IWSG - Rejection, Stats, & Links

Before I jump into my IWSG post, I've got a story out that's free to read! It's free and short and humorous. For those who avoid my horror stories, this one has zero horror! Check out The Rejection at Fabula Argentea, and if you're so inclined, I'd love to know where else you think he should be rejected. Note that it's totally free, and there's no sign up or anything like that. No hoops to jump through. The editor said: "Shannon Lawrence's humorous rejection letter is pure fun in 800 words." So please check it out!

#

It's the first Wednesday of October, which means it's time for another edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Today's the day to air your writing insecurities and/or support your fellow insecure writers. Anyone can join by clicking on Alex's name above, adding your blog to the linky, posting about your insecurity of the month, and visiting fellow IWSG'ers.

Our co-hosts this month are Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Jennifer Hawes, and Tamara Narayan!

The optional question for this month is: Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?

I've used real life events to inspire my fiction, and I'm sure there are plenty aspects of my personality and thought process that show up in characters. I've also used my neighborhood as a setting in at least one story.

My insecurities this month include the fact that I've gotten three rejection letters from agents for my novel. I know that's not many so far, and I'm more than familiar with rejection, but none have even been personal. WHY do we do this to ourselves?

Another insecurity has to do with a collection of short stories I want to put together. They're ones I've gotten the rights back on. Plus a couple more that I might skip the traditional publishing route on and just put in the collection. But first I have to research the business logistics, how to put together the different types of files and formatting, covers, editing, etc. On the flip side, I considered trying a traditional publishing route on it, but I doubt they'd be interested in what amounts to mostly reprints in a collection, especially coming from an unknown. So yeah, I've got some work ahead of me, and no idea how to fit it in. I'll figure it out. We always do, don't we?

#

Time for submission stats! Every month, I post the previous month's submission stats to keep myself accountable.

In September:

2 novel queries to agents, both rejected (I will be stepping it up and sending multiple soon, but haven't gotten there yet.)
7 short story/flash submissions
9 short story rejections
1 short story acceptance
13 short stories currently on submission (I have several waiting to go back out, but I didn't have time this week.)

#

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

Accepting Submissions:

Uncanny is seeking fantasy and science fiction short stories and flash fiction. 750 to 6000 words. Pays $.08/word. Submission window is just October s2 to October 16.

Horrified Press is seeking short stories in the following themes for anthologies: Trumptopia and The Devil's Piano. Up to 8000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline October 20.

Icepick is seeking both writers and voice actors. Their next theme is Heroes. Rather than giving a word length, they give a time length under 10 minutes or 10-30 minutes. Vignettes, poetry sets, essays, and more, which will be voice acted. They pay 8-10 pounds. Deadline October 22.

Horror Addicts is seeking short horror stories with music as an integral component for their anthology Crescendo of Darkness. 2000 to 5000 words. Pays $10. Deadline October 31. (I do personally endorse this publication. I enjoyed working with them, and am able to get contributor copies for a lesser charge, which allows me to sell them at conferences and events, thus making more than the $10 originally paid.)

Subprimal Poetry Art is seeking poetry and flash fiction that is lyrical. 350-750 words. Also looking for art and essays. Pays $20. Deadline October 16.

NonBinary Review is seeking poetry, fiction, essays, and art. Submissions should related to Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Up to 5000 words. Pays $.01/word. Deadline October 31.

Sirens Call is seeking horror for their themed anthology If It Bleeds, It Leads! Must embody the spirit of the old newspaper headlines. 2500 to 5000 words. Pays $15. Deadline October 31. (Note: I also worked with these publishers and found it to be a good experience.)

Chicken Soup for the Soul is seeking personal stories with the theme Christmas and Holiday Collection. Up to 1200 words. Pays $200. Deadline October 31.

Fellowship:

The Kathy Fish Fellowship is open through SmokeLong Quarterly. Winner is the virtual Writer in Residence for four quarterly issues, in which a piece of their flash fiction will be published each time. Will also receive $500. Deadline October 31.

Did you read The Rejection? What did you think? Where else would you like to see a rejection letter from? What are your insecurities? Any of these links of interest? Anything to share?

May you find your Muse.

New Publication - Literary Hatchet & Cheapjack Pulp

Hello, and Happy Holidays! Since I figure everyone's busy this week, I'm just going to do a quick post with some links.

One of my short stories came out in The Literary Hatchet this week! It's free to read online, or a paper copy can be purchased via Amazon or CreateSpace.

To read the free e-copy go to the website, click on "Issues" at the top of the page, and scroll down until you see the above cover, which is Issue #16.

To purchase a paper copy, go to CreateSpace or Amazon.

My story is Salvation Lottery.

Plus, I had a different story come out in Cheapjack Pulp two weeks ago, which I already posted about. But it doesn't hurt to post again, right?

The paper copy does not come out for three months, but you can read it free online. If that link doesn't work for you, go to the website, scroll down to "detective/horror" under the cover above, and click on For Love of the Hunt, which is my story.

#

I fiddled around with my blog a bit this past week so I could get the covers of my various publications up on the front page. Plus, I added a "Contact Me" page and a "Search This Blog," which is really mostly for me. Sometimes I want to find a specific post, but I have to search through everything to do so, because I don't remember when I posted it. So now I can search for it.

#

Now for links. Please bear in mind that these are just links I have come across. I'm not endorsing them. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Splickety Magazine is open for submissions with the theme Literary Time Warp. Take a well known story and switch up the time period. 300 to 1000 words. Pays $.02/word, plus a complimentary copy. Deadline January 13.

Outlook Springs is open for submissions of literary work with a tinge of the strange. Fiction, poetry, nonfiction. Up to 7500 words. Pays $25. Deadline January 15.

Helios Quarterly Magazine is open for submissions fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art with the theme Commercial Cosmonauts & Hired Guns. Short stories up to 1500 words. Other word limits apply for other types. Pays $.03/word for shorts and some others. Other pay varies. Deadline January 15.

Tribute is open for submissions for the summer issue with the theme Poets With Mental Illness. Poetry. Pays $100 per poem. Deadline January 15.

Great Weather for Media is open for submissions for their 2017 anthology. Poetry, flash fiction, short stories, dramatic monologues, and creative nonfiction. No set theme. Up to 2500 words. Pays $10, plus contributor copy. Deadline January 15.

Tanstaafl Press is open for submissions with the theme Enter the Rebirth. Up to 8000 words. Pays between $.01 to $.08/word, but likely about $.03/word if you are only in this anthology (there are two preceding it). Deadline January 15.

Blog Hops:

Chrys Fey is holding the I Survived Blog Fest. This is a blog hop to spread the word about her new book Tsunami Crimes. You'll be posting a story of tsunami survival, realistic or otherwise. This will take place January 20.

Any of these of interest? Anything to share? Have you been submitting? How do you like the new layout?

May you find your Muse.

New Magazine Release & Magazine Submission Tips

Hello out there in Blog Land!

Last week I had a bit of excitement with a short story coming out in Issue 35 of Sanitarium Magazine.

Yeah, looky there. That's my name on the cover (among others, but JUST  LOOK AT MINE!) <--Just kidding. Mostly.

It's available all over the place:

Sanitarium Magazine
Apple Newsstand
Google Play Store
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Pocketmags

Print Edition via Create Space

I already got my PDF e-version, but I get my hard copy around August 12! I can't wait to finally have a print copy of something I'm published in.

Fun fact: One of the authors in this magazine was also in the issue of Under the Bed Magazine I was in. I feel like we should be Facebook friends or something (no, I'm not actually going to stalk that person--it was just an interesting coincidence. The only thing I stalk is my Duotrope page.)

Hello, my name is Shannon, and I'm a Duotrope stalker.

Really, how many times can a person look at the submissions page without going nutso?

I thought since I'm posting about a magazine publication, maybe it would be good to go over the submission process for magazines/anthologies for those who haven't tried it yet.

Then I thought, "Crap, I don't know what people want to know." So if I don't address queries or fears you might have, please leave me a question in the comments, and I'll answer you there.

The Basics:

I'm going to assume here that you've written your story, brought it to a conclusion, and that you've given it a few reads and edited it to where you think it's shiny and polished. (Note: If you keep editing and editing and editing, stop! Don't overdo it. Sometimes the magic is lost that way.)

Format your piece to Standard Manuscript Format.

Your next step is to figure out the genre of your story (if you don't know it already). Here's a post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner on figuring out genre (it's for books, but the principle is the same).

Market Research:

Now that you've written a story and know its genre, it's time to do some market research. First, consider magazines and publications you enjoy. Does your story fit any of these places? If so, go on to the next step: Submission Guidelines.

If not, check out a place like Duotrope or The (Submission) Grinder. These sites allow you to enter the specifications of your search, however detailed you want to get, then create a list of possible publications that are currently accepting submissions. (Note: Duotrope is a paid service, The Grinder is free, but is still in Beta. If you will be submitting quite a bit, it's worth it to join Duotrope. If not, maybe stick with The Grinder.) Start looking through the publication descriptions until you find one that appears to fit your story. If they offer a free example of the publication, read it!

If you can't find something that works for you, search around the internet using related keywords until you find something. Or go to the bookstore and comb through the magazines. Another possibility is to check out where someone else is published, if they publish in the same genre as you.

Submission Guidelines:

It is VITAL that you follow the submission guidelines of each magazine. They will often differ, even if just in one small way. Carefully review them before submitting. Check the requested font, document type, submission windows, cover letter requirements, email or mail (or submission form), bio letter or headshot requests, other requested information, other formatting information, and anything else they might specify. I've seen one specify that the quotation marks had to be a specific type. I've also seen several that do not want you to have pushed "tab" to indent your story (you can look up how to change both of the above online.)

Read these five billion times before you attach and submit your piece.

Cover Letter:

I don't feel terribly qualified to tell you how to write this. I have no idea if my format is actually a good one. I always review the submission guidelines for what they want in the subject line and cover letter. I write the cover letter directly in the body of the email, unless otherwise directed.

One thing I do know for sure is that you must research the editor's name. If there are multiple editors, I typically address it to the managing editor, or whoever is listed at the top of the line. Some magazines/publications make this step incredibly hard, and I don't understand why. I've had to search out interviews or other publications by them to find an editor name. It's frustrating. But you need to do it.

Dear Mr./Mrs. [Editor Last Name],

Cow Tales is a Romantic short story of about 5200 words. Love in the time of the milk harvest can be painful, but Harvey and Delilah find ways to make it work.

I've been published in X and Y, and I won first place in Z contest. I'm a member of P writer's group, and have Q job with this writing related thing or R expertise in such and such job that lends itself to the story I'm submitting. I blog at www.mywebsite.com. (Or my author website can be found at www.mywebsite.com.)

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
[My Name]
[Email Address, especially if different than where you're sending it from]
[Address]
[Website]
[Phone Number, though a lot of places don't need this anymore]

Send It!:

Now, you've written, edited, and formatted your story. You've established your genre, narrowed down the market, researched the submission guidelines and editor name, and you've written your cover letter.

Check your story over one more time. Any typos? Any changes they've requested to format? Is it in standard manuscript format (minus any changes they've requested that differ from SMF)? Great, save and close. Attach that sucker to the email.

Now, check that you have the submission email address correct. Check that you have made the subject line whatever they've requested. If they have no request for the subject line, make it simple: Fiction Submission-Last Name-Cow Tales.

Check your cover letter. Did you include story name, story genre, word count, and some brief information about yourself? Did you include any information that might tip you over the top when they're considering your story? Do you bring a specific type of expertise or belong to a writer's group that has requirements to get in (such as 3 pro-market story sales)?

Check for typos. Good?

Hold your breath and hit send.

Keep Track:

Then record somewhere that you submitted X story to Y publication (you can do this on Duotrope and The Grinder. I also keep a spreadsheet on my computer). If it allows for simultaneous submissions, look for another market to send it to. (Note: I used to do simultaneous submissions until I sold a story, only to have the magazine tank before publication. I had withdrawn the story from the place I'd submitted to at the same time, so I could not send it to them again, whereas I could have sent it to them once the other place tanked. Even worse, they'd held it long past when they usually held stories, which possibly meant they were considering it. So I may have made a sale to them if this situation hadn't occurred.)

Rejections:

When you get a rejection, which is inevitable unless you're the most amazing writer ever, do not reply. Though I've been told it's sometimes acceptable to write a quick thank you if they've taken the time to give you solid feedback on your story. Just file or delete the email (depending upon your preference--I keep them so I can print them up and place them behind the acceptance I ultimately get), find a new market to submit to, and submit that puppy, making sure to comb through their submission guidelines and make any necessary changes to your submission.

Acceptances:

First, jump up and down and scream a little. Oh, is that just me?

Carefully read everything they have sent you. Read what they're offering you. Read the contract. Research any terms you're not familiar with. Research the type of rights they're purchasing. Make sure you're comfortable with what they're offering and expecting. Don't be hasty.

If you're good with it, follow whatever next steps they have laid out. If it isn't clear what they expect now, send them an email asking for that information. Sign. Provide any additional information. Send that puppy.

Then go write another story and submit that, too.

Did I miss anything? Do you have tips that differ from mine (share them!)? Do you have any questions about the submission process? Was anything unclear? Is there something you'd like me to expand on? What is the oddest request you have seen in submission guidelines?

May you find your Muse.

New Release: Under the Bed Magazine

This past Saturday was the release date for the issue of Under the Bed Magazine featuring my story, Know Thy Neighbor! This is officially the first magazine I've had a short story published in (though not my first acceptance into a magazine), so I'm incredibly excited! 

A simple jog ends in a night of terror for suburban mom, Rebecca. Her tormenter is the last person she'd expect, or so she thinks. Another surprise awaits her, this one more horrifying than the first. Do you know thy neighbor? 

I thought up this story while out on a late night walk. As I peered around at the darkened houses, avoiding the deeper shadows, I wondered who lived behind each of those doorways. Who might be staring at me from the night-blackened windows? We all now have the capability to look up registered sex offenders in the area, but what of those who haven't been caught? Times have changed, and we no longer know our neighbors the way we once did. Then again, did we ever really know them?

Needless, to say, the rest of my walk was spoiled by these thoughts, putting me on edge. When I got home, I sat down and immediately wrote this story while the trepidation was fresh in my mind. John Wayne Gacy was well liked, and I'm sure he wasn't the only one.

I'll never look at my neighbors the same way again.

Under the Bed Magazine

Published by Fiction Magazines

Volume 3, Number 7

Genre: Horror

Warning: Mature, graphic content

My Story: Know Thy Neighbor

Available in e-magazine at:

Fiction Magazines 

(in multiple formats)

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Various and sundry retailers of e-periodicals

Price: $3.99

A cool thing about this magazine is that it's peer chosen. The stories with the most votes from the team of curators are accepted by the magazine. It kind of makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know how this was chosen. Or would that be cold and scaly?

What do you think of the cover? Creepy enough? Do you sleep with your feet securely snuggled under the blankets, or do you hang them off the side? 

May you find your Muse.

Is it Flash, Short, or a Vignette?

By OCAL, clker.com

Once upon a time, people wrote stuff and published it on their own or sent it to places and hoped they would publish it. When did they start defining type of story by length? Was it in the beginning, or did it develop over time?

These days, you have to figure out your word count to define what you just wrote before you can submit it. Is it flash fiction, a vignette, a short story, a novelette, a novella, a novel? Is it one of a billion things I probably didn't think of when I wrote that list?

I've seen some confusion between flash fiction, short stories and vignettes. In fact, I've been confused on what makes a vignette versus a short story or flash fiction piece. So I decided to look into it and write a couple to try it out.

In general terms (with the understanding that different publications define them their own way):

Flash Fiction - There's a vast array of length definitions for flash fiction, but it is generally 1000 words or less. I don't think I've seen anything above 1000 words defined as flash fiction. Flash is also called a short-short, postcard fiction, and micro-fiction. Micro-flash is sometimes used as a term to define a super short piece of flash fiction (say, 100 words). Again, this is a general definition, that varies wildly between publications.

Short Story - Just as with flash, the length varies between publications. In general, we can say a short story is less than 10,000 words. Just to give you an idea. I've seen 2000-8000 words as a common basis in publications.

In both short stories and flash fiction, you are intended to write a full story, just with brevity. It's intended to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. There is meant to be some sort of character and/or story arc.

Vignette - Vignettes tend to be shorter, more like flash fiction lengths. However, the primary difference between a vignette and a flash piece is that a flash piece is still expected to have a beginning, middle, and end, just like a short story or longer work. But a vignette is more a snapshot in time, an idea, an impression or a moment in time versus a complete story that wishes to convey a story and/or character arc. It's a scene instead of an entire story. It can often be more elegant and descriptive, more intent to show an emotional sense than a story.

By Hanna Ghermay, clker.com

Vignettes are far less common than flash and short fiction. In fact, there is no classification for it at Duotrope, as they are more dependent on length for your submission type, and with vignettes it isn't all that simple. (Also, Duotrope defines short fiction as 1000-7500 words, with a novelette being 7500-15,000). A lot of places don't consider the vignette to be a real story, due to that lack of accepted structure, and a search will reveal a bunch of places with their own very specific definitions.

If you're curious about trying out the form, I highly recommend Vine Leaves Literary Journal to get a better understanding. You can read it free online, which is always a great way to get an understanding of a form of writing (read it, read it, read it!). While I don't pretend to be an expert on it, or even to have a full understanding of it, I'm working on it, and I find it interesting to write. It feels less restricted, and you can write what you feel instead of thinking it through too hard. Not a bad way to get into some writing mojo.

Have you ever written a vignette? Heard of one? Any publications interested in vignettes you'd like to pass along?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Stormy Sunset & Links

That's Pikes Peak at sunset during an overcast evening. Still snowy up there! Probably worse today, considering the amount of hail we got this evening.

Now for some links. Please bear in mind that these are merely links I've run across; I have not vetted them. Always do your due diligence when considering submission to any publication.

Accepting Submissions:

ZYZZYVA accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, essays, and artwork during their open submission period, the current one ending May 31. Payment unknown. Submission by postal mail only.

Penumbra eMag is seeking submissions with the theme of "Pain" for their August issue. Window closes June 1. They pay $.05/word. The next theme will be Lewis Carroll.

Dream Monocle Publishing is accepting submissions through June 1. Fiction of varying lengths (flash fiction to novel), graphic novels, poetry, and artwork. Speculative fiction. Payment unknown.

Electric Literature's Recommended Reading is taking submissions through June 1. Pays $300. Only original fiction during their spring submission period.

SORMAG is seeking articles based on the theme "Creating the Book," with a deadline of June 1. They also accept short stories, devotionals, and fillers on writing tips and tricks, etc. Pays $25 for articles, and varying amounts for the other types.

The New Smut Project is looking for their publications with the working titles of "Character-Driven Smut" and "50 Shades of Negotiation." Both close June 1. Pays in royalties and contributor copies.

Jaym Gates is seeking stories based on the Spirit of Place. Deadline is June 1. Flash fiction and short stories. Pays $.07/word.

Contests:

The Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize closes May 31. It will be awarded to "the most promising and innovative literary nonfiction project by a writer not yet established in the genre." Prize is a $12,000 advance and publication.

Wielding Power is looking for essays on today's questions. Current contest entry theme is "Is Secession Legitimate?" Deadline June 1. First prize is $1000.

Issues in Science and Technology is holding a science fiction contest. Deadline June 1. There are five major themes you can write to. Winners get $1500 and publication.

Any of these interest you? Anything to share? Submission news? How has your spring been? Any big storms? 

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Cover Mania! & Links

For [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, I thought I'd re-post the various book covers from the releases/reveals in the last month in case anyone missed them.

Fantastic covers!

Now for some links.

Accepting Submissions:

Coeur de Lion Publishing is open for submissions. They're looking for speculative fiction, especially science fiction. Each issue of the magazine will be available to read free online. Pays AUD $100 per story. Current reading period closes February 22.

Despumation Press is open for submissions through February 28. The current issue will be song stories, stories based on your favorite heavy metal song. Pays $10, plus a hard copy.

Fablecroft Publishing is taking submissions for their unthemed seculative fiction anthology, Insert Title Here. 2000 to 12000 words. Submissions close February 28. Payment is AUD $75, plus a contributor copy.

April Moon Books is putting out an anthology entitled Amok!, part of the Short Sharp Shocks series. They seek short stories about someone running amok, for all the various reasons that might occur. Payment is a contributor copy, plus there are five Editor's Choice Awards of $30 each.

Contests:

Whiteduck Publishing is seeking submissions from First Nation, Metis, and Inuit writers for Thunderbird Stories. Deadline February 28. First prize $1000. 

Blog Hops:

Starting today, Jamie Ayres is hosting a Can You Handle the Truth Book Release Blog Fest to celebrate her book, 18 Truths. Play a little 2 Truths and a Lie in bloggy form. This goes through the 28th, and I believe you can still sign up for it.

Michelle at Writer-in-Transit is hosting the Ubuntu Bloghop, February 18-21 (so you can pick the day of your posting). She's looking for a variety of creative posts to express the idea of ubuntu (defined on her blog).

Anything you'd like to share? Anything of interest above? Have you submitted anything so far in 2014?

May you find your Muse.

Insecure Writer's Support Group & Links

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for Alex J. Cavanaugh's...

My insecurity this month is about buckling down and writing consistently. I'm a sprint writer. When I finally buckle down and take my seat, I can throw together words left and right, a regular word slinger. But more often than not, I'm going to bed regretting my lack of progress, and beating myself up for spending too much time doing something else, whatever it was that day. It's not that I don't have the time, I've decided. It's that I don't seize that time whenever it presents itself. I have this erroneous way of thinking that causes me to look at the clock and be running through my head what I have to do throughout the day. If I have to be somewhere in 30 minutes, 40, whatever, I instantly think I don't have the time to write. I know I do this, I know it's wrong, and yet I continue to do so. It's a horrible habit I've established, and I don't understand it one bit.

Time to STOP!

What about you? What are your insecurities? Do you find that when you look back on your day you maybe had 20 minutes here or there you could have carved out for writing?

Now for some links.

Accepting Submissions:

Permuted Press is putting together Fat Zombie, "an anthology of unexpected survival stories from the apocalypse." November 30 deadline. Payment not listed.

War Stories is an anthology seeking military science fiction short stories. Pays 5 cents per word. Deadline November 30.

Contrary Magazine is seeking original commentary, fiction, and poetry. Pays $20 per author per issue. This issue's deadline is December 1.

Cohesion Press is putting together an anthology of military horror, entitled SNAFU. Short fiction and novellas. Deadline December 1. Pays AU 3 cents per word, plus e-book, hard cover and paperback contributor copies.

The Summer Review is in their open submission period through December 1 for fiction and non-fiction, and poetry through February 1. Pays $25 per printed page, plus contributor copies.

Cleis Press has put out a call for their anthology Take This Man, focusing on romantic erotica focused on committed male couples. Deadline December 1. Pays $60 per story, plus a copy of the book. They are also taking submissions for Me and My Boi: Queer Erotic Stories. Same deadline, but pays $50 per story.

Contests:

Loose Change Magazine is holding a contest sponsored by Power2Give and the City of Atlanta. The poetry deadline is already closed, and the prose deadline is November 15. $125 first prize, with additional cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd, plus publication to their "Best of" anthology.

Dappled Things is holding their J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction. The theme of your short fiction story must be someone straddling two worlds. Deadline November 29. $500 cash prize, plus publication for the winner and 9 honorable mentions.

Quantum Shorts is holding a flash fiction contest. Deadline December 1. Must be linked to some aspect of the quantum world. Cash prizes and a 1-year subscription to Scientific American for first through third place.

Blog Stuff:

The lovely Mina Lobo, of Some Dark Romantic, is hosting her second Resurrection Blogfest. This Thursday, November 7, post a link to a post you did between November 8, 2012 and November 6, 2013, so it can get the bloggy love it deserves, and maybe didn't have the first time around.

Interested in any of these? Any good news to report? Have you submitted anything recently?

May you find your Muse.