CALLIHOO Newsletter Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Julia West, Editor Vol. 10, No. 26 10 December 2002 Website: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE News Publication Notes Deadlines Market Guidelines SDO Fantasy (gls) SF-F.org Magazine (gls) Market Information 3SF Alchemy Artemis Blood Samples (dead) Dreams and Nightmares Horror Garage The Infinite Matrix On Spec Realms of Fantasy SDO Fantasy Strange Horizons Wicked Little Girls ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS PUBLICATION NOTES Jim Van Pelt sold his story "The Pair-a-Duce, Comet Casino, All-Sol Poker Championship" to =Talebones=. Also his Christmas story, "The Sound of One Foot Dancing," is the teaser story at the =Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine='s web site this month. You can read the entire thing at http://www.themysteryplace.com/ ahmm/index.shtml Good going, Jim! ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 MOONLIGHT & MAGNOLIA FICTION WRITING CONTEST: SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, HORROR Deadline 15 December 2002 [Annual competition for new writers, SF/F/H to 10,000 wds. No reprints. Prizes: 1st $250, 2nd $100, 3rd $50. Entry fee $7.50 per story ($2.50 2nd and thereafter to 3 entries). (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 17)] DELACORTE PRESS CONTEST FOR A FIRST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL Open 1 October - 31 December 2002 [Print publisher, YA novel (ages 12-18), contemp, 100-224 typewritten pages, pays $1500 and $6000 advance. No sim subs. Up to 2 mss. considered. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 23)] WRITERS OF THE FUTURE, 1ST QUARTER 2003 Deadline 31 December 2002 [$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. 9 No. 1)] CRUX: A JOURNAL OF SPECULATIVE FICTION 1ST ISSUE CONTEST Deadline 15 January 2003 [Contest SF/F/H to 3,000 wds. Elements for contest are: "that grape soda feeling"; "the eye of Jupitor"; and unicorns. For summer 2003 issue. E-mail subs only. Sim subs and reprints ok. 1st place $20+pub. No accept. on contest entries until after deadline. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 14)] OCEANS OF THE MIND SPRING 2003 ISSUE: WOMEN WRITERS Deadline 1 February 2003 [Quarterly e-mailzine in .pdf format. SF to 8,000 words. Pays 5 cents/word & up. Themed. Prefers E-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 7 and Vol. 10 No. 3)] POLYPHONY 3 ANTHOLOGY Open 1 January 2003 to 15 February 2003 [Anthology, slipstream/magical realism 4,000 to 10,000 wds. Pays 6 cents/wd. on accept. No E-mail, sim or mult subs. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 20)] 3F PUBLICATIONS HORROR CONTEST Deadline 1 March 2003 [Contest/antho, Halloween H 3000-5000 wds. Unpub. writers only. $5 entry fee. Pays 3 cents/wd. E-mail entries only. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 24)] PATH OF THE JUST SUPERHERO FICTION ANTHOLOGY Deadline 1 March 2003 [Anthology, F in Silver Age Sentinels RPG milieu, 3,000 to 7,000 wds. Pays 3-5 cents/wd. on pub. No E-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 20)] SAY. . . WHAT TIME IS IT? Open 1 December 2002 to 1 March 2003 [Semi-annual printzine, themed (what time is it?). Fiction to 8,000 wds. Pays $10/story. No sim or mult subs, reprints, or E- mail subs. No erotica. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 24)] ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET GUIDELINES SDO FANTASY [Quarterly themed webzine, F to 15,000 wds. Pays $5 to $10 on pub. Reprints okay. No sim subs. Submit online. RT 2-3 wks.] Mark Anthony Brennan, Fiction Editor Submissions: http://www.sintrigue.org/submit.html =SDO Fantasy= is a paying electronic publication of fantasy fiction and fantasy reviews. Beginning January 2003, we do pay for accepted fiction. With payment, we retain the rights to publish your work one time and retain archive rights indefinitely. We accept reprints, but not simultaneous submissions. We publish quarterly themed issues, paying $10.00 (US funds, via PayPal) for each accepted story over 1500 words, and $5.00 for each accepted story under 1500 words. One story per author per issue, please. Please specify what issue you are submitting for (example: January, April, July, etc.) in the subject line of your submission or on our submission form. The January 2003 theme is: Frozen Places. The April 2003 theme is: Rainy Season. The July 2003 theme is: Dreamscapes. The October 2003 theme is: (to be announced) Get your submissions in as early as possible. We publish six stories per issue, period. Absolutely no exceptions. The staff is currently an army of a few individuals. We are dedicated fantasy readers and writers, and have sufficient experience writing and editing to recognize what we like. This does not mean we will edit every line of every submitted story, so please proof your own work first. Your submitted work will be treated equally and fairly, given the same careful consideration as every other submission. If your story is not accepted, you will know why. This is not meant as anything personal, and you are more than welcome to submit again or rewrite the story. Please be patient if you do not have an answer immediately. Almost all submissions are answered within two weeks. Please query if you haven't received an answer within three weeks. Fantasy fiction is past, present, and future. Take us on a magical or mystical journey through time (in either direction) for example, and show us what could have been or could be, whether a thousand years ago, yesterday, or next millenium [sic]. Spiritualism is a seldom visited branch of fantasy that we enjoy. What happens to the Church a thousand years from now? In retrospect, what about Merlin's great grandfather? Do you know where dragons are born? Do you have an adventurer ready to share his or her tale? This is the place for you. Most importantly, fantasy fiction is about having fun reading and writing. If you enjoy it, others will as well. Fiction Editor: Mark Anthony Brennan Reviews: Megan Powell Tech/Design: David Bowlin [http://www.sintrigue.org/about.html] Writers Guidelines Please understand that we cannot (will not) accept stories not meeting these guidelines. We may (or may not) ask the author to resubmit work not meeting the guidelines. We pay $10 for accepted fiction over 1500 words, $5 for accepted fiction under 1500 words. We accept reprints but we do not accept simultaneous submissions--no exceptions. Payment is on publication, via PayPal. Please single space your submission, with a double space between paragraphs. Please. We really mean please here, honestly. We can handle most oversights except this one. When using the submission form, please send only ASCII or plain text. Copy/pasting RTF or DOC files through the form sends garbled trash that cannot be read. Save your work in TXT or ASCII format (plain text) before copy/pasting into the submission form. Otherwise, please send the submission as an attachment. When sending text or submission form versions, Italics should be indicated by underscore at the start and ending of your italicized text, such as _italics_. Acceptable word length is up to 15,000 words. Anything above 7,500 should be sent as a serial. We are very interested in serialized fiction or fiction with the same characters. We accept reprints and original fiction, but we do not want simultaneous submissions because we won't fight over your work, regardless of how good you think it is. Fantasy fiction is all we publish. This does not mean we only publish hack and slash or wizards and dragons. Read the definition of "fantasy" in your favorite dictionary. If your story fits, send it in. Ready to submit your fiction? Great! [The URL to send it is]: http://www.sintrigue.org/submit.html [http://www.sintrigue.org/guide.html] SF-F.ORG MAGAZINE [Webzine, SF/F/H 1,000-5,000 wds. (prefer 3,000-4,000 wds). Pays 1 cent/wd. E-mail submissions only.] Editors: Mike Dumas, Napolean, and Wendy Watts Submissions: sf-f@yahoogroups.com http://www.sf-f.org/magazine/ We want original sf, fantasy, and horror stories in which the protagonist solves a problem and grows in doing so. The protagonist shouldn't be a bystander and stories should be about the character and not some clever plot device. We'll consider stories between 1,000 and 5,000 words with those stories being between 3,000 and 4,000 more to our liking. Payment is 1 cent per word for first English language serial rights. All rights revert to the author upon publication. To submit your story, send it as an attachment to sf-f@yahoogroups.com. In the message, include the number of words, email address, snail mail address and phone number. Deadline for the Spring issue is April 20th. Thanks and good luck! [http://www.sf-f.org/magazine/guide.html] ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET INFORMATION 3SF Samples of stories from issue 1 of =3SF Magazine= are now up on the (temporary) website at http://www.bigengine.co.uk/3sf01a.htm#8 [sff.publishing.3sfmagazine, 14 Nov 02] Liz Holliday, editor of =3SF Magazine=, said, "I have finally finished the Education Job From Hell, and as promised, I'm digging through the slush-sorry-submissions pile. Trouble is, there are workmen in my flat every day (replacing the kitchen and bathroom--it's going to be great, but for the moment it's hell...) Between the fact that they've twice turned the electricity off without warning, and they're using power tools that make me worry about spikes on the circuits, basically I'm not using the computer while they're here. That means during the day. "So, instead I'm basically jamming as many stories as I can manage into my backpack and working at the library. However, this does mean that I haven't started where I intended to (with the email submissions)--I just can't, for the moment. Also, because my 'office' (ie the end of my bedroom) is stacked with stuff moved out of the kitchen and bathroom, I've had to start the box I could get to--and that isn't the oldest. So if you see anyone reporting return times such that you think you should have heard by now... you're probably right. Bear with me. Should be done catching up in a week at most (I'm hoping to be rid of the workmen by the end of the week). "Why can't I get on with the email subs in the evening? Because I have urgent actual *writing* deadlines. . . . "Oh--almost forgot. Of the hardcopy slush, there were 2.5 boxes or so. I've dealt with half a box, though I haven't actually sent out responses to the ones I read today, and probably won't get to do it today anyway. So, that's maybe a fifth. And there are about 40 email subs. Plus requested rewrites. [sff.publishing.3sfmagazine, 3 Dec 02] ALCHEMY A writer on the =Speculations= Rumor Mill said of =Alchemy= magazine, "The editor just moved, so he plans to go back to faster responses." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=201&m=14058&sh ow_all_topics=0, 22 Nov 02] A writer on the Rumor Mill, who actually sold a story to =Alchemy=, when asked what his story was about, said, "I'd describe the story . . . as 'heavy, lyrical prose hung on a god's coming-of-age story. Mythic and fairy tale-ish. Lots of food and convo. A couple deaths. Expansive scope of time.'" [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=204&m=3752&sho w_all_topics=0, 23 Nov 02] Another writer on the Rumor Mill said, "I got an email from Steve [Pasechnick] at =Alchemy= requesting a story based on his liking of another story of mine he'd read: a stream of consciousness literary, fuzzy-on-the-details weregirl/gypsy story that was published in =Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet=." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=204&m=3752&sho w_all_topics=0, 25 Nov 02] A third writer on the Rumor Mill reported, "=Alchemy= suggests waiting at least one month before querying and Steve Pasechnick prefers NOT (emphasis from Steve) to receive e-mail queries." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=204&m=3752&sho w_all_topics=0, 23 Nov 02] However, just for the record, Steve Pasechnick's E-mail address is spasechnick@harvard.com [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=204&m=3752&sho w_all_topics=0, 21 Nov 02] ARTEMIS When asked about the state of the =Artemis Magazine= slush pile, editor Ian Randal Strock said, "I'm getting through it. Truly I am. That's why I've been so quiet [on sff.net]; spending my time reading (both the slush pile and the licensing exam I'm studying for out in the other world). "Anyway, shouldn't be long now." [sff.publishing.artemismagazine, 5 Dec 02] BLOOD SAMPLES A writer on the Rumor Mill said, "=Blood Samples= is dead. I managed to put the kiss of death on it by having a piece in the latest issue." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=221&show_all_t opics=0, 19 Nov 02] DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES David Kopaska-Merkel, editor of =Dreams and Nightmares=, said, "=Dreams and Nightmares= continues to suffer from the abominable renovation. However. I am now only 1 month behind on answering e-subs. I thought I was caught up on snail subs, but found a small stack in a pile of stuff that got stashed out of the way when its proper place was absorbed by carpentry. By the end of the weekend I should be totally caught up on both, and it'll be about time to start assembling issue 64. I am, as always, open to submissions of poetry and (small amounts of) short short fiction. Send to dragontea@earthlink.net, in the body of the message or rtf or txt attachments. Pays $10 on acceptance plus 2 copies. Pays $5 for filler art, but I have a fair amount on hand right now." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=291&show_all_t opics=0, 3 Dec 02] HORROR GARAGE A writer on the Rumor Mill said of =Horror Garage=, "Michele Patterson, asst. editor, [is] no longer editing for the magazine and she couldn't afford to forward all story submissions to the publisher. This reeks of unprofessionality. It's not entirely Michele's fault. Actually, it's not at all her fault, but it's not right. The publisher has closed the magazine to submissions but Ralan.com says he's considering all pending submissions. Apparently only e-subs. I had to pay postage and SASE to wait two months for a 'Nope, we're not even going to read it.'" [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=201&m=14138&sh ow_all_topics=0, 29 Nov 02] Another writer said, "From =Locus Online=: http://www.locusmag.com/2002/News/News11Log2.html#26nov "Paula Guran has been dismissed as editor of =Horror Garage= magazine. Issue #6, now being shipped, is the last issue with which she was involved. The magazine was launched in 2000, and in 2001 won an International Horror Guild Award for Best Publication. "Assistant Editor Michele Patterson resigned after Guran's dismissal. Publisher Rich Black will take over all editorial duties. All unanswered submissions will be turned over to Black. No further submissions will be taken until new guidelines have been issued. Questions concerning submissions or guidelines should be directed to Black at horrorgarage@aol.com; 631-585- 7471; POB 53, Neconset, NY 11767." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=204&m=3752&sho w_all_topics=0, 29 Nov 02] THE INFINITE MATRIX Eileen Gunn, editor of =The Infinite Matrix=, said, "Hey! =The Infinite Matrix= has been publishing every weekday for a full year! "For reflections on this as evidence of the basic benignity of the universe, see my editorial, "A Year of Living Dangerously" http://www.infinitematrix.net/faq/editorials/gunn6.html" [sff.publishing.infinite-matrix, 21 Nov 02] ON SPEC Derryl Murphy, one of the fiction editors at =On Spec=, said, "While some updating needs to be done, our domain troubles are finally over. We're official at: http://www.onspec.ca/ "Drop on by!" [sff.publishing.onspec, 22 Nov 02] REALMS OF FANTASY A writer on sff.net asked, "How far do you normally get into a manuscript before you've made your decision either way? Would you say that by the end of the first page you've made your decision? First paragraph? First sentence? First word--'Argh! They started their story off with the conjunction 'And'! I hate that word. Rejected!'" Carina Gonzalez, editorial assistant at =Realms of Fantasy=, answered, "Pretty much by the first page I've made my decision. The reason for that is I'm NOT reading for great metaphors, literature, or stuff I can teach a class with. I'm reading for profitable entertainment. Don't get me wrong, the existence of this genre means EVERYTHING to me, but I'm looking for things that people will pay money for! If somebody picks up the magazine, reads the first paragraph of a story, and puts it back on the shelf, that's a customer/reader we just lost. People need to be grabbed right away! "Shawna [McCarthy, editor] put it best when she said, "Just ask yourself, after reading a story, do you think this is worth $400. If it isn't, it's not the story you're looking for." [sff.publishing.realms-of-fantasy, 2 Nov 02] Ms. Gonzalez continued, "Topically speaking, those stories that tend to end up on our pages the most are usually more of the urban [fantasy] genre. High fantasy is REALLY hard to get in because it's been done to death. We're looking mostly for originality, not mass production of "what works." And unfortunately, most of what is submitted to us is High Fantasy." [sff.publishing.realms-of-fantasy, 2 Nov 02] A writer on sff.net wanted to know if =Realms of Fantasy= would accept a story that's a chapter of a novel. Shawna McCarthy answered, "She can submit it, but if we buy it and the book is ever bought by a publisher she'll have to tell them that the first chapter has appeared in =Realms= for their copyright page. Not a big deal." [sff.publishing.realms-of-fantasy, 11 Nov 02] Ms. Gonzalez asked writers to be sure to include their E-mail addresses with their submissions, but then added this caveat, "No, No, No, when I e-mail an author it is NOT to respond in place of the SASE, it's to inform them that they didn't HAVE one, and to send one as soon as they can. Or any other problems that have occurred with their ms. And it's not last-ditch, it's always the FIRST thing I look for IF I have to get in contact with the author and we're not publishing them. If I have to pay for it: phone call, or put my own postage, they're not going to be contacted. "We don't answer via e-mail, because frankly, authors start writing back! They want to know why, or get more details, and it's just too time consuming. Especially if I only read the first paragraph, could tell it was substandard writing right away, and don't even know what the rest of the story is about! "If I have a few comments to say, or the author requested that I write comments, I'll either jot them down on the blue form, or if it takes more detail, I'll write out a letter. "So, unfortunately, you're going to have to keep sending in those SASE's. "I WILL use e-mail though for any kinds of questions, correspondence, etc., that authors want. For example, if you want to know if a story about a rabid mushroom falling in love with the maple leaf princess has a shot in =Realms=. I'll gladly talk it over with you." [sff.publishing.realms-of-fantasy, 13 Nov 02] Carina Gonzalez later exulted, "=REALMS OF FANTASY= HAS A WEBSITE NOW! "It is www.rofmagazine.com. There isn't much up yet, but hopefully that will change." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=204&show_all_t opics=0, 3 Dec 02] SDO FANTASY Mark Anthony Brennan, Fiction Editor at =SDO Fantasy=, said, "=SDO Fantasy= (Sintrigue Dot Org) is now a PAYING market. Starting January 1, 2003 we will pay $10 per story for over 1500 words, and $5 per story for under 1500 words. Our issues will come out QUARTERLY and will be themed. The theme for January is "Frozen Places". Go to www.sintrigue.org for more details (see "About Us" and "Writer's Guidelines")." [See above] [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=291&show_all_t opics=0, 2 Dec 02] STRANGE HORIZONS Jed Hartman, one of the fiction editors at =Strange Horizons=, said, "Re novel excerpts: the comments about the excerpt having to work on its own are very important. Most of the novel excerpts that we receive (that are labeled as such, at least) don't read like complete stories to us. This is clearly somewhat subjective, but I'll add that the structures of most novels don't lend themselves to excerpting complete-feeling short stories; with most novel structures, in my opinion, you're not going to get enough resolution from an excerpt to be really satisfying. "But every novel is different." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=204&show_all_t opics=0, 5 Dec 02] WICKED LITTLE GIRLS Christina Sng, Editor, =Macabre= and =Wicked Little Girls=, said, "=Macabre= #1 has just been sent to Ellen Datlow for =The Year's Best Horror=. All the best, contributors! "I'm now actively reading submissions for =Wicked Little Girls=. Those with submissions in for =Macabre=, RTs will be about 2 months or earlier." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=291&show_all_t opics=0, 27 Nov 02] ***************************************************************** * * * "Science fiction is not easy to write. It is often beyond * * the capabilities even of authors of talent and intelligence, * * because those qualities are not enough unless they are * * combined with a certain kind of imagination, perception, and * * mental flexibility. So think it over. Appraise yourself * * carefully and with scrupulous self-honesty. You might not be * * capable of writing good science fiction, and if so, face up * * to it. * * * * "If, however, this is what you really want to write, and you * * feel at least potentially capable of meeting the special * * challenges it presents, then take heart: the task is not as * * impossible as it may appear. Few professional science * * fiction writers are geniuses, after all, and yet most have * * managed to cope. After . . . you have trained your mind and * * your hands to the task, it is mostly a straightforward matter * * of learning your craft--and like any craft, it becomes easier * * with practice. * * * * "There are a few things you can do to make it more likely * * that you will succeed: first, and perhaps most important, if * * you are going to try to write science fiction, then for God's * * sake, READ it. Get an idea of what the present State of the * * Art is, of which magazines and anthologies are buying what. * * Another advantage of actively reading SF is that you'll save * * yourself a great deal of time and anguish on the road to * * becoming a selling writer. How? Because you will know * * better--you'll know =beforehand= that such-and-such is a * * worn-out cliche. And most of all: =if you don't enjoy * * reading science fiction, you're wasting your time trying to * * write it.= * * --Gardner Dozois, "Living the Future: You Are What You * * Eat," in =Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy= * * * ***************************************************************** ==End of the CALLIHOO Newsletter for 10 December 2002==