CALLIHOO Newsletter Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Julia West, Editor Vol. 9, No. 6 20 November 2001 Website: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE Deadlines Contest High Fantasy Contest (gls) Market Guidelines Adbusters (gls) Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine (gls) Artemis Magazine (gls) Asimov's Science Fiction (gls) Brutarian (gls) ByLine Magazine (gls) The Cafe Irreal (gls) Cemetery Dance (gls) Century Magazine (gls) The Chattahoochee Review (gls) Children's Better Health Institute Magazines (gls) Cicada (gls) ComputorEdge (gls) ComputerScene (gls) Cricket (gls) Curiocity for Kids (gls) Deathlings.com (gls) Downstate Story (gls) Eternal Night (gls) Fangoria--Frightful Fiction (gls) Future Orbits (gls) Gauntlet! (gls) Highlights for Children (gls) Humpty Dumpty's Magazine (see CBHI gls) Jack and Jill (see CBHI gls) Market Information Agony in Black Analog Chiaroscuro Fantastic Stories Rogue Worlds E-zine Space Imagined Strange Horizons Tantalus Review (dead) Vampyre Magazine (hiatus) Wicked Hollow ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Anthology 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)] ByLine Short-short Story Contest Deadline 5 December 2001 [Short story of any type or subject, up to 2,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $60, $30, $20. (GLs in Vol. 9, No. 5)] 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)] High Fantasy Contest Deadline 15 January 2002 [F (high, S&S), 1,000 to 20,000 wds. 1st $100 +pub, 2nd $50 +pub, 3rd $25 +pub. Entry fee $5, plus $2 for each addit'l entry. No reprints. E-mail subm only. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 6)] ByLine Children's Story or Picture Book Contest Deadline 25 January 2002 [Short story or picture book for kids from 2-12. Pre-school; 5 to 8; or 9 to 12. Entry fee $4. Prizes: $60, $35, $20. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 5)] ByLine Short Story Contest Deadline 5 February 2002 [General fiction up to 5,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $70, $40, $25. (Gls in Vol. 9 No. 5)] 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).] ByLine Flash Fiction Contest Deadline 5 April 2002 Flash fiction under 1000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $60, $30, $20. (GLs in Vol. 9 No. 5)] 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)] 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).] 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)] 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)] ----------------------------------------------------------------- CONTEST HIGH FANTASY CONTEST [Annual contest, F (high, S&S), 1,000 to 20,000 wds. 1st place $100 +pub, 2nd place $50 +pub, 3rd place $25 +pub. Entry fee $5, plus $2 for each addit'l entry. No reprints. Deadline 15 Jan 2002. E-mail subm only.] E-mail submissions to: specficworld@hotmail.com http://www.specficworld.com/ Welcome to SpecFicWorld.com's Annual High Fantasy Contest. It is my goal here to help promote those writers that love the high fantasy genre and wish to share their fantastical worlds with the rest of the world. The 2002 Contest is now officially open to submissions. If you would like to enter this year's contest, please read the full GL's before submitting. There is $175 in cash up for grabs, plus publications in =Rogue Worlds E-zine=. Contest Rules: The 2002 contest is open to both published and unpublished writers. All entries must be original works of fiction, written in English, unpublished and not accepted by any publisher, or submitted elsewhere at the time of the contest. First Place: $100 (U.S.) in cash, plus publication in =Rogue Worlds E-zine=. Second Place: $50 (U.S.) in cash, plus publication in =Rogue Worlds E-zine=. Third Place: $25 (U.S). in cash, plus publication in =Rogue Worlds E-zine=. Note: There will also be an additional cash bonus if entry fees exceed $500 dollars; whatever goes over that mark will be split equally amongst the winners. Entry Fee: $5, plus $2 for each additional entry. Please make your checks or money-orders (US FUNDS ONLY) out to Doyle Eldon Wilmoth, Jr. 4315 Boulder Hwy #60, Las Vegas, NV 89121-3020. Make sure to fill out and print our Entry Form and send it along with your payment. Submission Tracking: You can check out and see if your story has been logged [on the website]. I'll list your title and the date sent along with status of your payment once it has arrived. Deadline: January 15, 2002. Open to: High Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery fiction. No urban or modern day settings. Length: Between 1k-20k/words. Taboos: No Fan Fiction. No porn. No gore. No child abuse stories. Submit entries to: specficworld@hotmail.com. Put "HIGH FANTASY CONTEST" in the subject line. E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS ONLY. Format: Send stories in plain text, pasted into the body of the e-mail, or as an attachment. Put your real name, title of story, word count, brief bio, snail-mail and e-mail address somewhere at the top of the first page. Notification: Only the winners will be notified by e-mail of the results on March 15, 2002. The rest of the contestants can find the winning stories listed on the SpecFicWorld.com website on March 15, 2002. Note of Publication: I also require that all the winners allow me to publish their stories in =Rogue Worlds E-zine= for a maximum of 90 days. [[I'm not sure how much, if anything, =Rogue Worlds E-zine= normally pays for publication. --ed.]] Payment: All winners will be paid in cash no later than April 15, 2002. [http://www.specficworld.com/] ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET GUIDELINES ADBUSTERS [Canadian bi-monthly printzine, SF (political, humorous) to 2,000 wds. Pays 50 cents/wd to $100/page. No E-mail subm.] Adbusters Kalle Lasn, Editor Art Department Manager: Paul Shoebridge Adbusters Media Foundation 1243 West 7th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6H 1B7 Canada tel: 604/736-9401 fax: 604/737-6021 Editorial E-mail (No subs, info only): kalle@adbusters.org Art E-subs & Info: paul@adbusters.org URL: www.adbusters.org/magazine Submission Guidelines =Adbusters= is dedicated to reinventing the outdated paradigms of our consumer culture and building a brave new understanding of living. We relish all truly political materials, whether they be scholarly probes into the decline of civilization, environmental forays into the forests, sci-fi carpet rides into cyberspace or humorous spoofs about commercial culture. More than anything, we seek compelling ideas that further the critical perspective and offer activist solutions. Our language is culture jamming: the new activism. Our audience is global. With subscribers in 40 countries, our circulation is fast approaching 100,000. We are neither left nor right, but straight ahead. Many of our readers are serious activists on the academic, entrepreneurial, environmental and communications fronts. Editorial Submission Guidelines We welcome editorial queries and submissions for the following sections: BATTLE OF THE MIND - the politics of our mental environment NEWS FROM THE FRONT - activist news from around the world ENDGAMES - assessing the state of our physical environment We also welcome feature articles, op-ed pieces, short fiction (up to 2000 words) and poetry. Freelance magazine articles may be featured on our website. Please let us know if you do not wish to grant us digital reprint rights. Submissions will not be returned, please do not send originals. We do our best to respond to all inquiries, but be aware that we are sometimes inundated. If you have not heard back from us after 4-6 weeks, please assume that we will not be able to use your idea or submission. Art Submission Guidelines We welcome art submissions. Please refer to the following categories for specific guidelines. E-MAIL E-mail submissions (address below) should be in jpeg format, at screen resolution (72 dpi, at a size large enough to get the full concept across). Please do not zip or compress files beyond saving them as jpegs. PRINTS, SLIDES Please send only duplicates of slides, regular 4 X 6 prints or color copies. LARGE ARTWORK Should be documented and submitted as slides or emailed jpegs. ILLUSTRATION, DIGITAL ART Please send us color copies or print outs, photos or emailed jpegs. VIDEO Send us a VHS tape (US format only please) with a synopsis. WEB, ONLINE PORTFOLIOS Send us the URL or color printouts of the work. WORK ON CD If possible, please also include a printout of the material stored on the CD. Submissions will not be returned, please do not send originals. We do our best to respond to all inquiries, but be aware that we are sometimes inundated. If you have not heard back from us after 4-6 weeks, please assume that we will not be able to use your idea or submission. If your submission is chosen, we will contact you for a higher resolution image. Please include contact information with your submission. [http://www.adbusters.org/information/guidelines/] ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE [Australian bimonthly printzine, SF/F/H (prefer humor) to 10,000 wds, pays 3 cents Australian/wd ($20 min) on pub. E-mail subm okay. No reprints.] Andromeda Spaceways Submissions PO Box 98 Latham ACT 2615 Australia submissions@andromedaspaceways.com Open to submissions from 1 October 2001 =Andromeda= is a new Australian Speculative Fiction print magazine, to be published bimonthly and widely distributed. We are looking for stories (to 10,000 words), poetry, line drawings and even non-fiction articles. We will accept SF, Fantasy and Horror pieces, with a preference for "fun" rather than grim-and-gritty. The first issue is scheduled for launch 7th June 2002 at the Convergence SF Convention. Payment: Up to 3c/word (Australian), with a $20 minimum per piece. (POP) To Submit Text: E-mail to: submissions@andromedaspaceways.com as an attached RTF or mail: Andromeda Spaceways Submissions, PO Box 98, Latham ACT 2615, Australia Manuscripts will only be returned if SASE included. (refer to: http://www.shunn.net/writing/coach/format.html for preferred submission format.) Please make sure you include full contact details, including postal address, e-mail, and phone number. Artwork: ASIM will also be looking for B&W internal illustrations. If you are interested in supplying artwork, please contact our Art Director at: artdirector@andromedaspaceways.com Samples of your work can be sent as screen resolution scanned images (no more than 300kb per image, please), links to online galleries, or mailed to the above address. More Detailed Guidelines: So: What would *you* like to see in your in-flight magazine? Fiction? Science Articles? Hey, does anyone *really* know how to fly this thing? Where exactly *are* the exits? Shouldn't we have turned left at Albuquerque, and why is that sun getting so extremely large in the front view-port? Stories: Anything up to 10,000 words. Longer works--included serialised novels--will be considered, but please contact us first. We will accept SF, F & H--preferably with a dash of humour, but anything as long as it is well written. No Reprints except by prior arrangement. (NB: This is intended for a wide audience, so anything written should be no more than M rated.) Poetry: Will consider anything. No more than two pages worth, please. Articles: Non-fiction articles will be considered on anything related to science or the writing of SF, Fantasy or Horror. We will also consider amusing pseudo-articles, particularly about the "fictional" Andromeda Spaceways ... (or nasty articles about our competitors...) Some notes on style: We want the tone of ASIM to be light--as opposed to the dark- and-gritty style that characterises so many other SF mags this day and age. This does not mean exclusively (or even largely) humour per se . . . fun, cracking adventures, a bit of tongue in cheek, a few wise-cracks. We would not be encouraging slap-stick, laugh-a-minute, funny-ha-ha attempts. . . . We want Terry Pratchett, not Ron Goulart, Eric Frank Russell rather than E.E. "Doc" Smith, Miles Vorkosigan rather than Elric of Melnibone. . . . If the next Isaac Asimov pops up with a masterfully grim and gritty tale of angst and despair, then we will publish it ... but given an otherwise even choice between angst and adventure, I would take the lighter one any day. QUALITY WORK WILL NOT BE TURNED AWAY. Just as a general guideline, humour should grow organically from the characters and the situations, it should not be laid on with a trowel. That way leads to madness.... [sff.publishing.market-reports, 23 Aug 01] ARTEMIS MAGAZINE [Quarterly printzine, hard SF (near future, esp. lunar) to 15,000 wds. Pays 3-5 cents/wd on accept. No E-mail subm. Ian Randal Strock, Editor 1380 East 17 Street, Suite 201 Brooklyn, NY 11230-6011 USA E-mail to (queries only): irs@lrcpubs.com http://www.lrcpubs.com/artemismagazine.html Are you an aspiring (or professional) writer or artist? If so, then =Artemis Magazine= needs you. Nearly all of our content is unsolicited, and we're happy to work with new writers. Before sending in your manuscript or copy of your portfolio, please make sure to read our guidelines. . . . Also, please remember that we don't accept electronic submissions, and we won't return anything that arrives without sufficient return postage and envelope (if your manuscript or portfolio is disposable, say so, and include a stamped business-sized envelope for our reply). About the Magazine: =Artemis Magazine= publishes science for an educated audience interested in space development, flight, and travel and the best in near-term, near-Earth, hard science fiction. Formed as an adjunct to the Artemis Project (a commercial venture to build a lunar colony), Artemis Magazine and its parent company, LRC Publications, are independent entities. Science: Articles should generally be limited to 5,000 words. We're looking for articles related to the development of lunar and near-Earth industries, including the role of the Moon in further development of space travel. Remember that the readers, in general, want to know how to get to, build, and live in a lunar colony. Target your work toward a general audience of educated, but not necessarily technically sophisticated, people. Include charts, tables, or photos if necessary, and explain them in the text. Illustrations should be separate from the text, with captions on a separate page. Fiction: We're looking for near-term, near-Earth, hard science fiction. As a supporter of the Artemis Project, we're looking especially for stories that aim at lunar and space development, but a good story is a good story. We want well-plotted, character-oriented stories. Technical accuracy is an absolute requirement, but don't bog down the story with unnecessary technical detail: remember that in good "science fiction", both terms ought to receive equal emphasis. We'll consider any length up to 15,000 words. Shorter is better. Mechanics: This is standard: on the first page, put your name, address(es), and phone number in the upper left corner; put the word count in the upper right corner. Print your manuscript double-spaced on 8.5" x 11" paper (or the local equivalent) in a legible font with 1-inch margins all around. Do not put it in a binder or staple the pages together. You don't need a separate title page. On every page after the first, in the upper right-hand corner, put your name, the page number, and enough of the title that we can reassemble your manuscript after we drop it on the floor and get it mixed up with a bunch of other papers. Don't use your word processor's ability to do fancy fonts, italics, or typesetting. Simply underline text to be italicized. Include an "about the author" paragraph with your manuscript. Include a self-addressed envelope with your manuscript with sufficient postage to get it back to you. If you don't want your manuscript back, mark it DISPOSABLE and include a business-size self-addressed, stamped envelope for our reply (it's very difficult to fold a check into a postcard). From outside the US, include International Reply Coupons. We will not respond to any submissions without return postage. And no, we do NOT accept electronic submissions. Art: We need artists to illustrate articles and stories. Send disposable photocopies of examples of your work along with notes about prior publication and the type of art you prefer to do. Cartoons and stock submissions are welcome. Payment: We pay be on acceptance, 3 to 5 cents a word, for science and fiction. About the Artemis Project: The Artemis Project is a commercial venture to establish a permanent lunar colony and to exploit the Moon's resources for profit. Our strategy for this project is to use its entertainment value as much as possible to pay for its initial development. The Project is sponsored by The Lunar Resources Company. For more information on the Project, check out the web site at http://www.asi.org. A final note: These guidelines describe what we want. If you can write something that fits this bill, we want you. However, we're also open-minded enough to be interested in a story that contradicts everything written here, and yet won't let us reject it. You want us to read your manuscript: save us both some time, and read the magazine first. [http://www.lrcpubs.com/artemismagazine/guidelines.html] ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION [Monthly printzine, SF to 15,000 wds, pays 5-6 cents/wd. (and up) on accept. No E-mail or sim subs or reprints.] Gardner Dozois, Editor 475 Park Ave. South, 11th Floor New York, NY 10016 E-mail: asimovs@dellmagazines.com http://www.asimovs.com/ Payment & Rights =Asimov's Science Fiction= magazine is an established market for science fiction stories. We pay on acceptance, and beginners get 6.0 cents a word to 7,500 words, 5.0 cents a word for stories longer than 12,500 words, and $450 for stories between those lengths. We seldom buy stories longer than 15,000 words, and we don't serialize novels. We pay $1 a line for poetry, which should not exceed 40 lines. We buy First North American serial rights plus certain non-exclusive rights explained in our contract. We do not publish reprints, and we do not accept "simultaneous submissions," (stories sent at the same time to a publication other than =Asimov's=). =Asimov's= will consider material submitted by any writer, previously published or not. We've bought some of our best stories from people who have never sold a story before. Story Content In general, we're looking for "character oriented" stories, those in which the characters, rather than the science, provide the main focus for the reader's interest. Serious, thoughtful, yet accessible fiction will constitute the majority of our purchases, but there's always room for the humorous as well. Borderline fantasy is fine, but no Sword & Sorcery, please. Neither are we interested in explicit sex or violence. A good overview would be to consider that all fiction is written to examine or illuminate some aspect of human existence, but that in science fiction the backdrop you work against is the size of the Universe. Manuscript Format Manuscripts submitted to =Asimov's= must be neatly typed, double-spaced on one side of the sheet only, on bond paper (no erasable paper, please). Any ms. longer than 5 pages should be mailed to us flat. Dot matrix printouts are acceptable only if they are easily readable. Please do NOT send us submissions on disk. When using a word processor, please do not justify the right margin. If sending a printout, separate the sheets first. The ms. should include the title, your name and address, and the number of words in your story. Enclose a cover letter if you like. All manuscripts must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope (if ms. is over 5 pages, use a 9" x 12" envelope) carrying enough postage to return the ms. If you wish to save on postage, you may submit a clear copy of your story along with a standard (#10) envelope, also self-addressed and stamped. Mark your ms. "DISPOSABLE," and you will receive our reply only. We do not suggest that you have us dispose of your original typescript. If you live overseas or in Canada, use International Reply Coupons for postage, along with a self-addressed envelope. Our Reply Finally, we regret that it's become necessary for us to use form letters for rejecting manuscripts, but time limitations are such that we have no choice. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide specific criticism of each story. Our response time runs about five weeks. If you have not heard from us within three months from the day you mailed your ms., you can assume it was lost in the mail, and are welcome to resubmit it to us. We do NOT keep a record of submissions, but if you would like to know if we received your story or poem, include a self-addressed stamped postcard, which we will return to you on the day it arrives in the office. Thanks for your interest in Asimov's and good luck! Our Editorial Address: Gardner Dozois, Editor, 475 Park Ave. South, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10016 E-mail: asimovs@dellmagazines.com [http://www.asimovs.com/info/guidelines.shtml] BYLINE MAGAZINE [Monthly printzine, genre fiction, etc. 2,000 to 4,000 wds. Pays $100/story on accept. No E-mail subm or reprints.] ByLine Carolyn Wall, Fiction Editor P.O. Box 130596 Edmond, OK 73013-0001 E-mail (queries only): MPreston@ByLineMag.com http://www.bylinemag.com/ Always include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with submissions. Manuscripts without SASE will not be read or returned. No e-mail submissions, please, but e-mail queries are okay. Address poetry to Sandra Soli, poetry editor; short stories to Carolyn Wall, fiction editor; all other manuscripts or queries to Marcia Preston, editor. We purchase first North American rights only; no reprints. Submissions must follow standard manuscript format. List your full name, address and telephone number in the upper left corner of the first page and an accurate word count (line count for poetry) in the upper right corner. Send a #10-sized SASE or larger. Please do not confuse manuscript submissions with contest entries; these are two different processes. Send contest entries separately, following the rules on the contest page. Manuscript Submission Please do not e-mail complete manuscripts. Queries by e-mail are welcome, to MPreston@ByLineMag.com. Fiction--General short fiction, mainstream, literary or genre; 2,000 to 4,000 words. Good writing is the main criterion. No explicit sex or violence. Payment is $100 on acceptance. Features--Instructive or motivational articles that could be of genuine help to writers, especially how-to-write or how-to-sell to specific market areas. Length should be 1,500 to 1,800 words; query or submit full manuscript. We also solicit interviews with editors of freelancer-friendly publications for our Inside Information feature. Query with editor's name and sample of his publication; we'll provide specific guidelines. Payment is $75 on acceptance for all features. End Piece--A strong, thoughtful, first-person essay of 700 words, related to writing. May be humorous, motivational or philosophical. Read several back issues as examples. Payment is $35 on acceptance. Departments--Read the magazine for examples. First $ale carries 250-300 word accounts of a writer's first sale. Payment is $20 on acceptance. Writing-related humor of 50-600 words needed for Only When I Laugh. Pays $15 to $25 on acceptance. Great American Bookstores! features outstanding independent bookstores in 500-600 words. Stores should be unique in some way and also promote writers. No chains, children's only, or used bookstores. Pay is $30, or $40 with one good photo. Poetry--Our poetry also deals with the subject of writing. We lean toward free verse but will accept skillful rhyme if it is not predictable. We seek good quality, serious or humorous poetry about the creative experience. Poems about writer's block, "the muse", and inspiration that comes in the middle of the night have been overdone. Payment for poems is $10. [http://www.bylinemag.com/] BRUTARIAN [Quarterly printzine. DF/H with no length limit. Pays to 10 cents/wd. on accept. No e-mail or mult subs. Sim subs okay if informed.] Dominick J. Salemi, Editor/Publisher Box 25222 Arlington, VA 22202-9222. E-mail (for info only): brutarian1@juno.com URL: www.brutarian.com 7 November 2001--raised pay rate =Brutarian= is a quarterly print magazine of horror. Sold at Tower Records or direct order. Recent stories by Jack Ketchum, Brian Hodge, Stanley Wiater, Ed Lee, Nancy Kilpatrick. Pays up to 10 cents/word for FNASR & Electronic Rights (for archiving on their web site), no length limits. Pays on acceptance. =Brutarian= is strictly non-profit; all the money from advertising & subscriptions goes right back to the artists & writers who help put Brutarian together. "We want the best writing from the best writers. Period. If you can not write on a professional level do not waste your postage. The subject matter of the fiction or the poetry matters not a whit to us. We are looking for beautifully written material. Or crudely penned submissions that overwhelm us with their primitive sensibilities. We tend to prefer dark fantasy and horror, but any speculative fiction which keeps us turning the pages, has a few felicitous turn of phrases, and has an interesting theme or subtext intertwined within the narrative will do nicely. Impress us! Amaze us! Astound us! Offend us! Any of these reactions are what we like to see." No e-mail subs. Will respond to disposable mss via e-mail, otherwise send SASE. Sim subs OK if informed. No multi subs. Dominick J. Salemi, editor/publisher, Box 25222, Arlington, VA 22202-9222. E-mail (for info only): brutarian1@juno.com URL (GLs & info): www.brutarian.com [Ralan.com, 20 Apr 2000] THE CAFE IRREAL [Semiannual webzine, "irreal" fiction to 2,000 wds. Pays 1 cent/wd. E-mail subm. only. No sim subs or reprints.] Editors: Alice Whittenburg G.S. Evans www.cafeirreal.com (home.sprynet.com/~awhit/) editors@cafeirreal.com Writer's Guidelines "...a truly good fantastic story will echo that which escapes explanation in life; it will prove, in fact, that life is fantastic. It will point to that which lies beyond our dreams and fears and delights; it will deal with the invisible, with the unspoken; it will not shirk from the uncanny, the absurd, the impossible; in short, it has the courage of total freedom." --Alberto Manguel =The Cafe Irreal= is a semiannual webzine that presents a kind of fantastic fiction infrequently published in English. This fiction, which we would describe as "irreal," resembles the work of writers such as Franz Kafka, Kobo Abe, Luisa Valenzuela and Jorge Luis Borges. As a style of fiction it rejects the tendency to portray people and places realistically and the need for a full resolution to the story; instead, it shows us a reality constantly being undermined. Therefore, we're interested in stories by writers who write about what they don't know, take us places we couldn't possibly go, and don't try to make us care about the characters. We would also suggest you take a look at the current issue, archives, and theory pages on this web site. =The Cafe Irreal= publishes two issues a year and accepts fiction up to 2,000 words in length. Translations are welcome. There is no minimum length, and we accept excerpts from longer works. We accept only electronic submissions via e-mail at editors@cafeirreal.com. We cannot, due to the various computer viruses and worms, accept attachments anymore so please paste your story into the body of the e-mail. Also include your name, address, and e-mail address in the text of the submission. We pay an honorarium of 1 cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) to buy first-time electronic rights. We don't accept simultaneous submissions and are only interested in reprints in unusual cases (e.g., the story has appeared in print but not on the internet). Therefore, if the story or translation has been published before, please specify where and when. Regarding multiple submissions, we will look at up to 2,000 words submitted by a single author at a time, whether that be one story or a number of short-shorts. Please note, however, that if you submit multiple shorts they must be enclosed within a single e-mail. We generally don't publish the same author in consecutive issues. We report back on submissions within two months. The deadline for submissions for Issue #7 (February 2002) is January 1, 2002. Please note that updated and more extensive guidelines will be going online soon at this address. [http://home.sprynet.com/~awhit/guidelin.htm] CEMETERY DANCE [Bimonthly printzine. H to 5,000 wds. Pays 3-5 cents/word on pub. Closed to subs from Oct 1 to Mar 1. No E-mail subs.] Richard Chizmar, Editor Cemetery Dance P.O. Box 827 Abingdon, MD 21009 http://www.cemeterydance.com/html/mags.html Unlike many magazines, =Cemetery Dance= doesn't have "official" submission guidelines. What we look for in a story is pretty simple: we love all kinds of horror and suspense and crime fiction. Traditional, contemporary, supernatural, psychological, all of it. Give us something with a dark edge to it. Scare us, make us uncomfortable, make us think ... just don't bore us. Give us a story that moves along, that has a strong narrative drive. If you're going for a more leisurely-paced story, that's fine, but make sure there's something to it. No style over substance. Bottom line is this: send us stories that are powerful and emotional, chilling and disturbing, moody and scary. Our most common reasons for rejection are: lack of originality, lack of power, slow pacing, and disliked storylines. We will read unsolicited short stories up to 5,000 words and our response time is currently 4-10 weeks. Payment is three-five cents per word, upon publication. And don't be afraid to submit--we very much enjoy working with new, unpublished authors, as well as the best the genre has to offer! Submissions (with SASE) should go to Editor Richard Chizmar at: Cemetery Dance, P.O. Box 827, Abingdon, MD 21009. Please note: we are closed to submissions from October 1 - March 1. Note that this address is for story submissions only. =Cemetery Dance= does not accept e-mail submissions, proposals, or queries. Any submissions or queries sent via e-mail will be discarded. In addition, we are always interested in non-fiction for =Cemetery Dance=: articles, essays, and interviews relating to the horror, suspense and crime genres. Always send a query letter first, outlining your idea and projected length. If we like your concept, we'll assign you the job with a deadline. We solicit most of our artwork, but are always interested in seeing samples from new artists. Non-fiction/ art queries should be mailed (with a SASE) directly to Editor Richard Chizmar at: Cemetery Dance, P.O. Box 827, Abingdon, MD 21009. [http://www.cemeterydance.com/html/guidelines.html] CENTURY MAGAZINE [Quarterly printzine, spec fic (SF/F/H) 1,000 to 20,000 wds. Pays 4 cents/wd. No sim or mult subs. No e-mails subs.] Robert K. J. Killheffer, Editor/Publisher Century P.O. Box 150510 Brooklyn, NY 11215-0510 E-mail (queries only): editor@centurymag.com http://www.centurymag.com/ =Century= is published quarterly by Century Publishing. Robert K. J. Killheffer, Editor/Publisher. Bryan G. Cholfin, Design & Production. =Century= publishes stories in a broad spectrum of styles, subjects, and lengths (anywhere from 1,000 to 20,000 words). It's impossible for us to describe the kinds of fiction that appeal to us here--for a clear sense of that, you'll have to read an issue or two--but all the stories we print do share an element of the "speculative" or "fantastic," something tangible or intangible that separates them from most "mainstream" fiction (a la =The New Yorker=). Beyond that, we're looking for accomplished writing with polished prose, sharp detail and observation, and some depth beyond the surface level of the text. We are not publishing poetry at this time. =Century= pays 4 cents per word for First World English and non-exclusive reprint rights. We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions (that is, submissions of several stories at one time). We do not accept electronic submissions, either, so please do not e-mail submissions through this web site or otherwise. All submissions should be typed, double-spaced, and printed on only one side of the page. Author's name and address should appear in the upper right-hand corner of the first page, and the approximate word count in the upper left; in addition, every page should include your name, the title (or a recognizable abbreviation thereof), and a page number in case pages become separated from the manuscript. All submissions must be accompanied by an appropriately-sized self-addressed stamped envelope. If your manuscript is disposable, please send a #10 (letter-size) SASE for our response. If you do not live in the United States and cannot acquire U.S. stamps, please enclose the appropriate number of International Return Coupons. Manuscripts without SASEs will not be returned. Response time is four to six weeks; however, many factors can cause delays, so we ask that you wait at least eight weeks before inquiring. We look forward to reading your submission, and thank you for considering =Century=. Send submissions to: Century, P.O. Box 150510, Brooklyn, NY 11215-0510 E-mail Inquiries: editor@centurymag.com Sample copy--$7 (Last guideline update: 12-9-99) [http://www.centurymag.com/guidelines.html] THE CHATTAHOOCHEE REVIEW [Quarterly literary printzine. Literary genre (no SF) to 6,000 wds. Pays $20/page. Sim subs okay but discouraged. No reprints or E-mail subm.] Lawrence Hetrick, Editor Jo Ann Yeager Adkins, Managing Editor Jack Riggs & Kate Roddy, Fiction Editors 2101 Womack Road Dunwoody, GA 30338-4497 U.S.A. tel: 770/551-3019 E-mail (No subs, info only): lhetrick@gpc.peachnet.edu URL: www.chattahoochee-review.org/ Guidelines for Submissions =The Chattahoochee Review= is a literary quarterly sponsored by Georgia Perimeter College (formerly DeKalb College), a two-year liberal arts college serving the Atlanta metropolitan area. Appearing regularly since 1981, it appeals to the educated general public for its readership. Although we enjoy publishing important writers from our own region such as Raymond Andrews, Larry Brown, Jill McCorkle, and Padgett Powell, we also publish new and recognized writers from other regions of the U.S. such as Alaska and other countries such as Russia, France, Italy, Iraq, and Israel. Work from =The Chattahoochee Review= is regularly featured in nationally published anthologies and books. It features poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and graphic work. Method of Selection: The CR is not a refereed or peer review journal. (That is, submissions are not sent to outside "qualified readers" for consideration.) Selections are based solely on the choices of the editorial staff, faculty editors, and student editors of The CR, often in editorial conferences. All submissions receive more than one reading. Final responsibility for all selections rests with the editor. Submissions should be works previously unpublished in North America that are typed on one side of each page with the author clearly identified. SASE must be included for return or reply. Clear photocopies are acceptable. Cover letters are encouraged but not required. Simultaneous submissions should be announced and will be considered but are discouraged. Because of the large amount of other editorial and academic work we handle on e-mail, electronic submissions are not accepted. Responses take from two to four months. As with submissions to any literary magazine, familiarity with our journal will facilitate understanding the kind of writing we want. Sample copies and back issues are available for $6.00 each. Subscriptions are $16.00 per year. Fiction: The CR publishes high quality literary fiction characterized by interest in language, development of distinctive settings, and delineation of unique characters in conflict. We do not consider such genres as historical romance and science fiction. Fiction should be double spaced with one inch margins. Unless stories are very short, only one story per submission should be sent. We consider short fiction up to 6,000 words and will consider novellas of great merit. Fiction should be double spaced and page numbered with one inch margins. Poetry: Although we regularly publish the informal personal narratives that dominate North American poetry currently, we are also interested in formal poetry that is topic or theme driven. All verse formats and subjects are considered. Originality and precision of language are important for us. We consider English translations of poetry from other languages, in which case a brief biography of the poet should be included. Poetry should be single spaced and include three to five poems per submission. Nonfiction: We look for distinctive, honest personal essays and "creative nonfiction" of any kind, including the currently popular memoiristic narrative. We do not often, if ever, publish technical, critical, theoretical, or scholarly work about literature although we are interested in essays written for general readers about writers, their careers, and their work. See, for instance, "Everybody's Going Down to Oxford Town" (Faulkner and his family) by Gerald Sweeney in Fall, 1997, "Oakland, Jack London, and Me" by Eric Williamson in Fall, 1997, or "The Novels of Brainard Cheney" by Ashley Brown in Spring, 1998. The Fall, 1997, issue featured nonfiction and may be ordered as a back issue. Nonfiction should be double spaced and page numbered with one inch margins. Interviews: We publish interviews with writers of all kinds, literary, academic, journalistic, and popular. Recent interviews have featured Carl Hiaasen, Rosemary Daniell, Tom Junod, and Wyatt Prunty. Please query us about your proposal for a particular interview. Reviews and review essays: We review selected current offerings in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including works on photography and the visual arts, with an emphasis on important southern writers and artists. Several related works may be reviewed at more length in a review-essay that engages critical issues not appropriate to a single review. We are always in search of new reviewers. Please query us about the possibility of a particular reviews or review-essay, indicating your credentials for the review. Photography and Graphic Arts: Beginning with the Summer, 1998, issue, The CR will occasionally publish works by one visual artist per issue, featuring photographs, prints (etchings, engravings, monotypes, lithographs, etc.), and drawings. Media should be suitable for black and white reproduction. Please submit ten or more slides or clear photocopies for consideration. Rates of Payment: Fiction: $20.00 per page Poetry: $50.00 each Nonfiction and Interviews: $15.00 per page Reviews: $50.00 each Review Essays: $100.00 each Graphic Work: $25.00 each Pages indicated are CR pages. Each contributor receives two copies of the issue in which he or she appears and a one-year subscription to The CR. (11 October 2001 - new GLs) [www.Ralan.com, 11 Oct 2001] CHILDREN'S BETTER HEALTH INSTITUTE MAGAZINES: specifically HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MAGAZINE and JACK AND JILL for SF/F [Childrens' printzines. Incl. F with health message. Humpty Dumpty to 22 cents/wd. to 350 wds. Jack and Jill to 17 cents/wd., 500 to 800 wds. Buys all rights. No sim subs or reprints. No E-mail subm.] [Specific Magazine Name] Children's Better Health Institute P.O. Box 567 Indianapolis, IN 46206 http://www.cbhi.org/magazines/turtle/ http://www.cbhi.org/magazines/humptydumpty http://www.cbhi.org/magazines/childrensplaymate/ http://www.cbhi.org/magazines/jackandjill/index.shtml http://www.cbhi.org/magazines/childrensdigest/ http://www.cbhi.org/cbhi/magazines.shtml The Children's Better Health Institute currently publishes seven children's magazines that are aimed at the ages of 2 to 12. The magazines, =Turtle Magazine= for preschool kids, =Humpty Dumpty's Magazine=, =Children's Playmate=, =Jack and Jill=, =Child Life=, =Children's Digest= and =U.S. Kids=, are devoted to an instructional approach that combines fun with learning. Our award-winning editors and artists know how to get and hold a child's attention with illustrated stories, puzzles, games and activities that stimulate young minds and subtly present them with issues about their health that are a must to give them a head start in life. Writers Guidelines We at the Children's Better Health Institute have a constant need for high quality stories, articles, and activities with health related stories, articles, and activities with health-related themes. "Health" is a broad topic that includes exercise, sports, safety, nutrition, hygiene, and drug education. Health information can be presented in a variety of formats, including fiction, nonfiction, poems, recipes, and puzzles. Fiction stories with a health message need not have health as the primary subject, but they should include it in some way in the course of events. Characters in fiction should adhere to good health practices, unless failure to do so is necessary to a story's plot. Remember that characters in realistic stories should be up-to- date. Many of our readers have working mothers and/or come from single-parent homes. We need more stories that reflect these changing times but at the same time communicate good, wholesome values. We are especially interested in material concerning sports and fitness, including profiles of famous amateur and professional athletes; "average" athletes (especially children) who have overcome obstacles to excel in their areas; and new or unusual sports, particularly those in which children can participate. Nonfiction articles dealing with health subjects should be fresh and creative. Avoid an encyclopedic or "preachy" approach. We try to present our health material in a positive manner, incorporation humor and a light approach wherever possibly without minimizing the seriousness of the message. We also welcome recipes that children can make on their own with minimal adult supervision. Ingredients should be healthful, so avoid using fats, sugars, salt, chocolate, and red meat. In all material submitted, please avoid reference to eating sugary foods, such as candy, cakes, cookies, and soft drinks. Although our emphasis is on health, we certainly use material with more general themes. We would especially like to see more holiday stories, articles, and activities. Please send seasonal material at least eight months in advance. Reading our writers guidelines is not enough. Careful study of current issues will acquaint writers with each title's "personality," various departments, and regular features, nearly all of which are open to freelancers. Sample copies are $1.75 each (U.S. currency) from the Children's Better Health Institute, P.O. Box 567, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Manuscript format Manuscripts must be typewritten and double or triple-spaced. The author's name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, date of submission, and the approximate word count of the material should appear on the first page of the manuscript. Title pages are not necessary. Keep a copy of your work. We will handle your manuscript with care, but we cannot assume responsibility for its return. Please submit to a specific magazine, not just to CBHI or the Children's Better Health Institute. This aids us in tracking your manuscript. Please send the entire manuscript. All work is on speculation only; queries are not accepted, nor are stories assigned. The editors cannot criticize, offer suggestions, or enter into correspondence with an author concerning manuscripts that are not accepted, nor can they suggest other markets for material that is not published. Material cannot be returned unless it is accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope and sufficient return postage. Photos and Illustrations We do not purchase single photographs. We do purchase short photo features (up to 6 or 8 Picture) or photos that accompany articles to help illustrate editorial material. (Please include captions and model releases.) Suggestions for illustrations are not necessary but are permissible. Please do not send drawings or artwork. We prefer to work with professional illustrators of our own choosing. Review Time About three months are required to review manuscripts properly. Please wait three months before sending status inquiries. If a manuscript is returned, it should not be resubmitted to a different publication at this address. Each manuscript is carefully considered for possible use in all magazines, not only the one to which it was originally addressed. Rates and Payment Policies =Turtle=: up to 22 cents a word, Fiction/nonfiction -- up to 350 words =Humpty Dumpty=: up to 22 cents a word, Fiction/nonfiction -- up to 350 words =Children's Playmate=: up to 17 cents a word, Fiction/nonfiction -- 300 to 700 words =Jack and Jill=: up to 17 cents a word, Fiction/nonfiction -- 500 to 800 words =Child Life=: not accepting manuscripts at this time =Children's Digest=: up to 12 cents a word, Fiction -- 500 to 1500 words/nonfiction 500 to 1000 words Poetry: $25.00 minimum Photos: $15.00 minimum Puzzles and games: no fixed rate Rights We purchase all rights to manuscripts. We buy one-time rights to photos. Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. One-time book rights may be returned when the author had found an interested publisher and can provide us with an approximate date of publication. Children's Contributions Except for items that are used in children's columns, the editors do not encourage submissions from children. Even highly talented young people are not usually experienced enough to compete on a professional level with adult authors. There is no payment for children's contributions. [http://www.cbhi.org/cbhi/writersguidelines.shtml] CICADA [Bimonthly printzine. Incl. F/SF for ages 14 and up to 5,000 wds (one novella to 15,000 wds per issue). Pays to 25 cents/wd. on pub. Reprints okay. No e-mail subm.] Submissions Editor Cicada Magazine P.O. Box 300 Peru, IL 61354 www.cicadamag.com/ =Cicada= is a literary magazine for teenagers and young adults and is published by Cricket Magazine Group. =Cicada=, for ages 14 and up, publishes original short stories, poems, and first-person essays written for teens and young adults. In some cases, =Cicada= purchases rights for excerpts from books yet to be published. Each issue also includes several reprints of high-quality selections. =Cicada= measures 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", contains 128 pages, has a full-color cover, and is perfect bound. Black-and-white illustrations of the highest quality appear throughout the magazine. We hope the following information will be useful to prospective contributors: Editor-in-Chief: Marianne Carus Executive Editor: Deborah Vetter Associate Editor: Tracy C. Schoenle Senior Art Director: Ron McCutchan Published: bimonthly, 6 times a year Price: $35.97 for 1-year subscription (6 issues) For a sample issue of =Cicada=, please send $8.50 to: CICADA Sample Copy, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354 NOTE: Sample copy requests from foreign countries must be accompanied by International Postal Reply Coupons (IRCs) valued at US $8.50. Please do NOT send a check or money order. Comments =Cicada= would like to reach as many authors and illustrators as possible for original contributions, but our standards are very high, and we will accept only top-quality material. PLEASE DO NOT QUERY FIRST. =Cicada= will consider any manuscripts or art samples sent on speculation and accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. For art, send tear sheets or photoprints/ photocopies. PLEASE DO NOT send original artwork. Be sure that each sample is marked with your name, address, and phone number. Allow 12 weeks for a reply. =Cicada= normally purchases the following rights for works appearing in the magazine: For stories and poems previously unpublished, =Cicada= purchases first publication rights in the English language as well as a nonexclusive rights option to reprint the work upon payment of an additional fee. Payment is made upon publication. For stories and poems previously published, =Cicada= purchases second North American publication rights. Fees vary, but are generally less than fees for first publication rights. Payment is made upon publication. Same applies to accompanying art. For recurring features, =Cicada= purchases the material outright. The work becomes the property of =Cicada=, and it is copyrighted in the name of Carus Publishing Company. A flat fee per feature is usually negotiated. Payment is made upon publication. For commissioned artwork, first publication rights plus promotional rights (promotions, advertising, or any other form not offered for sale) are subject to the terms outlined below: (a) Physical art remains the property of the illustrator. (b) Payment is made within 45 days of acceptance. (c) =Cicada= retains the additional, nonexclusive reprint rights option upon payment of an additional fee. Manuscripts Fiction: realistic, contemporary, historical fiction, adventure, humor, fantasy, science fiction (Main protagonist should be age 14 or older; stories should have a genuine teen sensibility and be aimed at readers in high school or college.) Nonfiction: first-person experiences that are relevant and interesting to teenagers Poetry: serious or humorous; rhymed or free verse Other: book reviews providing in-depth, thoughtful commentary Length: Fiction/articles: up to 5,000 words Novellas: up to 15,000 words (We run one novella per issue.) Poems: up to 25 lines Book reviews: 300 to 700 words An exact word count should be noted on each manuscript submitted. For poetry, indicate number of lines instead. Word count includes every word, but does not include the title of the manuscript or the author's name. Rates: Fiction and articles: up to 25 cents per word Poems: up to $3.00 per line Payment upon publication Please address all MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS to: Submissions Editor, Cicada Magazine, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354 Direct ART SAMPLES to: Ron McCutchan, Senior Art Director (same address as above) Direct inquiries regarding PERMISSIONS to: Diane Sikora, Rights and Permissions Coordinator (same address as above) [http://www.cricketmag.com/cgi-bin/cricket.cgi?tpl=guidelines& session_id=10060816290570#Cicada] COMPUTOREDGE http://www.computoredge.com/colorado/ http://www.computoredge.com/sandiego/ COMPUTERSCENE http://www.computerscene.com/ [Weekly/biweekly free computer printzines. Occasionally computer-related fiction to 1,000 wds. Pays between $50 and $200 per piece after pub. Query with ideas. No unsolicited E-mail subm. Can E-mail query.] =ComputorEdge=/=ComputerScene= Writer's Guidelines =ComputorEdge= is the nation's largest regional computer weekly, with editions in Southern California and Colorado. Articles published in =ComputorEdge= are sometimes concurrently published in its sister-publication =ComputerScene= in New Mexico. These three regional magazines provide non-technical, entertaining articles on all aspects of computer hardware and software, including productivity, advice, personal experience and an occasional piece of computer-related fiction. While our writing style is easily understood by novice and intermediate computer users, our well-educated readers also include experts. Who writes for =ComputorEdge=/=ComputerScene=? Our writers are clear and conversational. They share their technical expertise in a relaxed, personable manner without unnecessary techno-jargon. This is a rare combination of talents. We want writers with flawless accuracy, new angles, interesting solutions and real wit. We don't want forced humor, flowery wordiness and 10-year-old concepts. Don't be condescending; instead, write as if you're talking to a friend who's intelligent, but not a computer expert. Don't send single-product reviews. We prefer a goal-oriented, problem-solving approach evaluating several solutions. Our issues have themes, but we're looking for more than just articles that fit the issue subject. Feature articles have two or three different aspects of the cover theme, rounded out by columns on a variety of topics, including online systems, the Internet, multimedia, Macintosh hardware and software, alternate operating systems, and answers to common computer problems. Freelance writers contribute to most sections of the magazine. We buy First North American Serial Rights, as well as subsequent electronic publishing rights. Feature articles should be approximately 1,000 words in length. Shorter pieces (between 500 and 800 words) are accepted for our Beyond Personal Computing (BPC) section. The columns Mac Madness and I Don't Do Windows (alternate operating systems such as Amiga, Linux, OS/2, etc.) are also open to freelancers. They should consist of 750 to 900 words. Payment is rendered 30 days after publication. The amount is based on the number of magazines an article is published in, as follows: Feature articles: $100 for publication in one magazine; $150 for two; and $200 if it appears in all three. BPC pays $50 for one; $75 for two; and $100 for three. Columns pay $75 for one magazine; $100 for two; and $145 for three. What's the best way to proceed? Be familiar with the magazine. Read several issues; understand the editorial focus. Know why we cover a topic and what level of knowledge is imparted. Understand what we're doing with our columns and departments. If you do not have a current Editorial Calendar, request one by e-mailing editor@computoredge.com. You can read the current issue of all three magazines on our Web site: www.computoredge.com. If you send us a catalog-size envelope with seven first-class stamps, we'll be happy to send you a sample issue. If you have an idea for an article, submit an electronic query to submissions@computoredge.com. Your query must state the upcoming issue number the article would best fit in, and should indicate the following: * The problem, technique, profile, event, or products you wish to cover. * Why ComputorEdge readers would be interested in your story. * Specific solutions and/or conclusions you've found. * Why you should be the writer covering this story. * Whether the proposed story has a regional angle, or is of general interest. If we accept an article or want to discuss a query, we'll contact you--please provide an e-mail address and day/evening phone numbers. Don't call us about the status of your story; if in doubt, send a "reminder" e-mail. Do not e-mail unsolicited manuscripts. Acceptance of a piece does not guarantee its immediate publication. When an accepted article is completed, we'll need it in ASCII format or Microsoft Word 97/98 by the deadline date indicated on the Editorial Calendar. Assigned articles and columns must be e-mailed to assigned@computoredge.com. (Guidelines revised 12/8/00) [http://www.computoredge.com/sandiego/Writer%27sGuidelines.htm] CRICKET [Children's printzine (ages 9-14). Incl. F/SF 200 to 2,000 wds. Pays to 25 cents/wd. on publication. Reprints okay. No e-mail subs.] Submissions Editor CRICKET Magazine P.O. Box 300 Peru, IL 61354 http://www.cricketmag.com/cgi-bin/ cricket.cgi?tpl=cricket/index&session_id=10060822270568 Submissions Guidelines In September 1973, Open Court Publishing Company started publication of =Cricket=, a literary magazine for young people. =Cricket= is now published by Carus Publishing Company. =Cricket=, for readers ages 9 to 14, publishes original stories, poems, and articles written by the world's best authors for children and young adults. In some cases, =Cricket= purchases rights for excerpts from books yet to be published. Each issue also includes several reprints of high-quality selections. =Cricket= measures 8" x 10", contains 64 pages, has a full-color cover, and is staple bound. Full-color and black-and-white illustrations of the highest quality appear throughout the magazine. We hope the following information will be useful to prospective contributors: Editor-in-Chief: Marianne Carus Senior Art Director: Ron McCutchan Executive Editor: Deborah Vetter Associate Editor: Julia M. Messina Associate Editor: Tracy C. Schoenle Published: 12 months a year Price: $35.97 for 1-year subscription (12 issues) For a sample issue of =Cricket=, please send $5.00 to: =Cricket= Sample Copy P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354 NOTE: Sample copy requests from foreign countries must be accompanied by International Postal Reply Coupons (IRCs) valued at US $5.00. Please do NOT send a check or money order. Comments =Cricket= would like to reach as many illustrators and authors as possible for original contributions, but our standards are very high, and we will accept only top-quality material. PLEASE DO NOT QUERY FIRST. =Cricket= will consider any manuscripts or art samples sent on speculation and accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. For art, send tear sheets or photoprints/ photocopies. PLEASE DO NOT send original artwork. Be sure that each sample is marked with your name, address, and phone number. Allow 12 weeks for a reply. Themes: =Cricket= does not publish an advance list of themes. Submissions on all appropriate topics will be considered at any time during the year. =Cricket= normally purchases the following rights for works appearing in the magazine: For stories and poems previously unpublished, =Cricket= purchases first publication rights in the English language. Payment is made upon publication. =Cricket= also requests a nonexclusive reprint option upon payment of an additional fee. For stories and poems previously published, =Cricket= purchases second North American publication rights. Fees vary, but are generally less than fees for first publication rights. Payment is made upon publication. Same applies to accompanying art. For recurring features, =Cricket= purchases the material outright. The work becomes the property of =Cricket=, and it is copyrighted in the name of Carus Publishing Company. A flat fee per feature is usually negotiated. Payment is made upon publication. For commissioned artwork, first publication rights plus promotional rights (promotions, advertising, or any other form not offered for sale) are subject to the terms outlined below: (a) Physical art remains the property of the illustrator. (b) Payment is made within 45 days of acceptance. (c) =Cricket= retains a nonexclusive reprint option upon payment of an additional fee. Art Submissions =Cricket= commissions all art separately from the text. Any review samples of artwork will be considered. Samples of both color and black-and-white work (where applicable) are appreciated. It is especially helpful to see pieces showing young people, animals, action scenes, and several scenes from a narrative (i.e., story) showing a character in different situations and emotional states. =Cricket= accepts work in a number of different styles and media, including pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastels, scratchboard, and woodcut. While we need humorous illustration, we cannot use work that is overly caricatured or "cartoony." We are always looking for strong realism. Many assignments will require artist's research into a particular scientific field, world culture, or historical period. Types of work in =Cricket=: Fiction: realistic, contemporary, historical, humor, mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, folk tales, fairy tales, legends, myths Nonfiction: biography, history, science, technology, natural history, social science, archeology, architecture, geography, foreign culture, travel, adventure, sports (A bibliography is required for all nonfiction articles. Be prepared to send other backup materials and photo references-- where applicable--upon request.) Poetry: serious, humorous, nonsense rhymes Other: crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, math puzzles, crafts, recipes, science experiments, games and activities from other countries, plays, music, art Length: Stories: 200 to 2,000 words (2 to 8 pages) Articles: 200 to 1,500 words (2 to 6 pages) Poems: not longer than 50 lines (1 page, 2 pages maximum) An exact word count should be noted on each manuscript submitted. For poetry, indicate number of lines instead. Word count includes every word, but does not include the title of the manuscript or the author's name. Rates: Stories and articles: up to 25 cent per word Poems: up to $3.00 per line Payment upon publication Please address all MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS to: Submissions Editor, Cricket Magazine, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354 Direct ART SAMPLES to: Ron McCutchan, Senior Art Director (same address as above) Direct inquiries regarding PERMISSIONS to: Mary Ann Hocking, Rights and Permissions Manager (same address as above) [http://www.cricketmag.com/cgi-bin/cricket.cgi?tpl=/ guidelines&session_id=10060822270568#cricket] CURIOCITY FOR KIDS [Free monthly newsletter for kids 7-12. Incl. F/SF to 600 wds. No E-mail subm.] Publisher: Lori Grass Associate Publishers/Editors: Lora Smith & DeDe Wagner Graphic Artist Manager: Jennifer Padgett 535 W. Carmel Drive Carmel, IN 46032 (317) 848-9495 x 1231 FAX (317) 816-7850 E-mail (no submissions): curiocity@cnhiindiana.com http://www.curiocityforkids.com/ =Curiocity for Kids= is an informative, interactive and colorful monthly newspaper for curious kids age 7-12. It is distributed free-of-charge to over 40,000 elementary school students in their Indianapolis-area classrooms and to home subscribers throughout Central Indiana. [http://www.curiocityforkids.com/] DEATHLINGS.COM Dark Fiction for the Discerning Reader [Webzine. H/DF to 4,000 wds. Pays 3 cents/wd on pub. Submit through contests. Next contests "Technology Run Amuck"; deadline 1 Jan 2002. "Family Secrets" 15 Mar 2002. "The 70s Were Hell and We Didn't Even Know It" 15 Jun 2002. E-mail subm. okay.] Patricko Olson, Editor deathlings.com c/o 130 E. Willamette Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1112 U.S.A. E-mail (subs & info): editor@deathlings.com URL: www.deathlings.com We do not accept stories on an open submission basis. If you'd like to be published in =deathlings.com= then submit to our contests. All entries must be typed in standard manuscript format: double-spaced with one inch margins. The first page of your story should include: name, address, phone number, e-mail address and word count--not to exceed 4,000 words (1,500 for short shorts.) Entries outside the word limits will be disregarded. Snail mail: Please staple your stories together and send to: Deathlings.com, c/o 130 E. Willamette Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1112. If you don't want your manuscript returned, you will still need to enclose a stamped, standard letter-size envelope to aid us in corresponding with you. If you want your manuscript returned, please enclose a mailing envelope with adequate postage. Or you can send a cover letter via e-mail [preferred] to editor@deathlings.com with your submission attached in rich text format [only]. Payment for the First Worldwide Electronic Rights will be the professional rate of 3 cents per word with a 90 day exclusivity after publication. Payment will be made upon publication. =Deathlings.com= reserves the right to archive the story for an indefinite period, or until the author asks that it be removed from the archive. All rights transfer back to the author 90 days after publication. All other rights remain with the author. What do we want? =Deathlings.com= wants dark fiction that does not rely on excessive gore (grossing us out instead of scaring us, or making us think,) gratuitous sex (note the word "gratuitous"--sexual scenes that are integral to the characters and/or plot are fine.) So what do we want exactly? Stories drenched in atmosphere where the setting plays an integral role. Stories that are character, not plot-driven. Any descriptions of the characters should be so vivid that we could pick one of your characters up at the airport if we had to! Don't fall into list writing: this happened, and then this, and then this--get into your characters' minds, flesh out their motivations--why do they do what they do? Please avoid stream-of-consciousness, all the action takes place in the narrator's head-type stories. Eyeball your paragraphs--if you have whole pages without dialogue, your story is not for us. No present tense. Surprise us--we don't want to be able to guess what's going to happen after the first or second pages. And finally... =deathlings.com= (despite the foreboding name) is not strictly a "horror" venue (whatever that is.) Dark fiction, to us, encompasses everything from scare-the-hell-out-of-you stories to stories that are "dark" simply meaning that they could never be published in one of the women's magazines. And please, (personal prejudice alert) no fantasy stories--if Cynnric the High Templar encounters the horrifying Galaryn on the once-edenic ShiningIsle we don't want to read about it. http://www.deathlings.com/guide.html Upcoming contests =deathlings.com= is proud to announce its next Short Story contest: "Technology Run Amuck." Haven't we all experienced the frustrations of technological advances that are supposed to make life easier and better and...well, it doesn't always happen that way, does it? Let your imagination run wild--possessed cell phones, haunted computers, dogs with Global Positioning System implants--the sky's the limit. Please read our Guidelines carefully, they apply to this contest--especially the 4,000 word limit. Deadline is January 1, 2002. What's ahead contest-wise? You've read "all happy families are alike, but unhappy families are unhappy in their own way" haven't you? So have we. Send us your "Family Secrets" short stories...the more dysfunctional the family, the better! Please read the Guidelines carefully, blah, blah, blah. Deadline is March 15, 2002. And after that?...the Summer issue Short Story contest is: "The 70's Were Hell and We Didn't Even Know It." Your story can be about anything, but make sure there's at least a few references to those distinctly 70's phenomena like consciousness-raising groups, drugs-sex-and-rock-and-roll, bellbottoms, parents divorcing...you get the picture. Deadline is June 15, 2002. [http://www.deathlings.com/contests.html] DOWNSTATE STORY [Annual literary printzine, genre fiction to 2,000 wds. Pays $50/story on accept. No reprints or E-mail subs. Buys 10 stories/year. Some connection Illinois/Midwest. Annual deadline 30 June.] Downstate Story 1825 Maple Ridge Peoria, IL 61614 E-mail (queries only): ehopkins@iaonline.com http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfgeh/dss/index.html We're a not-for-profit literary magazine daring to be different. We offer original, exciting, illustrated short stories for every taste. =Downstate Story= is published every fall. Each issue contains 10 original short stories and original illustrations. We accept a variety of genres so that every reader who looks at Downstate Story will find something fascinating. The deadline is always June 30. Meanwhile we also promote =Downstate Story=, as well as the reading of fiction in general. We hold readings, and our writers have read and been interviewed on radio and TV. As a not-for-profit venture, our goal is to break even financially through sales, so that =Downstate Story= can support itself and need not depend on subsidies, grants or advertising-- though we're flexible, and not ruling these out entirely. People can help by mentioning =Downstate Story= and similar publications to friends, encouraging libraries to order copies, or buying copies for themselves or friends. It costs $8, postpaid in the USA, and makes a good gift. Add $1 more for non-USA postage. We encourage potential contributors to buy a copy to support the magazine, and to become familiar with it. Story guidelines, in general: short fiction or narrative written to the standards of fiction, under 2000 words, never published before. Shorter is better. We prefer some connection with Illinois or the Midwest. We also need illustrators. All contributors are paid $50 on acceptance for their work. We buy first rights, including Internet publication. Anyone can submit work. If you submit a manuscript, please enclose an SASE both for a response, if you want one before we make a final decision, and for the manuscript itself, if you want it returned. We prefer disposable manuscripts for the postage savings. We need a hard copy of the manuscript, but we will correspond via e-mail. Send manuscripts to: Downstate Story, 1825 Maple Ridge, Peoria, IL 61614 Questions? Email ehopkins@iaonline.com [http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfgeh/dss/index.html] ETERNAL NIGHT [Webzine, SF/F/H, pays 2 cents/wd (max $40); 3/4 cent/wd (max $30) for reprints.] methos@eternalnight.co.uk www.eternalnight.co.uk/ We have a website/Ezine dedicated to SF/F/H at http://www.eternalnight.co.uk/ We have been adding short fiction to the site over the last 2/3 months and have decided that this is to be an ongoing feature of our site. We pay 2c per word (to a maximum of $40) for original publication, or 0.75c (3/4 cent) per word (to a maximum of $30) for reprints, but first internet publication of a short story. We will add sample chapters from your work onto the site but as this is considered to be promotional material we cannot pay for these. Please contact us before submitting as this is a non-profit making hobby site and as such we have a limited budget. We do not charge for usage of the site, nor for any content or advertising. We cannot accept erotica, nor gratuitous obscenity--we want to make the site accessible by younger surfers as well as adults. We also cannot accept stories based on characters/ situations that may be subject to a copyright. We ask that any story can remain on our site for a minimum of 12 months after which time it will be removed at the author's request. We would also be happy to include author interviews, bibliographies, reviews etc. We will happily include any news in our Chronicle and have recently added a book releases section to detail future releases. We can be contacted on methos@eternalnight.co.uk Thanks, Steve & Lesley [sff.publishing.market-reports, article 1465, 11 Jul 01] ` FANGORIA--FRIGHTFUL FICTION [Monthly webzine, H, 3,000-4,500 wds. Pays to $150/story on pub. 1 story/month. E-mail subs only. No reprints or mult subms. Sim subs okay.] Thomas Deja, Editor E-mail (subs & info): frightful_fiction@address.com URL: www.fangoria.com/tpage/ frightful_fiction/frightful_index.htm Important Notes - 28 October 2001 It seems, before we get into the Boiler Plate of the Guidelines, I feel I must once again put special emphasis on certain aspects of my Guidelines that some of you writers just Aren't Getting. I don't like repeating myself so often, but I also don't like wasting my time responding to submissions that are not formatted correctly, or features material I thought I made clear I was not interested in. To whit: Please only submit horror fiction to =Frightful=. I'm still getting a lot of work that simply isn't horror in any sense of the word; my favorite so far is the fellow who sent me a soulless crime-caper story with no horror elements whatsoever. =Frightful= has an extremely large audience of demanding horror fans, many of whom prolly don't read any other fiction but what's on this site. If I throw them a crime story, or a fantasy story, there will be Hell to pay. I know it was just a recent addition, but please, guys, no more Romero-style Zombie fiction. =Frightful= is not being run as a gore site, and with only two real exceptions (both of which I bought), the zombie fiction I've seen just uses zombies as an excuse to pile on the gore. Zombies can, if used right, be excellent metaphors for the breakdown of society, the lack of control, the leeching of free will, the homogenization of culture . . . don't insult our reader just by using them as an excuse for scenes of gut munching. I'm still getting a plethora of people who are sending me attached files, even though I clearly state 'no attached files.' =Fangoria= uses a very, very old system for typesetting and compositing. I use another very old system. =Fangoria= insists on ONLY getting stories as inline e-mail text. That doesn't mean they insist on getting stories only as inline text except yours. That means only getting stories as inline text Period. End of Sentence. Stories sent as attached files will be deleted unread. Even though I do want to see material from small press and lesser-known writers, this is not a market for beginning/just starting out writers. With only twelve slots a year, the competition is simply too great, and I can't afford to hold the hand of someone who still has to make the mistakes all beginning writers do. If you haven't gotten a sale yet, or you've only been published in e-zines which don't pay you, this is not the market for you. I know this is an electronic submissions only market, but guys, *please* follow standard manuscript and cover letter format. When you send me stories without titles in the e-mail, or without a word count or a contact address, you make things all the more difficult for me to concentrate on your story. And don't spend precious cover letter time telling me why I need to buy your story; I've been doing this enough so that I can see if I have to or not. Finally, I've been told these guidelines are rude. I don't hate writers; I'm a writer myself, and I have sympathy for them (this is why I respond personally to every submission and try to tell you *why* I won't be purchasing your story. But don't expect to be mollycoddled. Writing is not a profession for people who expect only acclaim, and it's not one for people who can't weather harshness. If my guidelines discourage you from submitting something inappropriate, then they work because you're not wasting your time submitting, and I'm not wasting my time (and I do read every story straight through, no matter how painful) evaluating it. I think of them as honest and respectful in that I'm trying to make it totally clear what I'm looking for, and what I'm not, so the writer knows what has the best chance of getting in. If you think that's rude, then this might not be the market for you. Submission Guidelines WHAT I WANT: =Fangoria= is presently only printing a single story a month on its website (see above URL) under the title =Frightful Fiction=. We are looking for extremely high quality horror fiction of all kinds, approx. 3-4.5K words in length (I will look at longer, but you have to *really* be exceptional). We're only looking for your absolutely best; think of us as the equivalent of =Playboy= or =The New Yorker= for horror fiction (you wouldn't expect =Playboy= to purchase your 'serial killer stalks a stripper who turns out to be a hungry vampire' story--why should we?). What I'm looking for as editor is stories that emphasize characterization, mood, and style in that order. I want the readers to be grabbed by the people they're encountering right away (for a fine example of that, look at James Moore's 'Burden of Guilt,' which was posted recently). I am particularly interested in working with name authors who have a profile and/or review forthcoming in the magazine. If you know your work is being covered in the future, let me know so we can cross-promote (the first example of this synergy should come in October, when we may feature a story by Robert Weinberg, whose new collection from Dark Tales, =Dial Your Dreams=, is reviewed by me in the October issue) WHAT I DON'T WANT: Stories about vampires or serial killers, because they're presently so all-pervasive it's near impossible to write an original take on them. As of this month, I now add Romero-style zombies to this list, because generally I see far too much of them, and none of those stories are really very good. Stories involving domestic abuse or stalking for personal reasons I do not wish to go into. Stories where the sole point of the prose is loving depictions of carnage because without someone to care about in the story, this style of carnography is pointless (I seem to get a lot of this, probably because of =Fangoria='s reputation as a gore magazine). Stories whose entire dramatic tension is based on a shocking twist toward the end because almost all the twists have been done to death by now. Stories that are not really horror but, because there might be a monster or a murder in it, you think you can sneak by me, because this is =Fangoria= and =Fangoria= fans are very particular about their horror. Stories that are obviously treatments for screenplays, because the rules of screenplays and prose differ so much as to be two different beasts. Reprints, because =Fangoria= is very particular about it wanting exclusivity to the stories. Inquiries about how to get your book reviewed by =Fango=, or how to freelance for =Fango=, because I am their Fiction Editor, not their Information Booth (If you really want your book considered for review, send it to the =Fango= offices care of my name). A SLIGHT CODA: Please keep in mind that there are exceptions to every rule. But if you're going to tempt the fates by sending me a vampire or serial killer story, you better be *dang* sure your story is original, or I will not be kind. And seriously, no matter how obscure the original source is, I can't accept reprints at all. WHAT YOU GET FROM ME IF I PICK YOUR STORY: =Fangoria= purchases one time North American Electronic Rights, with a required exclusivity of three months upon publication. We pay up to $100 per story for up-and-coming authors, and up to $150 for established authors. What makes an established author is purely at the discretion of the SPAFs at =Fangoria=. However, the biggest thing you get when I choose to publish your story is the fact that you're being published on =Fangoria='s website. Because =Fangoria= is *the* horror magazine for many people, you will have your stories exposed to a large audience, including many people who otherwise don't read fiction. We will publish an author photo and a biography that will tout all your upcoming projects, and overall provide you with some amazing publicity--plus you get to put =Fangoria= magazine on your resume. HOW I WANT YOU TO SEND THE STORY: All submissions should be sent to frightful_fiction@address.com. Because of =Fangoria='s outmoded computer system, and a discrepancy between computer languages used by theirs and mine, please ONLY send your story pasted in as part of the e-mail. That means do NOT send your story as an attachment; any stories sent as attachments will be deleted unread. Put the name of the story in the e-mail's title line. Include a brief 'cover letter' giving me your name, address, social security number (VERY important if you want to be paid), word count and a very brief bio. Do not summarize the story in the cover letter. I do not accept multiple submissions. Any multiple submissions will be deleted unread. You should only send me ONE story at any ONE time. Keep in mind, I read each story all the way through, and when you flood my mailbox with a flurry of submissions, you dominate my time and show a lack of respect for your other authors by forcing them to wait. Show to me that you take my market seriously and please wait a little bit between submissions. I've been told I give very valid input on stories submitted to me; give everyone a fair shake and don't just keep throwing story after story at me immediately I reject each one. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU LIKE MY STUFF?: My present turnaround time is a little bit shy of two weeks. If I like your work, I will put it in my 'Possibles' file and wait for an appropriate slot to open up. Because I can only publish one story at a time, the turnaround time is very, very slow; expect to wait anywhere between a month to a year for actual publication. Because I realize holding onto the story that long is unreasonable, I fully encourage authors to continue shopping stories I've put in my Possibles pile around. If you find someone willing to purchase the story before I can, it's my fault for not acting quick enough, innit? Payment is upon publication. I am working to get that lead time shortened. If there are any questions, ask me! [www.Ralan.com, 28 Oct 01] FUTURE ORBITS, SHORT SCIENCE FICTION FOR THE DIGITAL WORLD [Bimonthly E-book mag. SF to 7,500 wds. (to 5,000 pref.) Pays 6-10 cents/wd. Internat'l E-mail subs only, not U.S. No mult subs.] Tom Vander Neut, Editor/Publisher Vander Neut Publications LLC P.O. Box 239 Hatboro, PA 19040 U.S.A. Info & Non-US submissions: editor@futureorbits.com URL: www.futureorbits.com Submission Guidelines =Future Orbits, Short Science Fiction for the Digital World= is a new bimonthly science fiction magazine scheduled to be launched this Fall (2001). =Future Orbits= seeks high-quality science fiction short stories, articles, commentary, and art. =Future Orbits= does not publish poetry. (Visit www.futureorbits.com for more information and to sign up for a free copy of the premiere issue.) =Future Orbits= is published exclusively in today's major electronic book formats-Adobe Acrobat PDF/eBook, MS Reader, Mobipocket and Rocket eBook-and viewable on Windows and Macintosh computers and on Palm OS, Windows CE/Pocket PC and Franklin eBookman handhelds. Subscriptions are e-mailed directly to subscribers. Fiction Submissions =Future Orbits= seeks unpublished, character-oriented, well-paced science fiction stories from both new and established writers. As long as the story is a work of high-quality science fiction, and speaks clearly and honestly, we are interested in seeing it. Stories up to 5,000 words are preferred, but stories up to 7,500 words will be considered. Payment is $.06 to $.10 per word on acceptance. Send submissions in standard manuscript format--one inch margins, double-spaced and numbered pages, with word count and your full name, address, and phone number on the first page--to the below address. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you wish to receive a response or would like your manuscript returned. Include a SASE postcard if you would like confirmation of your story's receipt. (Use International Reply Coupons if submitting from outside the United States.) If you live outside the United States, you may submit your manuscript via email to editor@futureorbits.com. Insert "submission" in the subject field and attach your story's file to the email message. The attached file must be in either text format or Word .rtf format. An attachment in any other format will be deleted without opening. Still, don't forget to follow standard manuscript format. Please send only one submission at a time. Nonfiction Submissions =Future Orbits= is looking for freelance writers and columnists interested in writing science fiction commentaries and speculative articles about the future. If you are interested, please send a query letter and clips of prior work to the below address or to editor@futureorbits.com. Payment is $.06 to $.10 per word on acceptance. Art Submissions =Future Orbits= seeks artists to create illustrations for the front cover of each issue. Each =Future Orbits= cover will reflect some aspect of the contents of the issue on which it appears. If you are interested, please send a query letter and samples of prior work to the below address or to editor@futureorbits.com. [www.Ralan.com, 24Jun01] GAUNTLET! THE MAGAZINE OF HEROIC TALES [Quarterly web/printzine, heroic SF/F to 10,000 wds. Pays $20/story. E-mail subm okay. George Smith, Managing Editor/Publisher Gauntlet! The Magazine of Heroic Tales 423-E-111th PL Northglenn, CO 80233 E-mail: Gauntlet_mag@hotmail.com http://www.gauntletmagazine.com/ George Smith, Managing Editor William Brock, Associate Editor Gregory Steel, Associate Editor =Gauntlet! The Magazine of Heroic Tales= is published quarterly by catnap press. All rights revert to the artist and writers upon publication. Hard copy subscriptions are $20.00 a year, sample copies $5.00 each. All manuscripts, guideline inquires and subscriptions should be sent care of =Gauntlet! The Magazine of Heroic Tales=, 423-E-111th PL, Northglenn, CO 80233. E-mail Gauntlet_mag@hotmail.com Wanted! Writers & Artist to Build a Legend! GuideLines George Smith, Managing Editor/Publisher, 423-E-111th Place, Northglenn CO. 80233. Associate Editors Gregory Steel, William Brock. E-mail gauntlet_mag@hotmail.com. SF/F to 10,000 words. Art B&W and Color to half page (5" by 8"). Published Quarterly. All rights revert to writers and artists upon publication. Payment is now $20.00 per story or cover art work and one contributor's copy, one contributor's copy only for poetry or other art work. The hardcopy issues include all the stories, the cover art, back cover art or poem and the editorial. they do not include letters to the editor, interviews or any other online material. These features are an ongoing process during the period of online publication and can not be included in the hardcopy issue. Subscriptions $20.00 a year. Sample hard copy five dollars (issues other than number Six are sold out.) Make checks out to George Smith. The sixth issue is available, stories by Howard Andrew Jones, D.K. Latta, Lyn McConchie, Mark Mellon, Poetry by Howard Andrew Jones. Gauntlet #7 will be published October first [2001]. Looking for more Science Fiction stories of the heroic. Wanted stories of the heroic. Robert E. Howard's Conan the barbarian, H. Beam Piper's Lucas Trask of Traskon, Keith Laumer's =Galactic Odyssey=, Tolkien's The Hobbit, Andre Norton's =The Last Planet= are examples of the kind of writing that I am looking for: Romantic, Volitional, Theme and Plot-oriented works. In other words a story that matters to the characters who are in it and has a climax, a resolution at its end. No postmodern nihilism need apply. Stories and art must be original in both characters and settings. No Jedi knights, Marvel Super Heros or Star Trek characters of any generation will be accepted, and no copyrighted universes will be published. Stories need not be written in the current literary style. Any E-mail submissions should be included in the body of the E-mail. No attachments unless ask for. Please do not send original manuscripts or art works. Artist and writers should send only disposable photocopies of their works. Do include a cover letter of some kind. You need not be a subscriber to be published, and subscribing does not guarantee publication. THE FOLLOWING APPLIES TO ALL E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS! Standard Internet Manuscript Format All paragraphs start flush to the left margin. There is no use of tabs or indentation to start paragraphs. All lines within the paragraph are single spaced, double spaced between paragraphs. All returns within a paragraph are standard returns (use word wrap, let the wordprocessor decide where to end the lines within the paragraph) all returns between paragraphs or hard returns (hit the enter key twice to double space and don't use enter at any other time). And don't use any codes that are specific to your wordprocessor. There are several good reasons for following this procedure. One, e-mail is transmitted in ASCII which does not include your word processor's instructions for tabs and other special codes. This mean that when you paste your manuscript into your e-mail, it may look fine but when it arrives at its destination it will be a jumbled mess. Two, by using Standard Internet Manuscript Format, your manuscript can be easily converted into a hard copy format on any wordprocessor. In Gauntlet!'s case I can convert SIMF e-mail into hard copy format with a few clicks of my mouse the reverse procedure is far more difficult and time consuming. Three, even as hard copy manuscripts which are not formatted according to standard hard copy format are unceremoniously rejected, e-mail that is not in SIMF will not be read, and the author can expect to receive a standard e-mail rejection form. Four, HTML is in ASCII as well so the same formatting problems apply to posting your work to a web site. Believe me when I say that editors are swamped with manuscripts and have no time to spare to correct formatting problems. No matter how dazzlingly your writing; if your editor is going to have to spend more effort on your manuscript than the next one, he will proceed to the next one. George Smith, Managing Editor, =Gauntlet the Magazine of Heroic Tales= [http://www.gauntletmagazine.com/guidelines.html] HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN [Childrens' printzine (ages 3-12). Fiction incl. SF/F to 900 wds. Pays $100 and up/story. Buys all rights. No E-mail subs. or reprints.] Highlights for Children Editorial Department 803 Church Street Honesdale, PA 18431 http://www.highlights.com/ SUBMISSIONS: Editorial material for consideration should be sent to: Highlights for Children, Editorial Department, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431. Telephone inquiries should be made to (570) 253-1080. We prefer not to receive submissions electronically. GENERAL GUIDELINES: * We do not pay persons under age fifteen for contributions. * We buy all rights, including copyright, and do not consider material previously published. * We prefer to see a manuscript rather than a query. * All material is paid for on acceptance. * We accept material, including seasonal material, year round. * Submissions must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for possible return. FICTION: * Should have an engaging plot, strong characterization, and lively language. * Stories for younger readers (ages three to seven) should be 400 words or less. * Stories for older readers (eight to twelve) should be 900 words or less, and should be appealing to younger readers if read aloud. * Stories that teach by positive example, rather than preach, are preferred. * Suggestions of crime and violence are taboo. * Frequent needs include humor, mystery, sports, and adventure stories; re-tellings of traditional tales; stories in urban settings; and stories that feature world cultures. * Rhyming stories are seldom purchased. * Payment $100 and up. REBUS STORIES: These monthly features for beginning readers include a variety of familiar words that easily can be shown as pictures. * Rebuses should be 125 words or less. * Payment is $75 and up. NONFICTION: This includes biography, autobiography, and various approaches to the arts, science, history, sports, and world cultures. * Articles should be 800 words or less. * Focused articles are more successful than broad factual surveys. * Firsthand experience or research based on consultation with experts is preferred. * Writers with extensive background in a particular field are encouraged to share their experiences and personal research. * Articles about cultural traditions and ways of life should reflect a deep understanding of the subject. * Biographies of individuals who have made significant artistic, scientific, or humanitarian contributions are strengthened by the inclusion of formative childhood experiences. Those that are rich in anecdotes and place the subject in a historical and cultural context are preferred. * Nonfiction articles geared to younger readers (ages three to seven) are especially welcome. These articles should not exceed 400 words. * References or sources of information must be included with submissions. * Color 35mm slides, photos, or art reference materials are helpful and sometimes crucial in evaluating submissions. * Payment $100 and up. CRAFTS: * Should appeal to a wide age range. * Should include clear, numbered directions, typically not more than five steps. * A well-made sample should be submitted with each craft idea. * Projects should require only common household items or inexpensive, easy-to-obtain materials. * Projects should result in attractive, useful gift items, decorations, toys and games. * Crafts celebrating holidays or religious traditions are welcome. * Crafts from world cultures are a current need. * Payment $25 and up. FINGER PLAYS/ACTION RHYMES: * Should have plenty of action and minimal text. * They must be easy for very young children to act out, step-by-step, with hands, fingers, and body movements. * Payment $25 and up. PARTY PLANS: * Should give clever, original party ideas organized around a single theme, clearly described in 300 to 700 words. * Plans should include invitations, favors, decorations, refreshments, and a mix of quiet and active games. * Materials used should be inexpensive. * Include drawings or samples of items. * Payment $50 and up. VERSE: * Is purchased sparingly. * It is rarely longer than 16 lines and should be meaningful for young readers. * Payment $25 and up. [http://www.highlights.com/about/contribGeneralGuidelines.html] HUMPTY DUMPTY MAGAZINE--see Children's Better Health Institute Magazines JACK AND JILL--see Children's Better Health Institute Magazines ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET INFORMATION AGONY IN BLACK Reading of slush for =Agony in Black= has been backlogged due to eye surgery--they're working as quickly as possible; be patient. [www.ralan.com] ANALOG According to a writer on the Speculations Rumor Mill, =Analog= doesn't want novelettes or novellas right now, but they will look at short stories. [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic178.htm, 16 Nov 01] BRUTARIAN QUARTERLY After months of down time, =Brutarian Quarterly='s website (www.brutarian.com) is now up and running again. CEMETERY DANCE MAGAZINE Slush reading for =Cemetery Dance= magazine is backlogged and the editor is very slow to respond, if at all. [www.Ralan.com] CHIAROSCURO A writer on the Rumor Mill says that =Chiaroscuro= isn't taking submissions right now. They bought far enough ahead that they know they can't buy anything else right now regardless of how much they love it. [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic178.htm, 16 Nov 01] FANTASTIC STORIES A writer on the Rumor Mill said of =Fantastic Stories=, "I queried a week ago [by E-mail] about a story I submitted to =Fantastic= in May, and Ed McFadden e-mailed me back yesterday to say it had been sitting in the reject pile for a couple weeks. Evidently they read, reject, and then let the stuff fester. I don't know how they handle acceptances." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic84.htm, 8 Nov 01] Another writer responded, "I think =Fantastic= sends out the rejects once a month - I've noticed they normally appear in the 4th week of the month." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic84.htm, 9 Nov 01] HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN Carolyn Yoder, Senior Editor, says that =Highlights for Children= magazine is seeking specific types of articles and stories. "=Highlights= is seeking articles on holidays and festivals celebrated throughout the world. At this time, the magazine is particularly interested in articles on religious holidays and symbols. Authors are encouraged to consider the well-known and lesser-known. Articles on Christmas and Passover, for example, are often overlooked." We also currently need action/adventure stories with boy protagonists. Please send stories for advanced readers (900-word limit) to Judy Burke, Associate Editor. Please address stories for beginning readers (500-word limit) to Marileta Robinson, Senior Editor. [http://www.childrenswritersink.com/, 17 Nov 01] ROGUE WORLDS E-ZINE According to a notice on the =Rogue Worlds E-zine= website (http://www.specficworld.com/rgworlds.html), dated October 20, 2001, "=Rogue Worlds= is closed to all fiction and poetry submissions until January 2002. If you sent me work before the above date and haven't heard from me, your work is being considered for future issues and I'll be in touch with you within a few weeks on the status of your work. If you haven't heard from me by November 1, please send a brief letter requesting the status of your manuscript, along with title and date submitted. Response times will be within seven days on these requests. If you sent work before August 1, 2001 and haven't heard from me: contact me now at specficworld@hotmail.com. There's a good possibility that I didn't receive your submission." http://www.specficworld.com/guide.html SPACE IMAGINED http://www.starport.com/originalfiction/ was supposed to be space.com's original fiction site. However, there is very little fiction on it, and the last entry was 6 Oct 2000. I see no sign of submission guidelines, either. STRANGE HORIZONS Mary Anne Mohanraj, editor, says, "=Strange Horizons= is raising its rates for Articles--as of January 1st, we'll be paying $40/article. Articles cover such areas as: interviews, science, history, lit. crit., etc., and generally range from 2000-5000 words. Full guidelines are available on-site." [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic291.htm, 13 Nov 01] TANTALUS REVIEW A snippet I found on the web (the website, tantalusreview.com, is gone), says, "Regrettably =Tantalus Review= will not get off the ground." VAMPYRE MAGAZINE According to their website at vampyre.com, =Vampyre Magazine= is on hold, with possible publication in 2002, but no solid plans are underway for this to go to print until after the =Vampyre Grimoire= Book I is released. Issue #1, Volume #1 is sold out, but copies of Issue #2, Volume 1 (published in late 1998) are still available online. [http://vampyremag.com/frames.html] WICKED HOLLOW Jon Hodges, editor of =Wicked Hollow=, say, "Since I moved, =Wicked Hollow= also has a new address for all postal submissions or generous subscribers' checks. It is now: Jon Hodges, Editor, Wicked Hollow, 1959 N. Peace Haven Rd., #217, Winston-Salem, NC 27106-4850" [http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/topic291.htm, 17 Nov 01] ==End of the CALLIHOO Newsletter for 20 November 2001==