Remembering Fall & Links

I don't believe I posted any fall foliage pics this year, so here's one I took on a new drive we went on this year. There was a meandering stream (or lazy river...I don't know the distinction.

Now for some links. Bear in mind that I am not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

67 Press is accepting submissions for the 67 Press Anthology, Volume 3. Literary. Fringe. 5000 words or less. They prefer flash fiction. Pays a flat fee plus royalties (flat fee not listed). Deadline December 31.

The Kickstarter for Humans Wanted: A SF Anthology went well, and they are still taking submissions. Seeking SF stories about the helpfulness of humans. 3000-6000 words. Pays $250. Deadline December 31.

Book Smugglers Publishing is accepting submissions of short stories for their anthology Gods & Monsters. Speculative fiction. 1500-17,500 words. Pays $.06/word. Deadline December 31.

CWTCH Press is open for short stories for their anthology If Mom's Happy: Stories About Erotic Mothers. 1500-4500 words. Pays $50 + 2 copies. Deadline December 31.

Comet Press is open for reprint submissions to their anthology Year's Best Hardcore Horror, Volume 2. Must have been (or will be) published in 2016. Short stories/novelettes. Pays $.01/word. Deadline December 31.

Zombies Need Brains LLC has three anthologies open for submissions after having met their Kickstarter goal. Up to 7500 words. The anthologies are: Submerged (F/SF set underwater), All Hail Our Robot Conquerors! (50/60s style robots), The Death of All Things (Death is a character in the story). Pays minimum of $.06/word (depending upon how much more the Kickstarter makes). Deadline December 31.

Carte Blanche is looking for fiction, creative nonfiction, photo essays, poetry, artwork, and more. Up to 3500 words. Pays a modest fee (not specified). Deadline December 31.

Darkhouse Books is seeking short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and essays about descansos (roadside memorials). Up to 3000 words. Royalty share. Deadline December 31.

Contest:

Story Shares is holding The 2016 Relevant Reads Story of the Year Contest. 1000-10,000 words. Middle Grade up. Several categories for prizes, including diversity and genre. Prizes vary from $500 to $3000. Deadline December 31.

Of Interest:

Chrys Fey put out an excellent post (with downloadable PDF) with 100 Marketing Tips.

Has it been fall or winter in your area? Had any snow yet? Any of these of interest to you? Anything to share? How are your submissions going?

May you find your Muse.

A Serious Problem & Links

For the picture today, a note from my daughter.

"P.S. I need new books to read, can you bring me to Barns and Nobles, or the library?"

I know. This is a serious problem. How could I have lapsed in my book buying prowess? This is what happens when a teacher never sends home the Scholastic order forms. I'm going through Scholastic withdrawal.

Okay, link time.

Accepting Submissions:

The Colored Lens is open for speculative fiction short stories that "shift perspectives of how we see the world." 500-5000 words. And novellas up to 20,000 words. Pays $10-20, more for novellas.

Confrontation Magazine is taking submissions of poetry, nonfiction, art, and fiction. Literary. Up to 7200 words. Pays $75-100 for fiction. Pay varies through the other categories. Deadline April 15.

Blackbird is open for poetry, short stories, and personal essays. Up to 8000 words. Paying market, but pay is not specified. Deadline April 15.

Epoch is open for literary fiction, poetry, essays, screenplays, cartoons, graphic art, and graphic fiction. Pays between $50 and $150. (Mail-in submissions). Deadline April 15.

Rattle is open for poetry and artwork in the theme of adjunct poets. Pays $100 per poem. The current theme's deadline is April 15.

A Two Dame Production is open for submissions of fairy tales in the genre of literary erotica. They would love to see retellings of lesser known fairy tales, and especially ones that are not European. Up to 5000 words. Pays $25, plus a contributor copy. Deadline April 20.

The Establishment is open for articulate essays, features, interviews, etc. Pays between $125-500. Must pitch.

Iron Soap is open for 200 CCs, stories of 200 words. No genre restrictions. Pays $.01/word. They also have themed calls. The next one is for Mother's Day, deadline April 22. Non-holiday themed do not have a deadline.

Of Interest:

Grey Matter Press put up a post by Sharon Lawson on what it means when an editor says "Your Story Just Doesn't Work For Me!"

Fun fact: I was short listed for a story with Grey Matter Press, which was later rejected. When I got the first email telling me I was short listed, I thought someone had yet again screwed up my name (Shannon Lawrence/Sharon Lawson). Imagine my surprise when I opened it and it was supposed to be to me, and was good news! P.S. When they have an open call, they're a great market to submit to. Very communicative and friendly.

Any of these of interest? Anything to add? Publication news? Does Sharon Lawson's article help?

May you find your Muse.

Roland Stops by on an Anti-Blog Tour & Links

Today, I'd like to welcome Roland Yeomans to talk about his upcoming release, The Not-So Innocents Abroad. No worries, though! This is not a blog tour.

Welcome to my “DON’T YOU HATE BLOG TOURS?” Book Tour.

Shannon has been naïve, ah, kind enough to lend me her blog.

Book Tours. 

Are they dead?  Are they the Walking Dead?  Sometimes seemingly done-to-death concepts can sizzle if we do it in a new light.

As in: “Hey, the woman wants a green dress; turn on the green light!”

You ask, “What is there new to do?”  You aren’t asking that?  Well, I’m asking it for you because I’m your friend, because I want you to sell books …oh, all right … because I want to sell books.

Listen to super-agent Donald Maass:

“There are only TWO things that sell books…a good book and word of mouth. Period.”

Jeez, look at all those rolling eyes out there.  I hear you: “How do you get good Word of Mouth, for crying out loud?”  And, boy, have I cried out loud at that question.

Ever hear of Book Clubs, my friends?  Gee, thanks, some of you out there think I’m number one … but, guys, you’re using the wrong finger.

Oh, you’re using the finger you wanted?  Oops.

Book clubs are critical and wonderful influencers when it comes to talking up new books … ah, that’s WORD OF MOUTH for those of you finger-shaking critics!

It is why I included a substantial Reader Discussion Guide at the end of my latest book.  I know you want to know its title.

You don’t?  Well, I want you to know, so there!

For your own questions – ask the reader if the characters changed by the end of the book, has the reader changed by the end?  Were there memorable bits of dialogue?  Was there a favorite character?

You know your theme of your book.  Ask the reader what they thought the theme to be. My theme in my new book?

“My back; your knife.  My gun; your head.”  Not really.  You’ll have to read it to find out what it really is.

This March board the Xanadu, the 1^st Air/Steamboat, on a honeymoon cruise for Paris and the Unholy Lands where death, betrayal, deceit, and murder reign supreme … and that is just in the newlywed’s bedroom!

The passengers?  An insane Abraham Lincoln, a crippled General Sherman, a vampiric Benjamin Franklin, a clueless Mark Twain, 11 year old Nikola Tesla, and his faithful black cat, Macak.

Cost of Passage?  Only $9.99! 

Want more?  Here is the music I listened to while writing the battle between the Xanadu and Captain Nemo’s Nautilus:

Thank you for stopping by on your book tour that isn't a blog tour, Roland!

#

Now for some links. Bear in mind that I'm merely passing them along, not endorsing them. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Uncanny Magazine is seeking speculative fiction. 750-6000 words. Pays $.08/word. Deadline is February 29. Thanks to John Wiswell for the reminder!

Syntax and Salt is seeking magical realism for their first issue. Up to 3500 words. Pays $10 unless you win an Editor's Choice, which is $25. Deadline March 18.

Lit Select is seeking stories in the theme "What Went Wrong?" for Legendary Stories. 2000-8000 words. Pays $30. Deadline March 30.

Less Than Three Press is seeking LGBTQIA fairy tales for Fairy Tales Slashed: Volume 7. 10,000 to 20,000 words. Pays $200. Deadline March 31.

Cori Vidae is seeking erotica involving tattoos for kINKED. 3000-20,000 words. Pays in profit shares. Deadline March 31.

York Literary Review is a new literary journal. They accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, essays, reviews, visual art, and photography. No more than 5000 words. Pays £50. Deadline March 31.

Tayen Lane Publishing is seeking literary fiction for the 2016 Articulated Press Short Story Anthology. Up to 5000 words. They are also seeking science fiction for their Procyon Press Science Fiction Anthology 2016. This one is up to 7000 words. Pays $100, plus contributor copies. Deadline for both is March 31.

Truancy is seeking flash and short stories retelling fairy tales. Up to 3500 words. Pays $15.

Shattered Prism is seeking speculative fiction. 1500-5500 words. Pays $.06/word.

Clubhouse Magazine is seeking stories for 8 to 12 year old boys. This is a Christian magazine. Between 500 and 1800 words, depending upon type of story. Pays between $.15 and .25 per word.

Of Interest:

Chrys Fey and L. Diane Wolf have combined forces! You can get a full manuscript edit by Chrys and print & ebook formatting by L. Diane. They list the prices on this post, so there are no surprises. As a bonus, L. Diane's husband does cover design.

What do you think of Roland's non-blog tour book tour? How about his cover? Any of these links of interest to you? Anything to add? Any news to share?

May you find your Muse.

New Release - Devolution Z & Links

Hello! I ended up not being able to post on Monday, because my interwebs went down during the snowstorm. Not something that happens here often (it's Colorado...we tend to have wiring and such that can withstand the snow), so I'm  not sure if it was actually because of the storm or coincidental timing. Either way, I took an extra day off.

The February issue of Devolution Z is out, featuring my story Blue Sludge Blues! If you don't already hate port-a-potties, I hope I can nudge you along on your way with this one.

Available in print ($6.99) and Kindle ($2.99).

Also, this is what happens when the adults in a house both forget to take down the canopy on the back porch when Snowzilla (not to be confused with the Snowpocalypse) is heading our way.

That's gonna' leave a mark, eh? It kept our porch relatively snow free, though, seeing as how we got over a foot here in the foothills.

Now for some links! Bear in mind I am not endorsing any of these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence when submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Alex Shvartsman is putting together a reprint anthology of Funny Fantasy. 500-7500 words. Originally printed between 2005 and 2015 in a publication paying $.01/word or more. Pays $.02/word, plus contributor copy. Deadline February 29.

The Literary Hatchet is open for dark fiction poetry and prose. 1000-6000 words for short stories. Pays $5-$10, depending upon submission type. Submission window closes March 1.

Thema is accepting short stories, poetry, essays, art, and photographs with the theme Drop the Zucchini and Run! Fewer than 20 double spaced pages. Pays $10-$25, depending upon submission type. Deadline March 1.

Upstreet Literary Magazine is accepting poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. 5000 words or less. Pays between $50 and $250. Deadline March 1.

Body Parts Magazine is accepting horror, erotica, speculative fiction, essays, and art. The current theme is Grave Robbing. Up to 8000 words. Pays $5-$20, depending upon submission type. Deadline March 1.

Beatdom is accepting essays on the topic of politics for their next issue. 2000-5000 words. Pays $50. Deadline March 1.

Blog Hops:

The A-to-Z Challenge for April 2016 is open for sign ups! Post daily except Sundays throughout the month of April, following an alphabet theme of your choosing (or lack of theme, with topics in alphabetical order...your choice!).

C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Rains, and Tara Tyler are hosting the Winter Blahs Blog Hop. Post an encouraging meme between February 29 and March 4. That's it! There are prizes involved.

Of Interest:

The Daily News put out an article entitled CIA Posts Its Own 'X-Files' in Celebration of the Show's Return. They've split into into Mulder and Scully sections.

H.R. Sinclair shared an editing software for Windows called SmartEdit. It looks interesting.

How's your snowfall been this year? Any whoopses in your prep? Have you ever read Devolution Z? How do you feel about port-a-potties? Any of these links of interest? Anything to add? Submission news?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Calico Queen & Links

I realized I never posted a picture of my new kitten, Nefertiti, so why not a dose of cuteness today?

We've had Neffie for two months now, so she's about fifty times as large as she was when I took this. Kittens grow insanely fast. She's a calico point Siamese. Did you know a Siamese cat could have calico points? I didn't!

Onto the links!

Accepting Submissions:

Sirens Call Publications has an open call out for the anthology What Dwells Below. Horror involving the creatures that live in city cellars. 4000-8000 words. Pays a flat fee of $25. Deadline January 1.

Alliteration Ink has an open call for their anthology No Shit, There I Was. Speculative fiction. Must start with the title sentence. 2000-7500 words. Will pay $.06/word, contingent upon the Kickstarter. Deadline January 6.

The Non-Binary Review of Zoetic Press is reading for their 8th issue with the theme of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Fiction, creative non-fiction, flash, and hybrid/experimental. Up to 5000 words. Pays $.01/word and $10/poem. Deadline January 8.

Mystery Weekly Magazine is accepting submissions. 1000-10,000 words. Pays a half-cent per word.

Dreams & Nightmares is accepting submissions of speculative fiction. 1-2 single-spaced typed pages. Pays $12, plus contributor copies.

Contests:

Glimmer Train is holding their Fiction Open Contest. 2000-20,000 words. First place gets $2500. Deadline January 2.

Of Interest:

LANGUAGE WARNING! The Middle Finger posted The Top 20 Most Original Gift Ideas for That F*cking Writer You Know (No, Not a Moleskine). There are some great ideas in there.

Had you heard of calico point Siamese before? Any of these of interest to you? Anything to share? What's your favorite gift on the list? 

May you find your Muse.

A View From the Reeds & Links

Happy Wednesday!

I feel like this is a good photo prompt. What do you think?

For the links, bear in mind that I am not endorsing these, merely passing them along. You should always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Broken River Review is accepting submissions. 3000 words or under. Pays $.05/word. Deadline December 1.

Crime Syndicate is open for submissions. Dark, dirty crime fiction stories. 1500-4500 words. Pays $25.

Poetry and Business is open for submissions. Essays and poetry. Due by the end of 2015. Pays $20.16.

The Strand Magazine is open for submissions. Mystery and horror. 2000-6000 words. Pays $25-$150.

Contests:

The Quantum Shorts Flash Fiction Competition is closing soon. Cash prizes. Deadline December 1.

Words & Brushes is holding a competition. 2000-5000 words. Fiction. Cash prizes. Deadline December 1.

Of Interest:

My Book Cave posted about Standard Vs Block Formatting in Ebooks. Passed along by DeAnna Knippling.

Liesa Malik posted 5 Tips for Using Your Business Card on the RMFW blog.

Do you see a story in the photo above? Do you have author business cards? What information do you include on them? What do you use them for? Any of these publications of interest? Anything to share? Publication news?

May you find your Muse.

The Haunted Realm Book Launch & Links

Before we jump into this week's links, say hi to Emilyann Girdner, whose book The Haunted Realm just came out yesterday.

The Haunted Realm is the thrilling sequel to Young Adult Fantasy novel The Labyrinth Wall (Tweeted by Sean Astin from Lord of the Rings, Dante Rossetti Award Finalist, 5 Star Reader's Favorite Rated and Amazon Best-Seller).

In this riveting continuation of the story, Araina again faces a series of seemingly impossible magical obstacles. As Araina and her friends search for answers about their Creators and their magical labyrinth world, their journey becomes rife with peril when Araina falls victim to illness. Despite heart-pricking losses in the labyrinth swamps, vengeful ghostly attackers in the Blinking Willows, and many other dangerous obstacles, Araina is determined to succeed. If Araina can’t solve the mysteries of the haunted realm and find a cure for her sickness, she and her friends may never escape the labyrinth, or even live to try.

Obsidian Series Purchase Links:

The Labyrinth Wall: 
Amazon Kindle, Amazon Paperback, and Barnes & Noble Paperback

The Haunted Realm: 
Amazon Kindle, Amazon Paperback, and Barnes and Noble Paperback

Stay Connected to the Series via Websites and Social Media:

Use this Facebook link to sign up for the newsletter

www.obsidianseries.com

www.emilyanngirdner.com
Emilyann on Goodreads
Emilyann on Facebook
Emilyann on Twitter

Emilyann on Pinterest

Happy Book Birthday, Emilyann! As someone who had a youthful crush on Sean Astin, I can't help but mentally squee that he tweeted about your book (and that you got to meet him.)

Now for some links. Please bear in mind that I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting to a contest or publication.

Accepting Submissions:

Pantheon Magazine's ninth issue has a theme of Hestia. They are seeking short stories, poetry, and reviews. They prefer brevity. Paying market. Deadline November 30.

Horror Tree published an open call for the anthology Bumps in the Road, with publisher Black Bed Sheet Books. 1000-7000 words. Pays in royalties and contributor copies. Deadline December 1.

Freeze Frame Fiction is seeking flash fiction of any and all genres. Pays $10 per piece. Deadline for third quarter submissions is December 15. 

Twit Publishing is seeking dieselpunk fairy tales for an anthology. 4000-9000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline December 15.

Red Moon Romance is seeking short stories about geeks in love for their anthology Covalent Bonds. 16,000 words or less. Pays royalties and contributor copies. Deadline December 15. 

Third Flatiron is seeking short stories for It's Come to Our Attention. Speculative fiction. 1500-3000 words. Paying market. Deadline December 15. 

Martian Migraine Press is seeking short fiction for the anthology Cthulhusattva: Lovecraftian Tales of the Black Gnosis. Up to 7500 words, flash fiction and short stories. No poetry. Pays $.03/CAD per word. Deadline December 15. 

Punks Write Poems is seeking short fiction submissions for two anthologies. Melee is for medieval fantasy; Don't Open Til Doomsday is for science fiction. 2000-10,000 words. Both pay $15 and a contributor copy. Deadline December 15. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul wants stories about gratitude. 1200 words or less. Pays $200 per story. Deadline December 15. 

Of Interest:

Sad news. Crossed Genres Magazine will be closing their doors for good after their December issue.

Any of these of interest? Anything to share? Publishing news? How's NaNo? What celebrity would you most like to have share your book? 

May you find your Muse.

Horror Movie Quote Answers & Links

On Monday, I posted some horror movie quotes and asked folks to say which movies they were from. Here are the answers:

1. Get away from her, you b****. / They mostly come at night. Mostly. / Game over, man! Aliens

2. Beep beep, Richie. They all float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float, too. IT

3. Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them. I don't give a f*** how crazy they are. From Dusk Til Dawn

4. My mom is gonna' be so mad at me. / Don't blame the movies. Movies don't create psychos, they make psychos more creative. Scream

5. You're gonna' need a bigger boat. Jaws

6. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep. Nightmare on Elm Street

7. They're he-ere. Poltergeist

8. We all go a little mad sometimes. Psycho

9. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. / Heeeeere's Johnny! The Shining

10. It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. Silence of the Lambs

11. I see dead people. Sixth Sense

12. Have you checked the children? When a Stranger Calls

13. What an excellent day for an exorcism. The Exorcist

14. I will not calm down! This is the second time I've been hit with a severed head, and I don't like it. Lake Placid

Bonus: Ding Cabin in the Woods

Okay, so that last one was a trick question. It's the sound the elevator makes before opening the doors and releasing pure mayhem. Not once, but twice. One of my favorite moments in a movie.

Now for some links. Bear in mind, as always, that I am not endorsing any of these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting to a publication.

Accepting Submissions:

SpeckLit is accepting drabbles for their 1st Quarter issue. Speculative fiction. 100 words. They also accept drabble-length reviews. They pay $.05/word for fiction. Deadline November 30.

Chicken Soup for the Soul has several topics open for submissions right now. Two current themes are Military Families and Angels & Miracles. 1200 words or less. Pays $200. Deadline for these themes is November 30.

Crossed Genres is accepting fantasy and science fiction short stories with the theme Sword and Sorcery in the month of November. 1000-6000 words. Pays $.06/word. Deadline November 30.

Onspec is accepting poetry and visual art submissions. Poems should be 4-100 lines. Pays $50. 

Clarkesworld is accepting submissions of speculative fiction. Primarily science fiction and fantasy. 1000-16,000 words. Pays $.10/word for the first 5000 words, $.08/word after that. 

Nightmare Magazine is open for submissions of horror and dark fantasy. 1500-7500 words. Pays $.06/word.

Black Static is accepting submissions for horror and dark fantasy short stories up to 10,000 words. I'm unsure of exact payment, but it is a semi-pro market.

Lamplight Magazine is currently accepting submissions for their spring issue. Dark fiction. 2000-7000 words for short stories, up to 1000 words for flash. Pays $150 for short stories. 

Pseudopod is accepting submissions for horror and dark fiction. This is a podcast. 1500-6000 words. They also accept flash fiction. Pays $.06/word.

Of Interest:

I happened across the blog Six Questions For... where Jim Harrington interviews various editors, agents, etc. Some great info here. Search for the editor you're about to submit to, and see if there's an interview with them about what they like!

How many of the quotes did you get right? Are you submitting? Any of these of interest to you? Anything to share?

May you find your Muse.

Demon Heart & Links

Monday was release day for Demon Heart, the third novel in the YA paranormal Darkworld series, by Emma L. Adams, and I'm pleased to welcome her here today!

Can a demon’s heart of ice be thawed?

Ash may have escaped death several times, but now things are finally looking up. The doppelganger is gone, she’s dating Leo, and the Venantium are staying away from her – for now. But a new threat rises from the Darkworld, and only the fortune-teller knows the true extent of the danger they’re in.

Lucifer, a sorcerer who did the impossible and cheated death through escaping to the Darkworld, is on the move. Now his second-in-command, Mephistopheles the demon, is loose in our world – and will do anything to win Ash over to his side.

The Venantium fear a repeat of the Demon Wars, the demonic invasion that wiped out the Blackstone family. But there’s more to those events than the records reveal. When Ash finds the lost diary of Melivia Blackstone, she starts to dig into the past to find the town’s forgotten history – leading to a revelation that shocks her to the core.

Leo seems to be the only person Ash can rely on, yet can she truly open up to him, knowing what she is? Blackstone’s dark history is rising to the surface, and it seems even memory can lie. The worst betrayal waits around the corner, and Ash has to decide whether to trust Leo with her darkest secret, even when it has the potential to destroy them both…

Amazon

Add on Goodreads

Fire sprang up all around me, orange flames licking at my skin. I flinched away from the writhing wall of fire, which cut off any chance of escape.

I stood in a large room, a bedroom. Through the haze of smoke I could see a four-poster bed, its feathery curtains ablaze. Flickering tendrils of fire ate away at the posh-looking furniture, smoke gushing out in clouds. On the wall opposite hung a magnificent, gilt-framed painting of a girl with long, curly black hair. As I watched, the paint peeled away from the background as the ever-spreading blaze devoured it. Underneath the roar of the fire I heard a whimper, and realised I wasn’t alone.

A girl crouched in the corner of the room, arms wrapped around her knees, apparently oblivious to the fire raging around her. I tried to walk over to her but a wall of flames barred my way, flaring out of the lush carpet.

"Stay... out."

 The girl raised her head, but she didn’t seem to see me standing there. She was older than I’d thought; her hunched position had made her look like a child, but she was probably around the same age as me. Her dark hair spilled from a bun, and her gown, similar to the one in the painting, was crumpled and stained, as though she’d fallen in the mud outside.

“Stay… out.”

 Her eyes looked right through me, and I gasped. They shone violet. A demon’s eyes.

 She doubled over, coughing. I tried to call to her to get out of the burning room, but it was like something had stapled my mouth shut. Dreaming. I’m dreaming.

“Stay… out!”

Happy Book Release Week, Emma!

Now for some links. Bear in mind that I'm just passing these along, not endorsing them. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

FTB Press is seeking stories for their anthology Odd-isms. Add -ism to a word and make a story of it. 4000 words or less. Pays in royalties and a contributor copy. Deadline November 21.

Garden Gnome Publications is seeking stories for their Biblical Legends anthology series. The theme is Resurrections. Flash fiction, short stories, narrative poems, and novelettes. Pays token flat rates. Deadline November 23.

Black Books Publishing is seeking stories for their anthology Illuminati at my Door. They're also taking submissions for their Urban Fantasy Romance anthology Sugar Daddy Wanted: No Experience Necessary. 3000-10,000 words. Pays $50 + royalties. Open until filled. (They are also taking queries for novel length fiction.)

In Short Publishing Co is seeking short genre fiction. 3000-4500 words. Pays in royalties.

Contests: 

The Subtopian is holding their News Competition. They take stories from the news and ask you to write about the possible future imagined from them. 500-2000 words. Pays $25 + publication. Deadline for this set of news topics is October 31.

Of Interest:

Textbroker matches authors up with freelance writing jobs for pay. While I have not extensively researched it, I did find articles saying it was a legitimate freelance site. You'll want to research for yourself before trying it.

Writer Beware is a site that discusses various writing related topics and their risks to writers. I've specifically linked to a piece on crowdfunded anthologies, but this is a great site to explore overall.

This one's outdated, and he may have a newer one, but Dean Wesley Smith wrote a piece on the New World of Publishing. It includes tips and various information about being a working writer.

Bookbub put out the Ultimate Guide to Self-Publishing and Book Distribution Tools.

Kameron Hurley wrote a piece about The Cold Publishing Equations: Books Sold + Marketability + Love.

Any of these of interest to you? Anything to share? Publishing news? What do you think of Demon Heart? Have you read books 1 or 2?

May you find your Muse.

Fun With Funkos & Links

We're creeping up on Halloween. Almost halfway there!

Some of you know that I collect Funko Pop villains for each story I place. Last time I posted a picture, they were on one shelf, and it wasn't full. I got to add a few recently, so I thought they should say hi.

I can't wait to have to add shelves. Not sure where they'll go yet, but THERE WILL BE MORE SHELVES!

I just placed a short story in Space and Time Magazine yesterday. No release date just yet, but I'll let you know when it comes out. In the meantime, I'm awaiting release dates on two anthologies I have short stories in, as well as edits on a short story set to be released in a magazine next month. It's an exciting time! Now someone make me get back out there and writing again.

Alright, link time. Bear in mind that I am not endorsing these links, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence to research publications and contests before you submit to them.

I ran across a lot of October blog hops when I was visiting folks during IWSG, so this week's links are a tad blog hop heavy. They sound like a lot of fun!

Accepting Submissions:

Sky Warrior Books is taking submissions for the anthology The Dragon's Hoard, which will be edited by Carol Hightshoe. Speculative fiction involving dragons and their hoards. PG-13 rating. 500 to 7000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline November 15.

World Weaver Press is taking submissions for the anthology Sirens. Speculative fiction involving sirens/Sirens. Up to 7500 words. Pays $10 and a paperback copy. Deadline November 15.

18th Wall Productions is taking submissions of novellas about Sherlock Holmes for a monthly series of novella releases that will then be combined into an anthology at the end of the year. 15,000 to 35,000 words. Payment in royalties. Deadline November 15. They're also taking submissions of short stories that combine urban legends and mysteries for their anthology All the Petty Myths. 3000 to 25,000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline October 31.

Contests:

Scarborough Fair and Minds Matter Magazine are holding a creative writing contest. Flash fiction, poetry, non-fiction. Cash prizes and publication.

Blog Hops:

Toi Thomas of the ToiBox of Words is trying out a new book hop for the joy of reading and writing. The first #BooktagsBlogHop begins October 19, and will be held the third Monday of each month. Choose a book, post the cover, include an excerpt and a write up of why you're sharing it.

Denise and Yolanda are back with the WEP (Write... Edit... Publish) Blog Hop Halloween Challenge. Post between October 21 and 23. 1000 words or less. Flash fiction, poetry, non-fiction, artwork, photos. This month's theme is Youthful Frights vs Adult Fears.

The Cover Girls are holding their 4th Annual Spooktoberfest. Post between October 24 and 28th. Flash fiction, 400 words or less. You have to use all 13 Scattergory items (found in the post) in your story.

Bish Denham is holding The Listing Hop. Post a list of your choice on October 26. Easy peasy!

Wittegen Press is holding the Share a Scare Halloween Blog Hop. Post October 31. Share a scary story, fictional or true; give away a book; create scary art.

Of Interest:

One Stop for Writers is a new resource available online. In their own words: One Stop for Writers is a powerhouse online library like no other, supplying writers with inspiration, education and unique description resources.

Any of these of interest? Anything to share? Will you be participating in any of these October blog hops? Have you heard of One Stop for Writers? 

May you find your Muse.

The Amaranthine Book Tour & Links

Murees Dupé's book was released yesterday!

Title: The Amaranthine (Thelum Series)

Author: Murees Dupé

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: 8 September 2015

Blurb

Claire is sassy, human, and an outcast of society―who only wants to know where she belongs.

Alex is arrogant, selfish, and an immortal warrior―who thinks he’s prepared for everything.

Claire knows the world of immortals is where she belongs. As her guide and guardian, Alex finds it hard to resist Claire’s subtle charm. Can the two overcome their differences and embrace their passion for each other, or will the possibility of true love be lost to both forever?

Find your copy here:

E-book: Kindle * Nook * Ibooks * Kobo

Paperback: Amazon

About the Author

Murees Dupé was born and still lives in South Africa. When she is not thinking up new stories, she is spending time with her family, playing with her three dogs and cat, watching TV, or overindulging on desserts. To learn more about Murees, visit her website www.mureesdupe.com.

Congratulations to Murees! I hope you'll check out her book and grab a copy for yourself.

Now for this week's links. Please bear in mind that I am not endorsing these links, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting your work anywhere.

Accepting Submissions:

Orthogonal is seeking short fiction. All submissions are anonymous. 5 to 5000 words. Pays $30 for flash fiction (less than 1000 words) and $100, plus royalties, for short fiction above 1000 words. Current deadline October 1.

Analog is seeking science fiction. Pay varies by length of story, but they pay professional rates. For example, pay is $.08-$.10/word up to 7500 words. 

Shoreline of Infinity is seeking science fiction. Up to 5000 words. Pays £10/1000 words. 

Sub-Q is seeking speculative interactive fiction. Read their site for more information on what interactive fiction means. Up to 5000 words. Pays $.06/word for prose, $.03/word for interactivity. 

Non-Local Science Fiction is seeking science fiction. (I know, that was painfully obvious, right?) Short fiction up to 20,000 words. Pays in royalty shares. They also have a non-paying Fantastical Fiction Feature for pieces less than 3000 words. 

Frigg Magazine is seeking short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Flash fiction up to 1000 words, short fiction between 1200-8000 words, creative nonfiction between 1200-8000 words. No word limit on poetry. Pays $50 per piece. 

Flash Fiction Online is seeking flash fiction of multiple genres. They have a fondness for speculative, but also take literary and hard to categorize stories. 500-1000 words. Pays $60.

The Indianola Review is seeking short fiction, poetry, artwork, and random fun other things. They want to be surprised. 6000 words or less. Pays $5 to $25, depending upon entry type.

Of Interest:

Rob Hart posted an article on Lit Reactor: 11 Tips for a Successful Book Signing.

Mignon Fogarty posted an article on Mental Floss: What's the Difference Between i.e. and e.g?

If you haven't seen it, the cover for The Deep Dark Woods anthology a short piece of mine will appear in is now on my Publications tab. I've also done some fiddling with the tabs in an attempt to get closer to making my blog my author website. If you have a second, check them out and let me know what you think!

What do you think of the cover for The Amaranthine? Any of these links of interest? Anything to share? Did you check out my updated tabs? What do you think about them?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday -RMNP & Links

I took a mini vacation with the family this weekend. Though we've got smoke from the fires around the west, the sky cleared up a little bit the afternoon we went to Rocky Mountain National Park.

I'm thinking of everyone near the fires and those suffering from the smoke because of health issues. I have family near the fires, so I'm trying to keep an eye on the new ones popping up. All are safe at this time. I hope those of you near them are doing okay and are safe.

Now for this week's links. I am not endorsing any of these publications. Always do your own due diligence before submitting to a publication.

Accepting Submissions:

Prairie Rose Publications is seeking submissions to two Christmas anthologies. A Mail-Order Christmas Bride is a western historical romance. One Christmas Knight is a Medieval Romance. 10,000-15,000 words. Deadline September 15 for both. Pay not specified.

CBAY (Children's Brains are Yummy) Books is seeking submissions for their anthology Giants & Ogres. Fantasy and science fiction aimed at 13-18 year olds. Must feature a main character who is either a giant or an ogre. Up to 5000 words. Pays $30. Deadline September 18.

Crossed Genres is seeking short stories with the theme of Nonsense. (Also still accepting stories for their Pronouns & Genders issue until August 31). 1000-6000 words. Pays $.06/word. Deadline September 30.

Fey Publishing is seeking short stories for their Witches anthology. Up to 10,000 words. Pays $5.00. Deadline September 30.

Pseudopod (as well as Escape Pod and Pod Castle) is seeking horror short stories written by women for Artemis Rising 2: Hecate Strikes Back. This is a month long celebration of women in horror. 2000-6000 words. This will be presented as a series of podcasts. Pays $.06/word. Submissions open during the month of September only.

Lillicat Publishers is seeking short science fiction stories for Visions III: Inside the Kuiper Belt. 3000-8000 words. Token payment of $25. Deadline is August 30 for art, September 30 for fiction.

Chicken Soup for the Soul is seeking stories and poems for their themed anthology Angels and Miracles. Up to 1200 words. Pays $200 per story. Deadline September 30. (There are also several titles/themes with a deadline of August 31.)

Pentimento is seeking short personal stories on disability, either from the person with the disability or someone who works with/is related to/provides care for someone with a disability. They also take writing from kids that does not need to be disability related. Up to 6000 words. Pays between $25 and $250. Deadline September 30.

Of Interest:

Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things is running an Indiegogo campaign in an attempt to raise their contributor pay rates to professional instead of semi-professional.

Bustle posted an article about 11 Books That Scared Stephen King. You may find it surprising that they're not all horror stories.

Are any of you near the fires? Are you safe? Any of these of interest? Anything to share? Publishing news?

May you find your Muse.

IWSG - Why We Do It & Links

New month, new insecurities. It's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Anyone is welcome to come along with the IWSG. Go to the link above and sign up! Then either post your insecurities or reassurances (or a little of both.) Be sure to visit some of your fellow insecure writers, too.

I'm riding one of those all too brief highs, courtesy of placing two pieces this month (a short story and a flash fiction piece.) So I'm going to keep on riding, right into a positive post. I think my last couple IWSG posts were down in the dumps.

We all know that, as writers, we must steel ourselves against the negatives that come with our chosen profession. Most people don't take rejection well, yet an integral part of our job is getting rejections, one after the other. So you find ways to cope, to move on, to harden yourself.

So why do we do this? Why do we set ourselves up for pain?

Because each time we get a yes it makes everything worth it. Each yes, each positive review, each affirmation, diminishes the little things.

But most of all, we do it because we love it. Because we feel driven to it. We do it because we have stories to tell, voices in our heads. I'm pretty sure a good number of us would continue writing, even if we had no interest in getting published. It's the only way to expel the voices from our heads. We have vast worlds inside us, and it feels beautiful to share them with others. It feels even better when they enjoy them, too.

So write. Have fun. Create. Exorcise those demons, both enchanting and horrific. And if you like it, put yourself out there. Push away the bad so you can celebrate the good. Take a chance. Then take another. Then keep right on taking them until you've achieved your dreams.

Having said all that, it's time to report my submissions for the month of July, something I do each month during IWSG to keep myself honest.

In July I:

Submitted 6 stories
Got 4 rejections
Made 2 sales
Was short listed for 1 anthology
Currently have 12 stories on submission

Now it's link time.

Bear in mind that I'm just passing these along, and that I'm not endorsing any of them, nor have a I researched these, so always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Autonomous Press is looking for poetry, fiction, and memoir for The Spoon Knife Anthology. They want stories about consent and compliance. They're open to all writers, but are also looking for neuroqueer authors. Up to 10,000 words. Paying market. Deadline September 8.

Cicada is seeking poetry, fiction, essays, and comics. They take work from those 14+ and adults. They're currently looking for work dealing with witches. Paying market. Deadline September 9.

Liminoid Magazine is open for submissions for their fall issue. 500-10,000 words. Pays $20/piece. Current deadline September 8.

AE is accepting fiction, nonfiction, comics, and art. Science fiction only. Fiction is 500-3000 words. They take submissions from anywhere, but give preference to Canadian authors. Pays $.07CDN/word.

The Baffler is seeking "poetry with grace and fiction with personality." You must pitch first. Pays a token amount.

Glittership is looking for LGBTQ+ speculative fiction. There should be some sort of queer content. This is for podcast, not print. 100-6000 words. Pays $.01/word.

The Fiddlehead is seeking fiction and poetry. Fiction up to 6000 words. Pays $40 CAD.

Contests:

The M.O. has announced its new theme: Lesson Learned. Mystery. 1000-1500 words. Pays $.05/word to the winner, plus publication, and all those short listed get published. Submissions open August 14 and close August 28.

Of Interest:

Just a bit of fun. Plug in 300 words of your writing at Hacker Factor to see an analysis of the gender of the author. Yes, you know what you are, but it's interesting to see the analysis.

Buzzfeed posted "30 Copy Editors Tell Us Their Pet Peeves." Interesting to look over.

Any of these of interest? Anything to add or share? Publishing news? What are your insecurities? Why do you write? 

May you find your Muse.

Have You Tried Turning it Off Then On Again? & Links

I'm back after technical difficulties that kept me from posting Monday! I was a bit panicky when I couldn't find a way to get into my own blog. Now I need to give my tech husband a hard time about carbon based errors. He had blocked YouTube, and it managed to block Google Plus and Blogger along with it, despite my Gmail working fine. Weird how it picked and chose what it wanted to block.

Why, yes. Yes I had.

Now for some links. Bear in mind that I am not endorsing these, merely passing them along.

Accepting Submissions:

Strange Horizons is open for submissions. Up to 10,000 words. Speculative fiction. Pays $.08/word. (Thanks to John Wiswell for mentioning they were reopening!)

Briarpatch Magazine is looking for writing on current events, as well as artwork. They prefer you query first. Queries for the November/December issue with the theme "Labour" close July 10. Pay varies from $50 to $150 per type of submission.

Saturday Night Reader is seeking flash fiction up to 1000 words. Most genres. Pays $5 CAD per published story.

Silver Screen Books is publishing novelettes each month themed around B movies from the 50s. Between 7500 and 10,000 words. Pays $20-$25, depending upon length. Also pays in a contributor copy (both e- and paperback) and a further contract for two novelettes.

Flash Fiction Online is looking for flash between 500 and 1000 words. Genre is open. Pays $60 per story.

You & Me Magazine wants stories about your personal experiences with medical illnesses. They expect articles to be between 1000 and 3000 words. Payment is somewhere around $.04-.05/word.

Poetry Foundation is accepting poetry, including visual poetry. Can submit up to four poems at a time. Pays $10 per line.

Of Interest:

Business Insider put up a story by Maggie Zhang: 22 Lessons From Stephen King on How to Be a Great Writer.

99U posted a piece by Jamie Todd Rubin on productivity: How I Kept a 373-Day Productivity Streak Unbroken.

Marketing Land put out a story by Kelsey Libert on what publishers want in a pitch: Survey of 500+ Publishers Reveals How They Want to be Pitched, Part II.

Any of these of interest? Anything to share? Publishing news?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Weekend Trip & Links

We went up to Estes Park this weekend to visit an out of state friend, and I snapped a couple shots, including the obligatory elk photo.

Now, straight to the links! I am not endorsing any of these places unless I specifically say I am. These are just links I happen across and pass along.

Accepting Submissions:

Liminoid Magazine is open for submissions for their summer issue. 500-10,000 words. They want fiction that challenges the boundaries of genre. Pays $20 per piece. Deadline June 10.

Inkstained Succubus Press is looking for stories for their anthology Have Quest, Will Travel. They take speculative fiction and erotica with a twist, and specialize in QUILTBAG fiction. A happy ending is required for this story. 4000-10,000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline June 15.

18th Wall is open for submissions for Those Who Live Long Forgotten II. What they want is a mythological creature or fictional character brought to life. Pretend they were real and write us a story of how they were lost to myth. All genres. 2500-10,000 words. Royalties. Deadline June 15.

Freeze Frame Fiction wants qualify flash fiction in any genre. Up to 1000 words. Pays $10 per piece. Deadline June 15. They also have a themed version closing the same day with a YA theme.

Sorcerous Signals is reading for their November issue. Fantasy. Up to 10,000 words. Pays $5 for short stories, $2 for poetry. Deadline June 15.

Wolfsinger Publications is looking for villains for Under a Dark Sign. Speculative fiction. Up to 7000 words. Payment is $5, plus royalties. Deadline June 15.

Garden Gnome Publications has several anthologies closing the same day. The themes are Garden of Eden, Deluge (think Great Flood), Sulfurings, and Land of Nod. Flash fiction, short stories, narrative poems, and novelettes. Pays $3 to $13, depending on submission type, or $.003/word for novelettes. Deadline June 23.

Lackington's is open for stories with the themes of Dreamings and Architecture. Speculative fiction. 1500-5000 words. $.01/word CAD. I didn't see a deadline, but these are for specific issues, so I'd go with sooner, rather than later.

Of Interest:

I saw this one on Alex's page and am passing it along. Authors United Against Child Slavery is a campaign to raise money for Operation Underground Railroad. Those who contribute $20 or more get various rewards, starting with a free book from a participating author.

Blogger Traci Kenworth posted a ton of links to helpful articles for authors, even splitting them by genre. There might be something for you. And, hey, I made the cut with one of my diversity posts! For some reason, it's not letting me leave a comment for her, though. :(

Any of these of interest? Taking any vacations this summer? Anything to share? Any publication news? 

May you find your Muse.