CALLIHOO Newsletter Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Julia West, Editor Vol. 9, No. 23 9 April 2002 Website: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE News Breakthrough Writers' Seminar Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer Deadlines Contest Irreantum Fiction Contest (gls) Market Guidelines Irreantum Magazine (gls) Market Information Black Gate Magazine Elysian Fiction Imaginings Anthology ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS "BREAKTHROUGH" WRITERS' SEMINAR "Breakthrough," a one-day writers' seminar, has been set for Saturday, June 8, in Sandy. Conducted by local professional writer Ken Rand of West Jordan, Breakthrough will help new and advanced writers of fiction and nonfiction to write better, write faster, and earn more. The Breakthrough seminar is based on a school curriculum Rand wrote as well as on talks he makes at conventions and workshops throughout the country. Rand, author of a dozen books, 100 short stories, 200 humor columns, and countless articles and interviews, brings more than 30 years experience as a reporter for print and radio, a PR "flack," and a freelancer to his teaching. Rand says writers create in four stages: Coming up with ideas, writing, editing, and marketing. His all-day seminar explores these concepts in depth with a lecture, handouts, hands-on exercises, articles, references, a suggested reading list, and copies of his book =The 10% Solution: Self-editing for the Modern Writer=. Rand also offers attendees personal "tech support" after the seminar. Attendees will receive hundreds of dollars worth of free books as door prizes. The Breakthrough writers' seminar will be held Saturday, June 8, at the Hampton Inn, 10690 South Holiday Park Dr., Sandy. [note new address] To register ($60), or for more information, contact Ken Rand, 1498 Bora Bora Dr., West Jordan, UT 84084. E-mail KRand27577@aol.com. Phone 801-568-1666. Details about the Breakthrough seminar as well as Rand's biography and bibliography are on his website at www.sfwa.org/members/Rand. Applicants must register before June 1. Space is limited to the first 30 applicants, so interested writers are urged to contact Rand soonest. WORD WORK: SURVIVING AND THRIVING AS A WRITER I've long enjoyed reading the "surviving as a writer" articles Bruce Holland Rogers has written for =Speculations=. Now Bruce has updated some of these and put them (with much more) together as a book, one which we, as writers, may wish to purchase. Special pre-order offer: For the regular retail price of $16.95, you'll get a signed copy of the book, with no charge for shipping, if you mention the CALLIHOO Newsletter. Contact Bruce Holland Rogers at bruce@efn.org or see one of the websites below. =Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer= By Bruce Holland Rogers Invisible Cities Press in Montpelier, Vermont May 2002 =Word Work= addresses the psychological and spiritual challenges that writers face at every stage of a seriously committed literary life, from beginner to established pro. "=Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer= by Bruce Holland Rogers will likely end up on every writer's desk, or it should. Rogers' wise and helpful book is full of sound advice for the beginner, innovative ideas for the working writer, even ingenious motivation techniques for the stalled professional. Every writer will find something of value, including those who just need a little push to get started each day. Even people who have never thought of putting pen to page, or pixel to computer screen, but have wanted insight into the minds of those who do will find =Word Work fascinating." -----Jean M. Auel, author of =The Clan of the Cave Bear= and =The Shelters of Stone=. "In =Word Work=, Bruce Holland Rogers has given us the most useful, reliable writer's guide imaginable. His thoughtful chapters explain and analyze every kind of psychological pitfall known to the working writer, whether beginner or experienced pro. His counsel is always sensible and wise, and he knows how to solve the besetting problems of a working writer's life. This is a remarkable book." -----Peter Straub, author of =Magic Terror= and =Mr. X=. "These brilliant essays illuminate the art of writing in a way that I have never seen before. I recommend =Word Work= to every writer and to everyone who hopes to be a writer." -----Damon Knight, Hugo and Nebula Award winner and author of =Creating Short Fiction= "=Word Work= offers sound, supportive advice from someone who's been there and back. Balancing real depth with an engaging wit, Rogers is a knowledgeable guide through the perils and pitfalls of the writing life." -----Dennis Palumbo, psychotherapist and author of =Writing From the Inside Out= "Can't focus? Can't get in the mood? Can't shut out those critical voices whispering in your ear? =Word Work= offers excellent personal insights on how to beat those writing demons and deal with life as a professional writer. I recommend it highly to anyone with the intention of writing seriously." ----Mary Freeman, author of =Bleeding Heart= and other mysteries For more about the book and Invisible Cities Press: http://www.invisiblecitiespress.com/publications/wordwork.htm Rogers is a multiple-award winning writer with a Pushcart Prize in literary fiction, a Stoker in horror, two Nebula Awards, and many award nominations including one for the Edgar Allan Poe Award in mystery. For more about the author: http://www.sff.net/people/bruce ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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.) MATTER OF TIME CONTEST Deadline 19 April 2002 [Contest, time-themed story to 5,000 wds, undergrad students only. No E-mail subs, prize $2,500 and pub in literary journal =Limestone=. 2 HMs published. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 14)] LORIAN HEMINGWAY SHORT STORY COMPETITION Deadline 1 May 2002 [Annual competition, fiction all genres, new writers. To 3000 wds. No reprints or E-mail subs. Contest format. Entry fee $10 before 1 May, $15 1-15 May. Prizes: 1st $1000, 2nd and 3rd $500 ea. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 17)] SONGS FROM DEAD SINGERS Deadline 1 May 2002 [Print anthology, H to 6,000 wds (2500-4000 ideal). Pays $10US per story on pub. No reprints, sim, or mult subs. E-mail subs only. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 16)] BYLINE NEW-TALENT SHORT STORY CONTEST Deadline 4 May 2002 [Open to any writer who never has won a cash prize in any ByLine fiction category. Maximum 5,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $50, $35, $25, $15. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 5)] NEW CENTURY WRITER AWARDS Deadline 31 May 2002 [Contest, poem any style, theme, or genre. $3 entry fee. Prizes: 1st $500, 2nd $250, 3rd $100, 4th-10th $25 each + pub in antho. Mult. subs. okay. No e-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 16)] VIRTUAL IRELAND SHORT STORY COMPETITION Deadline 31 May 2002 [Contest, short fiction, any genre, in English or Irish, to 1950 wds. Mult and online subs okay. Entry fee of $12US per entry. 1st place $4,000US, 2nd place $400 book package, 3rd place $200 book package. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 16)] DEATHLINGS.COM "THE 70S WERE HELL AND WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT" CONTEST Deadline 15 Jun 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)] 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 and No. 14)] DOWNSTATE STORY MAGAZINE Yearly Deadline 30 June 2002 [Annual literary printzine, genre fiction to 2,000 wds. Pays $50/story on accept. No reprints or E-mail subs. Buys 10 stories/year. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 6)] IDEOMANCER UNBOUND Deadline 30 June 2002 [Ebook antho, SF/F/H 1,000-5,000 wds, pays $20 on accept +royalties. No sim or mult subs or reprints. E-mail subs only. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 19)] IRREANTUM FICTION CONTEST Deadline 30 June 2002 [Mormon fiction contest, fiction (incl SF/F/H) to 8500 wds. 1st $100, 2nd $75, 3rd $50 + pub in Irreantum. Contest format. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 23)] LEAPS OF FAITH Deadline 30 June 2002 [Christian E-book SF antho, SF 3,000 to 10,000 wds. Pays royalties. Reprints and mult subs okay. E-mail subs only. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 21)] WRITERS OF THE FUTURE, 3RD QUARTER 2002 Deadline 30 June 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)] 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)] 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)] 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)] 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)] 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)] 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)] ----------------------------------------------------------------- CONTEST IRREANTUM FICTION CONTEST [Mormon fiction contest, fiction (incl SF/F/H) to 8500 wds. 1st $100, 2nd $75, 3rd $50 + pub in =Irreantum=. Contest format. Deadline 30 June 2002.] Tory Anderson, Fiction Editor IRREANTUM P.O. Box 445 Levan, UT 84639 The Association for Mormon Letters is pleased to announce the second annual =Irreantum= fiction contest. Because =Irreantum= is a literary quarterly dedicated to exploring Mormon culture, all contest entries must relate to the Mormon experience in some way, either explicitly or implicitly. As long as an entry doesn't exceed 8,500 words, any fictional form will be considered, including short stories and excerpts from novels, screenplays, and play scripts. Any fictional genre is welcome, including literary, mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, historical, and horror. The first-place author will be awarded $100, second place $75, and third place $50 (unless the judge determines entries are not of sufficient quality to merit awards). Winners agree to give =Irreantum= first publication rights. To facilitate blind judging, entries should be submitted with a removable cover sheet that includes the author's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and manuscript title--the author's name should appear on no other page of the manuscript. Stories should be double spaced in easily readable type. Entries will not be returned. Submit manuscripts by June 30, 2002, to =Irreantum='s fiction editor, Tory Anderson, P.O. Box 445, Levan, UT 84639. ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET GUIDELINES IRREANTUM [Mormon literary print quarterly. Prints 1 SF/F/H per issue. Electronic subs only. Reprints okay.] Marny Parkin, SF/F Coeditor Irreantum Submissions: irreantum2@cs.com =Irreantum= seeks to be the world's premier source and venue for expression, analysis, and interpretation of literature by, for, and about Mormons. To that end, we actively encourage unsolicited submissions in the following departments: Essays. We are looking to publish essays on any literary topic that intersects in some way with the Mormon mindset or experience. We are particularly interested in attempts to define and assess Mormon literature from perspectives of reading or writing such literature. We are also interested in Mormon responses to secular literature. Personal essays that touch on literary concerns or experiences are welcome. Fiction. We publish 1-3 pieces of original fiction each issue. These can be stories, stand-alone novel excerpts, one-act plays, or stand-alone excerpts from longer plays or screenplays. We are open to publishing genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, romance, etc.). For more detailed guidelines about what =Irreantum= is looking for in fiction, see our Fiction Guidelines. Poetry. We publish 2-3 pages of original poetry each issue. Reviews. We publish reviews of any books of fiction or poetry, films, or plays written by, for, or about Mormons. We are interested in longer review-essays, reviews of 1-2 pages, and capsule reviews. Publishing News. We publish several pages of Mormon publishing news each issue, ranging from book deals to awards to sales reports to news items about authors and publishers. We welcome tips and articles from publishers, editors, authors, and others. Send queries and manuscripts by e-mail to irreantum2@cs.com. =Irreantum= Fiction Guidelines Fiction submitted to =Irreantum= must significantly deal in some way with Mormon characters and themes. However, the writer does not have to be a Mormon (for example, consider how nationally prominent writers Walter Kirn, Tony Kushner, and Judith Freeman explore Mormon themes and characters in their fiction and drama-- and, for that matter, how Mormons like Neil LaBute and Orson Scott Card are exploring Mormonism before a national audience). The approach can be liberal or conservative, orthodox or unorthodox. Besides accomplishing something worthwhile in style, plot, characterization, dialogue, description, and other basic fictional elements, successful submissions reflect something fresh, true, and interesting about the Mormon experience. =Irreantum= is not interested in didactic or polemical fiction that primarily attempts to prove or disprove Mormon doctrine, history, or policy. We encourage beginning writers to focus on human elements first, with Mormon elements introduced only as natural and organic to the story. Readers can tell if you are honestly trying to explore the human experience or if you are writing with a propagandistic agenda either for or against Mormonism. For conservative, orthodox Mormon writers, beware of sentimentalism, simplistic resolutions, and foregone conclusions. Note that for niche reasons, =Irreantum= focuses its creative offerings on fiction for Mormon mainstream readers, the largest and most chronically neglected audience in the LDS market. Mormon Mainstream Mormon mainstream readers are college-educated, religiously conservative readers of intelligent mainstream and genre fiction (the word mainstream in "Mormon mainstream" does not refer to genre preference). Mormon mainstream readers are put off by most Mormon fiction they have encountered because they find it either too critical or too simplistic. These readers are open-minded and interested in cultural matters and artistic innovation. They are generally intolerant of explicit sex, excessive violence, and profanity and are typically uninterested in critiques of the Church, whether historical or contemporary. The holy grail for these readers is the artistically challenging story that profoundly affirms their religious values. The Broadly Appropriate In terms of the three AML-List categories of completely appropriate, broadly appropriate, and shockingly appropriate, =Irreantum= opts for the middle category. Completely appropriate fiction defends the faith with characters who behave well. Its protagonists think and act appropriately and tend to fret over minor failings, and evil is never made to be attractive. Shockingly appropriate fiction defends the faith with protagonists who celebrate their perversity. By way of propounding a value of ultimate importance, it indulges or even celebrates lesser evils. Broadly appropriate fiction (=Irreantum='s desired middle category) defends the faith with characters who behave poorly but not perversely. Evil is developed just enough to show its attraction. The point of a story might be to learn compassion by coming to grips with the complexity of a character's situation. Or the emphasis might be on agency-focusing on a sin or flaw in order to follow it through to its logical conclusion. (For a more thorough treatment of these categories, see Three Kinds of Appropriateness, our Spring 2000 editorial.) (Note: These are intended as guidelines only. If you have something you don't feel fits these categories but would possibly be appropriate for =Irreantum=, please let us have a look.) Genre =Irreantum= has no genre restrictions. The most successful stories aimed at Mormon mainstream readers we have seen have been in the areas of realistic, speculative, and young adult fiction, but we are anxious to see other kinds. As a special challenge to our writers, we would also like to see parables and short-short stories, done compellingly and simply enough to work for readers from all cultures. Manuscript Mechanics =Irreantum= accepts electronic submissions only. Any version of WordPerfect or Word will do. Stories should be single-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman type, with one-inch margins and half- inch indents on the first lines of paragraphs (rather than double hard returns). Note blank-line section breaks with a single centered pound character (#). Turn off curly quotes and em and en dashes--use two hyphens instead. Submissions Send your manuscript as an e-mail attachment to irreantum2@cs.com. =Irreantum= magazine, published quarterly by the Association for Mormon Letters, is looking for good Mormon science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories to publish each issue. I am very willing to consider reprints (about half of the speculative fiction stories we've published have been reprints). Stories don't necessarily need explicit LDS references, but without such, stories should be by an LDS author. Please note in your cover letter or subject line that the submission is a genre story. We also have an annual contest [see above]. Submission to the contest is NOT a submission to the magazine, except the winners will be published. Below are the general guidelines for the magazine and the contest. Other information can be found at http://www.aml- online.org/irreantum/index.html. Remember we are publishing one sf/f story each issue, so send your best! Marny Parkin SF/F Coeditor, Irreantum ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET INFORMATION BLACK GATE MAGAZINE When asked about the state of the slush pile, John O'Neill, editor of =Black Gate Magazine=, said, "Lots of activity, though I don't usual[ly] report on it. I've read roughly four months of manuscripts in the last 6 weeks, and out of that made three purchases, 2 humor pieces and one epic fantasy (not our usual mix, granted, but they were the stories that grabbed me). "I'm making final decisions on the last physical manuscripts mailed Oct-Dec that I haven't responded to yet, and am about a month and a half behind that for e-submissions. There's some great material to choose from; as always, it comes down to what I most need for the next 6 months." [sff.publishing.black-gate-magazine, 5 Apr 2002] ELYSIAN FICTION Jim Bailey, editor of =Elysian Fiction=, said, "OK, the reading and replying for issues 3 and 4 is *done*. "175 submissions, dated 8-01-2001 through 1-31-2002. "Average response time: 109 days. Short: 33 days Long: 233 days Median: 115 days "I have a small pile buildup from Feb 1st of this year, but it's pretty small as submissions have slowed (probably while people wait to see if =EF= is coming back from the almost dead), and I'm going to nibble away at that over the next few days while working on issue #2 production. "Next in line on the to-do list: print and send contracts from the accepted stories for 3 and 4, and proofread stories for #2. "I think I'll be able to post #2 either this weekend, or within a day or two afterward. "21 accepted out of those 175. A similar rate from the issue 1 (10/89) and issue 2 (12/100) piles, so overall, a bit over 10% acceptance rate. Overall, I've been seriously looking at around 30% of submissions, and I'd classify about 60% of what I see as at least "good." No complaints about the dreck of the slushpile from *this* editor." [sff.publishing.elysian-fiction, 2 Apr 2002] IMAGININGS ANTHOLOGY When asked, "Are you reading submissions as you go along on the antho, and sending rejections, or will that all be done in a (number of) killer session(s) once the antho has closed?" Keith R.A. DeCandido, editor of the =Imaginings= anthology, replied, "I'm going to start sending rejections, uh, soon. I have a pile that need to go out and require only that I get my fecal matter together. "Nothing will be *accepted* until after the antho closes, and probably a ton of rejections will go out after it closes (mainly because I suspect a huge number of submissions will arrive at the last minute *grin*), but rejection can come at any time." [sff.publishing.albe-shiloh, 7 Apr 2002] ***************************************************************** * "Those who write only for money, and who would cease to write * * if they have enough without it, I don't consider writers at * * all." * * --Don Marquis, =Saturday Review of Literature=, 1932 * ***************************************************************** ==End of the CALLIHOO Newsletter for 9 April 2002==