CALLIHOO Newsletter ----------------------------------------------------------------- Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Vol. 7 No. 37 Editor: Julia West March 7, 2000 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Web page: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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.) =Mad Love= electronic anthology, deadline 15 March 2000. [E-antho, F/H/SF of "extreme love." 4500-10,000 wds, pays 3% royalty, no reprints. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 35)] The PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award, open 8 February to 24 March 2000. [Short story by unpublished author, all genres and subjects, 1000-8000 wds, 1st prize $10,000, =no entry fee=, E- mail subm okay, 1 entry per person. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 34)] Speculations Micro Story Contest, deadline 31 March 2000. [Online contest, SF/F/H, to 400 words, first place $20, second place $10, third place $5. Post stories online. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 37)] =Writers of the Future=, 2nd quarter 2000, deadline 31 March 2000 [$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)] =Starlight 3= anthology, deadline "summer 2000". [SF/F, pays 7- 1/2 cents/wd., no upper word limit, (GLs in Vol. 6, No. 38)] =The Doom of Camelot= anthology from Green Knight Publishing, deadline 21 April 2000. [Arthurian stories, 3-7,000 wds, pays 3- 5 cents/wd., pays shortly after accept. No E-mail subm. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 29).] LDS Alien anthology, outline/idea due 3 March 2000, story deadline 22 April 2000. [Alien viewpoint, based on documented alien sighting, LDS worldview. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 36)] =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. Short to 2500 wd, long 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. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 24)] The 6th =Chiaroscuro= Short Story Contest--the Piggies, deadline 15 May 2000. [Contest, H/DF to 5000 words, no reprints or mult subm, only E-mail subm, First place pub in =Gothic.net= at 23 cents/wd., second place pub in =Chiaroscuro= at 7 cents/wd., third place pub in =Twilight Showcase= at 4 cents/wd. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 37)] =Brainbox: The Real Horror= electronic anthology, submissions accepted 1 February to 31 May 2000. [E-antho, H (and nonfic tale of what inspired it) 2500-10,000 wds, pays 2-4% quarterly royalties. E-mail subm only, no mult. subm. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 35)] Warner Books' First Novel Contest, deadline June 30, 2000. [SF/F novels. Synopsis + first several chapters (up to 60 pages maximum). =No entry fee.= Prizes: Publication with advance and royalties.] =On Spec= Theme Issue ("World Beat") deadline 31 Aug 2000. [Canadian print mag, theme of non-North American-based (different cultures) SF/F/H to 5000 wds, pays $50-$180C on accept., no reprints, faxed, or E-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 31)] =Byline= genre fiction contest, deadline September 5, 2000. [Short story that fits category: romance, sci-fi, confession, mystery, western, etc. No children's stories. 5,000 words max. =Entry fee $5.= Prizes: $50, $30, $15.] Nineteenth Annual Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Story Contest Sponsored by Science Fiction Writers of Earth, deadline 30 October 2000. [Annual contest, SF/F by unpubl authors, 2000 to 7500 wds. =Entry fee $5 for 1st ms. (gives memb to SFWoE), $2 for each other ms.= Prizes $200 1st, $100 2nd, $50 3rd. (GLs in Vol. 7, No. 33)] The Best of Soft Science Fiction Contest opens 1 Oct 2000, closes 15 Dec 2000. [Annual contest, soft SF, to 7000 wds, published or offered for pub during year, enter as many as want, =no entry fee=, prizes 1st $100, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. GLs in Vol. 7 No. 33] ANTHOLOGIES =Enemies Of Earth Anthology= [E-anthology, H/DF 4000-10,000 wds, payment royalties, no reprints or sim subs, E-mail subm only.] Aaron Yorgason, Ed. submissions to earth@megacityone.com Aliens can be quite a pain... Mankind has made it to the stars, but that doesn't mean our expansion into space has gotten any easier. There are aliens out there that just don't like us. Advanced beings who look upon us as bugs splattered on their windshield. Even some unsavory humans who have *other* plans for our future. We're looking for stories where our descendants barely survive, kick ass or just get even. Yes, the universe can be a rough place, but humanity can measure up! Or die trying... send your submissions to: earth@megacityone.com We will be accepting submissions for anthologies as of March 1st, 2000. Please direct any questions to Aaron Yorgason, Ed. at infinity@megacityone.com Unpublished stories only! Response Time: We will respond to your submission (yes or no) within 3-4 weeks of receiving it. Story length: From 4K to 10K words Sub. Format: RTF, Microsoft Word or ASCII text with spaces between paragraphs Publication: Planned for 4Q2000; text for download or CD, Audio book on CDs, Audio + text on MP3 CD Payment: Writers will receive royalties in March and September based on 75% of anthology net sales (text), 50% of Audio book (Audio CD/MP3 CD) Simultaneous Submissions: As we will be replying within a month, we request no simultaneous submissions. [http://megacityone.com/infinity/guidelines.htm] =Tanglewood Anthology= [E-anthology, shared world, DF 4000-10,000 wds, payment royalties, no reprints or sim subs, E-mail subm only.] Aaron Yorgason, Ed. Send for guidelines to tanglewood@megacityone.com A forest outside of time... The Tanglewood was born of violence, fire and blood in the depths of the dark ages. The roots of it's [sic] trees growing into the ruins of villages, towns, and graveyards. It is an unreal place that has captured those who have dared journey into it's [sic] depths. We're looking for stories of judgment, metaphor and irony. About those that find themselves beneath the forest's shroud, the inhabitants lost to the march of time, and the dark magic that dwells there. Tanglewood is a shared world anthology, if you are interested in writing a story or stories for submission contact the editor for a copy of the Tanglewood guidelines at tanglewood@megacityone.com We will be accepting submissions for anthologies as of March 1st, 2000. Please direct any questions to Aaron Yorgason, Ed. at infinity@megacityone.com Unpublished stories only! Response Time: We will respond to your submission (yes or no) within 3-4 weeks of receiving it. Story length: From 4K to 10K words Sub. Format: RTF, Microsoft Word or ASCII text with spaces between paragraphs Publication: Planned for 4Q2000; text for download or CD, Audio book on CDs, Audio + text on MP3 CD Payment: Writers will receive royalties in March and September based on 75% of anthology net sales (text), 50% of Audio book (Audio CD/MP3 CD) Simultaneous Submissions: As we will be replying within a month, we request no simultaneous submissions. [http://megacityone.com/infinity/guidelines.htm] =Terror in the Dark Anthology= [E-anthology, H/DF 4000-10,000 wds, payment royalties, no reprints or sim subs, E-mail subm only.] Aaron Yorgason, Ed. submissions to terror@megacityone.com Stories of Fear... What's more frightening than what we can't completely perceive? And fear of the dark is one of the most primal fears. We're looking for stories that inhabit a world of shadows that break through into our world of comforting light; where things are what they seem, where sounds have a definable source, and what is felt, smelt and tasted are completely real. Or are they? The alternative would be unthinkable... send your submissions to: terror@megacityone.com We will be accepting submissions for anthologies as of March 1st, 2000. Please direct any questions to Aaron Yorgason, Ed. at infinity@megacityone.com Unpublished stories only! Response Time: We will respond to your submission (yes or no) within 3-4 weeks of receiving it. Story length: From 4K to 10K words Sub. Format: RTF, Microsoft Word or ASCII text with spaces between paragraphs Publication: Planned for 4Q2000; text for download or CD, Audio book on CDs, Audio + text on MP3 CD Payment: Writers will receive royalties in March and September based on 75% of anthology net sales (text), 50% of Audio book (Audio CD/MP3 CD) Simultaneous Submissions: As we will be replying within a month, we request no simultaneous submissions. [http://megacityone.com/infinity/guidelines.htm] CONTESTS =The 6th Chiaroscuro Short Story Contest--the Piggies= [Contest, H/DF to 5000 words, no reprints or mult subm, only E- mail subm, deadline 15 May 2000. First place pub in =Gothic.net= at 23 cents/wd., second place pub in =Chiaroscuro= at 7 cents/wd., third place pub in =Twilight Showcase= at 4 cents/wd.] E-mail submissions, "Contest Entry" to contest@gothic.net THE JUDGES: Brett A. Savory, publisher/editor-in-chief of =Chiaroscuro: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words= (http://www.gothic.net/chiaroscuro/chizine/) Darren P. McKeeman, publisher of =Gothic.Net= (http://www.gothic.net/) and Gary W. Conner, publisher/editor-in-chief of =Twilight Showcase: New Talent in Horror Fiction (http://home.rica.net/gconn/) TIE-BREAKING JUDGE: Seth M. Lindberg, fiction editor of =Gothic.Net= (http://www.gothic.net/) GUIDELINES: Dark, well-written, 5,000 words or less. Rich Text Format (.rtf) or body of an email (with italics somehow denoted), no reprints, no multiple submissions. We want only your best. Deadline: midnight (EST), May 15, 2000. Only email submissions will be accepted. Send them to the following -- and ONLY the following -- eddress; submissions sent to any of the judges' personal addresses will be immediately deleted: contest@gothic.net. Be sure to write "Contest Entry" in the subject header, please. THE PRIZES: 1st place 1. Publication in the June, 2000 issue of =Gothic.Net= at twenty-three (23) cents per word. 2. The Coveted And Frightfully Spectacular Golden Piglet Award.* 3. The choice of a signed limited numbered copy of either =Cover= by Jack Ketchum, or =Tales of Pain and Wonder=, the forthcoming short story collection by Caitlin R. Kiernan. (Each a $50 value--generously donated by Barry Hoffman of Gauntlet Press.) 2nd place 1. Publication in the June, 2000 issue of =Chiaroscuro: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words= at seven (7) cents per word. 2. The Relatively Prestigious Silver Sow Award.* 3rd place 1. Publication in the June, 2000 issue of =Twilight Showcase: New Talent in Horror Fiction= at four (4) cents per word. 2. The Somewhat Well-Regarded But Decidedly Disgruntled-Looking Bronze Porker Award.* 4th and 5th places Honourable Mention ribbons (pink, of course) with little pig heads on them. *Please note: all awards and ribbons designed and hand-crafted by P. D. Cacek especially for this contest. Pictures will be available at http://www.gothic.net/chiaroscuro/c-ssc.htm in about a week or so. Also, please note that the word rates listed above are for this contest and this contest ONLY. They are NOT the future regular word rates for the respective zines. Questions/concerns? Contact the judges at contest@gothic.net, with the subject header "Query." Now go, write, and pray that the Porcine Gods do smile upon thee. [DarkEcho, 2 Mar 2000] =Micro Story Contest and Publishing Opportunity= [Online contest, SF/F/H, to 400 words, first place $20, second place $10, third place $5. Post stories online. Deadline 31 March 2000.] The Stories: The stories must be 400 words or less (one word over disqualifies it!), contain SF/F/H content and be previously unpublished. Unlimited entries per person. No content that would get =Speculations= in trouble with its ISP provider. Entering: Post your story in the Micro Story category above (http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic350.htm). Be sure to include your name (or bulletin board pseudonym) and e-mail in the appropriate spaces so you can be contacted when you win. All stories already posted in the Micro Story topic will be considered entries unless you tell me otherwise. Who is Eligible to Enter: Anyone. You do not have to be a =Speculations= subscriber (but why wouldn't you be?) or a regular visitor to the bulletin board. Contact your writerly friends. Let them know of the contest. Prizes: $20 for first place, $10 for second, $5 for third. The winners will be published in =Pulp Eternity= by Steve Algieri. The winners will be picked by popular vote. Readers will vote for their three favorite stories. Only one vote per e-mail address. More info on voting when the time comes. Deadlines: Stories can be posted until March 31. Voting will be from April 1 to April 14. Winners will be contacted as soon as the votes are counted. Caveat: By posting your story on line, you are losing an opportunity to offer it elsewhere as previously unpublished work. My figuring is a micro-story has little marketability anyway, and most are written in one sitting. It's for fun, and this contest pays the winners more than they would make most anywhere else. [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic355.htm] MARKET GUIDELINES =Shallow End of Infinity E-Novels= [E-novels, SF/F/H 40,000 to 120,000 words, pays royalties, no reprints or sim subs, E-mail subm only] Aaron Yorgason, Ed. Submissions to: novels@megacityone.com SF, fantasy and horror... We're looking for inventive novels of speculative fiction to publish as e-novels. While the field is wide open in terms of genre there are a few thoughts to keep in mind. Things have to happen, not just a hundred pages into the novel, but from the beginning! And good stories demand well realized characters and plots. As well, we have fairly high grammatical standards, so go over your submission for careless errors before sending it to us. For novel submissions please send the first part of the novel (1-3 chapters depending on total novel length) and a brief synopsis of the rest) Send your submissions to: novels@megacityone.com We will be accepting submissions for E-novels as of March 1st, 2000. Please direct any questions to Aaron Yorgason, Ed. at infinity@megacityone.com Unpublished stories only! Response Time: We will respond to your submission within 3-4 weeks of receiving it. Story length: From 40K to 120K words Sub. Format: RTF, Microsoft Word or ASCII text with spaces between paragraphs Publication: 3 novels planned for 4Q2000; text for download or CD, Audio book on CDs, Audio + text on MP3 CD Payment: Writers will receive royalties in March and September based on 75% of novel net sales (text), 50% of Audio book (Audio CD/MP3 CD) Simultaneous Submissions: As we will be replying within a month, we request no simultaneous submissions. [http://megacityone.com/infinity/guidelines.htm] =Vestal Review= [Quarterly webzine, flash fiction of all genres to 500 wds, pays $5/story. Feature to 3500 wds., pays $15/story. No reprints or sim subs, no hard SF. Mult subm okay. E-mail subm only.] Mark Budman--ed. http://www.vestalreview.net/ Submissions to editor@stny.rr.com Mark Budman is the publisher/editor. Mark has many online and print publications to his name. He writes fiction, poetry, and, of course, flash stories. Sue O'Neill is the co-editor. She has worked as a reporter/photographer/columnist for two weekly newspapers. Sue has been published over the years in a few national magazines, a couple of regional glossies and many, many local newspapers. Lucy Budman is an editorial assistant. She has published several poems in various magazines. =Vestal Review= is a quarterly publication and accepts only original material. No reprints, please. Even if it has been displayed on your own Web page, we consider it published. Yet if John Updike sends his previously published story, who are we to say no? If the story has been posted and reviewed at a password-protected e-workshop with a controlled list of participants, we consider this a plus. =Vestal Review= is a magazine primarily for flash fiction. We will accept five flash fiction stories and one feature story of up to 3500 words per issue. We realize that there are different definitions of what flash story is and all of them have merit. In our definition, a flash story is no longer than 500 words and it has a plot. If it's longer than 500 words and/or has no plot, we are not interested. We are also not interested in porn, racial slurs, excessive gore, or obscenity. On the other end of the spectrum, no children's or preachy stories either, please. Our target audience is people over 18, so R-rated content is OK, but not X-rated. Most genres, other than children's, syrupy romance or hard science fiction, are accepted--and we love humor. Here is what we consider the ideal flash (78 words), by Martin Niem”ller. This is far from humor, but... "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I said nothing. Then they came for the Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrats so I did nothing. Then came the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did little. Then when they came for me, there was no one left who could stand up for me." We think that a contributor to this magazine should be reimbursed and we offer a flat $5 fee for every accepted flash story, upon publication in the =Vestal Review=. We realize that $5 is not much, but if you convert it to per-word fee, it means 1 cent/word minimum, which is a semi-pro rate. A 100-word story will earn a professional rate of 5 cents a word. We like brevity. A story under 100 words (including the title) will earn a extra bonus, from $1 and up, depending on how much are we impressed. We will pay $15 flat fee for the feature story. In exchange for these fees, we are asking for First Electronic Rights, including no posting of the accepted story anywhere, on the Web or in print, until 120 days after its exclusive appearance on the =Vestal Review= Web site (don't forget, we are a quarterly magazine). After this period, all rights revert back to the writer but we ask that you acknowledge =Vestal Review= in any subsequent printing of the material published here, be that on the Web or in hard copy. We are also asking for one year archiving rights. Being writers, we understand the frustration of waiting for months and months for an editor's reply. Our target is to reply within a week or faster. So, please, no simultaneous submissions. Multiple submissions are OK. All submissions should be send electronically to editor@stny.rr.com. They should be pasted in the body of your e-mail. No attachments please. Please indicate italics with asterisks (*). Don't indent paragraphs and do insert a blank line between paragraphs. Put the word Submission in the subject, followed by a colon and the title of your story. A cover letter is fine. We would like to know whom we are dealing with. Don't forget your legal name and the postal address so we can mail you the check. So, please send us your best and let's work together. The Editors [http://www.vestalreview.net/submissions.htm] MARKET INFORMATION =E-scape= According to J. Patrick McDonald, publisher: =E-scape: The Digital Journal of Speculative Fiction= (http://www.interink.com/escape.html/) is no longer accepting submissions. "We will post one final issue and then go on extended, perhaps permanent, hiatus." [Inklings, 1 Mar 2000] =Reality's Escape= A writer on =Speculations=' Rumor Mill reports, "Reality's Escape - 7-Realms Publishing Corp. Ed: Celia L. Badon Address: PO Box 1629, Pearl River, LA 70452 e-mail: realms@fastband.com. F/SF/DF/H to 10k words, pays from 3 cents/word. Poetry, pays $5-$40. Pays on acceptance. First issue is expected to be out on 3/1/00. Looks like they are also accepting submissions for novels for 7-Realms, but I am unsure of those GLs "Please note, I've seen the mag misspelled as =Realities Escape=. My contract and the ad in the back of =F & SF= has it spelled in the possessive singular." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic178.htm, 8 Feb 2000] ==End of the CALLIHOO newsletter for 7 March 2000==