CALLIHOO Newsletter ----------------------------------------------------------------- Vol. 7 No. 25 Editor: Julia West December 7, 1999 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Web page: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS Ken Rand has given permission to a Bay Area student filmmaker to film his short story "The Nine Billion Names of Arthur C. Clarke," which the student downloaded from Alexandria Digital Literature. It should be done by spring. * * * At the end of November, Brook West's "A Portion for Foxes" remains at #2 position at Alexandria Digital Literature, and Brook and Julia West's "The Peachwood Flute" tied for the #8 position (these are AlexLit bestsellers for the month). DEADLINES Check out the CALLIHOO website, listed above, for more information on these contests, magazine issues, and anthologies. (Where it says "GLs in Vol. X No. Y," these are volume and issue of the CALLIHOO newsletter.) The Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story Writing, deadline 15 December 1999. [SF/F by undergrad. students in college or university, 1,000-10,000 wds, 1st place $500, =entry fee $5.00 per story=, no limit to number of entries per person. (GLs in Vol. 6 No. 44)] =Skull Full of Spurs= anthology deadline 31 Dec 99. [SF/F/DF/H with western landscapes. 1000-8000 wds, 6›/wd. (GLs in Vol. 7, No. 23)] =Starlight 3= anthology, deadline 31 Dec 1999. [SF/F, pays 7-1/2 cents/wd., no upper word limit, (GLs in Vol. 6, No. 38)] =Writers of the Future=, 1st quarter 2000, deadline 31 December 1999. [$1000 first, $750 2nd, $500 3rd place. =No entry fee=. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, P.O. Box 1630-JBW, Los Angeles, CA 90078. (GLs in Vol. 6, No. 10)] =Extremes: Fantasy and Horror from the Ends of the Earth=, deadline 1 Jan 2000 or when filled. [Limited edition CD anthology, F/H outside USA, pays 1/22 of profits, lwpub@aol.com, http://www.dm.net/~bahwolf/extremes.htm. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 10)] =Midnight Galleries= first issue deadline 1 Jan 2000. [Quarterly game-based antho series, shared-world, 5000-20K wds, pays 6 cents/wd., query first, E-mail subm okay to Kaytman@aol.com. (GLs in Vol. 7, No. 16)] =PRISM international= 15th Annual Short Fiction Contest 1999, deadline 31 Jan 2000. [Canadian contest, $2,000C 1st prize, 5 $200 runners-up (+pmt for pub), =$20 1st entry fee, $5 all others=, max. 25 pp. (GLs in Vol. 6 No. 44)] =The Age of Wonders= SFF.NET anthology, open 1 Jan-1 Mar 2000 or until full. [Near-future SF about interface between human and machine. Pays 8 cents/wd. (max. $400) on accept., no reprints, query for over 5000 wds, E-mail subm okay. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 25)] =The Darker Side of Eternity, Volume II=, contest deadline 1 May 2000. [contest/print antho, H (SF/F elements okay) stories. Must be member of World Horror Convention. Submit to 2500 wd and/or to 10,000 wd stories. 1st prize (short) $100, (long) $300. Runners-up 3 cents/wd. Pays on pub. No reprints or E- mail subm. Deadline 1 May 2000. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 24)] ANTHOLOGY =The Age of Wonders= [Antho, open 1 Jan-1 Mar 2000 or full, near-future SF about interface between human and machine. Pays 8 cents/wd. (max. $400) on accept., no reprints, query for over 5000 wds, E-mail subm okay] Jeffry Dwight, Editor SFF Net 3300 Big Horn Trail Plano, TX 75075 darkfire@sff.net Volume III in the Darkfire Anthology Series Note: These guidelines may be distributed freely to any venue. However, if you are reading these guidelines somewhere other than at http://www.sff.net/books/guidelines.html, you should check there before continuing. We reserve the right to make changes in the guidelines from time to time, and the official version will always be at http://www.sff.net/books/guidelines.html. In particular, we will post a note there when the anthology is full (which will probably happen long before the official closing date). Dates: Open submission starting January 1, 2000 and continuing until March 1, 2000, or until the anthology is full. Payment: Payment is 8 cents per word ($25 minimum, $400 maximum per story) on acceptance for First World Serial Rights. No reprints, please. Inquire first with *brief* outline before submitting stories over 5000 words. Email: Email submissions to: darkfire@sff.net (plain ASCII text or MS Word only) Regular Mail: Snail mail submissions (include SASE!) to SFF Net, Jeffry Dwight, Editor, 3300 Big Horn Trail, Plano, TX 75075 Format: Please format your manuscript using Courier or a similar typeface, double-spaced, with large margins. Include your E-mail address on the first page. Description: This volume focuses on the interface between human and machine, examining how computers, artificial intelligence, medical advances, and "smart" devices will change the way we live and think in the next two thousand years or so. Be brave; be daring; be inventive -- think of the impact the light bulb, car, and television have had on society, and how hard it would have been to predict, in 1600, the devices, the infrastructure necessary to produce and maintain them, or the societal changes that can be traced directly to them . . . then write a story about the devices yet to be invented, and what they will mean to the people who use them. The successful submission will have strong characters, realistic social and moral challenges, and solutions that come from clear thinking or depth of insight. Stories should not focus on gadgetry directly, but scientific advancement and a near-future setting should be part of the story's milieu. Characters do not need to be scientists or engaged in scientific pursuits. For example, Zelazny's "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" happens to be set on another planet in a possible future, but is about self-discovery rather than space exploration. Tone and genre are open, but horror, sword & sorcery, or magic realism will be a tough sell for this book. If you use scientific details, make sure they are accurate (or believable extrapolations). A willful computer that "comes alive" because someone has "impressed engrams" on it belongs in some other anthology. If you don't know the difference between a SCSI port and a teapot, leave those bits out and submit a story about people instead -- you'll have a much better chance at selling your work. Of course, if the first thing you think of when someone says "brown-black-yellow" is a 100K resistor, then you can probably enhance your story by including technical details -- as long as the story remains focused on the people using the technology rather than on the technology itself. [http://www.sff.net/books/guidelines.html] ***************************************************************** * "Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love * * but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave * * your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of * * those who work with joy." * * --Kahlil Gibran * ***************************************************************** MARKET GUIDELINES =Romance and Beyond Magazine= The magazine of speculative romantic fiction [Print mag, F/SF/paranormal romances to 10,000 wds, pays « cent/wd., no E-mail subm] Mary Tarver, Editor Briada Press, Inc. 3527 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, PMB 9 Lafayette, LA 70503-5130 Queries only: RBeyond@aol.com Reading Period: April 1-August 15, 2000 All unsolicited manuscripts will be returned unread if received after August 15. We will , however, respond to Query Letters from readers of our magazine. ACQUISITIONS The editors of =Romance and Beyond Magazine= are seeking fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and other speculative fiction (up to 10,000 words) in which a romantic relationship develops between the hero and heroine. Most (or all) of the internal conflict must be created--then resolved--by the emotional/physical/spiritual attraction between the hero and heroine, the more intense the better. A wide range of sensuality is acceptable, from sweet to sizzling, but no pornography. Sources of external conflict are left to your imagination, the more original the better. Tone can be very dark to humorous, but the story must be a romance and must have a happy ending. We are, also interested in purchasing nonfiction articles on mixing romance with other genres, on writing for publication in general, and on New Age topics. Query first for articles over 1000 words. We also include poetry and fillers (such as relevant quotations, cartoons, and jokes) that relate to speculative romance. MECHANICS Submit your complete manuscript double-spaced, single-sided, non-proportional, and clearly typed. On the first page, type your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (if you have one) at the top left corner. Type the title of your story, centered, about one-third of the way down the first page, followed by 3 or 4 blank lines, then your story. The name of your story, your last name, and the page number should appear across the top heading of each page after the first page. Include a #10 self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with $0.55 U.S. postage attached or enclosed (two IRC's for Non-U.S.). Be sure to keep your original manuscript; submissions will not be returned. We would also appreciate a one-page, single-spaced cover letter which tells us about yourself, including your writing interests and experience. PAY RATE We pay 1/2 (one-half) cent per word, two free copies of the magazine in which your work appears, and a discount on future orders. We also give two contributor's copies or discount on orders in exchange for poetry and fillers. RIGHTS We acquire one-time rights with the restriction that the work is not published elsewhere six months before or after it is published in =Romance and Beyond=. ADDRESS SUBMISSIONS TO: Mary Tarver, Editor At: Briada Press, Inc. 3527 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, PMB 9 Lafayette, LA 70503-5130 We DO NOT accept on-line submissions, but you may request an occasional update on your submission using our e-mail address RBeyond@aol.com We welcome queries on-line from our readers. [http://members.aol.com/rbeyond/romance.html] =Three Owls Press= Publishers and Distributors of Quality eBooks [eBooks, F/SF/H, send query, synopsis, and three chapters, adult or children's, 20-50% royalties] Margaret Vance Director of Operations Three Owls Press P.O. Box 3220 Cypress, California 90630 Queries to: editor@threeowlspress.com http://www.threeowlspress.com SUBMISSION STANDARDS The work must be: 1. Not previously published in any format. 2. Not be encumbered by any previous contractual obligations to a third party. 3. One to which the author holds the copyright. Three Owls Press is particularly interested in book-length works which exploit the potential of the eBook format. For example: works that make effective use of hyperlinks, search capabilities, or enhancements for the visually impaired. We are also interested in exploring the expanded use of graphics and illustrations in books for both adults and children. Three Owls Press is unable to accept erotica. Three Owls Press will not accept works that are hateful, ignorant, cruel or narrow minded. Three Owls Press is not a vanity press. An author whose work has been submitted for consideration, or accepted for publication, will never be charged any fees. We reserve the right to reject any work. SUBMISSION FORMAT We need: 1. A One Page Query Letter 2. A Concise Synopsis. 3. The First Three Chapters or Three representative short stories from a book-length short story collection or Three representative essays from a book-length collection of essays Three Owls Press will acknowledge the receipt of the work and then contact you with our initial response. Please provide us with an E-mail address and a phone number. If you have mailed us a disk, please provide a SASE with your submission. If your work meets our criteria and current publishing needs we will request a copy of the complete work. Please do not submit a complete work unless requested to do so. We will then review the complete work and notify you of our decision regarding publication. All submissions, both initial queries and complete works, should be: 1. In an electronic format. The work should be in the form of a file in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF format. It should be submitted on a floppy disk, zip disk, or as an E-mail attachment(s). Either PC or Mac formats are acceptable. 2. Formatted with 1" Margins all around 3. Edited for spelling and grammar to the best of the author's ability. If you are sending your initial query as an email attachment please send it to: editor@threeowlspress.com. If you are mailing us a disk, please mail it to: Three Owls Press, P.O. Box 3220, Cypress, California 90630 If you have been requested to submit a complete work, you may also submit any proposed art work at that time. However, we reserve the right to decline to use the proposed art work, even if the text is accepted for publication. Three Owls Press will not be liable for lost manuscripts or defective disks. NON-FICTION GUIDELINES ACADEMIC We are looking for scholarly works in the Liberal Arts. Works, whether intended for students or specialists, should be well written and highly readable. Academic works submitted to Three Owls Press undergo a review process before being accepted for publication. All submissions must include citations and a bibliography using the footnote style described in the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. GENERAL NON-FICTION In this category, we are particularly interested in historical works, memoirs, travelogues, and nature writing. Only works based on the author's own experience are exempted from the requirement for citations and a bibliography. This information is required for evaluation purposes even if the book is eventually to be published for a non-academic audience. FICTION GUIDELINES We are looking for book-length, prose fiction. We are particularly interested in fiction with the following themes: History and Heritage Nature and the Environment Mysteries and Detective Fiction However, we will gladly consider well-written fiction in other categories. FANTASY GUIDELINES We are looking for well-written supernatural/ speculative book-length fiction. We prefer supernatural/fantasy works but will consider science fiction. Works in the Horror/Dark Fiction genre should be supernatural rather than realistic. No serial killers please. We do not publish splatterpunk or works that rely primarily on the graphic depiction of violence for their impact. We are particularly interested in books with the same themes as those outlined under our fiction guidelines (History, Nature, Mysteries) but will gladly considered well-written books in other categories. FLEDGLING BOOKS: CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS We are looking for non-fiction, fiction, and fantasy for children, ages nine to twelve, and young adults, ages thirteen and up. We prefer the same themes and subjects outlined under our guidelines for Non-Fiction, Fiction, and Fantasy, but will consider well-written works in other categories. We do not publish textbooks for use in primary and secondary schools. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at: editor@threeowlspress.com WHAT ARE eBOOKS? eBooks are books presented in an digital format instead of traditional ink and paper. eBooks can be stored on diskettes, CD-Roms or downloaded and stored on your computer's hard drive or in a electronic reading device. WHY WOULD I CHOSE AN eBOOK INSTEAD OF A TRADITIONAL BOOK? eBooks have several advantages over traditional books. The production and distribution costs for eBooks are considerably less than for traditional printed books so eBooks are generally much cheaper both to produce and to buy. eBook publishers can take a chance on books the big New York publishing houses can't or won't publish. For example big publishers are often reluctant to publish books that straddle genres and are therefore harder to market. Three Owls Press isn't worried about whether a book fits into the usual shelf labels found in bookstores. eBooks don't need either shelves or bookstores! Since eBooks can be downloaded, readers can begin enjoying their new books within minutes after purchase. No need to leave the house or wait for delivery. eBooks allow for easy document navigation, word searches, links to the web, enhanced use of graphics and multimedia, tools for the visually impaired and other features unknown to printed books. eBooks are also paperless publishing and so saves trees. HOW DO I READ AN eBOOK? eBooks can be read on a computer screen. Three Owls Press is currently offering its titles in PDF (Portable Document Format). PDF files are read using a FREE program call Adobe Acrobat Reader. PDF is a standard format for transmitting documents on the web so there is a good chance you already have Acrobat Reader loaded onto your computer! eBooks can also be read on dedicated eBook readers. These devices are about the size and weight of a traditional book. However they can store thousands of pages. For students and others who need to carry a lot of books this is a big advantage. eBook readers allow you to read your eBook in your favorite armchair, on the road or wherever. Examples of dedicated eBook readers include the Rocket eBook, Softbook, and Glassbook(Glassbook is still in development). Three Owls Press will be supporting the file format for the Rocket ebook shortly and the file formats for Softbook and Glassbook as those technologies become available. The Everybook reader, currently in development, is designed to use PDF files. In September 1999 the eBook industry addressed the issue of different file formats for different computers and readers by agreeing on a common file format standard called the Open eBook Specification (OeB). Three Owls Press will support this standard as it develops. Three Owls Press is committed to supporting the best eBook technology available and to assisting our readers in exploring the tremendous potential of this new form of publishing. [http://www.threeowlspress.com/threeowlspress/subguid.html and http://www.threeowlspress.com/threeowlspress/aboutebooks.html] All authors will receive royalties for their work. Royalty percents will be negotiated on a book by book basis. Depending on the work, royalties will be between 20% - 50% of the retail price. [DarkEcho, 2 Dec 99] MARKET INFORMATION =Absolute Magnitude= A writer on Genie says of Warren Lapine, editor of =Absolute Magnitude=, "If he knows you're a published writer, he pays at least 3 cents. I'd originally gotten the 1-cent contract and when I called, he apologized and upped the rate." SFRT4, Cat 4, Top 6, 2 Dec 99] =Event Horizon= Editor Ellen Datlow is suspending her web magazine, =Event Horizon=, as of 15 December: "=Event Horizon=: SF, Fantasy, Horror will be going on indefinite hiatus in order to seek investors and/or a buyer to underwrite its continuation." Critics' and readers' enthusiasm, alas, doesn't pay the bills. [WotF@onelist.com, 6 Dec 99] ==End of the CALLIHOO newsletter for 7 December 1999==