Writtenwyrdd

Opportunity Thursday

Anthology News & Reviews posted a new submission that you all might like to know about:

Blood Bound Books.  Short story contest and anthology call for submissions for Night Terrors: An Anthology of Horror.  Wanted:  750-5000 words (query for longer.)  Payment:  1st Place - $.05 per word, 2nd Place - $.01 per word, 3rd Place - 1/2 cent per word, runners-up - 1/2 cent per word.  "Stories ...must be rooted in the realms of horror/dark fiction. Science fiction and dark fantasy will be considered as long as it has a strong element of horror. Try to avoid classic horror conventions, unless you incorporate a new twist. Remember, evil has no boundaries and neither do we! Nothing is off limits, so take advantage of the freedom. We'll accept stories in any setting or time period, as long as it's well written, powerful and original. Most importantly, scare us. We want to be haunted by your story long after we put it down. Gore and sex are acceptable, as long as it serves a purpose. If we start receiving an abundance of common themed stories, I will update this page so authors have a better idea of what we still need, but for now it's wide open."  Submissions guidelines here.

Opportunity for novella writers

Failbetter.com, which publishes fiction on the web (no payment, sorry) is holding a novella contest.  Entries due May 15th, 2010. First prize nets $500.  Details here.

Samhain Publishing Anthology Opportunities

This is a publisher you should check out fairly regularly.  They have open calls for anthologies most of the time.  So if you aren't sure what to tackle next for a novella length, this is the place to get an idea.

Samhain Publishing. Electronic and print publisher.  Want:  "Samhain Publishing is now open to general submissions of all genres of romance and erotica, as well as fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction with strong romantic elements. We are refocusing our efforts and will no longer be accepting submissions in other genres for the time being, including women’s fiction, chick lit and young adult."  Main submissions page here, where you can see what they have cooking in general and can find novel-length submissions guidelines. 

In specific, they have currently a couple of projects open for submissions, two anthology opportunities I wanted to share:

Red-Hot Fairy Tales Anthology.  Want:  Novellas 20,000-25,000 words in length.  "[O]pen to any genre, M/F, M/M, or multiples thereof. [They are] looking for your super-hot take on the fairy tales we grew up with and… there must be a Happily Ever After."  Pay: "offers 40% of the cover price (as set by Samhain Publishing, Ltd) for a single-author ebook."  Deadline:  February 1st, 2010.  Publication date: August 2010.    NOTE:  They do say that "[o]ur contract requests full rights to the work, including both digital and print [but this] is fully negotiable and available for review upon acceptance of your story."  So you might need to get them to agree for one-time rights or whatever you feel is appropriate.

Steampunk Romance Anthology.  Want: Novellas 25,000-30,000 words in length.  "[A]s a primarily romance publisher, we require all stories for this anthology to fit into the romance genre, complete with “happy ever after” or “happy for now” ending." Pay: "offers 40% of the cover price (as set by Samhain Publishing, Ltd) for a single-author ebook."  Deadline: April 30th, 2010.  Publication date: Fall 2010.  NOTE:  They do say that "[o]ur contract requests full rights to the work, including both digital and print [but this] is fully negotiable and available for review upon acceptance of your story."  So you might need to get them to agree for one-time rights or whatever you feel is appropriate.

Novella opportunities

Novellas are seemingly more difficult to place, but on duotrope I found quite a few.  Here are some of them.

My top pick:  The Paper Golem, which has the stated mission of "address[ing] under-served niches. First, the vast pool of tremendously talented up-and-coming writers, as well as many already arrived writers who are still brushing off their shoes. Call it "paying it forward" or recalling our own roots, but as authors ourselves we feel that these fresh writers are the life-blood of fiction. Nurturing their work at the beginning of their careers is a critical task, one we are proud to take up. Second, providing a home for novella length fiction, an ideal length for our genre, but one which has been under-utilized because few markets exist for it. As readers, we're tired of missing out on brilliantly written stories simply because there's no where for their authors to sell them."  Submit novellas for next issue of Alembical, a recurring anthology via email: papergolemsubs@gmail.com.  Pay: not disclosed.

Panverse Publishing.  Anthologies consisting of spec fic novellas (17,500-40,000 words.) Currently seeking submissions for Panverse Two, due to go to press in Spring 2010.  Pay: $75.   "What we're looking for: Pro-level novellas. "What we don't want:  Military SF, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror, RPG, superhero, shared-universe stuff, etc.  Vampires and Cthulhu-mythos stories are strongly discouraged unless you've done something absolutely original with either theme. No gratuitous or wildly excessive sex or violence: what this means is that sex or violence which serves the plot is okay, within limits; the same goes for language. Think R-rated rather than XXX-rated." "Depth of characterization will count for a lot – however clever the idea, if we don't care for the protagonist, we'll bounce it. We like stories that instill wonder. Subject matter is pretty wide open. If we care, can't put the story down, and find no big holes in the plot or worldbuilding, you've got a good shot."  Submissions are open until filled.  Submissions page here. 

Wildchild Publishing publishes the Weirdly anthologies, but is currently closed to submissions.  Check back here periodically to see if there is anything new.  (I list it because Weirdly is a great anthology.)

You can check out more sf opportunities on duotrope.com. 

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Paper Golem has an excellent list of small presses as well:

Aqueduct Press 
Ben Bella Books 
EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing / Tesseract Books 
Fairwood Press 
Golden Gryphon Press 
Hadley Rille Books 
NESFA Press 
NightShade Books 
Prime Books 
PS Publishing 
Robert J. Sawyer Books 
Small Beer Press 
Subterranean Press 
Tachyon Publications 
Wheatland Press

Opportunities for short fiction

I've fallen off the Opportunity Thursday wagon and have today climbed back upon it.  Hope some of these are good for what you have on the stove!

Brain Harvest - emagazine that likes it speculative, shocking, and short (750 words or less.)  Submission guidelines here.  Pay is above the average.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - a fantasy emagazine that loves literary fantasy, or any sort of fantasy that's set in a world substantially different from our own.  Submissions page here.

Stygian Publications/Necrotic Tissue.  Stories exactly 100 words or 101-5,000 words.  They want horror:  We are into horror, both speculative and psychological. We assume all stories submitted are fictional, so if they aren't, don't ever tell us. Any cross over genres with a strong horror element will be considered. Dark humor, that is done well, (how is that for subjective?) is always appreciated. Submissions guidelines here, but closed for submissions until January 1st, 2010.  Pay: "The best story from each submission period will receive 5 cents per word, up to the maximum word count of 5,000 words for a total of up to $250 dollars."  Everyone else gets $.01/word.  NOTE: You can check out announcements for contests and calls for submissions by Stigian Press and its affiliated pubs here on their blog.

Anthology Opportunity

MBrane SF and Hadley Rille Books are doing a joint effort, open-source (shared world) anthology.   Details are here and here, and the shared-world bible is here.  The codicil is that you will be doing this for love...it's going to be released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license.

Opportunity Thursday

Another contest opportunity.  I've been having trouble getting access to my database service and so haven't dug up new submissions opportunities for you guys.  Sorry!  I'll get back to it eventually.

In the meantime, lots of contests out there.  (And you can thank my homie, Sue G for this bunch.  She's more a poetry gal, but sends me good links here and there for other stuff.)  The ones listed here have short deadlines, but I thought that I'd give you a heads up in case you had something gathering dust or hot off the press.

Writer's Digest 10th Annual Short Story competition.  
We're looking for fiction that's bold, brilliant...but brief. Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer.  But don't be too long about it—the deadline is Tuesday, December 1, 2009.  Go here to enter.

PRIZES
First Place: $3,000
Second Place: $1,500
Third Place: $500
Fourth Through Tenth Place: $100
Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer's Digest Books

DIAGRAM announces the second Hybrid Essay Contest, with a deadline of October 31, 2009. "We still don't know exactly what we mean by hybrid, and we would certainly prefer to leave definitions up to you. We don't like them. We think the term hybrid suggests a resistance to definition. I guess the only way to describe it is we're looking for essays that are in some way outside the traditional boundaries of the genre. The lyric essay is a great example of a hybrid form: an essay that is essay but also poem. So we're looking for fusion of one sort or another. In particular we'd like to see work with greater visual components, or perhaps audio, or something that will amaze and beguile us. You can check out the issue with the finalist essays in early 2009 if you like, though again, we want crazy, awesome (maybe nixing the comma between them) stuff."  $15 entry fee.  $1,000 and publication to the winner.  Email submissions okay.  Deadline:  October 30, 2009. 

Dana Awards Literary Competition.  "We offer our three $1,000 awards annually in the Novel, Short Fiction, and Poetry, our traditional awards....Whether fiction or poetry, it must be work that is original yet not merely sensational for the sake of sensation."  Guidelines page.  Deadline: October 31, 2009.  No email submissions.

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Poets & Writers has a wonderful page, "Grants & Awards: Upcoming Writing Contests."  I got most of this post info from there.  And considering there's more money up for grabs on these contests than the small amount you get from a 'zine for a short story, it is worth looking into these things! (Note: some of these are out of date, but the magazines and entities cited appear to have recurring contests, at least some of them.)

Another anthology opportunity

Well, I've let my subscription to my favorite sff opportunity site (SpecFicMe-$19.95 for 2 years) lapse, and have just renewed.  So next week I should have some opportunities to share that aren't cribbed from one of my favorite writing-related news sites, Anthology News & Reviews.  Let me make it up to  you with this:

She's Raina, a cross between a white tiger and a Siberian tiger.  One of my friend Ken's sons is a tiger handler and she's one of his 'kids'.  Isn't she gorgeous, and isn't it cute how she's licking up snow flakes from the air?

Blade Red Press.  Length: short spec fic up to 7,500 words.  Pays: Payment is a flat rate of AUD$25 per story.  What they want:  Submissions must have some element of a speculative nature (scifi, fantasy, horror, alternate universe, steampunk, etc.) that is integral to the plot. Stories must also have a dark and gritty edge. We’re not a Young Adult or Kids publisher – we’re looking for tales that disturb, dismay and unsettle, yarns that stay in the mind long after they’re read. We like our dark tales to be clever and interesting rather than blatant. Dark doesn’t mean tortureporn or slash and slay. We are interested in all aspects of speculative fiction, so surprise us with your imagination...Blade Red Press is not a straight horror publisher, so we’re looking for a variety of speculative fiction with a dark edge. Surprise us!  Submissions: via email to contact@blade-red.com.  File as .rtf attachment. 

NOTE Blade Red Press is a new publisher, hence the low payment.  They pay via PayPal as well.

Another anthology opportunity

From the great blog, Anthology News & Reviews, an announcement of a great-sounding opportunity.

Lame Goat Press wants submissions for its INNER FEARS ANTHOLOGY (to be published in 2010 sometime.)  LENGTH: 1000-5000 words.  PAY: $.02 per word and shared royalties (see the site for details).  They want "stories about a character who has an inner fear. Whether it's your inner fear or a fear of one of your characters doesn't matter to me. The genre will obviously be horror, but I'll be flexible on what other elements it has (sci-fi, fantasy, etc.). I'd prefer third person stories where the fear really grips the reader. I'll accept some first person narratives if they're well written, but as I'll probably receive an abundance of those, they must be VERY well written to be accepted."  DEADLINE:  December 20, 2009.  SUBMISSIONS:  Submissions to William Wolford at wgwolford@gmail.com with "Inner Fear submission" in the subject line, doc in .rtf format. Include a cover letter with your name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and publication history. Also, a short author's biography of around 100 words.

Opportunity for a big prize

Anthology News & Reviews announces a contest that has a short deadline (October 1st):

The Missouri Review is now offering $15,000 in prize money for the 19th annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editor's Prize Contest -- $5,000 per genre in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Past winners' work has been reprinted in the Best American series. Each entry is $20. All entrants receive a one-year subscription to The Missouri Review either in print or in the new environmentally friendly digital format, which includes bonus audio content. The deadline is October 1st, and you can enter online or by mail. For details, check out our webpage: http://missourireview.com/contest

Opportunity for...what? Bacon horror, you say?

I am scheduled for surgery this morning, so think kind thoughts of me, please, and I'll be back online to chat at you with live (instead of those moldy canned) tidings (or bitchiness as the case may be) in a few days.  In the meantime, enjoy this shared post from Victoria Mixon's blog.  (If you don't follow her, you might consider it.  She has lovely things to share with writers.)

This is too bizarre NOT to pass on to you guys:

Victorya of the Library of Living Dead Forum is proud to announce the latest anthology, Baconology!

Bacon has long been a staple in our breakfast diet, so it’s time bacon gets its due in literature–with a horror twist! Write a terrifying tale, from 1K-5K words, where bacon is the star of the show! Let’s not just make it fun, but a wee-bit unpredictable (no bacon kills because of the cholesterol–positive portrayals of bacon are encouraged). Remember, as a Library of Horror production there needs to be an element of horror, but good sense of humor and a dose of the surreal are appreciated. Other traditional monsters are allowed as long as bacon is a major component of the story (and yes, let’s make sure they are stories with a beginning, middle, and end). Send all submissions to baconhorror@gmail.com

I can make ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEES about the quality of this anthology or the integrity of the people involved. I’ve never heard of them before–this notice just came through a writer’s list this morning. But they sound like complete maniacs. I like that in writers!

If any of you do submit, please let us know how it goes!

No deadline, no payment information, just the submission information.  But it might be worth querying.  Also the site, Library of the Living Dead Forum, is all things zombie, all the time.  if that sort of thing punches your ticket, you might want to go over there and explore.

See ya on the flipside, folks!

Opportunity @ Writers of the Future

L. RON HUBBARD'S WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST - quarterly; sf/f/h/SpecFic (fic). Words: <17k. Fee: $0. 3 quarterly Prizes=$2250 +pub; 1 annual Grand Prize=$5000.  Quarterly deadlines of 31December, 31June, 30March, 30September.  This is one you should polish up your prose for, folks.  I mean, can you say RECOGNITION?  The rules page.  Specifically you non-published or slightly published should note:  "The Contest is open only to those who have not had professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits."

Yes, I'm dogging this one--because it's such a great opportunity for an unknown writer.  Come on, do it.  You know you want to!

Bonus Opportunity with Angry Robot

From the Authonomy newsletter:

We're giving you the chance to have your short story published in Angry
Robot author Lauren Beukes' next book. In order to enter, all you need to
do is write a short story (up to 3000 words) based in the universe Lauren
created in her first novel, Moxyland. Use characters, themes and settings
from her book to create your own work.

Moxyland is available to read on authonomy now.
http://authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=10869

Or, if you prefer, you can read the whole book using browse inside.
http://browseinside.harpercollins.co.uk/index.aspx?isbn13=9780007323890

You can enter the competition by copying your entry into the comments
section of the Moxyland book page. Over the next couple of months, Lauren
will be on the site and reading every story with her favourite 3 going into
her next book, out in Spring 2010. The closing date for entries is
September 11th 2009. The winners will be announced at this year's [British Fantasy Society's]
FantasyCon which will be taking place in Nottingham, UK. For more
information, go to http://www.fantasycon.org.uk

Click on the following link to read the full Terms and Conditions:
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/legal/Pages/angry-robot-competition.aspx 

[I'm not posting it as a regular opportunity because of the specific nature of the requirements for this opportunity, which likely excludes 99.9% of you all.]

Another anthology opportunity for the experimenter in you

From Anthology News & Reviews, an interesting opportunity for experimental fiction (a category into which spec fic can nicely slide):

A Handsome Laundrette, a Box of Lovers and Two Dozen Happy Seacows for Anthology "Moonlight tubers."  Stories: Up to 5000 words.  What they want.  "[S]tories of an experimental, odd, or surreal nature." Payment: $50 (Australian)  Deadline:  August 30th 2009.  Submissions via email, .rft attachment, to moonlighttuber@ gmail.com No reprints.

"AHLABOLATDFHS is open to writers of all varied nations, but is particularly interested in publishing Australian writers and funny dogs."

Not One Of Us

Here's a print magazine I just discovered. 

Not One Of Us.  Want: Short stories up to 6000 words.  Pay:  ¼¢ per word ($5 minimum).  "Not One of Us is about people (or things) out of place in their surroundings, outsiders, social misfits, aliens in the sf sense—anyone excluded from society for whatever the reason. We want to explore “otherness” from every possible angle: horror, SF, fantasy, whatever... We prefer stories of 6000 words or less. While we’re willing to read stories up to 7500 words long, they are a harder sell because of the size limitation of our format. We prefer poems of 40 lines or less, although we’re willing to read longer poems. Just not ones of epic length. "  Submissions.

Cross-genre opportunity: GUD Magazine

Here's one that I should have mentioned a while back: 

GUD Magazine, aka Greatest Uncommon Denominator. 

Payment: a minimum of $5.00 per piece, or $.03/word for longer pieces, first rights, or minimum $2.00 per piece, $.01/word for reprints. "When we publish your story, we pay you. Every time your story sells, we pay you. If we include it in an anthology, we pay you. If an issue does particularly well, you're looking at pro rates plus. If not—well, it may mean we've lost some money, but you've got your semi-pro in hand."

What they are.  GUD is a twice-yearly publication in either electronic or print format.  They have an experiment going on, a pay as you read sort of thing, which is sort of described in the payment section above. 

What they accept.  "We publish work in any genre, plus artwork, factual articles, and interviews. We'll publish something as short as 20 words or as long as 15,000 words, as long as it grabs us. Be warned: We read a lot. We've seen it all before. We are not easy to impress. Is your work original? Does it have something to say? Read it again. If you genuinely believe it to be so, send it. "  And the editor further states, "Send me clever Flash fiction, send me meaty 8,000 word stories, send me evocative poetry. And art. I love well-composed art! I especially love: alternate history; derelict spacecraft (unless you blow them up at the end, boo hiss); aircraft (incl planes, airships, balloons, why); cats; horses; strong women characters (but not 'kickass heroines'); puzzles. I am not so fond of: conventional horror; zombies; vampires; werewolves, etc, but you can always surprise me. Please note: cover art for #6 has already been purchased; all interior art will be printed in monochrome. luv the Ed..." so I think your speculative fiction has a really good shot at being accepted. 

Submissions page here.

And somehow our beloved SF SQRL is involved... Just sayin'...

Contest (and critique) opportunity

To celebrate their graduation from beta status, Anthology Builder is hosting a contest.  The challenge? Write a 1,000-10,000 word short story  to go with something from the Anthology Builder database of cover art and submit.  All finalists win a $30 gift certificate from Anthology Builder, and a critique of their story by Nancy Fulda, assistant editor at Jim Baen's Universe.   Deadline: September 30.  Details here.

Flash opportunities

Via a link in Querytracker, here's a market for 500-1,000 word flash fiction:

Flash Fiction Online.  500-1,000 words.  Pay: $50 (professional rate)!  They are looking for well-rounded stories in this short format, and they mean it.  Check out their thoughts on stories here. 

There are other flash venues; but this one pays a lot better for flash than most of the free ezines out there.  You might see what you can come up with and submit!

Open Call Opportunities with some of the Big SpecFic Magazines

Several magazines are major players in the spec fic short story field.  You might consider them:  Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Clarksworld Magazine, Strange Horizons, and Weird Tales.  There are many others, of course, but these six are admittedly the Big Six in my mind.  They pay professional rates and they publish future and current heavy hitters.  Being accepted into the alumni club of these rags is an honor indeed.   

The downside?  Some of these guys don't accept simultaneous or electronic submissions.  Paper and snail mail are not my favorite means of submitting as they are slow and mean a trip to the post office.  (You can't win them all, though, right?)

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Fantasy & Science Fiction.  Pay: 6-9¢ per word on acceptance.  What they want:  "We are looking for stories that will appeal to science fiction and fantasy readers. The SF element may be slight, but it should be present. We prefer character-oriented stories. We receive a lot of fantasy fiction, but never enough science fiction or humor. Do not query for fiction; send the entire manuscript. We publish fiction up to 25,000 words in length."  Submissions:  Gordon Van Gelder, Fantasy & Science Fiction, P.O. Box 3447, Hoboken, NJ 07030.

Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.  Pay:  "Beginners get 6.0 cents a word to 7,500 words, 5.0 cents a word for stories longer than 12,500 words, and $450 for stories between those lengths." 
What they want:   "We seldom buy stories longer than 15,000 words...In general, we're looking for "character oriented" stories, those in which the characters, rather than the science, provide the main focus for the reader's interest. Serious, thoughtful, yet accessible fiction will constitute the majority of our purchases, but there's always room for the humorous as well. Borderline fantasy is fine, but no Sword & Sorcery, please. Neither are we interested in explicit sex or violence. A good overview would be to consider that all fiction is written to examine or illuminate some aspect of human existence, but that in science fiction the backdrop you work against is the size of the Universe."  Submissions: Sheila Williams, Editor, 475 Park Ave. South, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10016. 

Weird Tales.  Pay:  3-4¢ per word.  What they want:  Short stories of 10,000 words or less. "WEIRD TALES is looking for well-written work that is unusual and original; works of the fantastic, stories that are unique and strange with a proclivity toward the dark side. A new take on traditional storylines is also welcome as long as it is different and distinctive. Think in terms of the exploration of the imagination and stories which push the boundaries."  Submissions: Anne VanderMeer, fiction editor.  Email submissions to weirdtales@ gmail.com. 

Clarksworld Magazine.  Pay: 10¢ a word for works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. What they want:  "We have a firm word limit of 4000 words...Science fiction need not be "hard" SF, but rigor is appreciated. Fantasy can be folkloric, medieval, contemporary, surreal, etc. Horror can be supernatural or psychological, so long as it is frightening. There are no barriers as to levels of profanity, gore, or sexuality allowed, but high amounts of profanity, gore, and sexuality are generally used poorly. Be sure to use them well if you do use them."  Submissions: Online submission format.  "After completing the online submission form, you will receive an email confirmation with a tracking number. This number can be used at any time to check the status of your submission. "

Strange Horizons. Pay: 5¢ per word with a max of $50.  Short stories up to 5,000 words. They will consider up to 9k in length, but your chances of acceptance are greatly reduced past the 5k mark.  What they want:  "We want good speculative fiction. If your story doesn't have a clear fantasy or science fiction element, or at least strong speculative-fiction sensibilities, it's probably not for us.  We'd like to help make the field of speculative fiction more inclusive, more welcoming to both authors and readers from traditionally underrepresented groups, so we're interested in seeing stories from diverse perspectives and backgrounds.  We want stories that have some literary depth but aren't boring; styles that are unusual yet readable; structures that balance inventiveness with traditional narrative. We like characters we can care about. We like settings and cultures that we don't see all the time in speculative fiction.  We like stories that address political issues in complex and sensitive ways. However, we don't like heavy-handed or preachy or simplistic approaches."  Submissions:  Online submission form here.

Anthology opportunity for your inner demon (or angel) or your operatic spaceman

Over at Nice Mommy, Evil Editor, a post describing an opportunity at Samhain press for an angels & demons anthology. 

"Samhain Publishing is seeking submissions for their Spring 2010 demons and angels themed anthology. Stories can be of any genre or heat level, and submissions are open to M/F, M/M, or multiples thereof, but all submissions must feature either an angel or demon theme (or both!) as integral to the story. Submissions should be 20,000 to 30,000 words in length...To submit a manuscript for consideration please include the full manuscript (of 20,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-3 page synopsis in addition to a letter of introduction/query letter which details the genre, heat level and story length. Full manuscripts are required."  Submissions page.

Additionally, Samhain has a Space Opera Anthology in the works, details here.  Submissions are only open until August 10 on this one, so get off your kiesters, my writing friends and submit! 

Bonus content:  In case you need a refresher so you don't submit non-space opera, here's wiki's definition of space opera:

As David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer note in their 2006 anthology of space operas, "there is no general agreement as to what [space opera] is, which writers are the best examples, or even which works are space opera". They further note that space opera has had several key and different definitions throughout its history; definitions that were significantly affected by literary politics. They note that "what used to be science fantasy is now space opera, and what used to be space opera is entirely forgotten."

Early in its history, the term space opera was a pejorative term for the worst, "really bad" SF, and this definition of space opera remained in force till about the 1970s. In 1941...Bob Tucker (who was also science fiction writer Wilson Tucker) coined the term "space opera" (by analogy to "horse opera" and "soap opera") to describe what he characterized as "the hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn space-ship yarn, or world-saving [story] for that matter."  In other words, many works that today would be termed "space operas", would not have been called by that name originally.

Beginning in the 1960s, and widely accepted by the 1970s, the space opera was redefined, following Brian Aldiss' definition in Space Opera(1974) as "the good old stuff": adventure stories set in space.  Yet soon after his redefinition, it begun to be challenged, by writers such as Leigh Brackett, Lester del Reyand Judy-Lynn del Rey. In particular, they disputed the claims that space operas were obsolete. By early 1980s, space operas—adventure stories set in space—were redefined, and the label attached to major popcultureworks such as Star Wars. It was only in the early 1990s that the term space opera begun to be universally recognized as a legitimate genre of science fiction.

As Hartwell and Cramer note, since then, space opera means "colorful, dramatic, large-scale science fiction adventure, competently and sometimes beautifully written, usually focused on a sympathetic, heroic central character and plot action and usually set in the relatively distant future and in space or on other worlds characteristically optimistic in tone. It often deals with war, piracy, military virtues and very large-scale action, large stakes."

Contest opportunity!

Reposted:

"In Vino Veritas (Truth in Wine)" Short Fiction Contest

This spring, Jaye Wells released her kick-butt novel RED-HEADED STEPCHILD. Her debut. It was a wonderful moment for a hard-working writer and a great blog friend. (Go Jaye!)

RED-HEADED STEPCHILD had a birth of sorts back in August 2006 during the "Lonely Moon" contest here at The Clarity of Night. Jaye penned an honored entry called "I Can Dig It," which introduced the world to a rockin' female vampire/assassin burying her latest handiwork. That character is the beloved Sabina Kane now taking names and dishing punishment in her on-going series. Today, Jaye is returning to The Clarity of Night to inspire YOU, the next debut novelist who will ignite the world. Welcome to the "In Vino Veritas (Truth in Wine)" Short Fiction Contest in honor of Jaye and all of her accomplishments!! (Can I get an OH-YEAH?!!!) Please join me in welcoming her as co-host and in offering well-earned congratulations.

THE CONTEST WILL OPEN ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009.

Now, down to business. Here's how the contest works. Using the photograph above for inspiration, compose a short fiction (or poetry) piece of no more than 250 words in any genre or style. After the contest opens, send your entry to me by email at jevanswriter at yahoo dot com before 11:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 15th (Eastern Time, United States). I'd prefer attachments formatted in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect (please see the format request below), but if you have something more exotic, you can paste the text into the body of an email. Each entry will be posted and indexed.

Now for the goodies. The following prizes are up for grabs:

• 1st Place: $50 Amazon gift certificate and a signed copy of RED-HEADED STEPHCHILD
  
• 2nd Place: $30 Amazon gift certificate
  
• 3rd Place: $25 Amazon gift certificate
  
• 4th Place: $20 Amazon gift certificate
  
• 5th Place: $15 Amazon gift certificate
  
• Readers' Choice Award 1st Place: $30 Amazon Gift certificate and a signed copy of RED-HEADED STEPCHILD

But this is about more than prizes. I hope you take advantage of the opportunity to meet and interact with your fellow writers. Our different perspectives, styles, and skills shine when we all start at the same place. It's a great opportunity to learn from each other.

Rules:

1. 250 words maximum.
   
2. Titles are optional, but encouraged. Titles do not count toward your word count.
   
3. One entry per person.
   
4. Any genre or style is welcome. If you choose to submit poetry, you must have narrative movement within the poem if you wish to compete with the prose pieces for the prizes.
   
5. The copyright remains with you, the author; however, you grant me worldwide first electronic publishing rights to post your entry on this blog indefinitely.
   
6. Judging will be conducted by me, Jason Evans. For an explanation of the judging criteria and scoring system, see A Note on Judging. You can also read the winning entries from past contests. Judging will also be conducted by Jaye Wells as co-host. (See below.)
   
7. Please provide a name for your byline. If you have a website or a blog, I'd be happy to link your site to your byline. If you don't have a website or blog, feel free to include a short bio. A bio does not count towards your word count.
   
8. At the close of the contest, I will give the date and time for the announcement of winners.
   
9. After the winners are announced, I will post what I liked most about each entry in the comments.
   
10. The Readers' Choice Award is awarded by vote of the contest participants. The entry with the highest number of votes wins. The rules for this portion of the contest will be posted after the entry period closes.
    
11. Public critiques in comments are encouraged, but must remain respectful. I reserve the right to delete comments and ban participants who do not abide by the collegial spirit of Clarity of Night contests.
    
12. For prior contests and their results, see the links on the sidebar.

Format Request:
These are not rules, and I will not reject an entry which does not conform, but if you follow them, my work in running the contest is much less. For that, I will be eternally grateful!

1. Single space lines, and double space paragraph breaks.
   
2. No tabs or indents for new paragraphs.
   
3. If you have italics in your text, please code it for html by putting a begin italics code < i > where it starts and an end italics code < /i > where it ends.
   
4. Although it's rarely used, handle bold < b >< /b > and underline < u >< /u > the same way.
   
5. Write your title at the top of the document left justified in title case (first letters capitalized). On the next line write your byline left justified (example, by Jason Evans). Add two blank lines, then begin your story.

Judging By Jaye:

As co-host, Jaye will also be judging entries. She is not bound by my scoring system. Here's what she had to say about what she is looking for: "No matter the length, all good stories elicit emotion from the reader. As I'm reading the entries, I'll be paying attention to those that make me feel something--fear, sympathy, amusement, etc. Of course, I'm a sucker for clever word play (but not too clever, if you're trying too hard it shows). The third element is probably the most important: Originality. Surprise me with your take on the photo. Stretch your creative muscles and give me the unexpected. Good luck!"

Welcome to this latest contest! You can send your entries early, but the contest will officially open and entries will be posted starting on July 8th.

Help spread the word!

Today is Readercon, next week is Babelcon.

Readercon is an annual sf convention that's in the Boston area.  I could actually make this one if I could ever get the time off.  Here's some info for you, and maybe you can plan to be there next year!  And if you are free on the 17th, you can go to Louisiana and enjoy Babelcon!  (I think that's a good one; if I had to pick a place in the South to live, Louisiana would get my vote.)

I think I'll start a lit of annual conventions so that I can keep my eye on the prize and hopefully make it to one one of these days.  Maybe meet up with some of my blog friends.  Oh, wait!  Yahoo has done that for me...check out Upcoming.org group on yahoo here.  You can keep a calendar of events online.  Pretty cool site, actually.

Blog that you should watch for opportunities

Instead of actual content for Opportunity Thursday, I give you a  Cool Site, Anthology News & Reviews, which lists anthology opportunities on a regular basis.

New Markets!

Death Head Grin.  Length 500-6000 words.  Pay: $0.  "Focus on speculative fiction...all genres considered except for erotica or romance."  Open submissions as they are currently looking for submissions for the first issue.

The Fugitive's Hideaway.  SF/F/H. Length: 3-5k. Pays: $0.  "The Hideaway will eventually become a in-print/online speculative fiction magazine. We're open for submissions in all capacities and are trying to implement content fast, so submit ASAP. The first issue is on target to publish in July, the reading and submissions period will be open until 12:00am June 21st, 2009. Submissions after this are fine, they just will have to wait until later in the summer."

Emerald Tales.  Length: 4k. Pays: $40 flat.  Bi-montly print magazine.  All genres.  "Needs poetry and short fiction from a cross-section of genres all written on the same theme. There will also be an ongoing serial story of six installments, one installment per issue. Volume one: Theme: Follow the Butterflies."  Check the website for current themes and submission instructions.  Submissions@scribblersandinkspillers.com

NewFoundSpecFic.  Length: up to 4.5k.  Pays: $.01/word (Canadian$) or a flat $45 for stories exceeding 4.5k.  Bi-annual speculative fiction anthology.  Aims to showcase the creative spec fic stories of horror, fantasy and science fiction written by "many of the undiscovered talents of Canada."  Deadline: July 6, 2009 for the next issue.  (NOTE:  From the web site, it appears that submissions are not limited to Canadians.) 

CHEER UP, UNIVERSE (One Time Print - TBD) Needs: SF/F. Length: No limits. Pays: 1¢/wd ($15 max) "Seeking ORIGINAL speculative fiction stories (both SF and Fantasy) that make us feel good. Feeling good is subjective so going into specifics is not possible."  Submit: Ai_59@yahoo.com  This one sounded interesting.  I mean, upbeat futuristic fiction?  Tres droll!

HYPERSONIC TALES Length: 1k. Pays: $5.  All genres.  Looking for flash fiction.

QUEER GOTHIC (One Time Print/E anthology - Queered Fiction)  Length: 3-10k. Pays: 50% split royalty.  "We're looking for gothic tales of horror and romance. We are seeking fiction with positive images of queer characters. We’re not looking for clichés."  Submit: Editor@queeredfiction.com  Deadline: 08/31/09.  Publishing Date: Aug/Sep 2009

AND A CONTEST:

CHIZINE & Leisure Books are sponsoring a contest.  "Leisure Books, the company “leading the way in publishing paperback horror,”* is partnering with Rue Morgue magazine in association with horror fiction web site ChiZine, to present “Fresh Blood,” a new writing contest specifically for unpublished horror authors. The winner will receive a contract for publication in Leisure’s 2011 lineup....

Leisure is looking for finished horror novel manuscripts, either supernatural or non-supernatural, of 80,000–90,000 words. A panel of experts, including Leisure Executive Editor Don D’Auria and editors at ChiZine, will judge entries. The finalists will be announced in November 2009."

Confluence 2009 this month!

Say, if you aren't doing anything on the weekend of July 24th and you're in the area, perhaps you might consider attending Confluence!  It's an sf convention in Pittsburgh PA, and John Scalzi is the guest of honor.  (I actually have that week for vacation, but I am committed to getting some home improvement projets done and can't afford it this year anyhow.  But it sounds like it might be fun.)

WisCon 34: May 27-31, 2010

WisCon is a feminist oriented sf convention.  Per the site, "This is the world's leading feminist science fiction convention. WisCon encourages discussion and debate of ideas relating to feminism, gender, race and class. WisCon welcomes writers, editors and artists whose work explores these themes as well as their many fans. We have panel discussions, academic presentations, and readings as well as many other uncategorizable events. WisCon is primarily a book-oriented convention... with an irrepressible sense of humor."  Mary Ann Mohanraj is one of the guest speakers, too!

Workshop opportunity

Check this workshop opportunity out: F&SF's sponsoring a workshop led by Gardner Dozios, who was editor of Asimov's for twenty years.  Details here. 

I'm willing to plonk my money down for this one!

Contest!

Golden Gazette, part of Galaxy Press, has launched a new contest. It's not precisely about writing, but you needed to get your Halloween costume prepped anyhow, right?

The contest is simple; dress up as your favorite pulp fiction character and send your photo in to editor@galaxypress.com by email or by regular mail to:

GALAXY PRESS
Attn: Editor
7051 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

More details at the link!

 

Anthology opportunity

From Liana Brooks' blog, an anthology opportunity:

Way of the Wizards, John Joseph Adams editor.  Payment: 5 cents per word ($250 max), plus a pro-rata share of 50% of the anthology’s earnings and 1 contributor copy.  Word limit: 5000 words. (Stories may exceed 5000 words, but $250 is the maximum payment per story, and stories 5000 words or less are strongly preferred.)  Write about real magic wielders using magic.  Being different appears to be a plus.  Submissions:  July 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010...  So you have plenty of time! 

Opportunity for a horrifying Oz

Hey kids, here's one you know you want to tackle:  Horror stories set in the milieu of Oz!

Shadows of the Emerald City. Submission period ending: July 31^st, 2009. POD Anthology.  Pay $20 and one copy.  "Stories should come in under 10k words. Now I say should, because I'm not going to leave something amazing on the floor because it's 11k words, but it had better be something very special to be seriously considered. Anything in the 5-10k range is perfect. Unpublished work preferred, but please query if you have a previously published work that you think would fit this collection."  And "what we want to see are horror stories based on the world of Oz. This includes the characters, the settings, the world itself. We're deconstructing an American institution, so we'd like to see what you can come up with. Blood and gore, or explicit sex? By all means. As long as it reads as part of the natural progression of the story and not some fucked up penthouse letter.  Scare us. Disgust us. More than anything though, give us a reason to turn the page."

Tentative Publication Date: Fall 2009.  

Thanks to Cat Rambo's post on this one.

Coursework opportunity

This Opportunity Thursday I'm going to switch it up and provide you with opportunities that are not for submissions, but which are for furthering your writing education...for free.

You can do this yourself, too:  Google with the string "online writing course fiction" and you can find a number of interesting sites. 

University of Wisconsin has a free fiction writer's course.  This one in particular stood out for me.  Check it out here.

Education Portal offers a list of free courses offered by universities here.

Elearners has a list of online courses, some of which appear to be free.  Their site is here.

Fiction Factor online magazine for writers.  Some nice content here.

Reminder: Writers of the Future

L. RON HUBBARD'S WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST - quarterly; sf/f/h/SpecFic (fic). Words: <17k. Fee: $0. 3 quarterly Prizes=$2250 +pub; 1 annual Grand Prize=$5000.  Quarterly deadlines of 31December, 31June, 30March, 30September.  This is one you should polish up your prose for, folks.  I mean, can you say RECOGNITION?  The rules page.  Specifically you non-published or slightly published should note:  "The Contest is open only to those who have not had professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits."

Yes, I'm dogging this one--because it's such a great opportunity for an unknown writer.  Come on, do it.  You know you want to!

A novel contest

No, that's not a pun.  It just plays one on television.  Leisure Books is looking for fresh blood...that is to say, novels!

Call for entries:

Leisure Books, the company “leading the way in publishing paperback horror,” is partnering with Rue Morgue magazine in association with horror fiction web site ChiZine, to present “Fresh Blood,” a new writing contest specifically for unpublished horror authors. The winner will receive a contract for publication in Leisure’s 2011 lineup, as well as a contract from ChiZine Publications for a limited-edition hardcover release, also in 2011.

Leisure is looking for finished horror novel manuscripts, either supernatural or non-supernatural, of 80,000–90,000 words. A panel of experts, including Leisure Executive Editor Don D’Auria and editors at ChiZine, will judge entries. The finalists will be announced in November 2009.

Entries should be sent to Submissions@dorchesterpub.com by September 30, 2009.  For full entry details, visit www.dorchesterpub.com or www.chizine.com.

Another bonus opportunity!

On her blog today, Cat Rambo offers an opportunity to volunteer and gain valuable experience at Fantasy Magazine. Check it out here. 

Twitter opportunity

Well, it had to happen eventually.  A mag that publishes twitter.  As follows:

TWEET THE MEAT (new market)   Needs: H (weird). Length: 140 characters. Pays: $1. Per the mag:  "Tweet the Meat is a Twitter-only, horror/weird/speculative market." Open to submissions on Saturdays and Sundays ONLY.  Submit via email to Tweetthemeat@gmail.com.

...I wonder if they would publish serials?...

Opportunity Thursday - this time, contests!

Some contests with plenty of prep time:

Oncewritten.com (an online magazine) has the "2009 Midnight Hour Halloween fiction contest".  First prize: $500 and publication.  Runner up: $100 and publication.  Deadline: August 31, 2009.  There's a reading fee of $15, however, so you need to decide if you want to participate based on that.  per the site:  "Do you have a really great ghost tale to tell?  Are horror stories your specialty?  maybe you've written a Halloween story that you can't wait to share with the world?  Perhaps midnight is just a time of reflection for you and your characters.  Scare us, depress us, inspire us, we don't care, but tell us a great story about what happens in The Midnight Hour.  We aren't too strict with word counts, but use 3,500 words as a loose guideline."  http://www.oncewritten.com/Contests/MidnightHour.php

Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy (MISFITS) has the "11th Annual MISFITS Writing Contest."  First prize, Open Division:  $125 Amazon.com gift certificate.  Two winners will be chosen from this category.  Not much on what they want except, "Science fiction,fantasy, horror, supernatural or alternate history fiction." (There are also youth division and poetry division contests; check the site for details.)  Submissions:  April 1, 2009 through May1, 2009.

NOTE:  If you were already aware of this contest, check the rules link anyhow, as the rules have changed. http://www.misfit.org/writingcontest/rules.htm

Aeon, "Ireland's magazine of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror" presents the International Aeon Award.  Prize:  1,000 pounds and publication in Albedo One.  2nd and 3rd prizes are 200 and 100 Euro and publication in Albedo One.  Again an entry fee of  7 pounds.  http://www.albedo1.com/html/aeon_award.html  Length: No more than 8,000 words, no minimum length. Multiple entries are allowed (separately submitted, I presume.)  From the site:  "The contest opens 1st January 2009, and runs for four rounds throughout the year.  The submission deadline for the first round is March 31st, the second round [is] June 30th, the third round September 30th and the final round November 30th.  (i.e. you can submit any time from 1st Jan to 30th Nov.)  At the end of each round, the best story submissions received within each round will be chosen by a panel fo judges and shortlisted for the Award.  The stories chosen for shortlisting in each round will be announced…on the Albedo One website…shortly after the end of each round."

 

Opportunities via Angie

Angie listed a few anthology story opportunities, some erotica, some SF, some fantasy.  Check them out here. 

Opportunity for WTF? writing

Angry Robot Books is launching a new imprint looking for SF/F/WTF?!, due to launch in July 2009.  From the publisher:

Angry Robot ™ is a new global publishing imprint from the rather wonderful HarperCollins. Our mission, quite simply, is to publish the best in brand new genre fiction - SF, F and WTF?!

Traditional SF and fantasy has been ploughing an entertaining furrow for many decades, but to our way of thinking much of it is missing a trick. To the new generations of readers reared on Dr Who and Battlestar Galactica, graphic novels and Gears of War 2, old school can mean staid, stuck in a rut. “Crossover” is increasingly the way forward and you’ll find plenty of it here, without batting an eyelid. New heroes and new settings, or maybe just reinventing the wheel, we’re not fussed - if there’s an energy in a book that gets us jumping up and down, we’re all over it.

We know many readers are madly passionate about their genres. Angry Robot is too. If anything, we’re too passionate. We are fans, given at any moment to break into a lengthy harangue about why book X is a lost classic or author Y really should give it up already. The sheer joy, though, of being able to jump onto a table (only sometimes metaphorically) and tell the world about how bloody great a chosen writer or novel is, is what drives Angry Robot.

Submissions page here.

Opportunity Thursday returns!

Here's a small press I found a site for, oddly enough in the list section of an amazon.com page while I was trying to find a dvd of The Colour of Magic.  (For the record, there apparently isn't a Region 1 version out yet.  Guess I'll have to wait.)

Dybbuk Press.  Novel, out-of-print works, public domain works as translations. 

"Dybbuk Press, LLC is an independent publisher dedicated to producing quality works of strange and innovative fiction of all genres, but primarily in horror and experimental writing," and "is seeking new and out of print works for publication. Currently we are budgeted for only four books a year and we give preference to established writers with out of print work seeking to return that work to print. Please contact us with proposals. Dybbuk Press is primarily looking for both new and out-of-print novels, as well as translations (Yiddish, Japanese and French) of public domain works." 

They print anthologies mostly, it appears.  So if you have a previously-published story that seems to fit their description, or if you have something new, they might be the folks for you.

And a bit of a vocabulary lesson from their home page:  A dybbuk is "in Jewish folklore, the wandering soul of a dead person that enters the body of a living person and controls his or her behavior."  Nice word.  Might be able to use it someplace.

Act fast! An opportunity knocketh!!

The Knight Agency has a Book In a Nutshell opportunity, as in a competition to get them to look at your manuscript.  Check out the details here.

Oh, and the funniest damn video ever from Cute Overload.

Magical realism, anyone?

"Briefly, the concept of Magic Realism has to do with the concept of "heightened reality" or the addition of another dimension of reality through a symbolic or metaphoric structure. It gives us a new way of perceiving the world, as if through a child looking at the world for the first time. The term is a derivation of "lo real maravilloso" which means literally, "The Marvelous Reality." Alejo Carpentier (l904-l980), a Cuban historian, is credited with coming up with this term in l949."  Bruce Taylor, author

Where reality has a bit of the mystical, the magical, the mystery bus-- Okay, I'll stop now. 

Magical realism is, as I understand it, more a literary fiction in that it has elements of the surreal or fantastic, but that isn't the focus of the novel.  Lovely Bones, The Ten People You Meet in Heaven, The Time Traveler's Wife,  Like Water for Chocolate, or even Life of Pi are Magical Realist books, as I understand the term.  And you wouldn't find them on the science fiction and fantasy shelves. 

If the trend toward the fantastic is so pervasive, how come this sub-genre is literary and not speculative fiction?  Speaking of bizarre stories, how bizarre is that?

MARGIN (A site dedicated to "exploring modern magical realism"--they even have a reading list) defines magical realism a little more broadly, via questions of all things.  Of particular note are two that seem to clarify my impression: that the world of the magical realistic story is basically the real world with fantastic elements:

• "Does my fictional world clearly resemble my own real world? Does it share the same historical and/or cultural realities?"
• "Do I achieve a sense of enchantment without using fantastical devices and creatures -- i.e. crystal balls, dragons, magic spells, elves -- in favor of realistic objects and characters?"

So magical things just happen because they happen and you thus have a magically realistic book.  (Whew. Glad we cleared that  up.)

But if you have one of those odd little stories that just doesn't seem to fit into a square OR a round hole, you might consider if it sounds at all mainstream fiction or literary and maybe meets the criteria for this sub-genre.  If so, you can try submitting to Periphery.Online ezine, but it's not accepting submissions until "late 2009."

Where to submit your stuff

Tara Maya posted some info on who publishes the new authors.  She nods to Cat Rambo who linked to the info here.  She also posted a very useful example of what not to do as a writer first. 

F&SF: 3%
Analog: 5%
Asimov's: 20%
Baen's Universe: 21%
Intergalactic Medicine Show: 32%
Interzone: 40%
Realms of Fantasy: 51%
Clarkesworld: 61%
Strange Horizons: 68%
Weird Tales: 72%
Chizine: 78%
Fantasy Magazine: 88%

(See? 'Wasting time' by checking out the blogs of interesting commenters on blogs you already read is a great way to find info and make connections with really fascinating bloggers and information.)  Alas, I've subbed to a couple of the big takers of new voices and been rejected.  (Was it something I wrote? she asks disingenuously.)

Reminder: Writers of the Future

L. RON HUBBARD'S WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST - quarterly; sf/f/h/SpecFic (fic). Words: <17k. Fee: $0. 3 quarterly Prizes=$2250 +pub; 1 annual Grand Prize=$5000.  Quarterly deadlines of 31December, 31June, 30March, 30September.  This is one you should polish up your prose for, folks.  I mean, can you say RECOGNITION?  The rules page.  Specifically you non-published or slightly published should note:  "The Contest is open only to those who have not had professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits."

Opportunity Thursday

From the Query Tracker newsletter:

Firebrand Query Holiday

-----------------------

If you haven't already heard, Firebrand Literary is trying something new for the holidays. Instead of requesting query letters, they would like writers to send them their first chapters. Because, as they put it, “The ability to write an amazing first chapter is a much more important skill, as a novelist, than the ability to write a good query letter. So as a gift for the holidays, we’ve decided to skip the query stage.”

 

This is a great opportunity, especially if you have a weak query letter or one of those stories that just doesn't query well.

 

For more information, visit their site at: http://firebrandliterary.com/query-holiday

 

Opportunity Thursday - Children's markets!

You  may not have considered children's markets before.  Perhaps this is in  your best interests, because the market for speculative fiction seems pretty limited for this particular niche.  Nevertheless, I bring you the four I managed to find within an hour.  Have fun!

LABYRINTH'S DOOR.  Stories 3.5-5k. Poetry length (?). Pays: $.20/word.  NEW MARKET.
This is a bi-monthly print magazine seeking YA F/SF.  "Labyrinth's Door is a bi-monthly, full-color, advertising-free, fantasy/adventure magazine for children ages 8 to 14. The primary mission is to provide great and exciting fantasy/adventure stories that pushes the imagination and that creates worlds of enchantment for children around the world. We are looking for top quality writing with an engaging plot, developed characters and lively language based on the genre of fantasy/adventure. Stories should engage readers quickly and have a satisfying conclusion. The main protagonist should be between the ages of 8-14 and directly involved in the adventure. Please do not submit contempary or horror stories."   Submission guidelines. 

BOY'S LIFE MAGAZINE.   Length: 1-1.5k.  Pay:  $750 and up. Short SF (and other genre) stories with a boy or boys.  Two short stories per issue.  Snail mail submissions only.  Submissions guidelines.

CRICKET MAGAZINE.  Length:  Stories: 200 to 2,000 words.  Pay:  Up to $.25/word.  A YA magazine for readers 9-14.  Submission guidelines.

ODYSSEY ADVENTURES IN SCIENCE.  Length:  Up to 1,000 words.  Pay:  $.20-$.25 per word.  "We are interested in science-related stories, poems, science fiction, retold legends, etc., relating to the theme."  Check the site for the current theme.  Submission guidelines.

And for ADULTS, especially those of you who favor the kitchen sink sorts of magazines, there's
BIG PULP.  Stories up to 2500 words; and Poetry (up to three, max 50 lines).  Pay:  $.01/word up to $25 for 2500 words. Poetry $5 per poem.  This is a dual-format magazine, both print and ezine.  Check the site for a number of fiction sub possibles.  Science fiction:  "We have received very little science fiction, thus far. The super-intelligent, talking, Nazi gorilla sub-genre is grievously under-represented."  Fantasy:  "Fantasy did not begin in the Middle Ages nor end with the Renaissance. People create magic every day, unaccompanied by thunder claps or sparkles. You do it with every story you write. Conversely, mundane events occur in the lives of even the most fantastical creatures. Surprise us!"  Current reading period through December 2008.  Others on submissions guidelines page.

Ideas, the house, and a bonus opportunity notice

Snippets from reading my latest New Scientist, issue dated 6 December 2008.

• Carbon may be replacing silicon in computer chips.  "[E]ven as the last drops of computing power are squeezed out of silicon, the race is on to find its successor. Bit by bit, a startling picture is emerging.  Not only might natural processes hold the key to the computer's further evolution, but the ideal nanoelectronic material might also have been under our noses all along.  It could well be nature's own favoured building block--carbon."  Article: "Bye-bye silicon"  I like this one more as a tid-bit for worldbuilding, giving that sense of far future.  Not sure how it would be sequed into an actual plot device.
• Motion through a stiff fluid.  Ever considered how relative size can affect critters submerged in liquid?  Apparently a tiny paddle wheel will allow some meds to be delivered in the body where a standard robotic device couldnt' function due to the relative density of fluid to its tiny size.  "For microscale swimmers, the viscosisty of water presents a much bigger barrier to motion than we are used to on everyday scales.  It is like swimming through honey for a human any forward movement during one half of a simming stroke would be negated by an opposite backwards motion in the second half, with the result that the swimmer goes nowhere....That's why bacteria like Escherichia coli use a rotating corkscrew-like tail called a flagellum to propel themselves forward.  Article" "Viscosity no barrier to tiny paddle wheel"  Wow.  That's some cool idea-making stuff!  As in, What If a person were on high gravity world?  Would fluid be more dense as a result?  Would it affect swimming and watersports and cultural things related to water?  Would it affect the plumbing systems, rainfall that maybe can crush your skull?  (I shall have to pose the question to the geophysicist in my critique group.)
• New water-repelling technology: it's all in the texture.  Copying the texture of a butterfly's wing or a lotus leaf may be the answer for water-repellant windshields, according to the article, "Water off a butterfly's back."  These two surfaces can repel water "because of the microstructures on their surface.  The densely packed microscopic bumps of the lotus leaf and the waffle-like structures found on butterfly wings both make it difficult for water droplets to spread out.  As a result, the drops roll off, and they take dirt with them.  This makes the surfaces ideal as the basis for self-cleannig windows and windshields."  Of course, there's a catch, which is that the processes to make such surfaces are lithographic and hideously expensive.  However, some researchers have made molds of the surfaces and used these to replicate the surfaces, which is a promising start to a new and highly useful technology.  Me likey.  This could be the basis for the uniforms my Imperial Rangers wear, which is water and dirt repellant.  I'd been using the concept of static being harnessed to attract surface pollutants on a fabric base, but I like this tech idea better!  It's a small detail, but an important one, as military gear affects strategy and lots of other things.
• Pheromone detectors!    "In animals, pheromones are usually detected by the vomeronasal organ (VNO), a pair of mini-nostrils inside the nose which detect airborne pheromones and relay messages directly to the brain.  Although humans have something resembling a VNO, there are no neurons linking it to the brain.  And while we have the genes required for a working VNO, they no longer code for functional pheromone receptor proteins."  This indicates that we don't respond to pheromones directly, but apparently we DO indirectly.  First the famous study where women living together regulate their menstrual cycles.  Now some research indicates that our sweat carries pheromones. Further, some recent studies show animals can respond to pheromones with their normal olfactory systems.  So this is interesting stuff, particular in respect to alternate humanity in a fantasy.  For example, a vampire reacts to blood odor so violently because his VNO is actually hard-wired to his brain.  Or a werecritter shifts uncontrollably when presented with the odor of a werecritter in heat (if they only breed 'in the fur' as it were.)  Lots of good idea fodder here, if you feel like discussing your parahumanity in quasi-clinical language.

On the house front.
Still haven't got a closing date! While the realtor and the bank loan officer are screeching, "Unacceptable!" the cause is, apparently and unfortunately, that the assessors are tied up with foreclosed properties.  They promise it'll be accomplished this week, though.  Sigh.  I just want to pay the money, sign the papers and. Get. On. With. My. Life.

However I have purchased the new refrigerator, some carpet squares for my attic office and bedroom, and made lots of forays into internet catalogs to research things I'll be purchasing eventually.  I've got a licensed master electrician for a nice coworker and neighbor, and he's going to help me trace wires and install GFIs and 3-prong plugs.  All I need is an effing closing date and the keys to the damned house!  And, regarding the carpet squares, I went to an outlet store and they were really cheap.  And since I can live with taupe carpet for a few years (at least until I get the duckets to make a bathroom upstairs) I shall have that instead of the 1940s lino that's presently covering the attic bedroom floor.  It works. 

Have I mentioned that the only really necessary improvements are redoing the tub surround and finishing the electrical updates?  We have no cuteness in the house, but it's sound as anything.  Like a rock.  I'll miss the money pit's adorable attributes, but the 45K I've sunk into it just in maintenance?  I won't be doing that again!

Which is the point of the move.  I'm not looking forward to renting the place, either, but needs must and all that.

And the Opportunity.
Electric Spec ezine announces their deadline for their next issue is January 5th.  They have a great blog as well, in particular a recent post about editing and compressing your stories effectively.  Go read, young Padawan Learner(s)!  (And that includes myself.)

Wizards of the Coast - seeking new voices in spec fic

Keep checking back on this one; Wizards of the Coast is looking for new voices.  So get to polishing on your manuscripts, gang, full length novels wanted here:

Wizards of the Coast.  Novel proposals.  Submissions currently closed, but generally open September 1 through February 1.  Our annual open call is for a speculative fiction imprint that publishes novels with science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror elements for an adult audience. What we’re most interested in are books that are set in a contemporary or historical setting but with the addition of some SF, fantasy, and/or horror elements. Because we continue to enjoy great success with our shared world fantasy lines, we’re not looking for more of that sort of thing for this imprint. Likewise we’re not too keen right now on “straight” science fiction (far future settings, extreme high tech, etc.). We’re always open to supernatural horror. We are not interested in pornography, romance, or nonfiction of any kind. We are looking for novels for an adult audience only, so please do not send short stories, short story collections, poetry, etc., or books for young readers. (I infer they close subs when they get totally overwhelmed or fill their needs for the year.)

They is the publisher of Dragon magazine, so you get a two-fer:

DRAGON MAGAZINE.  Submissions guidelines are here.  You need to send a proposal, but if you are a gamer with D&D lurv to share, this might be a venue for you.   (Maybe it's just me, but a lot of high fantasy stories can be, um, adapted to fit a D&D adventure.  Think of it as an outline for some other epic fantasy tale perhaps?)

Opportunity Thursday

This time, I bring to you a regional workshop series.  99.9% of you won't be able to attend, of course.  But if anyone else lurks in Maine near enough to Portland, here's the data for the series.  Alas, I doubt I'll manage a single one of them.

The University of New England's Maine Women Writers Collection is pleased to announce the Winter 2009 Series of

A Gathering of Writers:
Creative Writing Workshops

Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00 pm
January 13-March 3, 2009

The eight-week series of workshops is hosted by the Maine Women Writers Collection, on the Westbrook College Campus of the University of New England, in Portland.

Each writing workshop will be inspired by the heritage of Maine women writers such as May Sarton, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Sarah Orne Jewett. But the true focus of the workshops will be on creating a supportive community of writers and using a variety of prompts to foster the development of each writer’s own individual voice.

The series is open to men and women writers, from beginners to advanced. Cost for the Winter Series is $135.

Enrollment is limited to fifteen: contact us regarding availability of space before registering.

To register, print out and mail in the Registration Form (pdf). Registration is fully refundable up until the first workshop, or if we are able to replace you with someone on our waiting list.

For more information, visit our website or contact: David Kuchta, Maine Women Writers Collection, University of New England, Westbrook College Campus, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland ME 04103-2670. (207) 221-4324.

A Reminder: Writers of the Future Contest

L. RON HUBBARD'S WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST - quarterly; sf/f/h/SpecFic (fic). Words: <17k. Fee: $0. 3 quarterly Prizes=$2250 +pub; 1 annual Grand Prize=$5000.  Quarterly deadlines of 31December, 31June, 30March, 30September.  This is one you should polish up your prose for, folks.  I mean, can you say RECOGNITION?  The rules page.  Specifically you non-published or slightly published should note:  "The Contest is open only to those who have not had professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits."

Diversion Press anthology opportunities

The pay is low, but I share anyhow:

Diversion Press antholgies.  Poetry, Sword & Sorcery, Ghostly Tales and Horror opportunities.  Pay appears to be in copies, as per the guidelines page, to whit the very confusing "compensation, unless otherwise noted, will include publication of the work (if accepted) and a brief author biography.  For all short story anthologies (excluding the poetry anthology), authors residing in the United States will receive one free copy of the work.  The author may also be able to purchase discounted copies of the work."