CALLIHOO Newsletter Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Julia West, Editor Vol. 9, No. 4 6 November 2001 Website: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue Deadlines News Publication Notes Anthologies Be Very Afraid (gls) Imaginings anthology (gls) Contests The Best of Soft Science Fiction Contest (gls) Space Flash Contest (gls) Market Guidelines Elysian Fiction (gls) Fiction Inferno (gls) Market Information Black Gate Electric Wine (dead) Futures Glimmer Train Planet Relish Realms of Fantasy Roc Silver Web Strange Horizons Tales of the Unanticipated Vestal Review Market Lists Wretched Writing ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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.) Be Very Afraid Deadline 30 November 2001 [Print antho, YA real-life horror stories to 4,000 wds, pays 6 cents Canadian/wd. No E-mail subm. (GLs in Vol. 9, No. 4)] The Best of Soft Science Fiction Contest Deadline 15 December 2001 [Annual contest. "Soft" SF to 7,000 wds, mult subm okay, story pub or offered for sale during year. No entry fee. Prizes 1st $100, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 4)] Space Flash Contest Deadline 21 December 2001 [SF/F/H/mystery (outer space setting) to 500 wds. Prizes 1st $25, 2nd $15 on pub. Deadline 21 Dec 2001. No entry fee. No reprints, sim or mult subm. E-mails subm only. Winner pub on website. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 4)] Writers of the Future, 1st quarter 2002 Deadline 31 December 2001 [$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)] Beyond the Last Star Open 1 December 2001 to 1 March 2002 [Print anthology, SF/F/H, pays 5-10 cents/wd ($25 min, $300 max) on accept. No sim or mult subm, no reprints, E-mail subm okay but snailmail preferred. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 2).] Imaginings Deadline 15 June 2002 [Print anthology, SF/F 8,000-15,000 wds, pays $950 per story + 10% royalties. No reprints or E-mail subm. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 4).] Low Port Deadline July 2002 [Open antho, SF/F 3,000 to 10,000 wds, pays 5-8 cents/wd. on accept, reading between Sept 2001 and July 2002. No electronic subm. Low Port, Lee and Miller, P.O. Box 179, Unity, Maine 04988-0179. (GLs in Vol. 9, No. 1)] ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS PUBLICATION NOTES Julia West just sold her story "An Old-Fashioned Christmas Tree" to =Dragons, Knights, and Angels= webzine (www.dkamagazine.net). It will appear in their December 2001 issue. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANTHOLOGIES BE VERY AFRAID [Print antho, YA real-life horror stories to 4,000 wds, pays 6 cents Canadian/wd. Deadline 30 Nov 2001. No E-mail subm.] Edo van Belkom, Editor 52 McMurchy Ave. South Brampton, Ontario CANADA, L6Y 1Y4 Be Very Afraid is a follow-up to the successful Be Afraid anthology of young adult horror that was published in October 2000 by Tundra Books. Stories should deal with the real-life horrors that young adults deal with on a daily basis. In volume one, story themes included such things as body changes during puberty, new families created through divorce and remarriage, the teasing of anyone who's different, and misguided young love. Ghosts and demons are okay, but the focus should be on real-life horror as opposed to the supernatural. Up to 4,000 words max. Payment is 6 cents Canadian per word, half on acceptance, half on acceptance of manuscript by the publisher. Deadline is November 30, 2001. No email submissions. IMAGININGS An anthology of long short fiction [Print antho, SF/F 8,000-15,000 wds, pays $950 per story + 10% royalties. No reprints or E-mail subm. Deadline 15 June 2002.] Keith R.A. DeCandido, editor Imaginings PO Box 4976 New York, NY 10185-4976 http://www.albeshiloh.com/imaginings/ The bold new anthology =Imaginings= [will be] a collection of novelette-length tales of science fiction and fantasy, produced by Albe-Shiloh Inc. and to be published in the summer of 2003 by Pocket Books. Edited by respected editor and best-selling author Keith R.A. DeCandido, =Imaginings= will feature the best in long short fiction. The objective is to create a home for stories of a length that is in many ways ideal for the genre, but also hard for most anthologies and magazines to accommodate. Some of the most important and influential stories in the field are novelette- length--"Slow Sculpture" by Theodore Sturgeon, "The Screwfly Solution" by Raccoona Sheldon, "The Bicentennial Man" by Isaac Asimov, "Sandkings" by George R.R. Martin, "Blood Music" by Greg Bear--but they're very difficult to place. =Imaginings= is, like Patrick Nielsen Hayden's =Starlight=, a return to the anthology like Terry Carr's old =Universe= series--anthologies whose only "theme" is that they have the best stories the genre has to offer. For more information, you can e-mail us, but please, read the FAQ and the guidelines first! Author Submission Guidelines for =Imaginings= [FAQ below] Deadline: 15 June 2002. Address to send stories to: Imaginings, PO Box 4976, New York, NY 10185-4976. Any story sent via any other method than posted mail to this PO box will be rejected unread. Length: Between 8000 and 15,000 words. Any story that is less than 8000 words or more than 15,000 words will be rejected unread. Format: Typed/printed on white paper, double spaced, one-inch margins on all four sides. Each page must be numbered and include the author's name. SASE: Each submission must include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Any story that does not include a SASE will be rejected unread. Cover letter: This must include full contact information for the author--name, address, and e-mail address--and the story's word count. Type of story: Stories must fall into the genre category of science fiction or fantasy. (Horror stories will be looked at, but only if they have SF and/or fantasy elements.) Stories must be original. No reprints will be accepted. Payment: A flat rate of $950 per story (approximately 9.5 cents per word). Each author will also receive 10% of any royalty money received by ASI for sales of the book. All of ASI's royalties will be split evenly among the ten contributors. Acceptances and rejections: Only ten stories will be accepted for the book. No story will be accepted for publication prior to 1 July 2002. (Rejections, however, may come at any time.) For more information: E-mail imaginings@albeshiloh.com or check the FAQ or send a SASE to the above-listed PO box. http://www.albeshiloh.com/imaginings/guide.htm =Imaginings= Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ] Please read the guidelines first--odds are, most of the questions you have are answered there. This FAQ was last updated on 24 October 2001. Q: How do I submit a story to =Imaginings=? A: Read the guidelines, which will tell you everything you need to know. Q: What's a novelette? A: A novelette is defined by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America as a story of at least 7500 words but less than 17,500 words. I'm cheating a bit, and making the requirements for the stories in Imaginings be between 8000 and 15,000 words because I think that's more manageable. Q: Can I send you a reprint? A: Sure, but I'll send it back unread. =Imaginings= is an originals-only anthology. No reprints will be accepted. The purpose of the anthology is to spotlight new original fiction, not to regurgitate old stuff. Q: What if it was only published in an e-zine or a web-zine? A: Doesn't matter. I won't accept anything that's been published before. Q: Can I send you more than one story? A: Yes, but I won't take two stories by the same author(s). So by sending me multiple submissions, you are, in essence, competing against yourself. Q: Who's publishing it and when? A: Pocket Books in the summer of 2003. It'll probably be trade paperback, but that hasn't been decided yet. Q: Since when does Pocket do original SF? I thought they just did Star Trek and gaming and comics tie-ins. A: Actually, they've been doing it for some time, just not with much fanfare, and they've been expanding the line of original genre material, from Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens' technothrillers to Peter David's =Sir Apropos of Nothing= to Armin Shimerman & Michael Scott's =The Merchant Prince= to, well, =Imaginings=. Q: What does the royalty split mean, exactly? A: Albe-Shiloh Inc. will receive royalties from Pocket Books. Whatever monies ASI receives (which will be a percentage of sales, which we'll start getting once ASI's advance from Pocket Books has earned out) in royalties will be split evenly among the ten contributors. In real terms, this means each author will get 10% of all the money the book makes. Q: Does that mean ASI doesn't get any royalty money? A: Yes. Q: What're you, nuts? A: Quite probably, yes. But that goes without saying, given that I'm doing this project in the first place. Q: So it's not a pro-rata share? A: Not as such, no. Since the stories are all approximately the same length, the authors will all get an even split. Q: What other anthologies have you edited? A: Publicly, =The Ultimate Alien= and =The Ultimate Dragon=, coedited with Byron Preiss & John Betancourt (both Dell, 1995); =OtherWere: Stories of Transformation=, coedited with Laura Anne Gilman (Ace, 1996); =Urban Nightmares=, coedited with Josepha Sherman (Baen, 1997); =Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester=, coedited with Robert Silverberg & Byron Preiss (Vintage, 1998). I've also been involved in behind-the-scenes work on another half-dozen anthologies. Q: I've read this FAQ and I've read the guidelines. I still have a question. What do I do? A: Drop us a line at imaginings@albeshiloh.com and ask. http://www.albeshiloh.com/imaginings/faq.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- CONTESTS The Best of Soft Science Fiction Contest [Annual contest. "Soft" SF to 7,000 wds, mult subm okay, story pub or offered for sale during year, open 1 Oct to 15 Dec 2001. No entry fee. Prizes 1st $100, 2nd $50, 3rd $25.] Contest Director 1277 Joan Drive Merritt Island FL 32952 http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Den/5752/ Sponsored Annually by the Soft SF Writer's Association Congratulations to the 2000 Winners: First - Stephen D. Rogers for "The Meek Inherit" published in =Jackhammer= Second - James Van Pelt for "Infodict" Third - Pete Manison for "Dust Station Omega" published in =Space and Time= Honorable Mentions: Mary Soon Lee for "Murder Absolute" published in =The Age of Wonders= Ken Rand for "The Find" published in =Extremes - Fantasy and Horror from the Ends of the Earth= Guidelines Who Can Enter: The contest is open to all writers, and you can enter as many manuscripts as you wish. The entry must have been published or offered for sale within the year the contest is entered. If the story has been published, include this information so it can be listed with any announcement of winners. Opening and Closing Dates: The contest will open October 1 and close December 15 to avoid the Christmas rush. Judging should be complete by the first of the year and prizes disbursed by March. Entry Fee: There will be no entry fee for the contest at this time. Judges and Prizes: The manuscripts will be judged by the members of the Soft SF Writer's Association, who also contribute the prizes. Current awards are: First place $100, second place $50 and third place $25. Judging Criteria: Emotional impact, artistic style, cleverness, originality, characterization, theme weight, imagery, sensuality. Stories which contain shocking or disturbing elements are unlikely to win. This is not the type of emotional impact we're looking for. Format and Length: No form is required for entrance to the Best of Soft SF Contest. Please send a disposable manuscript in standard format addressed to the Contest Director, 7000 words or less with your name and address securely attached. If you want a personal notification of the winners, include a SASE. Transfer of Rights: Winner's stories will be kept on file, and others disposed [of] to keep administrative costs to a minimum. No rights will be transferred by submission to the contest. If an anthology is planned, writers will be contacted later. General: Soft SF is different from hard in that characters, emotional content and artistic effect are emphasized rather than plot and deterministic science. Although adult issues are encouraged, gratuitous violence and graphic sex should be kept to a reasonable minimum. Mixed-genre stories are acceptable (fantasy/SF, mystery/SF, horror/SF) as long as elements of science fiction are included--that is, some projection of trends, facts or technology in a scientific way. Social, behavioral, natural or hard science are all acceptable as a basis; and past, present, future or alternate universe are all fine as a setting. http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Den/5752/ SPACE FLASH CONTEST [SF/F/H/mystery (outer space setting) to 500 wds. Prizes 1st $25, 2nd $15 on pub. Deadline 21 Dec 2001. No entry fee. No reprints, sim or mult subm. E-mails subm only. Winner pub on website.] Submissions: flashcontest@ravenelectrick.com In anticipation of our second anniversary, Raven Electrick is holding a Space Flash Contest. Raven's looking for flash fiction with an outer space setting. The winner will receive $25.00 (U.S.) paid on publication in March 2002. The runner-up will receive $15.00 p.o.p. All entries must be received by December 21, 2001 and conform to the following Space Flash Contest Guidelines: Stories must have an outer space setting: a ship, moon, planet, asteroid, etc. Other than that, the genre/theme is up to you, and it needn't be strictly sf. Fantasy, horror and mystery are also welcome. There are only a few caveats/exceptions: * Nothing sexist, racist, or above a "PG" rating. * No cannibalism. (Let's add no evisceration or "skinning.") * No "dead babies." (That includes child molesting/maiming/murdering. Preference in horror runs toward the supernatural. The less real world gore the better.) * Length up to 500 words (word processor count). * No previously published submissions. * No simultaneous or multiple subs. How to submit: * E-mail submissions to: flashcontest@ravenelectrick.com. Label subject line "Contest Sub" with author's last name, e.g. "Contest Sub/Asimov." * Copy and paste submission into the body of your e-mail. (We won't open attached files!) * Text should be single-spaced, with double-spacing between paragraphs. Use black text only. Terms: By submitting your work to Raven Electrick, you agree that: * the submitted story is an original work. * you are the author of the submitted original work ("the work"). * you own the copyright to the work. * no other publisher holds exclusive license to the work at the time of submission to Raven Electrick. * if the work is the winner or runner-up in the Space Flash Contest, you give Raven Electrick permission to publish the work in electronic form. (Raven Electrick acquires first electronic rights with exclusive use of the work for a period of 90 days after publication. At your request, we will remove the work from the website after 90 days. Please allow us 30 days to respond to your e-mail request.) Hope to see your subs! http://www.ravenelectrick.com/ssraven/flashcontest.html ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET GUIDELINES ELYSIAN FICTION [Quarterly webzine, F to 25,000 wds, pays 1 cent/wd. (min $10) on accept. No reprints, sim or mult subm. E-mail subm only.] Jim Bailey, Editor Submissions: editor@elysianfiction.com http://www.sfroundup.com/elysian/ Guidelines for Elysian Fiction =Elysian Fiction= is a quarterly web publication offering short fantasy fiction to readers at no charge. Each issue will contain approximately 50,000 words of original fiction, plus occasional offerings of editorials, reviews, and other non-fiction articles. =Elysian Fiction= is available on the World Wide Web at URL: http://www.elysianfiction.com/ and new issues will appear on March 1st, June 1st, September 1st, and December 1st of each year. What we're looking for: Original fantasy fiction of all types and styles. All lengths from short shorts to 25,000 words. Query for longer works, there might be occasional opportunities for them. We want a good mix of the broadest possible interpretations of "fantasy": contemporary, heroic, mythical, surreal, dark, humorous, etc..., so feel free to send anything that might be appropriate in the slightest. No reprints. Payment: Payment is 1 cent/word (U.S.), minimum $10, on acceptance (OA), for first world wide web rights, for a term of one year, the first three months to appear exclusively on =Elysian Fiction=, the other nine months non-exclusive (can appear in other sites and publications after 3 months). Anthology or reprint rights may be acquired at a later time at terms to be negotiated. Foreign payments can be worked out for the greatest convenience to the author. Submissions: Please send stories as either .txt file attachments to e-mail, or within the body of an e-mail. Indicate italics with _underscores_, and any other notes or format instructions within the body of the story with [[double brackets]]. Include name, address, phone #, word count, title, your byline (name you wish to appear in the story), and any cover letter/credits/notes (optional) at the top of the e-mail body. No simultaneous or multiple submissions. Subject line should be in the form: Submission "Story Title". Send all submissions and other correspondence with =Elysian Fiction= to: editor@elysianfiction.com. Initial replies within 30 days. Feel free to query after that with Subject: Query "Story Title". Thank you for your interest in =Elysian Fiction=, and I look forward to receiving your stories. Jim Bailey, Editor, =Elysian Fiction= http://www.sfroundup.com/elysian/gls.htm FICTION INFERNO [Quarterly webzine, literary spec fic (SF/F/H) to 50,000 wds, pays $25 on pub. E-mail subm. only. Reprints okay. No mult subm.] Submissions: submissions@fictioninferno.com http://www.fictioninferno.com/ =Fiction Inferno= is a new Internet magazine devoted to publishing speculative fiction of literary quality, including (but not strictly limited to) the genres more commonly referred to as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and experimental. Our goal at FI is to find and publish the best fiction available from authors of any and all backgrounds, whether well-established in their writing careers or just starting out. The only objective criteria for making the pages of FI is well-crafted, innovative fiction. Of course, the subjective criteria is, we gotta like it. =Fiction Inferno= is a semi-professional market. We pay for exclusive Internet display rights, for a period not less than four (4) months. We will maintain an author's work in our archives section unless asked to remove it. We are not charging anything for access to the magazine, and are not currently accepting advertising. This means that we are operating this project out of our own pockets. Payment for accepted fiction is set at $25 (U.S.) and paid on publication. This policy is subject to change without notice, but we intend to try very hard to maintain semi-pro status. FI is actively seeking submissions that fit our general requirements in any length up to 50,000 words. Shorter pieces will have a better chance, but a brilliant short novel will find its way to our pages. FI is AUTHOR FRIENDLY. Except for Internet display rights as specified by contract, all rights will remain with the author. We will always honor authors' decisions regarding their own work. =Fiction Inferno= is devoted to publishing speculative and imaginative fiction that doesn't fit elsewhere. Dangerous fiction. Experimental fiction. Subversive fiction. Outrageous fiction. If you're old enough--or hip enough--you might remember Harlan Ellison's =Dangerous Visions= series from the late sixties and early seventies. This is what we're talking about. (If you've never heard of =Dangerous Visions= turn off your computer and go the library THIS INSTANT and check it out. Admit your personal failure to no one.) This doesn't mean that FI looks specifically for offensive, vulgar, or disgusting material, but we don't exclude quality stories that contain those things. We would publish a gentle, "G" rated story that fit our needs, or a nasty, "XXX" that worked us over, and maybe both in the same issue. A good piece of speculative fiction ought to do something to you. Whether it's make you think, make you sad, scare you, tease you, give your erectile tissues a workout, or make you throw up. Something. That said, we are always looking for new, original, and dangerous fictions. And we really don't care if you've been published before or not. If you have, that's cool. We're impressed. If not, maybe FI will be your first. Don't be gentle. We won't. What we really frown on is any form of copyright infringement (unless your work is a very clever, original, and insightful parody, using characters from popular tv shows or movies is a BAD THING, and you will be punished), outright plagiarism (which is stealing, and a VERY BAD THING, and you will be fed directly to the organ banks), and spamming or other web-abuse (which is the WORST THING and will result in your eternal blistering-oozing- itching-festering damnation. Not that we're particularly vituperative, or anything). To submit, please follow these guidelines: 1. Send us your best, most original and inventive speculative fiction, one story at a time please. 2. Submissions can only be accepted by email to submissions@fictioninferno.com 3. Submissions must not be currently available elsewhere on the Internet. If your story has been published before, that's ok, but please let us know where, and when, and by whom. Please be certain that you have the rights to sell it to us. What we're buying is World Wide Web Rights, in exclusivity as long as the piece is on our site. 4. Submissions should be text files. You can either use the "save as ASCII text" option in your word processors file menu, or cut and paste from your word processor to Notepad and then save. If you're having trouble with this, you might consider reading the manual. We can accept Word file attachments, but would rather not. 5. Send your story as either a text file attachment to the email, or even better, pasted into the body of the email. 6. In the subject line, please use the following format: SUBMISSION: "TITLE OF STORY." 7. If you want to include a few words (begging, pleading, threatening, bribing, etc.) please feel free to put them at the top of the email, before the story begins. 8. At the top of your story, please include the following information: Your full, legal, real name; approximate word count; title of story; and name you want on the "by" line. 9. Use a line space between paragraphs--no indents please. 10. We will read your submission and make a decision as soon as possible. If you haven't heard back from us in a week or two, feel free to send a follow up email. If we ignore that one, send another. If you still haven't heard from us, assume that we were so moved/frightened/saddened/disturbed by your story that we had no choice but to quit our day jobs, get full-body tattoos, and become wandering alcoholics, or missionaries, or something. Just remember it was probably your fault. 11. If we decide not to publish your story, we'll tell you why. You may even receive some constructive criticism. Don't worry, we're professionals. 12. If we decide we want to publish your story, we will send you some money. Probably not a lot of money, but we want you to be professionals, too. For the immediate future, FI will publish irregularly, hopefully four issues per year. We purchase current electronic publication rights, and hold those rights for four calendar months from the date of publication. We will keep your work indefinitely available in our archives section, unless and until you tell us otherwise. If you wish to remove your work from FI, just drop us an email any time after the issue your story appears in has been replaced. All rights not specifically mentioned in the Author Contract remain with the Author. All rights revert to the Author. We respect our authors wishes regarding their own works ALWAYS. So, don't be shy. Fire away! Send your best, strangest fiction to Fiction Inferno SUBMISSIONS EDITOR. And keep writing. http://www.fictioninferno.com/submissions.html ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET INFORMATION BLACK GATE John O'Neill, editor of =Black Gate=, says, "I now have a final statement from our distributors on sell-through for the first issue in newsstand outlets: over 63%. Quite a coup for a small press magazine, we're told--and especially a first issue. We'll see how well that holds up in light of the wider distribution of our second issue." [sff.publishing.black-gate-magazine, 27 Sep 2001] When asked what the expected turn-around was for stories, =Black Gate= editor John O'Neill said, "Great question! I've answered it here a few times, but as our process is slowly maturing it's probably time to do it again. "We try very hard to read all fiction submission to =Black Gate= within 2-3 months. We have several fiction readers, but the ones currently handling the bulk of the work are managing editor Alice Dechene, and Kelly Searsmith. The great majority of manuscripts are returned, all with at least some feedback (we don't use traditional form letters). "About 10-15% of submissions are passed along to me for consideration. This is where the process can vary widely. Since we are a small press magazine, we don't have the budget to build up a large inventory of fiction, so I tend to read in three-month chunks (we are a quarterly), and select the best fiction for each issue. I make every effort to respond as early as possible, but in exceptional cases I have held stories for as long as five months or more (total, not additional). "When we come across a terrific story which just won't fit for one reason or another (because we've already purchased a Cthulhu parody for that issue, for example), it starts to get tricky. The temptation, of course, is to hold that story over for future issues. But if we've already held the story for five months, we really can't do that. My usual recourse is to return the story, explain the situation, and ask the author to re-submit in 6-8 months (or allow us to keep it on file). "Re-writes are another example of how the submission process can stretch on. Lots of authors will take our feedback and re-craft the story, often many times. We are always glad to consider a re-write, regardless of how many times it has been submitted, but we usually don't assign them any special priority." [sff.publishing.black-gate-magazine, 2 Oct 2001] John O'Neill adds,"I'm an author myself, and I know exactly how it feels to have a beloved manuscript sit with an editor. And sit. And sit. We have a small staff and yes, we're swamped with hundreds of manuscripts every month, but reading and responding to authors is really the best part of this job, and responding in a timely manner is something we should be held accountable for. We've done a fair job over the last year, and I'd like to improve that record over the next one." [sff.publishing.black-gate-magazine, 2 Oct 2001] A writer on sff.net asked, "In other words a successful submission may require anywhere from two to six months; on the average if the writer hasn't heard anything by six months he/she/it should check to make sure the script isn't lost. Is that accurate?" Editor John O'Neill responded, "That's just about right. You should definitely query at the six month point." [sff.publishing.black-gate-magazine, 14 Oct 2001] ELECTRIC WINE A writer on the =Speculations= Rumor Mill says, "=Electric Wine= has its last issue up right now. Full of good stuff--but the market is dead." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic221.htm, 24 Oct 2001] FUTURES A writer on the Rumor Mill says, "=Futures= has always been mystery heavy, and they're going to be leaning even more that way come 2002. Starting in 2002 they're switching to a quarterly format (from bi-monthly), and they're changing their name to =Futures Mysterious Anthology=. Their response time seems to be in the 2-3 month range lately. "By the way, 'Due to an overwhelming amount of submissions =Futures= is taking a Holiday break this year. We will be closed to new submissions from, and including, Tuesday November 20th, throughout the month of December, and we'll open for new submissions once again on Tuesday January 9th. During the break we will remain open to all contest entries and will respond on accepted or rejected submissions received prior to this date as usual.'" www.futuresforstorylovers.com [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic84.htm, 31 Oct 2001] GLIMMER TRAIN A writer on the Rumor Mill says, "Received a post card today from =Glimmer Train=. They're going to e-subs now." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/archive/ arc291.htm, 22 Oct 2001] Glimmer Train Press Online Submissions You can now use our automated system to submit your writing to our editors. By submitting via the Web you will be saving time and postage, and will be conserving the earth's resources. How does this work? Our new system will securely store your writing and route it to the editors who will read your work. You'll know right away that your work has arrived safely. You'll even be able to check status on any of your submissions any time in the secure area called "My Submissions" (That button will be visible once you're logged in.) How do I submit my story? Log in. If you've not been to the site before, just click on Getting Started to create a profile for yourself. Once you have logged in, choose the category of your choice and upload your work! Then what happens? When the file upload has been received, our system will assign a Document ID number to the piece you have submitted, and send you a confirming email notice, which will include this tracking number. We will contact you directly via email once the piece has been read and considered, and a determination has been made. We are eager to read your work! Please do check our Frequently Asked Questions section first, but should you have any other questions, do let us know! Thank you! Glimmer Train Press, Inc. 710 SW Madison Street, Suite 504, Portland, Oregon 97205 telephone: 503.221.0836 facsimile: 503.221.0837 The best way to reach us is by email: info@glimmertrain.com [http://www.glimmertrainpress.com/Glimmer/ writer/html/index2.asp] PLANET RELISH Mark Rapacioli, editor of =Planet Relish= webzine, says, "Effective immediately, =Planet Relish= will no longer accept submissions that have been previously published in print or electronic media, including the Web. I really hate to do this, given some of the excellent reprints I've published in the past two years, but the reasoning is twofold. One, given my absolutely atrocious response times since "The Job" began last spring, I need to do something to reduce the flow of stories into the slush. Two, I've had a couple of problems with previously published work showing up on the Web (sometimes through no fault of the author), which violates the terms of our Web exclusivity clause. "If you have a reprint that is still sitting in the slush pile, don't sweat it, it will receive proper consideration for the upcoming November/December issue. Starting with the January/February issue, reprints will no longer be published. "If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me directly at publisher@planetrelish.com. Thank you for your understanding and patience." Mark Rapacioli, Editor, =Planet Relish E-Zine=, www.planetrelish.com [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic291.htm, 24 Oct 2001] REALMS OF FANTASY A writer on sff.net e-mailed Shawna McCarthy, editor of =Realms of Fantasy=, and got this reply: "I'd appreciate it if you'd let people know that Becky [the old assistant editor] quit last month after several months of apparently doing nothing and losing several batches of mss. I'm just now breaking in a new reader but I'm backed up and I don't even know how backed up I am, since quite a few mss were lost--in one case a whole month's worth. I'm trying to catch up and I apologize to everyone." [sff.writing.response-times, 9 Oct 2001] Another sff.netter queried =Realms of Fantasy= and got this response from the new assistant editor: "I am afraid we keep no record of submissions we have received. I have every intention of changing that fact though. Please re-submit [story title] for consideration. Thank you for your patience." Carina Gonzalez, New Assistant Editor of =Realms of Fantasy= [sff.writing.response-times, 29 Oct 2001] ROC Laura Anne Gilman says, "It will probably come as no surprise to anyone, in light of recent events, to hear that Roc won't be accepting any unsolicited manuscripts for the foreseeable future. If someone wants to send us something, they should query to roc@penguinputnam.com and get an okay before sending it. We're an unlikely target for terrorists or random crazies, but that's the thing about both terrorists and random crazies...logic isn't their strong point. "And if you are sending something to us--or anyone, for that matter--make sure that your name and return address are clearly printed on the envelope. Why run the risk of having a perfectly harmless package tossed unopened because you weren't clear and careful?" [sff.publishing.roc, 16 Oct 2001] SILVER WEB A writer on the Rumor Mill says, "My last sub to =Silver Web= came back with [the] statement, 'closed to all submissions until further notice.' The letter is postmarked October 9." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/archive/arc291.htm, 13 Oct 2001] STRANGE HORIZONS Mary Anne Mohanraj editor-in-chief of =Strange Horizons= webzine, says, "Quick sketch of =Strange Horizons=: - author sends in submission to a department - department evaluates it -- each department has from 1-3 editors, so this process can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. I think our fiction department averages about a three week response time; I'm not sure about poetry, articles, art and reviews - the department may ask for revisions before accepting; this part may take a while back and forth - when they formally accept a piece, they send a questionnaire to the author to collect various info, including where to send the check, SS#, etc. - when the author returns the questionnaire, the department sends it on to me - I collect the questionnaires from all the departments, and then once a month, usually around the end of the month, I take the information, make a whole mess of contracts, write a big bundle of checks, and then send them out all at once. "Hope this clarifies the process for you. I don't read any submissions at =Strange Horizons= -- I just write the checks." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/archive/arc291.htm, 18 Oct 2001] Jed Hartman, fiction editor of =Strange Horizons=, says, "We at =Strange Horizons= are currently looking even more than usual for good *short fiction*, especially in the 2000- to 3000-word range. We've been getting plenty of good stuff in the over-5000-words range, and of course we'll continue to accept submissions all the way up to 9000 words, as always. But if you've been sitting around thinking to yourself, "I'd like to send those SH people a story, but I can't decide how long it should be," then consider sending us something shortish. "(Please note that this is *not* intended as a change in policy or a change in guidelines or anything like that. We're just currently looking for some shorter stuff to balance out the longer stuff, and I figured this would be a good place to mention that.)" [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/archive/arc291.htm, 2 Oct 2001] TALES OF THE UNANTICIPATED A writer on sff.net says that Eric Heideman, editor of =Tales of the Unanticipated=, told her he'll probably start reading for #24 May 1 - June 1, but recommended checking the website at http://totu.home.att.net next April to confirm. [sff.writing.response-times, 25 Oct 2001] A writer on the Rumor Mill says "Eric Heideman, the editor of =TOTU=, announced that he is behind on reading subs. He received far more submissions than he has in the past and he recently changed jobs and is working more hours. He anticipated that he would be able to let everyone know by the end of November, rather than the end of October." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic291.htm, 24 Oct 2001] VESTAL REVIEW A writer on the Rumor Mill says that effective immediately, =Vestal Review= is a limited edition print magazine. Beginning with the next issue (#8), all contributors will get a free copy in addition to the usual payment. [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic291.htm, 29 Oct 2001] ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET LISTS Jobs In Hell is a weekly horror market e-newsletter and it's the best source for markets that I know of. You can get info at http://home.earthlink.net/~jihadpubs/ [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic178.htm, 3 Oct 2001] ----------------------------------------------------------------- WRETCHED WRITING It's ba-a-a-a-c-k. 'Tis the season for the Deseret News' Bad Writing Contest, wherein we invite you, our readers, to submit a wretched opening sentence to an imaginary novel. The contest is modeled after a national competition known as the Bulwer-Lytton Contest, established in memory of Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who earnestly penned some of the worst openers in literary history, including the notorious "It was a dark and stormy night. . . ." (For more information on that contest, check out www.bulwer-lytton.com.) Last year, many of you responded to my plea for entries with brilliant baddies of your own, but it was Eric Samuelsen who won the Deseret News contest with this memorable regional bit: "The sun set over Utah Lake like a giant orange Jell-O mold, with a Cool Whip layer of clouds above the pineapple chunk mountains, the lake itself like a wavy bed of lettuce, only bluer, and as Heber stared soulfully into Velmina's peanut-butter-cup eyes, in the back of his mind, not for the first time, he reflected how very long Fast Sundays seemed when you were young, and in love." I encourage you to e-mail your original, single sentence entries to me at acannon@desnews.com [Ann Cannon, Deseret News, 1 Nov 2001] ==End of the CALLIHOO Newsletter for 6 November 2001==