CALLIHOO Newsletter Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Julia West, Editor Vol. 10, No. 11 23 July 2002 Website: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE News Publication Notes Deadlines Contests/Awards Anvil Press International 3-Day Novel-Writing Contest (gls) Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement Awards (gls) Market Guidelines Black Gate Magazine (gls) Market Information 3SF Artemis Magazine Black Gate Magazine DNA Publications DNA Publications website Dragon Magazine Elysian Fiction Future Orbits (hiatus) Weird Tales XOddity (dead) ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS PUBLICATION NOTES James Van Pelt sold his novelette, "A Flock of Birds," to Ellen Datlow at =SCI FICTION=. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ETERNAL NIGHT WRITING CONTEST Deadline 31 July 2002 [Contest, SF taking place at night, 3,000 wds up. Prize $50 and signed print + publication on site. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 9)] GLIMMER TRAIN'S VERY SHORT FICTION AWARD Deadline 31 July 2002 [Contest, fic to 2,000 wds. No reprints. 1st place $1200 +pub. 2nd $500, 3rd $300. Submit on website. Reading fee $10. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 6)] NEW CENTURY WRITER AWARDS Deadline 31 July 2002 [Contest, screenplay or stage play any style, theme, or genre. $30 entry fee. Screenplay 1st $3000, 2nd $1500, 3rd $500, 4th-10th $200 each. Stage play 1st $2000, 2nd $1000, 3rd $500, 4th-10th $200 each. Mult. subs. okay. No e-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 16)] SECOND ANNUAL PHOBOS FICTION CONTEST Deadline 31 July 2002 [Contest, SF to 7500 wds. 3 $1000 prizes, 12 $500 prizes. Winners possibly pub in Phobos antho. No entry fee. May submit up to 3 stories. Contest format. Requires application form. Electronic subs only. No reprints or collaborations. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 10)] OCEANS OF THE MIND FALL 2002 ISSUE: MYSTERIES Deadline 1 August 2002 [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)] BYLINE 1ST CHAPTER OF A NOVEL CONTEST Deadline 6 August 2002 [Opening chapt unpub novel. Mainstream or genre; adult or YA. Max 25 pp. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $70, $40, $20. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 25)] THE BOOK OF MORE FLESH Deadline 16 August 2002 [Print antho, zombie fiction 3,000-7,000 wds. Pays 3-5 cents/wd. 30 days after pub. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 4)] THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY ANVIL PRESS INTERNATIONAL 3-DAY NOVEL- WRITING CONTEST Register by 30 August 2002 [Canadian contest, novel (at least 100 typed pp.), entry fee $35C/$25US, write novel 31 Aug-2 Sep 2002. Prize: publication. No E-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 11)] DEATHLINGS.COM "THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT" CONTEST Deadline 1 September 2002 [Use contests to submit to magazines. H/DF to 4,000 wds. Pays 3 cents/wd. E-mail subs only. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 6 & Vol. 10 No. 3)] BYLINE GENRE FICTION CONTEST Deadline 5 September 2002 [Romance, sci-fi, confession, mystery, western, etc. story. No children's stories. Maximum 5,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $50, $30, $15. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 25)] THE SECOND ANNUAL DR. MAXIMILIAN TUNDRA MEMORIAL POETRY AND SHORT SPECULATIVE FICTION CONTEST Deadline 14 Sep 2002 [Contest. Spec fic 1,000-2,000 wds. Prize: $150C and pub in journal. Hon mention pub on website and in journal. Entry fee $10C from Canada, $10US elsewhere. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 4)] UPC SCIENCE FICTION AWARD Deadline 14 September 2002 [European contest, SF (Catalan, Spanish, English, or French) 70 to 115 pp. Prizes 6,000 and 1,500 Euros +pub. No reprints or E- mail subs. Submit in contest format. No entrance fee. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 20)] 2002 ZOETROPE: ALL-STORY SHORT FICTION CONTEST Deadline 1 Oct 2002 [Contest. Fiction to 5,000 wds. 1st $1000, 2nd $500, 3rd $250. No reprints. $15 entry fee per story. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 3)] BYLINE FLASH FICTION CONTEST Deadline 5 October 2002 [Short story or vignette under 1,000 words, which nevertheless feels complete. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $50, $30, $15. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 25)] SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS OF EARTH Deadline 30 October 2002 (postmarked) [Contest for new writers, SF/F 2,000 - 7,500 wds. $5 fee 1st entry (gives year's membership to SFWoE)/$2 fee further entries. 1st prize $200, 2nd $100, 3rd $50. No E-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 9)]] WRITERS OF THE FUTURE, 4TH QUARTER 2002 Deadline 31 October 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)] MOTA: AN ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY OF FINE FICTION Deadline 1 November 2002 [Annual antho, fiction to 10,000 wds (to 8,000 wds preferred). Pays $100 on pub. Mult subs and reprints okay. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 9)] OCEANS OF THE MIND WINTER 2002 ISSUE: CANADIAN WRITERS Deadline 1 November 2002 [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)] BYLINE NEW-TALENT SHORT STORY CONTEST Deadline 4 November 2002 [Writer who's never won a cash prize in a ByLine fiction contest. Max 5,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $50, $35, $25, $15. GLs in Vol. 9 No. 25)] THE NATIONAL FANTASY FAN FEDERATION SHORT STORY CONTEST Deadline 1 December 2002 [Contest, SF/F/H. 1st place $50, 2nd $30, 3rd $20. Reading fee $2.00. No E-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 10 No. 1)] BYLINE SHORT-SHORT STORY CONTEST Deadline 5 December 2002 [Short story, any type or subject, to 2,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $60, $30, $20. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 25)] 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)] 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: STORIES BEYOND GENRE ANTHOLOGY Probably opens 1 Mar 2003 [Biannual print antho, slipstream/magical realism. Pays 5 cents/wd on accept. First open reading period abt. 1 Mar 2003. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 22)] ----------------------------------------------------------------- CONTESTS/AWARDS THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY ANVIL PRESS INTERNATIONAL 3-DAY NOVEL- WRITING CONTEST [Canadian contest, novel (at least 100 typed pp.), entry fee $35C/$25US (register by 30 Aug 02), write novel 31 Aug-2 Sep 2002. Prize: publication. No E-mail subs.] Anvil Press 6 West 17th Ave. (REAR) Vancouver, BC Canada V5Y 1Z4 EMAIL: 3day@anvilpress.com http://www.anvilpress.com/3daynov/index.htm RULES (please read carefully) The 25th Anniversary Anvil Press International 3-Day Novel- Writing Contest, the world's most infamous literary marathon, takes place Labour Day Weekend, August 31-September 2, 2002. THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: Entrants must complete a registration form and return it to Anvil Press along with an entry fee of $35.00 Cdn (non-refundable; outside Canada, $25.00 U.S.). Registrations must be postmarked by Friday, August 30, 2002 to qualify. Entrants begin writing no earlier than 12:01 a.m., Saturday (basically, Friday night), and must stop at or before 12 midnight, Monday, September 2, 2002. Novels may be written in any location (yes, the honour system still exists!) and using whatever method you choose (by hand, typewriter, word processor), as long as the copy submitted is typed, double-spaced, on 8 1/2 x 11 (or A4) white paper, with pages numbered. (Please, no folders, clips, or staples.) In the case of those writers who choose to compose their novel in longhand, participants may use the week following the contest to have handwritten manuscripts typed and converted to hard copy. Send finished novels to Anvil Press, postmarked no later than September 6, 2002, along with: (1) a non-legal statement signed by a witness confirming the novel's completion over the Labour Day Weekend, and (2) a self-addressed envelope large enough for the novel's return (if desired). If mailed from within Canada, include enough postage for the cost of return. If mailed from outside Canada, a cheque or Postal Money Order in the amount of $7.00 is required for the manuscript's return (U.S. postage cannot be used in Canada). Manuscripts not accompanied by a SASE or sufficient return postage will NOT be returned. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced November 30, 2002. All entrants will receive a press release regarding the outcome of the contest. The judges are comprised of the editorial board of Anvil Press, the literary collective of subTERRAIN Magazine and guest writers and editors. SOME FURTHER GUIDELINES: 1. Outlines are permitted prior to the contest; however, the actual writing must take place during the Labour Day Weekend. 2. Collaborations are permitted, but no more than two per novel. 3. There are no limits as to the novel's length, but entries average 100 typewritten pages, double-spaced. Grand Prize: Publication (Spring, 2003) Yes! I want to register in the 25th Annual International 3-Day Novel Contest, to be held Labour Day Weekend 2002, from August 31st at 12:01 a.m. (basically Friday night) to Monday, September 2nd at 12 midnight. I understand I am to return my finished novel to Anvil Press in the week following the contest (postmarked no later than September 6th!), along with a self-addressed stamped envelope (for return of mss, if desired; accompanied by a cheque or money order in the amount of $7.00 if from outside Canada; manuscripts arriving without a SASE or sufficient return postage will NOT be returned) and a statement signed by a witness confirming the novel's completion in the three prescribed days. Entry fee: $35 CDN / $25 US (outside Canada) Please make cheque/money order payable to Anvil Press, (non- refundable) with the form [available at website] completed (form may be printed or handwritten). Return to: Anvil Press, 6 West 17th Ave. (REAR), Vancouver, BC Canada V5Y 1Z4 If you require further information, we can be reached at the coordinates listed below. TEL: (604) 876-8710 FAX: (604) 879-2667 EMAIL: 3day@anvilpress.com Thanks, and good luck! The Editors, Anvil Press Publishers SOUTHEASTERN SCIENCE FICTION ACHIEVEMENT (SESFA) AWARDS [Achievement award, SF/F/H writers in southeastern US. Novel, short fiction, and hall of fame. $100 award. Voting by members ($7 fee) only. Nominations July 1st - Oct 1st, 2002. Voting Oct 15th - Dec 1st, 2002.] John C. Snider, Editor www.scifidimensions.com 410 Roswell Farms Road Roswell, GA 30075 USA Sponsored by scifidimensions scifidimensions is proud to announce the creation of the Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement (SESFA) Awards, to be given annually for achievement, during the previous calendar year, in science fiction, fantasy or horror (SF/F/H), to persons born or living in the Southeastern United States. We're keeping it simple to start with, offering SESFA Awards for Best Novel of 2001, Best Short Fiction of 2001 and Hall of Fame. Check the Rules for details. Sure, scifidimensions reaches a global audience, but we're based in the South, which has a long tradition of talented writers in every genre, and fantastic fiction is no exception! We wanted to give fandom the opportunity to say thanks to their favorite Southern writers. Participate! In order to make our thanks meaningful (both monetarily and with a commemorative plaque), we're offering low-cost Memberships (only $7) for interested fans. Again, check the Rules for details. Winners Receive Commemorative Plaque and a Check for $100! Calendar Open for Memberships: July 1st, 2002 Window for Nominations: July 1st - Oct 1st, 2002 Final Ballot Distributed to Members: Oct 15th, 2002 Window for Final Ballot Voting: Oct 15th - Dec 1st, 2002 Winners Announced: No Later than Dec 15th, 2002 Sponsors Individuals, groups or corporations are welcome to sponsor the SESFA Awards. Sponsors will be listed on this site, in all SESFA announcements, and on commemorative plaques/certificates presented to winners. For sponsorship inquires, email sesfa@scifidimensions.com. [http://www.scifidimensions.com/sesfa/sesfa.htm] Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement (SESFA) Awards Rules for 2002 Sponsored by scifidimensions Last Revision: Jun 28, 2002 1.0 DEFINITION 1.1 The Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement (SESFA) Awards will be given annually for achievement, during the previous calendar year, in science fiction, fantasy or horror (SF/F/H), to persons born or living in the Southeastern United States. For 2002, eligible works must have been published for the first time during 2001. 2.0 ADMINISTRATION 2.1 The SESFA Awards shall be administered under the auspices of scifidimensions and its editor, John C. Snider or his appointee (called the Administrator). The results of Nomination and Voting for the SESFA will be made public; however, all disputes or discrepancies will be resolved on the sole authority of the Administrator. 2.2 These rules will be frozen as of the first day of Nomination (July 1st, 2002), except in the event of a profound oversight (in which case, the Administrator will directly notify the Membership). These rules may be revised for future years of eligibility on the sole authority of the Administrator. Decisions by the Administrator may not be challenged. 2.3 To avoid the appearance of bias, neither scifidimensions nor its appointed Administrator may recommend or endorse works or individuals as Nominees. Publication or review of an eligible work, or an interview with an eligible individual, in scifidimensions will not be construed as an endorsement. 3.0 MEMBERSHIP 3.1 Any individual may Nominate and/or Vote on the SESFA Awards by completing a Membership Form and sending a $7 Membership fee to: John C. Snider, Editor, www.scifidimensions.com, 410 Roswell Farms Road, Roswell, GA 30075 USA 3.2 In lieu of the printed Membership Form, Members may submit an email to sesfa@scifidimensions.com containing the equivalent information. The Administrator will maintain a printout of e- mailed Membership information. 3.3 Membership fees will be accepted via US currency, check, money order or PayPal (to editor@scifidimensions.com). Payment must be made to "John C. Snider". Do not make payment to "scifidimensions" or "SESFA". 3.4 Members who have paid the Membership fee before the deadline for Nominations (midnight EST, October 1st, 2002) may participate in both the Nomination and Voting processes. Members who pay after the deadline for Nominations but before the deadline for Voting (midnight EST, December 1st, 2002) may only participate in the Voting process. Members who pay after the deadline for Voting will be considered Members for the 2003 Nomination and Voting processes. 3.5 Only one Membership is allowed per individual per year. 3.6 Individuals may purchase a Lifetime Membership for fifteen times the cost of an annual Membership ($105 for 2002). 3.7 If the Administrator decides to cancel the SESFA Awards--for any reason--current Members will be offered a refund (Lifetime Members will be offered a pro-rated refund on a 15-year depreciation). Otherwise, Memberships are non-refundable. 3.8 Members consent to be added to the SESFA Email Forum. All communications from the Administrator with the Membership will be through this Forum. Members are free to discuss potential Nominees, or to endorse Nominees, within the Forum. 3.9 In the event that there are less than 75 Nominating Members, all Memberships will be rolled over to the next year, Lifetime Memberships will be extended an additional year, and the SESFA Awards postponed until the next year, at the discretion of the Administrator. If there are 75 or more Nominating Members, the Award will go forward as planned. 3.10 The Administrator of the SESFA Awards shall be granted an automatic Membership. 4.0 CATEGORIES 4.1 SESFA Awards will be granted in the following categories: 4.1.1 Best Novel -- Over 40,000 words, first published in the English language during 2001, by an author either born in the Southeastern United States or a legal resident during the year of eligibility. 4.1.2 Best Short Fiction -- 40,000 words or less, first published in the English language during 2001, by an author either born in the Southeastern United States or a legal resident during the year of eligibility. 4.1.3 Hall of Fame -- For valuable contributions to SF/F/H (as a writer, editor, actor, artist, or through any other appropriate related activity) by an individual, living or dead, born in the Southeastern United States, currently living in the Southeastern United States, or who was a legal resident at the time or his/her death. 5.0 ELIGIBILITY FOR NOMINATION 5.1 Authors nominated for Best Novel or Best Short Fiction must be born in or a legal resident at the end of the year of eligibility of any the Southeastern United States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia). Nominees may be asked to provide proof of birthplace or legal residence, at the discretion of the Administrator. 5.2 Novels and Short Fiction must have been published for the first time in the English language in 2001. Publication is defined as any public distribution of the author's work, in print or electronically, regardless of professional, semi- professional or amateur status. In the event of a dispute over when publication occurred, the Administrator will render a decision. 5.3 Individuals may only be awarded the Hall of Fame Award once. Nominations in subsequent years for individuals who have already won the Hall of Fame Award will be rejected automatically. 6.0 NOMINATION PROCESS 6.1 Members may submit Nominations for the SESFA between July 1st, 2002 and midnight EST, October 1st, 2002 by e-mailing sesfa@scifidimensions.com. 6.2 Members may nominate up to four Nominees in each category, and should list them in order of first, second, third and fourth preference. 6.3 The four entries receiving the most Nominations in each category shall be presented by the Administrator to the Membership no later than midnight EST, October 15th, 2002 for final ballot. 6.4 In the event of a tie, preference will be given to the Nominee with the overall highest preference Nominations. In the event that process does not resolve a tie, all tied entries will be granted nominations. 6.5 The number of Nominating Votes per Nominee will be made public after the deadline for Voting has passed. 7.0 VOTING PROCESS 7.1 Members will Vote on the Nominees by e-mailing sesfa@scifidimensions.com no later than midnight EST, December 1st, 2002. 7.2 Members may only Vote once and only on one Nominee per category. Once Votes are sent to the Administrator they cannot be recalled or revised. Members must submit their Votes for all three Categories on a single ballot. 7.3 The Administrator will tally the Votes and announce the results no later than December 15th, 2002. 7.4 In the event of a tie, the Administrator will submit the tied Nominees to the Voters for a run-off at the earliest possible time. Members will be given two weeks to submit their run-off Votes. If the run-off results in a tie, the tied Nominees will be awarded Winner plaques, with the prize money divided equally among them. 8.0 PRESENTATION OF AWARDS 8.1 Winners will be presented with a commemorative plaque of attractive and suitable design and a cash prize of $100 (or appropriate portion thereof in the event of a tie). Winners of Best Novel and Best Short Fiction will also receive a featured review in scifidimensions. Winners of the Hall of Fame Award will be interviewed (if possible) or receive a biographical article in scifidimensions. 8.2 In the event that the Winner of the Hall of Fame Award is no longer living, the award will be presented to the Winner's estate or legal heir (to the extent possible). 8.3 Final Ballot Nominees will be presented with a commemorative certificate of attractive and suitable design. 9.0 LIABILITY 9.1 Members and Nominees agree that neither scifidimensions nor the appointed Administrator is liable in any way for the administration or results of the SESFA Awards. [www.scifidimensions.com/sesfa/sesfarules.htm] ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET GUIDELINES BLACK GATE MAGAZINE [Quarterly printzine, adventure F to 25,000 wds. Query for novel excerpts and serials. Pays 3-6 cents/wd. on accept. E-mail subs okay (body of E-mail).] John O'Neill, Editor New Epoch Press Attn: Submissions Dept 815 Oak Street St. Charles, IL 60174 submissions@blackgate.com What We're Looking For =Black Gate= publishes epic fantasy fiction at all lengths, including novel excerpts, as well as articles, news and reviews. We're looking for adventure-oriented fantasy fiction suitable for all ages, as long as it is well written and original. The Seven Most Common Reasons We Return Manuscripts There are lots of reasons a submission might not be right for =Black Gate=. Here are the most common (and some of the most easily avoidable) mistakes. 1) An electronic submission that arrives as an attachment, rather than straight text in the body of an e-mail. We delete unsolicited attachments unread. Yes, we have anti-virus software, but it's tempting fate a bit too much to daily open dozens of attachments from around the world. 2) The story isn't adventure-oriented fantasy. =Black Gate= is a magazine of adventure fantasy, so if you're trying to get your foot in the door with a work of urban fantasy, magic realism, romantic fantasy, or contemporary horror, the odds are stacked against you. Yes, we buy all those genres, but very, very selectively. About 75% of what we publish is plot-driven epic fantasy with colorful settings and interesting characters, and it is the only genre in which we're always actively buying. Try also to be as original as you can in plot and setting. We receive hundreds of Arthurian fantasies every year, and never buy more than one or two. Again, the odds are stacked against you from the beginning with a setting or theme we're likely to have seen multiple times before. 3) Too violent/adult for our target market (ages 12 and up). We feel that it's critical to attract younger readers to the genre, and have advertised ourselves heavily as a family-friendly publication. We have a responsibility to honor that promise to our subscribers. What is too "adult" for a typical 12-year old? We like to think the 12 year-olds who read =Black Gate= aren't really typical, but nonetheless we feel a certain obligation not to confront them with graphic scenes of violence, gore, or intense psychological horror. We ask you to be conservative with profanity as well, when that's possible. This is fantasy--try to find a more original way to have your characters curse their fate! Well handled scenes of a sexual nature aren't as taboo as they used to be, as most modern teens are media-soaked with sexual content long before we get to them, but explicit sex, or sex and violence, no. Homosexual themes are certainly welcome (and in fact we're still waiting to read the first great YA "alternate romance"), but we're not interested in heavy-handed gay or lesbian tracts any more than we are in anti-homosexual fiction. 4) The story opens too slowly. Just because you have 80 pages to work with doesn't mean you can use the first 25 to explain the detailed politics and history of your world. Give your readers a reason to care first . . . and that usually means giving them characters they care about. 5) Not enough attention paid to character development (or great story, bland/ unlikable characters). See #4 above. Even a brilliantly plotted piece of fiction will fail if the reader doesn't care what happens to the main characters... or (worse) actively dislikes them. Yes, it's possible to tell a tale from the villain's point of view, but even then the villain must be a believable, 3-D character, and in the best examples is often sympathetically portrayed. 6) Over-used plot device. Almost anything to do with slaying dragons, deals with the devil, private investigators in a world of elves and fairies, or ancient gods who've adapted to life in the city will usually get you bounced. There are exceptions, but we see these themes so often it's almost impossible to impress us any more. While we're on the topic, if your story opens with an elf, dwarf, thief and ranger about to enter a dungeon, odds are not in your favor. Quick rule of thumb: the less your fiction reads like a gaming session, the more we're likely to be interested. 7) Over-use of magic. =Black Gate= publishes gritty, realistic fiction in which magic often plays a role . . . but if your story includes dueling wizards with wands and fireballs on page 3, it's going to be a lot tougher to grab our attention. The further you can distance yourself from routine, by-the-book perceptions of magic and the supernatural, the better. Six Things That Will Cause Us to Stop Reading We try to read every submission completely, and respond with as thorough a critique as possible. But in some cases, the diagnosis happens on the first page... 1) Rough prose. Admittedly, this is the hardest one to self- select for. But if you're part of a writing workshop or reading circle, make use of it. Seek out honest criticism, not just praise from your friends. Ultimately, submitting to a professional market may be the only real test... if this is the biggest problem with your story, we'll tell you honestly. 2) Excessive/gratuitous violence in an opening scene. 3) A main character who is obviously a vampire (we see far too much bad vampire fiction, and if you think you're going to surprise readers by revealing your hero is a vampire on the last page, you're dead wrong.) 4) Over-used settings (this includes hell, Camelot, any movie studio, or the office of an elf or dwarf Private Investigator). 5) Characters who are clearly super-human, dealing death two- handed while stifling a yawn. It's impossible to generate any real dramatic tension with such characters, no matter how much angst you saddle them with. 6) The appearance of gods or demi-gods who rescue your heroes (see #5 above). Rates We buy first North American serial and electronic publication rights. We pay 4 - 6 cents/word for fiction up to 7,000 words, $280 - $420 from 7,000 to 14,000 words, and 3 cents/word at all greater lengths, on acceptance. We pay 3 cents/word for all non-fiction. Art =Black Gate= is also looking for artists -- for line art, comics, and cartoons. If you have an online portfolio full of dynamic, fun b&w art, don't hesitate to contact us. Response Time Our response time for physical submissions is 3-5 months. Due to the extremely high volume of electronic submissions, our response time can be significantly higher for e-submissions. As we are a quarterly publication, we currently have space to purchase a maximum of one or two pieces per month. If your story is not accepted for publication, don't be discouraged. =Black Gate= is a market with very specific needs. We try to offer feedback on virtually every story we receive, and always enjoy working with new authors. Submission Format =Black Gate= accepts both electronic and physical submissions. Our submission address is: New Epoch Press, Attn: Submissions Dept, 815 Oak Street, St. Charles, IL 60174, e-mail submissions to submissions@blackgate.com Be sure to include your name somewhere on the outside of the envelope. Physical Submissions must also contain a SASE (self- addressed stamped envelope) or an e-mail address. Please only send us disposable manuscripts. If you need your manuscript returned, please so indicate (clearly) on your cover letter, and make sure you have sufficient postage on your return envelope. If you are sending via e-mail, make certain the e-mail address you use is the one you wish us to reply to. In the event your address changes after your submission, please be sure to drop us a note. Electronic submissions must be sent as plain text pasted into the body of an e-mail message, not as an attachment or separate file (which are more prone to carrying viruses). Special formatting (such as italics or bold) should be indicated _like so_. To safeguard our computer systems, submissions sent as attachments will be deleted unread. Novels and Serials We are interested in publishing longer works of heroic and epic fantasy, including novel excerpts, and serials. Please query first for any work exceeding 25,000 words. New Epoch Press does not publish novels, and publishes excerpts only from novels which have already been accepted for publication. Please do not send us your unpublished novel manuscript. A Few Words of Advice We know it's a very tough market out there for short fiction at the moment. A lot of professional fiction magazines are overstocked, and =Black Gate= is no exception. But that certainly doesn't mean that there are no opportunities. While we're currently not buying in a lot of areas, we are still very hungry for our core requirement, heroic fantasy. The trick is to listen carefully to what we're asking for, and see if you have anything in your inventory that can fill that need. Finally, don't give up. Much of the very best fiction we've published has been turned down by other markets, including some of our most acclaimed pieces--fiction that has gone on to be reprinted in Best of the Year collections and other places. Editors are very often forced to reject stories not because they're inferior, but simply because they don't fit the market... if it's not right for us, that doesn't mean it won't be a breakout piece somewhere else, and vice versa. Keep trying! [http://www.blackgate.com/bg/guide.htm] ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET INFORMATION 3SF Liz Holliday, editor of upcoming British print magazine =3SF=, said, "With any luck, I should get to the slush this weekend." [sff.publishing.3sfmagazine, 19 Jul 02] ARTEMIS MAGAZINE Ian Randal Strock, editor of =Artemis Magazine=, said, "I hadn't realized how far it had been stacking up, until I took a quick look, and realized that postage was scheduled to go up today. "So... I went through most of the manuscripts that have been lying around here, and responses are in the mail. I've still got more to read, though, so not to worry if you don't hear from me in the next few days. Whatever's left, apparently, I'll get to stick an extra 3 cents per response on. My fault." [sff.publishing.artemismagazine, 1 Jul 02] BLACK GATE MAGAZINE John O'Neill, editor of =Black Gate Magazine=, said, "Since we sent BG #4 off to the printer I've gotten back to reading slush, with a marathon session over the July 4th weekend, and early this week I was finally motivated to take another to-do off my list: publish a set of much-expanded submission guidelines for =Black Gate= on our website. "The early set of guidelines was fairly specific about what we wanted, but didn't really cover what we *don't* want in enough detail to be useful. Over the weekend, as I worked through two boxes of manuscripts, I scribbled down two lists: one on the most common reasons we reject submissions, and the second a list of the type of content that will cause me to stop reading almost immediately. "I expanded the lists with some additional commentary and advice, and posted the complete text on the =Black Gate= website on Tuesday. The URL is: www.blackgate.com/bg/guide.htm "Don't know if this will be helpful to everyone, but it did help me to clarify our current needs, and vent (a little) on some of the most easily avoidable mistakes writers make submitting to our market. There's nothing more frustrating than being forced to return a terrifically written/plotted/styled piece because the writer was unaware of one or more of our requirements." [sff.publishing.black-gate-magazine, 11 Jul 02] DNA PUBLICATIONS Warren Lapine, publisher of DNA Publications and editor of =Absolute Magnitude=, said, "It's been a while since we've gotten to the slush, what with everything we've got going these days. We got though all of the garden variety slush yesterday. Angela [Kessler, editor of =Dreams of Decadence=] purchased two stories and some poems. A few stories got kicked up to me, but didn't make the cut. I got through about half of the stuff I've been holding. I'm purchasing two stories out of that lot. Come hell or high water I will get through the rest of the stuff I've been holding by week's end, so that we will have nothing that hasn't been read. "We've been noticing that more and more people are asking us to respond via e-mail which we DO NOT do. Kind of stupid to ask for that with the submission, I mean if the answer is no the writer will never know." [sff.publishing.dnapublications, 30 Jun 02] DNA PUBLICATIONS WEBSITE Warren Lapine, publisher of DNA Publications, said, "I've decided to stop reading for the DNA Web Site. In about two years I've found exactly one story that I liked enough to purchase. It's too much reading for next to no reward. From now on the web site will contain only stories that ran in our magazines." [sff.publishing.dnapublications, 30 Jun 02] DRAGON MAGAZINE A writer on sff.net says he got a notice with a rejection that =Dragon Magazine= no longer accepts unsolicited fiction. [sff.writing.response-times, 6 Jul 02] Another writer responded, "I've heard that =Dragon= (along with the other Wizards of the Coast magazines) have been sold off. The staff is staying in place, but they will almost certainly change their format a little, moving away from their current "house organ" configuration. That is, if the rumor I've heard proves true." [sff.writing.response-times, 8 Jul 02] WIZARDS OF THE COAST SIGNS EXCLUSIVE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT WITH PAIZO PUBLISHING, LLC TO PRODUCE TOP HOBBY INDUSTRY MAGAZINES Paizo Publishing, LLC To Publish =Dungeon Adventures= & =Dragon Magazine= July 8, 2002 (Renton, Wash.) - Leading game developer Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), today announced they have reached an exclusive publishing agreement with Paizo Publishing, LLC to produce top hobby industry magazines =Dungeon Adventures= and =Dragon=. In addition, Paizo Publishing, LLC will take over management of the Star Wars Fan Club and will publish =Star Wars Insider=. Paizo Publishing, LLC is a new entertainment publishing company that will be operated by noted longtime publishers and hobby enthusiasts Johnny Wilson and Lisa Stevens. Financials terms of the deals were not disclosed. For more information on Paizo Publishing, LLC call (206) 250-5403. "This is a great opportunity for all parties as this agreement allows us to continue to deliver quality magazines to those interested in reading about their favorite lifestyle games," said Johnny Wilson, president of Paizo Publishing, LLC. "Subscribers can expect the same content, process and flavor from our magazines that they have come to expect from Wizards of the Coast." "This deal is another example of Wizards of the Coast's ongoing initiative to focus on what we do best, design and bring to market great games for our consumers," said Loren Greenwood, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Wizards of the Coast. "And, we couldn't be happier that we were able to finalize a deal with Johnny and Lisa." Paizo Publishing, LLC, soon to be headquartered in Bellevue, WA, will be comprised of industry publishing veterans and will employ the current members of the Wizards of the Coast Publishing Group, including editor-in-chief Dave Gross and art director Scott Ricker. Johnny Wilson, President of Paizo Publishing, LLC, is the former Group Publisher for Periodicals at Wizards of the Coast. With more than 20 years of professional expertise, Wilson is a leading expert in the adventure and fantasy game publishing arena and has managed a variety of adventure and fantasy-based publications that include the popular =Amazing Stories=, =Dragon Magazine=, =Dungeon Adventures= as well as =Star Wars Insider= and =Star Wars Gamer=. An avid games enthusiast, Wilson launched his career in 1981 when his first article on games was published in =The Jacobite Rebellion=, a small publication dedicated to miniatures and wargaming. In 1986, he made the transition to the world of computer games when he joined the editorial staff of Computer Gaming World magazine. Lisa Stevens, CEO of Paizo Publishing, LLC, will become the new president of the Star Wars Fan Club. Stevens, a well-known Star Wars collector and enthusiast, is a game industry pioneer who helped start White Wolf (=Vampire: The Masquerade=) and Wizards of the Coast with Peter Adkison. Her career at Wizards ranged from Sales, Marketing, and Production to Vice President of Event Marketing and included a stint as Brand Manager for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. [http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=4461] ELYSIAN FICTION Jim Bailey, editor of =Elysian Fiction= fantasy webzine, said, ". . . my overall goal: Under Control by WorldCon. "It *should* take less time than that, but I definitely don't want to have to worry about getting ambushed in the halls by writers wondering why I haven't replied yet. "But anyway, a rundown of the status on various behind-the-scene bits of =Elysian Fiction=. "Reading: I have works on hand going back to the beginning of February still, and that's not good, so I'm taking a bit of time to fix that right now. A day or two to catalog everything, then a good amount of reading over the next couple of weeks to catch up. I also have several queries I need to answer in the next couple of days as I catalog. "Issue #3: I've been setting up the formatting of the pages, and will start working on the proofreading here during the next week or so. This puts a release date of around mid-month. "Issue #4: I'll be doing a lot of the formatting concurrently with #3, then once #3 is out the door and the slush reading is done, I only have to proof and do final web formatting to get this one out the door mid-August. "Issue #5: I suspect I have enough material in the to-be-read pile right now to fill this issue, plus maybe some of #6. #5 would be a post-WorldCon issue, but I should have contracts and payments done before that, with a week or 2 after to work on formatting and proofing. Look for a mid-Sept release on this one. "#6 and #7: I still want to get both of these out by the end of the year, so #6 will have either a late Oct or early Nov release, and #7 will have a Dec release. I'd then be back on schedule, and I'd be able to pretty confidently say that =EF= was the largest single source of original fantasy short fiction in 2002. "I realize I still need to prove that I can do it all, most of all to myself, but things have been looking better on this front despite the present backlog. The main source of confidence is the fact that I'm getting more than enough stories that I *want* to publish, and that I think will have a good reception among readers. "Other stuff: There's now a very strong possibility that I'll be able to put together a print collection of stories culled from =Elysian Fiction=. Still lots of details to be worked out on this, but I'll keep everybody informed as they fall into place. [sff.publishing.elysian-fiction, 6 Jul 02] FUTURE ORBITS Tom Vander Neut, Editor/Publisher of =Future Orbits=, said, "I am sad to report that the publication of =Future Orbits= has been suspended indefinitely. Unfortunately, the market for an eBook science fiction magazine was not as responsive as I had hoped and it has thus become necessary to pause publication of the magazine. Therefore, there will not be an August/September issue of =Future Orbits= and no date has been set for the resumption of publication. "This, however, does not remove the possibility that the publication of =Future Orbits= will resume in the future. I apologize for any inconvenience that this causes you and I thank you for your support of =Future Orbits=. "An email with the above information and information on how to receive a refund for the undelivered issues of the magazine has been sent out to subscribers. If you are a subscriber and did not receive this email please send an email to service@futureorbits.com and this information will be resent to you. "Also, if you recently sent a work to =Future Orbits= for consideration, please feel free to market it elsewhere. Your work will be returned (provided an appropriately sized self-addressed, stamped envelop was included) to you within one to two weeks." [sff.publishing.futureorbits, 11 Jul 02] WEIRD TALES A writer on sff.net says that a note from =Weird Tales= says the manuscript pile is finally getting under control. [sff.writing.response-times, 27 Jun 02] XODDITY A writer on the =Speculations= Rumor Mill said, "Got a letter from Scotsman Publishing, telling me that they have gone out of business and that =XOddity= is therefore dead. They blamed the situation on 9/11, but since the letter they were responding to was from 1998, well, somehow I don't think bin Laden can take all the responsibility...." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=201&m=12493, 6 Jul 02] ***************************************************************** * "Writing fiction today [1970] sometimes seems an exercise in * * stubbornness and an anachronistic gesture that goes against * * the shrill tenets of the age--that only the present has * * meaning, that the contemplative life is irrelevant, that only * * the life of purest sensation is divine and that the act of * * giving shape to sensation, of giving a permanence to the * * present, is somehow an inversion of the life principle * * itself. But writers of prose are tough, meticulous people, * * dedicated to a systematic analysis of the life of sensation * * and of the electronic paradise that threatens to make * * language itself obsolete. Writers of prose are all * * historians, dealing with the past. It is the legendary * * quality of the past we are most interested in, the immediate * * past, mysterious and profound, that feeds into the future. * * It's writers who create history." * * --Joyce Carol Oates, remarks at National Book Awards, 1970, * * quoted in the =New York Times Book Review=, November 16, * * 1986. * ***************************************************************** ==End of the CALLIHOO Newsletter for 23 July 2002==