CALLIHOO Newsletter ----------------------------------------------------------------- Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Vol. 7 No. 36 Editor: Julia West February 29, 2000 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Web page: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS Ken Rand sold "A Tree Grows Up on Mars" to =Neverworlds Unique Fiction=. It's a Christmas story and is slated to appear on the website next fall. (Check out =Neverworlds= at http://www3. ns.sympatico.ca/dechaune/neverworlds/nw.htm). Ken also sold "Phoenix" to =Realities Escape=. * * * Bruce Thatcher and Ken Rand will be signing at Barnes & Noble in Layton, Utah, on Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m. Bruce won 1st place in =Writers of the Future=, volume 15, and has stories in =Star Trek: Strange New Worlds=, volume 1 (second place), and volume 2, both just out in mass market paperback. Ken has a story in =Strange New Worlds= volume 2. 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 [Short story by unpublished author, all genres and subjects, 1000-8000 wds, 1st prize $10,000, =no entry fee=, E- mail subm okay., 1 entry per person.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)] =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)] =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] ANTHOLOGY =LDS (Mormon) Alien Anthology= Almost two years ago, a discussion about alien contact with Earth on the LDSF email list led to an interesting conclusion: Why not write a series of stories on the topic, based in a Mormon worldview? While the project had initial momentum, events conspired to leave it hanging in limbo. Well, it's hanging no longer. Once again, submissions are being accepted for stories to be included in this anthology. The premise is as follows: We're always hearing about aliens observing humans, kidnaping them for medical research, having saucer races in low Earth orbits, etc. What if ALL of these stories are true? What if there are hundreds of alien races, all visiting Earth for different reasons? The skies are literally cluttered with spaceships from all over the galaxy, and they tend to bump into each other a lot--or have to hide their presence from the Galactic Oversight committee--or really do want to take over the world. The possibilities are endless. Guidelines: *The story MUST be from the point of view of the aliens. One primary purpose of this anthology is to show how humans look through alien eyes. *The story MUST explain some observed phenomenon that is either currently unexplained or is usually attributed to alien activity: a documented UFO sighting, the Yeti, that asteroid that landed in Siberia in 1908, etc. This does not have to be the main plotline of the story, but should be fairly integral to it. *Stories may take place in any period of human history and use any method of storytelling you like, but the underlying premise should be that the basic facts of the [LDS] Gospel are true, and universally so. *Submissions must be edited and proofread to a more or less professional standard. Please do not submit first drafts or stories that you know will need a lot of editorial work; go over them with a friend or a writing group first if necessary. "More or less professional" means that while we do not expect drafts to be perfect, we do expect them to be spell checked and grammatically sound. *The first submission call included the requirement that Mormon missionaries appear somewhere in the story. This is no longer a requirement, but if possible, stories should have some overtly Mormon element to them, even if said element is little more than an in-joke that only Mormons will pick up on. As before, if you have an idea and you want to see if it's the sort of thing we're looking for before you put a lot of work into a story, you may submit an idea or story proposal to Barbara Hume by March 3. The deadline for submissions is April 22, also to Barbara Hume (Barbara@techvoice.com). We're looking forward to seeing what people come up with! Melissa Proffitt (you can also direct questions to me at Melissa@Proffitt.com; I may not know the answer, but I know the people who do) [E-mail from Melissa Proffitt dated 25 Feb 00] MARKET GUIDELINES =Alien Tempest= [New webzine, pub quarterly, SF/F/H to 7500 wds, pays 1/2 cent/wd., E-mail subm okay.] William R. Cliffe--Editor X-6 Publications 63 River St. Southbridge, MA 01550 E-mail: wcliffe@alientempest.com http://www.alientempest.com/ Alien Tempest= is a speculative fiction e-publication slated to go live August 24th, 2000. The reason for this specific date is that it coincides with the 9th year anniversary of my science fiction universe 'Gorl'. =Alien Tempest= will be 'published' quarterly: August, November, February, and May. It will be comprised of several short stories, artwork, reviews of books, movies, and magazines, an editorial, and various as-of-yet unnamed sections. Fiction guidelines at =Alien Tempest= are very straightforward. We only accept science fiction, horror, and fantasy prose. We also accept poetry. Any other fiction is sent at your own peril. (Yes, we could like and buy it.) We accept stories that run in lengths no more than 7,500 words. If you have something longer than this, write a synopsis and send us a query letter. Yes, we accept email submissions; however, they must be in MS Word, Works, Word Perfect, or Windows Write format. ALL STORIES MUST BE IN 12pt COURIER FONT, NO MATTER HOW THEY ARE SUBMITTED. Any other font or point will be thrown out/deleted. Yes, we also accept snail mail submissions (standard manuscript format). X-6 Publications, 63 River St., Southbridge, MA 01550 We pay 1/2 cent per word! [http://www.alientempest.com/guidelines.html] =Outside: Speculative & Dark Fiction= [E-zine, SF/H 1500-4000 wds, pays 3 cents/wd on accept, no reprints, E-mail or sim. subm.] John T. Cullen--editor Clocktower Fiction 6549 Mission Gorge Road Box 260 San Diego, California 92120 E-mail (no subm): outside@ clocktowerfiction.com http://outside.clocktowerfiction.com/ Who We Are: =Outside= is a paying professional magazine of SF and dark imaginative fiction, aimed at people who love to read well-plotted, character-driven genre fiction. We are interested in fiction that transcends the limitations and ventures outside the stereotypes of genre fiction. What We Publish: short (1500-4000 words) Science Fiction, Horror, and darkly imaginative fiction. We seek well-written, professionally executed fiction, with attention to basics - grammar, punctuation, usage. We do not accept Sword & Sorcery, pornography, or excessive violence and gore beyond the legitimate needs of a story. Also no derivative works (e.g., emulating TV shows and movies - no Star Trek stories, for example). Our goals: We strive to be both writer-friendly and reader- friendly. We eagerly look forward to receiving top quality, professional material from you. Requirements: All stories must be typed double-spaced, on only one side of each sheet with sheets loose -- no fasteners of any kind. The author's full name and address should appear in the upper left-hand corner of page one; an approximate word count should appear in the upper right-hand corner. Each page should be numbered and include the title and author's last name. We will accept letter quality 24-pin dot-matrix computer print-- please separate the pages. If you choose to submit photocopies, they must be clear and readable. No simultaneous submissions, please. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage weigh heavily as we consider the story. You must master these essentials to be a professional writer. We expect that a professional writer owns, and regularly uses, a dictionary and at least one or two usage books (e.g. Strunk & White, Fowler). To be a successful writer, you should be a voracious but discriminating reader. Many books are available about the craft of writing -- read them all for free through your public library. Join a writers' group. Write constantly to improve your craft -- it's a tough discipline, as difficult and time consuming as learning to play symphony-quality violin or piano. Visit SharpWriter.Com for a comprehensive writer's resource. Finally, despite all these somewhat dire words, we wish you a passionate and successful love affair with writing. We pay three cents per word upon acceptance of your manuscript for First Serial Rights for one year. Acceptance constitutes final editorial approval of content. We strive to pay as promptly as possible, but please allot a reasonable amount of time (6-8 weeks after acceptance) for your check to arrive. Manuscripts must be sent by postal mail only. E-mail submissions will be deleted without being read. Please include an appropriately sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). (Contributors residing outside the United States should use international reply coupons.) Even if you do not want your manuscript returned, we require a letter-size SASE for our response; manuscripts without an SASE will not be returned. If you have an e-mail address, please furnish it on your hardcopy. Our e-mail address is outside@clocktowerfiction.com. We usually respond within six weeks after receiving a submission. Depending on many variables, however, it can sometimes take longer. Please give us ample time before you begin writing to inquire about a submission's status. Please do not send us the only copy of your manuscript (accidents happen and mail gets lost). No simultaneous or previously published work. Authors whose material is published in =Outside: Speculative & Dark Fiction= (OSDF) shall understand that OSDF has linkage and similar alliances with certain web enterprises, e.g. Alta Vista's Wild Wild Web, and that the author's work may at times be featured at or linked from such websites. We at OSDF consider this to be a fair use in that it is authorized by us, benefits us and our authors in terms of gaining exposure on the Web, and does not involve a reselling of rights to their intellectual property. Authors who do not agree with this position should, regrettably, not submit their work to OSDF for publication. Authors who do accept our terms do in fact agree that such linking and featuring are fair use among the rights purchased by OSDF. All submissions should be sent to the attention of: Clocktower Fiction, 6549 Mission Gorge Road, Box 260, San Diego, California 92120 [http://outside.clocktowerfiction.com/Main/guidelines.shtml] =TransVersions= [Canadian print mag, 3 times/yr, SF/F/H to 10,000 wds, pays 2 centsC/wd., no E-mail subm, reprints, sum subs Marcel Gagne and Sally Tomasevic, editors P.O. Box 52531 1801 Lakeshore Road West Mississauga, Ontario - L5J 4S6 E-mail (no subm.): mggagne@salmar.com http://www.salmar.com/transversions/ Starting with issue #12, your new editors will be Marcel Gagne and Sally Tomasevic. As Sally (Tomasevic, not McBride) and I take the helm, we do so with a mixture of excitement (and a little dread) -- but we also take up a proud and respected name with this magazine and this is a reflection of what Dale and Sally have put into this. The flavour of =TransVersions= will no doubt change somewhat. This is inevitable. As with any magazine, new editors mean new ideas and different ways of looking at things. If you are curious and looking for a sample of our tastes as editors, read issue #10. As guest editors, we read and chose every story on those pages. =TransVersions= is proud to have featured work by some of the best names in the business -- Robert J. Sawyer, Spider Robinson, Sean Stewart, and Charles de Lint to name just a few. =TransVersions= is published 3 times per year from the mythical city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Please Note the New Editorial Address before submitting! Send fiction and art (new address) to: P.O. Box 52531, 1801 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga, Ontario - L5J 4S6 The guidelines have changed. Please take a moment and read them. =Please also note that we are heavily stocked at the moment with a large number of stories still waiting to be read. The next two issues are completely bought up.= For a story to interest us, it must first and foremost be a story that contains some element of the fantastic. =TransVersions= publishes science fiction, fantasy, and horror. If you have written the best damn story about corruption in the glittering towers of Wall Street ever written, I'm sorry to say that it will not be accepted at =TransVersions=. This magazine is a home for what is sometimes called "literature of the fantastic". We like an amazingly wide variety of fiction so the door is pretty wide open. For us to accept the story it must submit to the first rule (above), but it must also be excellent, well- written, entertaining, thought-provoking . . . you get the idea. We want stories that make us pause and say "Wow!". We should probably also let you know that we're not much into excessive violence or gore. If that's your style, the story that backs it up better be exceptional. Here are the rules for submission * All submissions must include sufficient return postage (the classic #10 Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope, or SASE). Since only Canadian stamps work in Canada, submissions from outside Canada will have to cover the postage in some other way (unless you have a friendly supplier of Canadian stamps). You can get IRCs at your local post office and they do the job quite nicely. For writers submitting from the United States, you also have the option of including one US dollar. We will not reply to submissions that do not include return postage. * All submissions must be sent as =disposable=. You can save yourself a small fortune by simply including a number 10 SASE for comments (or purchase offer!) and marking the manuscript 'disposable'. Nobody is trying to steal your story. If it's a great story, we'll want to buy it though. * We do not accept electronic or email submissions. If we accept your story, however, we will want it in an electronic word processing format. Almost any word processor format (WordPerfect, RTF, etc) is fine. * Use standard manuscript format. In other words, submissions should be typed, double-spaced, printed in an easy-to-read font (courier is always good) on one side of the page, and paper clipped rather than stapled. Leave 1 inch margins all around. The author's last name or initials along with the story title (or key words) and page number should appear at the top or bottom of every page. The first page of each story should contain the author's name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address if you have one. The word count should appear at or near the top of the first page. Somewhere halfway down that first page is also where the story begins. A separate cover page, blank except for the title and byline, is not necessary (although if you want to tell us about yourself, we'll happily read it). * Maximum length for a story is 10,000 words. Yes, that is a strict maximum. Anything longer will be returned unread. While you can shoot for the maximum if you so desire, we are much more likely to accept stories that are 6000 words or less. An average issue of =TransVersions= is roughly 26,000 words. What that means is that there is very little room for 10,000 word stories. * We do not accept simultaneous submissions or reprints. * Send one story at a time. Six or eight stories in an envelope is a no-no. Payment rates Ah, this is what you were looking for anyhow, right? =TransVersions= buys First North American Serial Rights. We pay 2 cents per word (Canadian) for short stories, and 25 cents a line for poetry. Minimum payment for both is 10 dollars. ART Payment - No covers currently needed. Full page interiors - 10 dollars, spot illos 5 dollars. We WILL consider artwork reprints if clearly marked as such. If we're interested in the piece, we'll ask for details. Please send submissions to: TransVersions, P.O Box 5253, 1801 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga, Ontario L5J 4S6, Canada To get in touch with us, order =TransVersions=, or comment about [the web] site, you can email mggagne@salmar.com [http://www.salmar.com/transversions/] ==End of the CALLIHOO Newsletter for 29 February 2000==