%) for the first 10,000 print copies, (15%) fifteen percent from 10,001 to 20,000, print books sold the figure is bumped up to twenty percent (20%) after 20, 0001 print books sold and up. Multiple-Author books will split the above royalty percentages equally." No reprints, query first via electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

IFWG Publishing has a new fiction contest going: "Stories must be written with an emphasis on the speculative fiction genres (horror, science fiction and fantasy). Note that the judges will be looking for fresh, character-centric stories with depth of skill in theme and plot construction. Zombies, vampires, elves, hobbits, orcs, are unlikely to get past round one." Length: 1-3K; Prizes: "The winner of the Contest will receive $100US cash prize. Second place will get $50US and third place $25US." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see contest page for more details. Deadline: October 31st, 2013.

E-zine NewMyths.com publishes "speculative fiction of every stripe except graphic horror. We like each issue to have an eclectic variety of stories: funny, frightening, hard and soft sci-fi, adventure, thoughtful, etc. Every issue includes at least one nonfiction piece dealing with some aspect of science, myth, folklore, or literature as it relates to speculative fiction, usually of the well-researched essay variety rather than opinion or editorial. Speculative poetry is welcome. We tend to receive a lot of free verse and not enough "form" poetry. We also buy one piece of artwork per issue, and occasionally commission one." Length: up to 10K; Payment: $50.00 fiction or nonfiction, $20.00 flash or poetry. No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

There's an open call for Strength from Within, a charity-drive anthology: "Recovery from addiction requires strength, and through strength can come recovery. But not all strengths are the same, nor are all addictions. Strength From Within aims to examine addiction and recovery through the lens of fantasy. With fifteen stories of bravery, strength and resilience in the face of addiction and recovery, this anthology showcases established authors as well as up and coming talent." As for the charity aspects: "All profits are to go to Asbury House. The support from this project will go to give Asbury House a home in Fort Collins, CO and give dozens of women the space to learn their strengths and build on them to recover." What they want to see: "Original material, no reprints will be accepted. Do not use non-original characters and/or copyrighted characters. Romance is fine, erotica is inappropriate for the anthology. No rape, no excessive violence." Length: "2-6K, query for longer"; Payment: "$25 per story", no reprints, electronic submissions only. Deadline: "October 31st, or until filled."

World Weaver Press has changed their annual reading periods for novel and story queries; see updates for their 2014 schedule here.

All of the above were found among the marvelous market listings at Ralan.com

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Apex magazine is now open for submissions: "We do not want hackneyed, cliched plots or neat, tidy stories that take no risks. We do not want Idea Stories without character development or prose style, nor do we want derivative fantasy with Tolkien’s serial numbers filed off. What we want is sheer, unvarnished awesomeness. We want the stories it scared you to write. We want stories full of marrow and passion, stories that are twisted, strange, and beautiful. 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. This magazine is not a publication credit, it is a place to put your secret places and dreams on display. Just so long as they have a dark speculative fiction element—we aren’t here for the quotidian. Keep in mind that the search for awesome stories is as difficult as writing them. If you are rejected, don’t get angry—instead, become more awesome. Write something better, and better, until we have to accept you, because we have been laid low by your tale. It really is that simple." Length: "a firm 5,000 words. Anything more will be auto-rejected." Payment: "for original fiction is $.05 per word up to 5,000 words; if we podcast your story, payment is $.01 per word up to 5,000 words." No unsolicited reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

ArcheBooks Publishing is open to submissions of novels in most genres. Length: 60-120K (prefers 90K) Payment: $2/copy per hardcover sold; $1/copy per paperback or e-book sold. Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Author Alex Shvartsman is looking for reprints only for his upcoming Coffee anthology: "Each story must somehow involve coffee as a major plot element. It’s not enough if an unrelated story is set in a coffee shop. I will also consider a few TEA stories as well. These stories must feature an element of the fantastic (fantasy, SF, light horror). No literary fiction please. For the moment, I will only consider reprints. If you published a story that you feel might fit the theme, please e-mail it to me at ufopublishing at gmail dot com. Please include information as to where and when it was first published, and confirm that the rights have reverted to you." Length: "Up to 4000 words. Flash (500-1000 words) especially welcome." Payment: "$0.01 per word plus one contributor copy of trade paperback and ebook." See gudelines here for more details.

Dark Opus Press has an open call for their Tell Me a Fable anthology: "We will be looking for stroies base on one of Grimm's Fariy Tales. We're sorry, but for the concept we're going for here we are not accepting poetry, reprints or artwork for this anthology. Our guidelines are simple. All stories MUST be based on a Grimm's Fariy Tale and NOT the Disney version. All stories must have a dark bent to them and be between 2,000 and 6,000 words. This word count is firm and stories outside this word range will not be considered. Please read our magazine guidelines to see what we do not want. If you don't review our magazine guidelines, we will know. We know that quite a few of Grimm's tales deal with children so we will be a little more lenient when it comes to violence toward children. However, it must be integral to your story and it should occur off-stage, if possible. If you are unsure, please query first." Payment: "Payment for accepted works will be a 1 cent a word US, plus one copy." Reading period: "The reading period for this anthology will start July 1st and end July 31st or until filled. Stories sent before July 1st will be deleted unread." No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Light Speed webzine is open for submissions: Lightspeed is seeking original science fiction and fantasy stories of 1500-7500 words. Stories of 5000 words or less are preferred. We pay 8¢/word for original fiction, on acceptance. To see which rights we’re seeking, please view our contract template for original fiction. All types of science fiction and fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. We believe that the science fiction/fantasy genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and our submission queues; we welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation." Reprints okay (pays 1¢/word), electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Planetary Stories has a contest going: "Each issue of Planetary Stories, Pulp Spirit and Wonderlust will be carrying the winner of that contest. While making the above statement, I realize there is a chance it won't work out. We might not have enough winners, as there is only a few months before our first deadline, which will be September 15th. However, we will do our best to publicize this contest and make that statement come true. There are three categories, one for stories 250 words or less, one for stories up to 500 words, and flash fiction up to 1,000 words. ONE WINNER PER CATEGORY. The winner in each category will receive five cents per word, as well as a book from the Featured Author. No duplicate entries are allowed." See contest page here for more details.

Tephra magazine is looking for submissions: "...now open for international submissions to be included in the publication of its debut issue, due for release in both print and digital editions during the first quarter of 2014. We are seeking original, previously unpublished fiction, non-fiction, articles, essays, poetry, flash-fiction, art, comics, photography, interviews and reviews of books, films and theatre. TEPHRA will be covering a rather broad range of subject-matter, visions and voices - however, our tastes tend toward the unusual, the avant-garde, the curious and obscure. We have a penchant for absurdism, surrealism, dadaism, expressionism, transgressionalism, psychological horror, experimentation, science fiction, bizarro fiction and weird fiction." Length: "Fiction - 7,500 words or less; Non-Fiction / Articles / Essays - 3,500 words or less; Poetry: Please send no more that 10 poems per submission; Art & Photography: Please send a link to your portfolio and a brief biography. Image attachments will not be accepted; Interviews: Please send a propsal." Payment: "Payment is discussed privately between the editor (Justin Curfman) and the contributor upon acception. However, a 50 / 50 profit split is our general offer." See submission guidelines for more details.

Twilight Times Books is currently open for novel submissions: "Wanted: Mid-list authors. We need to place our resources behind authors who know how to promote their books. You don't necessarily need a national platform, a regional one will do. If you have demonstrated annual sales of 5k to 15k books, please consider placing your next novel or non-fiction book with Twilight Times Books or Paladin Timeless Books. Rest assured we will always keep a few slots open each year for exceptional books written by first time authors. Twilight Times Books will present the works of those writers whose stories blend genres, are too literary for other publishers or seem too mainstream or "quirky" in tone. The requirement for consideration at Twilight Times Books is your novel must be entertaining; your non-fiction book must be informative. Both fiction and non-fiction book submissions must be professionally written and you must have a comprehensive marketing plan. Purchase a book or read the stories in Twilight Times ezine to determine the type of writing we're interested in seeing. First consideration will be given to authors previously published by Twilight Times Books, Paladin Timeless Books, Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine (FMAM), Twilight Times ezine and/or Web Mystery Magazine. Our current response time is four weeks to two months. Simultaneous submissions will be considered with sufficient advance notice. We offer a standard publishing contract." Submission period: "We will be open to fiction submissions from June 15 to August 5, 2013." Looking for: "we will be especially interested in the following categories: fantasy, historical, literary, military, mystery/suspense, paranormal romance, science fiction, SF romance and YA fantasy." Also: "We have expanded our guidelines to include more nonfiction titles in 2013-2015 and we are also interested in: creative nonfiction, how-to books, humor/satire, juvenile, magic realism, mainstream/contemporary, military/war-related, nostalgia-related fiction and non-fiction, paranormal, Regency romance, regional, specialty/New Age, supernatural, the Sixties-related (fiction or nonfiction), World War II-related, women's fiction, writing advice, etc." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Unlikely Story is currently open for submissions: "Unlikely Story publishes three themed issues a year: The Journal of Unlikely Entomology, The Journal of Unlikely Cryptography, and The Journal of Whatever Tickles Our Fancy This Year. We reserve the right to put out an indeterminate number of further sub-themed mini-issues on an irregular basis, if we feel like it. nWhat we’re looking for: Beautifully-written fiction, characters that grab us by the throats and refuse to let go, worlds that demand to be explored…and bugs. Genre isn’t particularly important to us—speculative, mainstream, slipstream, and the unclassifiable tales in between—we’ll read anything; all we ask is that something pertaining to bugs is integral or significant in your story. The bug element can be literal or metaphorical, hallucinatory or behavioral or metaphysical, or any combination thereof. Not quite sure what we’re talking about? Think of The Metamorphosis, Ender’s Game, Angels and Insects, Naked Lunch, A Recipe for Bees, District 9, Eight Legged Freaks, and Sandkings. Basically, think bugs, and let your imagination run wild. There are no barriers as to levels of profanity, gore, or sexuality allowed, but be sure to use them well if you do use them. Please note: our definition of bugs is somewhat expansive. Please read our FAQ for details. Our second non-entomological issue will be The Journal of Unlikely Cryptography. JoUC will publish annually. Submissions open July 1 – November 1, 2013." Length: "We’ll consider stories up to 8000 words, but strongly prefer stories of 5000 words or less. We’re open to flash fiction and fiction in non-traditional formats, but we do not publish poetry or non-fiction." Payment: We pay 5¢ per word for original fiction, and 1¢ per word for reprints." Electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

World Weaver Press has an open callfor their upcoming Krampus anthology: "You know the Jolly Old Elf of Christmas, right? Of course you do. You can’t avoid him. Yet, Santa Claus isn’t just a kindly old expert at breaking and entering and leaving gifts he didn’t actually buy for the children of a house. At least he isn’t in Austria and many other parts of Europe. In these ancient places, where, perhaps, the old, old gods still add a touch of mischief, Krampus is the angry, punishing sidekick of St. Nicholas (Santa’s counterpart in much of Europe). Known for his willingness to punish rotten children, Krampus might even be considered Santa’s dark side or evil twin. Krampus is the sort of guy more and more North Americans want to explore. He’s definitely having a moment this side of the Atlantic. To that end, World Weaver Press and Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine are pleased to announce a joint venture: An anthology of Krampus short stories. Although the book is yet to be named, we hope you’ll explore every possible Krampus angle via short stories. He’s a nasty old dude, and we hope your imaginations will get the better of you. Length: "Under 10,000 words." Payment: "$10 from Enchanted Conversation and paperback copy of the anthology from World Weaver Press." No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Open submission period: June 15 – August 1, 2013.

Most of the above sub ops came from the marvelous market listings at Ralan.com. Special thanks to Kaitlyn Koby at World Weaver Press for the heads up on their open call, too.

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Barking Rain Press is looking for subs, and publishes "complete novels or novellas of at least 20,000 words to sell through the BRP website and other partner sites in print and eBook formats. We will also consider the following: Short story collections (anthologies) with a strong central theme, written by a single author; Reprints of previously published works that are out-of-print, so long as the author owns BOTH the worldwide electronic rights and print rights. While we are open to a variety of literary genres, we are NOT open to submissions containing the following subject matter. These submissions will be automatically rejected: Poetry; A single short story, a single piece of short fiction,or a single work of flash fiction; Children’s books; Erotica; NC-17 / X-Rated / Pornographic fiction; Self-published works that are currently available for sale anywhere. If the work(s) are no longer for sale, and you own worldwide print and electronic rights, they may be submitted for consideration. Keep in mind that if a work can be found for sale or free download through a search engine search, the submission will be rejected outright. Make sure that the work is completely unavailable BEFORE you submit it." Payment: "Barking Rain Press pays authors 50% of net sales for both print and electronic sales (minus PayPal fees). Royalty payments are sent monthly. We pay only through PayPal, so authors must have a PayPal account." Submission periods: "January 1-31; May 1-31; and September 1-30." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Betwixt magazine "publishes speculative fiction of all sorts—fantasy, science fiction, horror, slipstream, weird fiction, npunk, you name it. We particularly like stories that smash genre boundaries to smithereens, but we also love fresh takes on established genres and in-depth explorations of ultraspecific niches. Experiments in form and style are welcomed enthusiastically—but a straightforward narrative with tight, crisp language is just as beautiful. When it comes down to it, we want stories that will amaze us, astound us, provoke our thoughts, and boggle our minds." Length: "Stories of 4,000 to 7,000 words are ideal, but we will consider a range from 1,000 to 30,000 words." Payment: "We pay $0.02 per word up to $150, payable upon receipt of completed contract and author questionnaire." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Class Act Books is looking for subs, and "is currently accepting fiction and non-fiction manuscripts in all genres. Only COMPLETE manuscripts that portray a story with a beginning, middle and end will be accepted." Length: "The submission word count for ebook publication ONLY is 5,000-150,000 words. Word count for books intended to include POD Print publication is 20,000-125,000 words." Payment: "e-book=30% net; print=7.5% net." Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Dark Continents Publishing has an open call for their upcoming The Sea antho: "HP Lovecraft once wrote, 'The sea can bind us to her many moods, whispering to us by the subtle token of a shadow or a gleam upon the waves, and hinting in these ways of her mournfulness or rejoicing. Always she is remembering old things, and these memories, though we may not grasp them, are imparted to us, so that we share her gaiety or remorse.' The oceans of this world can swallow us, and sink us into the watery depths where monsters lurk and mermaids frolic. Or we can voyage far and discover new worlds. Selkies sing beneath the moonlight. The Flying Dutchman sails forever damned. Many-tentacled monstrosities drown unwary swimmers. Sunken treasures rest in wrecks shrouded in kelp and guarded by sea serpents. Be your tales wonder- or terror-filled, Dark Continents Publishing invites you to submit your previously unpublished short fiction" Length: "between 3,000 to 9,000 words that falls within the fantasy, horror, weird and science fiction genres." Payment: "a flat rate of $20 per story." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: [Note from PBW: I'm not really sure what it is; the publisher guidelines say "Closing date for submissions is June 21, 2013" but Ralan.com has the reading period listed as "1 June to 31 July 2013" -- so if you want to get a confirm on the open/close of the reading period, you might e-mail the publisher.]

The Dreadful Cafe has an open call for query letters for Membrane, their first antho: "We are now soliciting query letters for Membrane, our first anthology. All genres are eligible, but preference is given to stories that cross more than one and which reflect the flavor and theme described above." [Note from PBW: this flavor and theme thing is described as "Unreal. Imaginative. Intense. An escape from the safe. These stories will propel the reader—by wormhole or peephole—through the fantastic, the criminal, and the insane. Sometimes strange, always original, the stories we publish are of the highest production standards, from thrilling premise all the way to professional editing."] Length: "Manuscripts must be between 2,000 and 30,000 words and not previously published by anyone but the author. Self-published works are accepted and encouraged!" Payment: "Upon acceptance of your completed manuscript, Dreadful Cafe pays for non-exclusive, unlimited, 5-year publishing rights on the following schedule: Short Stories (2,000-7,000 words) — $125; Novelettes (7,001-15,000 words) — $250; Novellas (15,001-30,000 words) — $500/Negotiable." Query on reprints, electronic submission query first only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: October 1st, 2013 or when filled.

Fable Press is looking for sub ops: "seek all flavors of speculative fiction. This could be a thriller with a supernatural flair or a paranormal romance novel. A dark horror story or high fantasy. Utopian/dystopian. Alternate reality/history. Space Opera or steam punk – steam punk space opera? Why not! Speculative fiction covers a wide range of genre fiction and we love it all! Currently, we're only considering Young Adult (YA) and Adult fiction. We aren't publishing Children or Youth fiction at this time." Length: "All novel-length (60,000+ words) submissions are welcome, as well as any serialized novella proposals." Payment: "30% and 40% of the net sale." Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

New Zealand digital-first publisher Paper Road Press wants to see subs "with a strong New Zealand or Pacific voice or work by New Zealand writers" and "specialises in science fiction and fantasy, but we are happy to consider detective and historical manuscripts. If these contain a dash of science fiction or fantasy themes or concepts, all the better. Please query first for other genres." Length: "We are currently seeking fiction of 20,000-50,000 words for our Novellas list, and 10,000-20,000 words for our Shortcuts list." Payment: "min. 35% royalty" Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Postscripts to Darkness has an open call for their fifth antho of dark fiction and illustrations: "We print volumes twice yearly, and while we include work from writers and artists all over the world, we give ample space to local creators, emerging or established. While we are open to a variety of approaches and styles, we are interested in original work that pushes and plays with(in) the boundaries of the fantastic, the marvelous, the uncanny, and the horrific. While we are open to a variety of approaches and styles, we are interested in original work that pushes and plays with(in) the boundaries of the fantastic, the marvelous, the uncanny, and the horrific. We are not interested in formulaic re-treads of genre conventions, but in work that revises and interrogates the relationship between genre writing and literary experimentation. We welcome challenging, edgy fiction that embraces not only elements of classic horror, but also dark fantasy, urban fantasy, slipstream, (new) weird fiction, and surrealism. While we are open to English-language fiction by writers of all nationalities, we also strive to support Canadian writers and artists, and maintain at least 50% Canadian content in any given issue. Bearing this in mind, please include with your submission information about your citizenship and/or current country of residence." Length: "We are looking for works of short fiction (up to 3500 words)." Payment: "We offer fiction contributors $25 CAN per story (payable through PayPal), regardless of length. We will also provide a complimentary electronic version of the book to each contributor. Contributors have the option of purchasing hard copies at a low contributor’s rate (30% off.)" No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: June 30th, 2013.

World Weaver Press has an open call for their upcoming Specter Spectacular II: 13 Deathly Tales antho: "The shift from Specter Spectacular I’s “ghostly tales” to Specter Spectacular II’s “deathly tales” is a slight one, but rather than repeat of the first anthology, we hope to expand on the content and story tropes while still holding onto the eerie and enthralling feeling associated with the classic ghost story. While the final anthology will include some ghost stories, we also hope to feature rifts between worlds, specters and jack-o’-lanters, ghosts that are not ghosts, psychopomps (characters who conduct spirits or souls to the other world, such as Charon, Valkyries, the Grim Reaper, etc.), psychic mediums, and tales of crossing over … and back … and perhaps over and back again. We’re quite intrigued by the possibilities (gothic, mythological, modern, humorous, etc.) and are looking forward to seeing what authors bring to the table. We recommend a familiarity with Specter Spectacular: 13 Ghostly Tales. As we did in the first volume, we will seek a mix of scary, eerie, beautiful, and funny stories to round out the reading experience. The first volume made Tangent’s 2012 recommended reading list and was named a Night Owl Review Top Pick; we hope to see the same quality of fiction or higher in volume II." Length: "Under 10,000 words." Payment: "$10 + paperback copy of the anthology." Reprints okay but editor notes their "Preference for stories which have not been anthologized previously." Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details; open submission period: May 1 – June 15, 2013.

For the final listing I want to mention something that recently came up: a couple of freelancers alerted me to an overseas Asian publisher with an open call that offers $.25/word for children's magazine articles. I don't know this publisher, and since their web site is not in English I can't do any research on them. For those reasons I'm not going to list the publisher by name, link to them, or try to comment on why they would offer so much money via an open call; I'll simply pass along a warning about publishers in other countries that I've always followed: if the money sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize, awarded by the University of Pittsburgh Press, is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. No entry fee, submission period opens May 1st, 2013. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: June 30th, 2013.

The Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose and Books was "established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. The winning stories and essays are published in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US Review of Books. Two grand prizes are awarded annually: one for short prose (i.e. fiction and creative nonfiction) and one for independent books from small, micro, and academic presses, as well as self-published books. Prizes include a $250 award for short prose and a $2,000 award for best independent book. In addition to the two main grand prize awards, various other honors and distinctions are given for both prose and books, including the Montaigne Medal, the da Vinci Eye, and the First Horizon Award. Submissions are accepted each year by nominating books and prose." Not entry fee, see guidelines for more details. Deadlines: "The book deadline is January 21st. The prose deadline is March 31st."

The 2013 Family Circle Fiction Contest is open to U.S. resident writers who are 21 or older. Submit an original, unpublished short story up to 2.5K. First prize $1000.00 plus online memberships, second prize $500.00 plus online memberships, third prize $250.00 plus online memberships. No entry fee, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 16th, 2013.

Fanstory.com holds contests throughout the year in multiple genres. No entry fees, and every entrant will receive feedback from the site's volunteer community, which reads and discusses all of the entries. Various cash prizes for winners. See full contest listing page here for more details and deadlines.

The University of Iowa Press holds an annual short fiction award open to "any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Previously entered manuscripts that have been revised may be resubmitted. Writers are still eligible if they have published a volume of poetry or any work in a language other than English or if they have self-published a work in a small print run. Writers are still eligible if they are living abroad or are non-US citizens writing in English. Current University of Iowa students are not eligible. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. We do not accept e-mail submissions. The manuscript may include a cover page, contents page, etc., but these are not required. The author's name can be on every page but this is not required. Stories previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion." No entry fee, prize is publication by the University of Iowa Press. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 30th, 2013.

"Three times a year Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of approximately one – five thousand words. The winner will be announced via a special mailing of our Jerry Jazz Musician newsletter. Publishers, artists, musicians and interested readers are among those who subscribe to the newsletter. Additionally, the work will be published on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician and featured there for at least four weeks. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Your writing should appeal to a reader with these characteristics. A prize of $100 will be awarded for the winning story. In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author’s acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that could appear in book or magazine form. No entry fee is required. One story entry only. Submission deadline for the next contest is May 31, 2013. Publishing date will be on or about July 1, 2013."

The Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize is awarded to the best scholarly book in English about Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War soldier or a subject related to that era. Occasionally an important article, essay, work of fiction, poem, theater project, piece of art or film may also be eligible for the prize. No entry fee, prize: %50,000.00, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: November 1st, 2013.

The annual L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest is open to short fiction submissions of up to 17K by emerging SF, fantasy and horror authors. Open to those writers who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novellete, or more than three short stories, in any medium. No entry fee, first prizes are $1000.00 quarterly, and quarterly winners are eligible for the annual $5,000.00 prize; second prizes are $750.00, and third prize is $300.00. See guidelines for more details. Deadlines: June 30th, September 30th and December 31st, 2013.

The Richard J. Margolis Award is open to nonfiction journalists or essayists "whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. The award was established in honor of Richard J. Margolis, a journalist, essayist and poet who gave eloquent voice to the hardships of the rural poor, migrant farm workers, the elderly, Native Americans and others whose voices are seldom heard. He was also the author of a number of books for children." Submit at least two articles, published or unpublished, up to 30 pages in length. No entry fee, prize is $5,000.00 stipend and a month's residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers' and artists' colony in the Adirondacks See guidelines for more details. Deadline: July 1st, 2013.

The St. Francis College Literary Prize is awarded to authors for their third, fourth or fifth published fiction book between the dates of June 2011 and May 2013 (and self-published books are eligible for this one.) No entry fee, prize is $50,000.00. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 1st, 2013.

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Mystery and Horror LLC has an open call for their All Hallows' Evil anthology: "An anthology of mystery stories set during Halloween/Samhain/CandyFest. Paranormal elements are acceptable as long as the central story is a mystery. We're seeking stories that are 4000 - 8000 words in length (firm). Query about reprints. We will accept multiple submissions, but not simultaneous submissions. Open submission period: April 20 - July 15th, 2013. All contributors will receive a free trade paperback copy of the book, plus a $5 advance on royalties. Contributors will also be able to purchase more print copies at a 50% discount on the cover price. We're seeking first world rights in English to publish in print and electronic format for 12 months, beginning on the date of publication. Please see our Guidelines and Payment page for further information on the rights we ask for and the compensation we offer." [PBW notes: Remember to wait until the submission period opens on 4/20.]

UK digital quarterly ARC is looking for fiction and more: "Arc publishes short stories over 5000 words. On acceptance, it pays a flat fee of £1500 (c. US$2370) for first world serial rights. We publish stories that have some bearing on the future. You don't need to write science fiction to do that -- all we're interested in is your vision, your skill, and your ability to move us. We set our bar very high. Arc’s writers so far have included Margaret Atwood, Bruce Sterling, Stephen Baxter, M John Harrison, Hannu Rajaniemi, Alastair Reynolds, Adam Roberts, China Mieville, Frederik Pohl, Paul McAuley, Nick Harkaway, Lavie Tidhar, Robert Reed, Liz Jensen, Nancy Kress and Kim Stanley Robinson. If you can hook the editor's attention on page one, there is some slim hope for you. Joseph Conrad and Raymond Carver knew how to hook a reader. You should too. We like technology and science, but we love people. The stories we're looking for will explore their anxieties, their joys and fears. We don't publish fantasy and if you send us anything with even a whiff of steampunk about it we will come round and burn down your house." [PBW notes: And they say the British don't have a sense of humor.] "Arc also publishes features, essays and poetry. Please contact us before submitting these as we have very specific requirements and we usually commission this work. Our boilerplate rates are: (for essays under 1500 words) £250 (for features over 2000 words) £500 and £75 per page for poetry and experimental work. We commission news pieces and reviews for our blog at http://arcfinity.tumblr.com. We pay £30 per blogpost. If you're interested in contributing, tweet or DM us at @arcfinity." No reprints, electronic submission through online form only, see guidelines here for more details.

The submission period for The Future Embodied anthology has been extended; they want spec fic stories "exploring how science and technology might change our bodies and what it means to be human. The editors are looking for character-driven, near-future stories of how the trajectory of current science and technology could impact our daily lives and choices. Social sciences and as-yet-untested or anecdotal discoveries are fair game. If an idea or discovery has the potential to impact human behavior and bodies, it could make a great story. We are looking for stories of medical and aesthetic body modification. Consider topics like genetic engineering, prosthetics, implants, body ornamentation, surgical augmentation, and age retardation or reversal. Surprise us. Don’t give us stories that we’ve read before. We want this anthology to embody the wide range of human experience, voices, and bodies, and, in particular, to credibly consider our present and future demographics. You are encouraged to populate your stories of the future with the kinds of bodies that have been under-represented in speculative fiction but which should be ever more present in visions of our near future — aging bodies, obese bodies, chronically ill bodies, diverse racial and multi-racial bodies, bodies from diverse geographies." Length: 2-5,5K; Payment "3¢/word +copies." Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. New Deadline: April 15th, 2013.

UK Publisher Gollancz is looking for manuscript submissions: "Gollancz publish Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Dystopia and a little YA cross-over fiction. If you’re writing in these areas, we’re happy to take a look at your work. Only get in touch when you have a complete, spell-checked manuscript of 80,000 words or more." Length >80K; no mention of payment but Ralan notes "assume industry standard." Query on reprints, no electronic submission, see guidelines for more details.

The John A. Hartford Foundation is holding a heroic stories competition, and is seeking stories "that convey how a person with geriatric expertise (in any profession and discipline) can make a difference in peoples' lives. Stories must be true, so the genre would most likely be creative nonfiction or essay. (Audio and video stories are also being accepted.)" No entry fee, length not specified [PBW notes: might query first to find out length requirements].Prizes: $3,000 First Prize, $1,000 Second Prize, $500 Third Prize. Eligibility: "USA-only, 18+" See guidelines for more details. Deadline: April 15, 2013.

Masque Books, the new digital imprint of Prime Books, is looking for submissions: "Our emphasis is on both general sf/fantasy, and sf/f romance." What they want to see: "We expect great writing, fully developed plots, and well-rounded characters speaking believable dialogue. Ideally characters will reflect the diverse nature of human experience. Science or magic systems must be logical and world-building complete. Science Fiction/Fantasy: Any subgenre or cross-genre including planetary romance, steampunk, space opera, alt-history, small-scale fantasy, contemporary fantasy, and dark fantasy. No romance is required, but if there is a romantic element it should be secondary to the main action of the story. SF/F Romance: The relationship between the protagonists should be the heart of the story and their emotional arc should be resolved. Science fictional or fantasy elements are essential to the plot. Multi-partner relationships are welcome as are queer ones. All heat levels will be considered, from sweet to explicit, but the sex scenes should be integral to the story. No stories under 30,000 words; no collections of short fiction; no poetry; no Young Adult, children’s books, or non-fiction. We plan on launching with three titles in July 2013 and publishing three titles a month thereafter. For now, please send only the first three chapters and a synopsis of your completed manuscript. If we respond to your submission positively, we expect to see a full manuscript immediately." Length: 30-50K (novellas) 50-120K (novels). Payment: "Masque Books pays a small advance (usually $100-250) against royalties of 50% net of all digital receipts. Our contract includes an option for print trade (not POD) publication after digital, but we do not promise this. If your book is traditionally published in print, we pay standard industry royalties." On reprints: "At this point we are interested only in original fiction, although we may be interested in previously published material that has reverted to the author at a later date. WITH THIS EXCEPTION: We may be interested in republishing a first or first and second of a series if new fiction for the series is available." Electronic submissions through their online form; see guidelines for more details.

MindShift: Writers Who Rock is "a forum for published and emerging writers of all ages and backgrounds from all over the world. Writers Who Rock offers paid opportunities for first time and veteran authors to write essays, book reviews, short stories and columns." Length and Payment: "Short stories and essays up to 1000 words $50; Book Reviews up to 300 words $25." For more info, staycalm09@gmail.com.

Montag Press is looking for novel-length manuscripts, and "currently seeks subversive, speculative, science, historical, young adult (YA), new adult (NA) and horror fiction, in either a narrative or dramatic structure, with a strong plot, well-developed characters and engaging voices." Length: >40K; Payment: $100 advance and 30% net. Reprints okay if self-published, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

There's an open call for Neverland's Library, a Kickstarter-funded anthology, and the editors are looking for stories "focusing on the rediscovery of the fantastic; magic, dragons, the supernatural, etc. We are looking for stories which highlight finding that which was once thought lost, incorporating fantastical and/or fictitious elements. We will not restrict how the story is told. All styles, settings, and tones are welcome. We are looking for only unpublished stories. If the story has been made available for free or payment online then please do not submit it for consideration as it will be considered ineligible under our criteria. We ask that authors limit themselves to no more than 2 submissions, with no simultaneous submissions. That means when a story is submitted to us, it should not be submitted for publication consideration anywhere else." [PBW notes: I generally avoid posting charitably-funded ops because the whole practice troubles me, but the editor notes elsewhere that they have alternative funding to fall back on should the Kickstarter campaign fail. In light of that I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but do be cautious with this one.] No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: June 20, 2013 or when filled.

Mystery and Horror LLC also has an open call for their Strangely Funny, an anthology of humorous paranormal stories: "All stories must contain paranormal elements (ghosts, psychic abilities, vampires, etc.) and be funny. Think Addams Family, Zombieland, or Love at First Bite. They should not contain gratuitous violence, gratuitous sex, or excessive foul language. We're seeking stories that are 2000 - 5000 words in length (firm). We will also accept cartoons if submitted in electronic format. No reprints. We will accept multiple submissions, but not simultaneous submissions. Open submission period: March 1 - June 10th, 2013. All contributors will receive a free trade paperback copy of the book, plus a $5 advance on royalties. Contributors will also be able to purchase more print copies at a 50% discount on the cover price. We're seeking first world rights in English to publish in print and electronic format for 12 months, beginning on the date of publication." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Most of the above sub ops were found among the many marvelous market listings at Ralan.com.