Tuesday, December 30, 2008

2012AD Anthology

Severed Press seeks short stories for its new Apocalypse anthology, 2012AD. Stories should be based around the Ancient Mayan prediction of the world ending on December 21st 2012. Stories can be Horror, Dark humor, Monsters, Zombies, Sci-Fi, Biblical (Antichrist, four horseman ETC) Evil from other dimensions in fact anything goes.

Payment: Payment will be $0.01 word based on the final edited version. Rounded to the nearest hundred words, plus one Authors copy.

Stories for anthologies should be between 2000-8000 words and be submitted with a brief Bio and a synopsis of your story in standard form as an attachment to anthologies@severedpress.com please advise us if story has been published before.

The deadline for submissions are as follows:

2012AD - 15/04/09

Sunday, December 28, 2008

TRIANGULATION: Dark Glass

Triangulation is an annual 125-150+ page short fiction anthology that publishes science fiction, fantasy, horror, and any other speculative fiction that caught the editors' fancy. Every year we have a theme: 2009's theme is "Dark Glass". We pay semi-pro rates and are available online at places like Amazon.com. We use Lulu.com as our printer, so if the publish-on-demand thing leaves a foul taste in your mouth, avoid us. We're a small outfit but we work hard to produce a quality product; Asimov's Science Fiction said we were "equal to any issue of your favorite prozine."

No, we don't get tired of mentioning that Asimov's said nice things about us.

We define "short fiction" as "up to about 5,000 words or so." We have no reason to impose hard and fast arbitrary word limits, but we are interested in publishing a wide variety of entertaining and literate stories, so the more space a story would take, the more it will need to impress us. If you have an awesome story that exceeds 5K then by all means send it; but be warned that if you're closer to 10,000 words, it will probably need to have the editorial staff cheering and high-fiving each other so much that the senior editor's roommate's poodle runs into the room to see what all the commotion is about. And that dog likes his naps.

We dig flash; there is no minimum word count.

We have no interest in getting more specific about the term "speculative fiction." Science fiction, horror, fantasy, magic realism, alternate history, whatever -- if there's a speculative element vital to your story, we'll gladly give it a read.

We love creative interpretations of our theme, "Dark Glass". Don't ask us what it means -- tell us what it means with a story that convinces us you're right.

We publish both new and established writers; the level of experience for the authors gracing our pages has ranged from "first time in print" to "Hugo winner." The majority of our stories usually wind up being from American authors, but we've had a number of international contributions; we're happy to consider work from anywhere in the world, just as long as it's written in English.

We will run mature content if we like the story. So make sure there's an actual story in that mature content.

We will gladly consider reprints. If the story ran someplace obscure, then it's probably new to our readers; and if it ran someplace high-profile, it's probably really good. Either way, we win!

No poetry. Sorry.

No fanfic, even if it's fanfic of a fictional universe that has passed into public domain. Cthulhu Mythos, I'm looking in your direction.

No thinly-disguised transcripts of roleplaying sessions, no settings obviously based on D&D or other such games. Don't get us wrong, we love to game ourselves -- which means our imaginations are probably too cluttered with elves and dwarves and orcs and the like as it is.

Submission deadline is March 31, 2009. All electronic submits must be sent by that time, all snail mail submits must be postmarked by that date.

Compensation:

We pay two cents per word (USA funds, rounded to the nearest 100 words, US$10 minimum payment) on publication and a single contributor's copy. The anthology will be published in late July of 2009. We purchase North American Serial Rights, and Electronic Rights for the PDF downloadable version; since we're cool with reprints, we really don't care whether we have firsties. All subsidiary rights released upon publication. Contributors will also have the option of purchasing additional copies of the anthology at-cost, exact price TBD.

How To Submit:

Electronic submissions make our lives easier. Please send your story to editor@parsecink.org. Please put your subject line in the format of "SUBMISSION: Story Title" so we can tell you apart from the spam.

We'll consider stories ONLY in the following formats:

  • .odt (OpenDocument Text -- format used by the OpenOffice.org suite) -- preferred format
  • .rtf (Rich Text Format -- generic document format that most word processors can create)
  • .doc (MS Word -- we're not crazy about it, but let's face it, it's the one most people actually use)

Please use industry standard manuscript format. There's disagreement on some of the exact details of the "standard" -- we're cool with that. We're not testing you to see if you can follow each and every niggling detail, we just want a manuscript that looks professional.

If you absolutely positively can't use email, please send the manuscript (with either a SASE or a return email address) to:

Triangulation 2008
134 Orchard Dr.
Penn Hills, PA 15235

No hand-written manuscripts. We gotta draw the line somewhere.

Please, no multiple submissions; only send us one story at a time. We'll get back to you promptly, we promise.

Response:

Expect to hear back from us within two months or less. Feel free to start sending us nagging emails if you haven't heard from us after two months.

Please please please include a phone number in your manuscript header. (See "standard manuscript format" above.) If that's not feasible for whatever reason, please include an alternate email address. As much as we love email, it's not the most reliable technology in the world, and if something goes awry with your address, we're both going to wind up frustrated. (We've responded to every story we've ever received, but we know for a fact that at least a few of those responses got eaten by gremlins lurking in the Internet's many tubes.)

Eligibility:

The senior editor's policy is that, in order for the Triangulation anthology to run a story written by somebody listed in the credits page, the story must be so awesome that the thought of not running it gives him night sweats. Otherwise, writers who personally know or are related to the editorial staff should feel free to submit. We're not worried about nepotism; we tell our friends that their writing sucks all the time.

Please note that most of the editorial staff attends the Write or Die (WorD) critique group which meets every other Tuesday in Monroeville, PA. Also note that WorD is an open workshop. If you live in or near the Pittsburgh region and have ever wanted to force a market's editorial staff to give you detailed feedback on a story, this is your chance.

Who We Are:

Triangulation is an annual anthology produced by PARSEC Ink, the publishing wing of the PARSEC science-fiction association in Pittsburgh, PA. A new edition of Triangulation has been published every year since 2003 (save for a brief hiatus in 2006 when we changed over to an international format).

Triangulation shares an informal relationship with PARSEC's annual short story contest, and in past years Triangulation editors have been recruited as mid-round judges. Authors who do well in the contest may be offered publication in Triangulation solely at the discretion of Triangulation's editors. However, contest entrants are encouraged to also submit their work separately to the anthology. We see the contest stories very late in the process, so if we find a "near miss" that we could see running if the author fixed a few problems, there might not be enough time left for the author to fix them.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Horror Anthology 2009

Comet Press is seeking short stories for an extreme horror anthology to be published in the summer of 2009 (trade paperback). We are looking for your most gruesome, disturbing, and scary tales. Some dark humor is acceptable.

Here is the twist on this collecton: We will prefer to see stories set in various times of past history. Including a historical or notorious figure, or legendary beast connected with that period would be a bonus. Below are just some examples:

Old West, WWII Nazi Germany, Ancient, Pre-Columbian, Biblical Era, Medieval, Pre-civilization, etc.

With that said, if your story is great, but has a modern setting, we won't reject for that reason.

Reading period: From December 15, 2008–February 28, 2009 (or until filled).

Word length: 3,000–10,000 words.

Multiple submissions: Up to two stories per author can be submitted.

Payment: 1/4 cent per word, $25 max. Payment will be made upon publication.

Reprints: We may consider reprints, please send previous publishing information with submission.

Return Time: Rejections will be sent as soon as possible. Stories that make the first cut will be kept until the end of the reading period. Authors will be notified right away if their story makes the first cut, then the final stories will be selected at the end of the reading period.

Artwork: We are accepting submissions for cover art for this book. Either email your artwork in .jpeg format (300 DPI) as an attachment, or provide a link to the art online. Put “ARTWORK SUBMISSION: HORROR ANTHOLOGY” in the subject of the email. Payment is $25.00. Email to the address at the bottom of this page.

Title Contest: Send us your ideas for the title! If we use it, we'll send you a free copy of the book! Put “TITLE CONTEST: HORROR ANTHOLOGY” in the subject of the email. Send as many as you like in the email. Email to the address at the bottom of this page.

Attach the entire manuscript as an rtf attachment. First page of manuscript should include your name, pen name if any, address and email address, and word count. Please include that first page info in the body of your email along with a brief blurb summing up the story and a brief bio. Manuscript should be in a standard format—double spaced, standard font and size. First line of paragraphs indented using word processor function (not tabs), no extra spaces between paragraphs, except for scene breaks. Italics should be italized, bold in bold. No headers or footers are necessary. Put “SUBMISSION: HORROR ANTHOLOGY” in the subject of the email.

Email to Comet Press.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

HIGHLIGHTS 2009 FICTION CONTEST

CATEGORY:
Contemporary world-cultures stories.

PRIZES:
Three prizes of $1,000 or tuition for the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua.

ENTRY DATES:
All entries must be postmarked between January 1, 2009, and January 31, 2009.

RULES:
No entry form or fee is required.

*Entrants must be at least 16 years old at the time of submission.

We welcome work from both published and unpublished authors. All submissions must be previously unpublished.

Stories may be any length up to 800 words. Stories for beginning readers should not exceed 500 words. Indicate the word count in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of your manuscript.

No crime, violence, or derogatory humor.

Entries not accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will not be returned.

Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked FICTION CONTEST. Those not marked in this way will be considered as regular submissions to Highlights.

SEND ENTRIES TO:
FICTION CONTEST
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431


WINNERS:
The three winning entries will be announced on Highlights.com in June 2009. These stories will become the property of Highlights for Children and will be published by Highlights. All other submissions will be considered for purchase by Highlights.

* We're sorry that we cannot consider contest entries from children under the age of 16. Young writers are welcome to submit their work for consideration elsewhere in the magazine. Guidelines are available on HighlightsKids. com.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Bylines 2010

We are now accepting submissions for Bylines 2010 Writers Desk Calendar and we invite dedicated, serious writers who have been published and paid for their work to submit an entry. All genres and disciplines are welcome.

Submission Guidelines

We're looking for succinct personal stories about the writing life. The oh-wow success tales, the naked truth about what motivates you, the heartache of rejection, the toughest lessons, the joy and pain of freelancing. Humor is good, so is pathos. Please avoid routine, trite, ordinary stories. Read the many insightful submissions in the current Bylines and you'll see what we mean. We strongly urge you to read these entries so you understand what we're looking for. Click on the links below for three examples of entries from previous Bylines.

Andrew Bill
Karuna Eberl
Nora Frances Horn

The best way to see what we're looking for is to obtain a copy of Bylines 2009. For order information, click on the "order Bylines" button at the left.

Writer's Bio
A few sentences about yourself. You're not dry and boring, so your bio shouldn't be either. Give us your accomplishments but round out your profile so our readers feel like they'd like to meet you for coffee. Or a beer.

Submission Length
The combined word count of your essay and bio should not exceed 300 words. We want room for your photo. However, don't send your photo yet. We'll let you know if your submission has been chosen and request your picture then.

Writer's Photo
If your submission is accepted, we will require a high resolution photograph. You may send a digital image as long as the resolution is 300 dpi or higher. If you do not have a high resolution digital image, please send us a quality snap shot that we may use. Please note, your photograph will not be returned. Do not send us your photo until you are notified that your submission has been accepted for the calendar.

Submission Method
Send your submission within the body of your email (NOT as an attachment) to: info@bylinescalendar.com. Include your full name, address, phone number, email address and website. Do not mail hard copies.

Deadline
Submissions must be received no later than February 1, 2009. Writers will be notified by April 15.

Fine Print
We reserve the right to edit submissions and bios chosen for Bylines but you will have the opportunity to approve any changes. Bylines has one-time use rights. Submissions and photographs will not be returned. We will accept previously published work; just let us know when and where it appeared. Writer agrees that pull quotes from their submission may be used on the Bylines web page, or in other marketing.

Writer Compensation
1. Exposure and promotion. Bylines is sold at bookstores nationwide and on the Internet. Your website and email address are listed in the calendar (with your permission), and we provide a link from our website to yours. If you're the outgoing type, we help arrange book signings at your local bookstore and/or interviews with your local media. We also send out hundreds of press releases. 2. You get one free calendar and discounts on additional purchases. 3. Money. It's only $5, but at least you can count us as a paying market. Remember, this is a labor of love, a tribute to writers and a break-even project.

Publisher
Sylvia Forbes
sylvia@bylinescalendar.com

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Thoroughbred Time Fiction Writing Contest $750 First Prize

1) Entry must be fiction and pertain to an aspect of the Thoroughbred industry

2) Entry must be original material. Previously published work is not eligible. Entry submitted to a previous Thoroughbred Times Fiction Contest is not eligible.

3) Entry must be a maximum of 5,000 words, typed or computer-printed, and double-spaced on 8 1/2" x 11" white paper. Entry that exceeds word count is not eligible.

4) Each author may submit only one entry.

5) Author acknowledges that he or she solely owns the work and that the work does not violate or infringe on any copyright agreements and does not contain any libelous material.

6) Each entry must be accompanied by a cover sheet that lists title of entry, author's name, mailing address, e-mail address (if available), and daytime telephone number. Do not include author's name and contact information on individual pages of entry.

7) Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2009.

8) Send your entry to Thoroughbred Times Fiction Contest, P.O. Box 8237, Lexington, KY 40533-8237. For overnight packages and those that require a return receipt acknowledgment, send your entry to: Thoroughbred Times Fiction Contest, 2008 Mercer Road, Lexington, KY 40511.

9) E-mailed entries will be accepted and should be sent to fiction@thoroughbre dtimes.com
. Entry should be in a Microsoft Word document and sent as an attachment to the e-mail.

10) No fax entries will be accepted.

11) Thoroughbred Times will acknowledge receipt of entries via e-mail or mail.

12) Entries will be judged by an editorial panel selected by the editors of Thoroughbred Times. Decision of the judges is final.

13) By submitting an entry to the Fiction Contest, the author acknowledges that Thoroughbred Times is hereby awarded the first North American publication
rights, and compensation to the author will be as outlined below. Thoroughbred Times reserves the right to publish any and all Fiction Contest entries
in Thoroughbred Times.

14) First-place winner will receive $750 and the work will be published in Thoroughbred Times. Second-place winner will receive $375 and the work will be published in Thoroughbred Times. Third-place winner will receive $200 and the work will be published in Thoroughbred Times. Any Honorable Mention winners that are published will receive a cash prize.

15) Entries will not be returned.

16) Employees of and/or regular contributors to Thoroughbred Times are not eligible.

17) To obtain the results of the contest, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Thoroughbred Times Fiction Contest Results, P.O. Box 8237, Lexington,
KY 40533
. For more information, contact Tom Law at (859) 260-9800 ext.125 or
fiction@thoroughbre dtimes.com.

http://www.thorough bredtimes. com/default. aspx

Friday, December 19, 2008

2009 Kathy Fish Fellowship

The winner of the Fellowship will receive $500.00, to be paid as follows: $100.00 on announcement of the winner, and $100.00 upon publication of each of the four issues in 2009.
* * *


It seems that many awards in people's names are established posthumously. We're ecstatic that we can recognize Kathy Fish while she's still very much alive and kicking. As she stepped down as our Fiction Editor, we at SmokeLong wanted to recognize Kathy's enormous contributions to the magazine and to the writing community as a whole. In particular, Kathy has always been a great champion of new writers and has exhibited an uncanny talent for finding previously unpublished writers whose work just shines.

We want to foster that sort of commitment to new writers, and in that vein, we created the Kathy Fish Fellowship. All writers previously unpublished in SmokeLong Quarterly are eligible to apply. Following are the guidelines for application and the terms of the award itself:

Application Guidelines
1. Applications should be emailed to fellowship@smokelong.com.
2. Applications should include five samples of your flash fiction (stories of a thousand words or less). These samples may be unpublished or previously published in venues other than SmokeLong. We'll be reading these to get impressions of each applicant's writing. The writing samples should, as a whole, best reflect your ability, style(s), etc. Show us who you are as a writer through these samples.
3. Applications should include a few paragraphs (under a thousand words total) about what you hope to accomplish in the next year with your flash writing. Are there specific elements you want to improve? A larger story you want to tell through a series of flashes? Help us learn how we can help you realize your goals should you win this award.
4. Samples and paragraphs about goals, etc. should be included in the body of the email, rather than as attachments.
5. There is no application fee.
6. Application deadline is December 20, 2008.

Fellowship Awards
1. The winner of the 2009 Kathy Fish Fellowship will be considered a "writer in residence" at SmokeLong for each of the four issues to be published in 2009. Each issue will include one flash by the Fellowship winner.
2. The winner of the Fellowship will receive $500.00, to be paid as follows: $100.00 on announcement of the winner, and $100.00 upon publication of each of the four issues in 2009.
3. The winner will be announced January 20, 2009.

Again, this award is open to any writer not previously published in SmokeLong Quarterly. It is not restricted to writing program students (as we are all, in some way, students of writing), although we will certainly be distributing this announcement to various writing programs. We also encourage teachers of writing to pass this announcement along to their students.

We're looking forward to reading your applications, and we want to once again extend our deepest gratitude to Kathy for all she's done for SmokeLong and for writers of flash fiction. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kath.

Previous Fish Fellows
2007: Beth Thomas
2008: Stefanie Freele