nEvermore, a New Kind of Anthology. Edgar Allan Poe Time!

One other post today. This time it's all about an Indigogo campaign for an Edgar Allan Poe-themed anthology called nEvermore that celebrates both mystery and horror: the two things Poe did so well. Please click the raven below and take a look. It's edited by the esteemed Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles, and it will be published by well-respected Canadian publisher, EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. I am working with them to get the word out about the campaign, so I would (and we all would) be deeply grateful if you contributed and helped us spread the word.

And hey! Writers! It will also mean calls for submission for you writers, so there may be something in it for you down the road! So yes. Click the Raven. You won't be sorry.

My Can-Con Schedule: Ottawa Awaits!

A rare day of two blog posts. Here's the first one for your reading pleasure. -- Beverly

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This weekend I am attending Can-Con, a science fiction and fantasy convention (with a little horror and comics thrown in for good measure,) in Ottawa. As an immigrant to Canada I am especially excited that the hotel is only a few blocks from Parliament Hill. I plan to walk down and hope to get a few people to join me. It's likely to be a slow, easy walk since my lungs are still in the throes of a lingering chest cold. Breathing. It's hard sometimes. :\

But I digress. My schedule for this convention is quite simple.

Friday

Whatever I feel like doing.

Saturday

Whatever I feel like doing.

Sunday

Noon, in Room 2: What does a publicist do and what can a publicist do for you? This one is me and one of my clients, the delightful Marie Bilodeau, author of the Destiny series and much more.

1 pm to 3 pm, in Room 5: Private consultations with yours truly. It is for online image and social media critique and advice. This means you get free coaching and see what kinds of services I can offer aside from traditional publicity. These are very limited, so sign up at registration early!

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Important Convention Links

Panelists. I like this one because I am on top. Yay alphabetical order!

Special Events. I like the look of some of these, especially the horror film screenings!

Pocket Program. Always a useful item.

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Hope to see you there this weekend. Please don't hesitate to say hello if you know me from online! Have any questions in the meantime? Email me here. Also, one more plug for my mailing list! You pretty much only get notices when I post a blog post, so it's a quiet list. You can sign up for that right here. And you totally should!

9 Slush Pile Mistakes: A Guest Post by 2 Slush Readers

Welcome to Adam Shaftoe (slush reader for Daily Science Fiction) and Patrick Icasas (slush reader for Flash Fiction Online). I've known Adam for a few years now thanks to the Toronto-area convention scene and I very much admire his reviewing skills. Read his blog, people! 

I met Patrick only recently via my LAB•B work, and it turned out we had lots of interests in common, and I even helped him get a very well-known comic book writer on his new blog, How to Suck Less. Woo!

In any case, Patrick and Adam work hard at what they do, and they have some wisdom to share with you short fiction writers. Read and learn, my friends. Read and learn. --Beverly

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Short fiction can be an unfair game. Though talent, hard work, and dedication can get a person pretty far as a writer, the truth is that sometimes a story will take longer than it should to sell. The simple explanation is that now, more than ever, writing is about the numbers. More people are writing today - which is great - compared to when the pulps turned the submission process into a de facto routine. Alas, the number of semi-pro and pro-paying markets hasn't grown in proportion to the influx of submissions.

We each handle dozens of submissions a month. Even if we restrict ourselves to flash pieces of a maximum of 1000 words each, that's sizable chunk of a full length novel every two weeks. There's a reason it's called a slush pile. That's a lot of stories to read through--even for a team of editors--and we have to be efficient in sorting the middling from the amazing. That means looking for reasons to reject the middling sort as quickly as we can.

Disclaimer:

Nothing we are going to say in this piece guarantees a sale. We're out to level the playing field, and explain some of the reasons why a story might get read and rejected within thirty seconds. You, gentle reader, can avoid every pitfall that we list and still lament an objectively good piece of fiction being rejected over and over. In those cases, all we can tell you is to keep at it. If you're a good writer then you have the capacity for greatness, and greatness is what sells.

#1 - Follow the damn guidelines

Guidelines are simultaneously an idiot test and a test of quality akin to the “no brown M&M” rule. When a submission fails to follow seemingly arbitrary rules like 12 pt, Century Gothic with 1” margins, using Canadian/British spelling wherever possible, it tells a submissions editor that there are almost certainly other issues in the writing, thus there's no point in offering any benefit of the doubt when the first paragraph contains a glaring typo or a shift in voice.

#2 - Copy and paste: you're doing it wrong

Many publishers are using back-end software that, in theory, makes lives easier for submissions editors and writers alike i.e. fill out the boxes, copy and paste your story, wait for the good or bad news. All too often people copy and paste from their word processing program of choice (Microsoft Word is notorious for this) without using something like Notepad to strip away character codes and embedded formatting.

Weird formatting puts submissions editors in a sour mood. Could you imagine reading

five thousand words of text that

<span> were formatted like <span> this?

#3 -  Longer probably isn't better

If H.P. Lovecraft, a notoriously lugubrious author, showed up in the slush pile today, I would reject him out of hand. It doesn't matter who you are, how much you've written. If you're SWFA, or if you're John Scalzi, himself, if you're going to make us read 5,000 words, then it best be a 5,000 word story. World building out of the gate, excessive internal history, descriptions of food, clothing, horses, the colour of the sky are almost always filler. Filler gets rejected.

#4 - Don't imagine we haven't seen it before

Submissions editors read a lot of fiction. We're voracious readers, and almost always writers, ourselves. Remixing some existing ideas into a new story is well and good, but if an editor can read the DNA of your story in the first 10% of the story then we're probably going to write it off as derivative and move on to something else.  This also includes using stereotypical greek names for starships, planets, and the like. Stretch into some other religious/mythological pantheons.

#5 - Stop starting at the start

In medias res is a writer's best friend; starting a story with a person waking up and pondering on the meaning of a dream is not.Neither is starting at the creation of the world or the birth of a child.

#6  - Don't be entitled

You may think you're God's Gift to the Craft, but after reading your story (or even your cover letter) we can most definitely say that you're not. Having a closed and confrontational attitude will keep you from growing as a writer, and make it hard for editors to want to give you a second chance.

#7 - Know the story you're writing

I've read quite a few stories that start out strong in one genre (like an introspective sci-fi narrative), only to turn sharply midway through into something totally different, like horror or humor. Most of the time, this is a symptom of a badly done “twist” ending. Speaking of twist endings...

#8 - Forcing a twist

Twist endings are best used sparingly. In fact, many so-called “clever” twists are highly overdone (e.g. IT WAS ALL A DREAM) and ruin the story. (There's a reason M. Night Shyamalan is a one-trick pony) A twist should make sense within the context of the story, so that it's surprising yet inevitable.

#9 - Submitting the same story over and over

What do you do when your story is rejected? Do you shrug and immediately fire it off to the next editor? Or do you take a step back and see what's wrong with it? Many publications offer personalized rejections to stories that show promise, but aren't quite there yet. A good writer listens and, in the process, improves. A bad writer dismisses it out of hand and stagnates. Which one are you?

We're not out to hurt anybody's feelings. We work to find and publish the best stories that people will enjoy reading. If your writing doesn't happen to make it through this time, then learn from the experience and try again.

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Patrick Icasas is a slush reader for Flash Fiction Online, a pro-paying market for flash fiction of any genre. Patrick supports his slush reading and creative writing habit by blogging for companies on a freelance basis. He's also been known to blog for himself from time to time about How to Suck Less.

Adam Shaftoe-Durrant is a critic, writer, and podcaster. He also reads slush for Daily Science Fiction. He holds a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Western Ontario, and worked as a Teaching Assistant at Brock University for seven years. His essays and reviews have previously appeared in On-Spec Magazine, Jamais Vu - The Journal of the Strange Among the Familiar, and on Guysnation.com. He lives in St. Catharines, Ontario with his fiancée Rebecca and their cats. During the day he works as an labour market researcher for a local NGO. Adam blogs and podcasts about all things genre at PageOfReviews.com.

Urban Fantasy Twitter Chat, GenreLitChat #3

It's that time again! Thursday, September 4th at 8 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Pacific is the next #GenreLitChat, and this time it's urban fantasy. You can participate in this chat by sending me questions ahead of time for me to ask the panel, or simply being on Twitter and following the hashtag. While this is a moderated discussion, you'll be free to reply and interact as normal on Twitter.

The urban fantasy group consists of: 

Mia Marshall is the RT Reviewers' Choice Award-winning author of the Elements urban fantasy series. Before she started writing about things that don't exist in this version of reality, she worked as a high school teacher, script supervisor, story editor, legal secretary, and day care worker. She has lived all along the US west coast and throughout the UK, where she collected an unnecessary number of degrees in literature, education, and film. These days, she lives in a small house in the Sierra Nevadas, where she is surrounded by her feline overlords.

Nicholas Kaufmann is the Bram Stoker Award-, Thriller Award-, and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Dying Is My Business, Die and Stay Dead, Chasing the Dragon, Hunt at World's End, General Slocum's Gold, and Still Life: Nine Stories. Over the years, he worked in publishing, owned his own bookstore, managed a video store, and was a development associate for a literary agent. He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and two ridiculous cats.

Linda Poitevin is the author of dark urban fantasy (The Grigori Legacy from Ace/Roc Books) and contemporary romance (self-published). Linda lives near Ottawa, Canada’s capital, and in her other life is wife, mother, friend, gardener, coffee snob, freelance writer, and zookeeper of too many pets. When she isn’t writing, Linda can usually be found in her garden or walking her dog along the river or through the woods.

Alexander Kosoris was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He lived on residence in Toronto, Ontario while attending the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto between 2006 and 2010. While there, he discovered his love of writing, spending much of his free time writing short stories, one of which he expanded to arrive at his first novel, Lucifer. After graduating, Alexander has moved back to Thunder Bay, where he now lives, working as a pharmacist. Whenever he gets a moment of leisure, Alexander enjoys listening to and playing music, as well as riding his bicycle.

Launched in 2009, All Things Urban Fantasy is the place where para is normal. Currently a group of five readers and bloggers, we're dedicated to reviewing the latest books in the urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and speculative fiction genres. Participating in the chat will be Kate, who has been running ATUF for about a year now, and loves urban fantasy with a passion. 

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You can use the TWUBS link or just follow the hashtag on Twitter. Also, please feel free to email me questions you would like me to ask the panelists. 

I look forward to seeing you at 8 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, September 4th!

Calls for Submission #7

This week Selene MacLeod once again brings us the occasional column Calls for Submission (CfS). You can see all of the CfS columns here. Don't forget to joint Selene's Facebook groups 

Call for Submissions: Poetry, Fiction, Art and Open Call: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Pulp, as well as similar active groups Open Call: Horror Markets, Open Call: For the Love of Horror, and Open Call: Crime, Thriller and Mystery Markets.

Finally, you should sign up to receive my news and columns by email; make sure you don't miss useful stuff in the social media shuffle!

Thanks for reading. - Beverly

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I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. It's hard to believe that school starts in just a few weeks. As the weather cools down, hopefully you've got some writing projects on the go. Here's a list of markets accepting submissions for what we call “early autumn.”

Pro-paying Markets accepting submissions:

Eldritch Press. Looking for (post-apocalyptic) Steampunk Horror up to 20,000 words. Pays $0.08 per word. Read guidelines carefully, as they're looking for world-building as well as great stories. No cyberpunk or sci-fi, please. No deadline listed. http://www.eldritchpress.com/steampunk-horror.html

Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. No deadlines, no word counts listed. Partial to magical realism and hard sci-fi. Pays $0.15 per word (yes, I had to read that twice). Also pays $25 for reprints. http://www.fantasticstoriesoftheimagination.com/submission-guidelines/

Cohesion Press. Blurring the Lines. Looking for horror stories that “blur the lines” between fact and fiction. Max 5000 words, deadline October 31. Pays AUS $0.08 per word. http://cohesionpress.com/about-2/submissions/anthologies/

This Patchwork Flesh. Looking for QUILTBAG horror stories, stories about the “underrepresented,” nightmares. Pays $0.05 per word, deadline August 31. Open to Canadian authors. http://michaelmatheson.wordpress.com/this-patchwork-flesh/

Pithy Pages for Erudite Readers. No deadline listed. Accepts flash up to 1000 words, short fiction up to 5000 words, and poetry. All genres. Pays $0.05 per word. http://pithypages.net/

GrimDark Magazine. Looking for grim, dark stories with a medieval fantasy or sci-fi setting. Pays $0.06 per word, must be under 4k. This is a magazine, so no deadline listed. http://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines-for-grimdark-magazine/

An Alphabet of Embers. Looking for flash fiction 500-1400 words. Pays $0.06 per word. Not looking for straight “genre” fiction but interested in lyrical, magical realism, fantasy/fairy tale. Deadline September 30. http://roselemberg.net/?p=911

CONTEST: Minotaur Books First Crime Novel Competition. Open to any writer aged 18 or older who has not had a novel published. Best first crime novel (minimum 40,000 words). Pays $10,000 against publishing royalties. Deadline December 15, 2014. Note: There appears to be a second novel competition, deadline October 15, for a “Malice Domestic” themed crime novel. http://us.macmillan.com/minotaurbooks/writing-competitions

Semi-pro Markets accepting submissions:

Ticonderoga Publications Bloodlines anthology. Looking for “dark urban fantasy” about creatures who need blood to live (NOT traditional vampire stories). http://ticonderogapublications.com/index.php/our-books/185-bloodlines

Wolf WillowPress. Looking for literary flash (to 1000 words), short stories 1500-7k, but OK with “other genres,” so magical realism or light spec-fic would also work. Deadline for fall edition (“Crossroads” theme) is August 31. Winter 2015 (“Star-Crossed Lovers”) deadline November 30. http://www.wolfwillowjournal.com/submission-guidelines.html

Tacitus Publishing. It's a Grimm Life. Looking for dark, modern re-tellings of Grimm tales. Pays $0.01 per word. Deadline August 31. http://www.tacituspublishing.com/anthologies.html

Savage Beasts anthology. Looking for horror stories inspired by music (no lyrics due to copyright restrictions, please!). 3k-10k. Pays $0.02 per word. Deadline September 5. http://greymatterpress.com/open-call-for-submissions-to-savage-beasts/

Golden Fleece Press. Wee Tales Volume 1. Looking for dark, weird fiction 600-2k words, aimed at children (age 7-12). Pays $50. No deadline listed, but looking for an October release, so probably early September. Also looking for artwork, puzzles, and poetry. http://goldenfleecepress.com/journals/wee-tales/

Welcome to the Future Anthology. Pays $100 for stories 2k-8k, $25 for flash 250-500 words. Deadline September 15. http://www.christinaescamilla.com/open-submissions-welcome-to-the-future-antholog/

Emby Press. The Ghost Papers. Looking for scary ghost stories up to 8k and dark poetry. Pays $25 and an e-copy, deadline September 1. http://embypress.com/book/the-ghost-papers/

Sawney Hatton Mega Thump Anthology 2. Looking for “sex” themed sci-fi/horror stories (think Videodrome), 1000-15k words. Pays $20 and a copy. Deadline August 31. http://sawneyhatton.com/mega-thump-anthology-2/

Reel Dark: Twisted Fantasies Projected on the Flickering Page. Looking for stories of movie horror in the “real world.” Pays $25 and a contributor copy for non-members. Pro rates for full members of the HWA/SFWA. Max 3500 words, deadline November 1. http://landrewcooper.com/call-for-submissions-reel-dark/

Shooter Literary Magazine. Looking for literary fiction on the theme of “Pulling the Trigger.” (can be literal or metaphor), 2k-8k. Pays 30 (pounds UK) for fiction, $10 (pounds) for poetry. Deadline October 15. http://shooterlitmag.com/submissions/

Prose-N-Cons Mystery Magazine. Looking for mystery/crime stories. No deadlines listed. Pay rates depend on length. 100 words=$10. Flash to 1k = $30, short stories 2k-3k - $50. Also accepts poetry, non-fiction, and artwork. http://www.prose-n-cons.com/ProsenConsWritersGuidelines_June2014.pdf

Magical. Looking for "adult fairy tales" (no erotica), 500-3000 words. Deadline September 1. Best story receives $150 and two runners-up will receive $25. Others receive a contributor copy. http://www.kellyannjacobson.com/magical#sthash.fJhCjCxz.8v2Vr7ZA.dpbs

Token, Royalty, and Non-Paying Markets

GHOSTS Anthology. Looking for ghost stories 2k-5k words, deadline September 28. Pays $10 via PayPal. http://davidmichaeltyson.com/2014/08/05/ghosts-anthology-submission-guidelines/

The Riding Light Review. Looking for Halloween/Horror stories 1000-3000 words and poetry for their October issue. No deadline listed, but Duotrope lists September 1. Pays a copy (one e-copy, one print).http://www.ridinglightreview.com/special-issue-guidelines.html

Fossil Lake. Looking for dark, transgressive, surreal horror stories. Deadline September 30. Pays a token $5 for poetry/flash and $10 for short stories. http://fossillake.wordpress.com/guidelines/

Garden Gnome Publications Biblical Legends series. Looking for speculative flash (to 1500 words, pays $3) and short stories (1500-10k, pays $7). Upcoming themes: Deluge (Flood stories) deadline August 23, 2014 http://gardengnomepubs.com/submissions/biblical-legends-anthology-series/deluge/ and Land of Nod (where Cain went after he was banished), deadline November 23.

http://gardengnomepubs.com/submissions/biblical-legends-anthology-series/land-nod/

Beyond the Nightlight. Looking for “child centric” horror stories (think Stephen King's IT and Neil Gaiman's Coraline). 500-13k words, pays $15 and a contributor's copy. Deadline October 13. http://www.amurderofstorytellers.com/submissions/

Shine Your Darkness. Quarterly e-zine (non-paying), with a noir/pulp theme. First issue's theme will be “First Kills.” http://shineyourdarkness.com/2014/07/10/callforsubmissions1/

Pulp Modern. Looking for crime, dark fiction, and horror stories up to 5000 words. Next theme is “drugs,” deadline October 1. Non-paying market. http://www.pulp-modern.blogspot.ca/

Give: An Anthology of Anatomical Entries Looking for horror stories about organ donors, 500-2500 words. Deadline September 30, pays $10 and a copy. http://www.whenthedead.com/submissions/give-anthology-anatomical-entries/

Stay Cool: A Tribute to Elmore Leonard. Looking for stories 1000-10k words. Deadline September 30. Shared Royalties. http://perpetualpublishing.com/2013/10/07/call-for-submissions-stay-cool-a-tribute-to-elmore-leonard/

DetCon1 - The Aftermath

It was a great convention, with good quality panels and panelists, and lots of fun at parties at night (and in some cases, great beer!). The volunteers and ConCom were fantastic as well. I was well fed by the con suite, all told. Plus the hotel was futuristic-looking and pleasant... the spaces felt good. There were food and drinks for all budgets available; however, it being mainly an office building things weren't open as widely on the weekend. Still, that is a minor complaint.

I also gave away every last business card that I had, so it's time to order more. Hopefully I'll hear from some of these people, whether they want to hire me or not. I still love making new friends and networking.

NetRoots Nation 2014 was also in the building, and I was delighted to share a space with such a cool group. We weren't there on Thursday, but Joe Biden spoke on Thursday, and Elizabeth Warren spoke on Friday. Wooo. :)

I also got a couple of blog post topic requests, so there will be more Book Marketing without B.S. columns coming--finally! Indeed, if you have any suggestions, please ask in the comments or email me, and I'll add it to my list.

So for now, I am working on publicity and social media for clients, and enjoying getting a bit more sleep. It was a good convention. I look forward to the next one, which is likely Can*Con in Ottawa.

Service Highlight: Affordable, No-BS Book Marketing and Social Media Consultations

My most under-the-radar services are the consulting services, so I wanted to say a bit more about those, and to share some words from happy consulting clients, too!

How do consulting services help you?

• Offload some of the work you don't want to do
• Get query letters written for you (or a critique for the ones you have)
• Ease your stress with step-by-step plans for publicity campaigns
• Ditch even more of that stress with social media plans and coaching tailored for your needs

You can probably afford it, too, because it starts for as little as $75. Email me for a no-charge discussion to see if working with me is right for you.

Not sure whether this is for you? Here are some clients who've been pleased with my consulting services so far:

Jinx Strange, Freelance Writer, Author

"Beverly has become as intrinsic to my writing career as my laptop or my fingers. I wouldn't take on a project without involving her, and as my work often leads me into uncharted waters, Beverly's ability to think on her feet and innovate has made her indispensable."

Karina Sumner-Smith, Author

"This is, in a word, AMAZING. You've just made my stress and anxiety about all this publicity stuff come down a few notches -- so my sanity thanks you too!"

Meghan Miller Brawley, Author, Indexer, Researcher

"Beverly was really helpful getting my social media plan in place. Her broad base of experience gives her great insight and was invaluable, and she was understanding and receptive of my needs."

I am also currently working on social media work with author Mia Marshall, author/editor Vanessa Ricci-Thode, and for AutoCrit, so if I do my job well, maybe there's more praise to come.

Please send me an email now. We can talk about your needs for free, so you have nothing to lose. I look forward to learning about what you're working on!

My DetCon Schedule

Hi, all! I will be at NASFic DetCon 1 this weekend from Friday, July 18th through Sunday, July 20th. I have a couple of panels I am moderating as well as a kaffeeklatsch (kaffeeklatsch=consulting time for free if you play your cards right! ;))

North American Science Fiction Convention (DetCon) Schedule

Econ 101 of Self-Publishing, Nicolet A, Saturday 11 a.m.

I am the moderator, and I will be there with JF Garrard, Blake Hausladen, Patty Templeton, Christie Meierz, and Becca Price.

The media is filled with news about self-publishing, but to do it properly, there is a price to pay! This panel will touch on a series of topics and give an estimate of how much things can cost: 1) The difference between traditional and self-publishing, 2) Why an editor is important, 3) How to commission artwork, 4) What copyright is, 5) Marketing Ideas, and 6) The difference in creating e-books versus print books

Kaffeeklatsch, KaffeeKlatsch2, Saturday 1 p.m.

This one's all me! Be sure to sign up for this one when you get to the con registration desk, as space is limited. You'll be able to talk about your project's marketing and publicity with me directly, and you'll be able to hear about some of my own experiences, too. It will be fun!

Creators and Brand Identity, Mackinac West, Sunday 12:00 noon

I am also moderating this one, and I will be joined by John Scalzi, Sean Mead, Martin L. Shoemaker

Neil Gaiman. John Scalzi. Would they be mid-list authors in a world without the Internet? Can you be famous in 2014 only by writing or making art? How does a creator build a brand?

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I hope to see you there. Please don't hesitate to stop me if you see me and say hello. I will be happy to chat. I'll also have information about AutoCrit, which is a company for which I do social media, so ask me about editing help, too!

GenreLitChat #2: Crime and Thriller--The Storify Transcript

Hi, all! You may remember that Twitter chat from 22 May 2014, which you can learn more about here. If you missed it (or if you just want to relive all the glory) you can find the Storify transcript below. Note that I had some glitchiness with getting this to work, so if you happen to notice some missing tweets, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Enjoy!

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Calls for Submission #6 Plus Sources

This week Selene MacLeod once again brings us the occasional column Calls for Submission (CfS). You can see all of the CfS columns here. Don't forget to joint Selene's Facebook groups 

Call for Submissions: Poetry, Fiction, Art and Open Call: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Pulp, as well as similar active groups Open Call: Horror Markets, Open Call: For the Love of Horror, and Open Call: Crime, Thriller and Mystery Markets.

Finally, you should sign up to receive my news and columns by email; make sure you don't miss useful stuff in the social media shuffle!

Now here's Selene with various calls, some with deadlines today and tomorrow! I bolded deadlines in the next week to make it easier to skim for them! - Beverly

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This month, I'm going to let you in on my secrets. Many of these posts can be found in one or more of the groups on Facebook, but in case you were wondering where I found them, here you go. The thing to remember is, most of the work is done for you if you look here and in the groups. If you're looking at the source pages, there is a lot more stuff to scroll through. You will also find a lot more dead links, sneaky vanity publishers, and high fees.

Duotrope.com –Always the most comprehensive source for open markets, Duotrope has come under fire for charging user fees. The fee is reasonable, though, for $50 a year (up front) or $5 a month (pay as you go).

The Submission Grinder – Very similar to Duotrope, The Grinder is a searchable database. In some ways, there are more markets to choose from here, but it's not as up to date as Duotrope. http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/

Ralan.com – This is a page with market listings, linked by rate of pay, with a focus on speculative fiction.

Horror Tree – A blog devoted to horror markets. http://horrortree.com/

NewPages.com – Lists classifieds, contests, and more. Updated weekly.

CRWOPPS – A Yahoo group, updated almost every day. There's a lot to sort through here, as many markets are non-paying and most of the others charge fees. CRWOPPS also lists academic job postings in the U.S. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CRWROPPS-B/conversations/messages?o=1

Writingcareer.com – This one's only updated about once a month, but it's the most useful as only paying markets are listed.

Creative Genius – Lists both Creative Writing fellowships and a huge list of Poetry contests with no entry fees. Most of the fellowship deadlines have passed for 2014, but if you're a graduate student, it's a good thing to keep in mind in the future.  http://creativegenius.hubpages.com/hub/Fellowships-Writers-Poets

Winningwriters.com – More poetry contests. Free to subscribe, but it does require a login.

Storiesspace.com – A forum with a large list of markets especially contests. Some have fees, some don't.

Canauthors-ottawa.org –Canadian site with writing contests.

Aerogramme Writers Studio – Huge list of markets. Requires some surfing. Some of the deadlines have passed, but again, it's a worthy resource for future contests and markets.  http://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2014/04/24/opportunities-for-writers-may-june-2014/#more-7661

Freelancewriting.com –Lots of publications (both fiction and non-fiction) by category. http://www.freelancewriting.com/guidelines/pages/index.php

E-zines: poetrykit.org/ezines.htm –A huge list of e-zines that accept poetry, but I haven't checked all the links (there are tons here!)

Writersrelief.com –has a list of classifieds

Poets & Writers –has ton of listings if you click on the tabs : Jobs, Classifieds, Small press, etc. http://www.pw.org/toolsforwriters

Litreactor.com –Excellent article by Richard Thomas. LitReactor is a great site for writing courses and discussion.  http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-where-to-send-your-stories

Erika Dreifus is a regular contributor to the Open Call: Poetry/Fiction/Art group. She posts a weekly blog called Monday Markets. http://www.erikadreifus.com/newsletter/current/

So, as you can see, if you're willing to put in the research, there are lots of publishing opportunities for writers looking to build a portfolio. However the benefit to joining the Facebook groups is that some of the leg work is done for you! Or, you know, you could just keep reading.

Current open calls for submissions

Pro Markets

Apex Magazine is still open for submissions through May 31, then they'll be going on hiatus until September. Pays $0.05 per word. http://www.apex-magazine.com/submission-guidelines/

Shock Totem is also open until May 31. Pays $0.05 per word. http://www.shocktotem.com/guidelines/

Recommended Reading. Looking for “top quality literary stories” 2k-10k words. Pays $300 per story. There is no restriction on genre, so magical realism and maybe soft sci-fi might work. Deadline June 1. https://electricliterature.submittable.com/submit

Book Smugglers. Looking for Subversive Fairy Tale re-tellings (Middle Grade and YA). Deadline July 31, to publish 3x per year. Pays $0.05 per word  http://thebooksmugglers.com/2014/05/announcing-book-smugglers-publishing-we-want-your-short-stories.html

DailyNightmare.com – Pays $10 for 100 word stories based on a nightmare. Deadline July 1.

Exile Canadian Noir. Deadline July 1. 2k-10k, pays $0.05 per word. http://claudepages.info/new-canadian-noir/

The Sun Magazine. Very tough market. http://thesunmagazine.org/about/submission_guidelines/writing

The Journal of Unlikely Entomology. Looking for “bug” stories. Deadline August 1.  http://www.unlikely-story.com/submission-guidelines-2/

Semi-Pro Markets

Sekhmet Press. Wrapped in Black: 13 Tales of Witches and the Occult. Pays $0.01 per word, 2500-5000 words. Deadline June 8. http://sekhmetpress.wordpress.com/submissions/wrapped-in-black/

  

Dead Harvest. Looking for dark fiction with an “autumn/harvest” theme. Deadline May 31. Pays $25 and a contributor's copy. http://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-dead-harvest/

Fictionvale Issue Five. Deadline June 15. Looking for Mystery and Fantasy mash-ups. Pays $0.02 per word, max 5000 words. http://coffintreehill.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/taking-submissions-fictionvale-magazine-episode-five/

Postscripts to Darkness. Looking for short fiction 1500-4500 words. “Weird fiction” covers it (read guidelines carefully). Deadline May 31. Pays $0.01 per word. http://pstdarkness.com/submissions-2/

Belladonna Publishing. Strange Little Girls Anthology. Deadline June 15, pays $120 2k-10k words. http://belladonnapublishing.com/submissions/strange-little-girls/

Bizarro Pulp Press Surreal Worlds anthology. Looking for bizarro stories. Pays up to $50 and a paperback copy. Max 10,000 words. Deadline June 1. http://bizarropulppress.com/blog/2014/1/5/new-anthology-on-the-horizon

It's a Grimm Life. Looking for re-imagined fairy tales. Pays $0.01 per word. Deadline August 31. http://www.tacituspublishing.com/anthologies.html

Black Denim Literary. Looking for literary sci-fi, max 7500 words, pays $0.01 per word. http://www.bdlit.com/guidelines.html

Triptych Tales. Pays $100 a story. No deadline listed. 2-6k. http://triptychtales.net/submissions.html

Spellbound Literary Productions. Looking for Middle Grade (age 8-12) stories about magical cats. Pays 2.5 cents per word up to 2500 words. Deadline June 30. http://belladonnapublishing.com/submissions/strange-little-girls/

Eye to the Telescope. Looking for Sci-fi poetry. Pays $0.03 per word. Deadline June 15. http://eyetothetelescope.com/submit.html

Pernicious Invaders. Looking for stories about germs and bugs, 3k-8k. Deadline July 31. Pays $25 and a contributor's copy. http://www.greatoldonespublishing.com/open-for-submissions-now-until-july-31st-pernicious-invaders/

LampLight Volume 3. Looking for flash and short stories 1k-7k. Pays $50 for flash, $150 for short stories. Horror, noir, dark fantasy. Deadline July 15. http://lamplightmagazine.com/submissions/

Emby Press. Reconstructing the Monster. 2000-8000 words. Looking for takes on classic horror movie monsters. Deadline July 15. Pays $25 and an e-copy. http://embypress.com/book/reconstructing-the-monster/

Daylight Dims. Deadline June 30. Pays $0.01 per word, max 10,000 words. Looking for “unique, strange, and compelling horror fiction.” http://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-daylight-dims/

Greenwoman Publishing. Fifty Shades of Green. Looking for gardening-themed erotica stories up to 6000 words. Pays $100 ($50 for reprints). Deadline June 15. http://www.gardenshorts.com/fifty-shades-of-green.html

FriGG. Publishes twice a year, accepts submissions year round. Pays $50 via PayPal. Looking for fiction and poetry. http://www.friggmagazine.com/editors/editors43.htm

Elektrik Milk Bath. Motorcycle anthology still open, also looking for Day of the Dead stories. Deadline June 15. Pays $30, 1k-5k. http://elektrikmilkbathpress.com/submissions

Token and Non-Paying Markets

Beach Walk Press. Sex, Love, and Aliens (sci-fi oriented Romance), 15k-20k words. Deadline June 1, pays token $50 advance. http://beachwalkpress.com/2014/03/call-for-submissions-science-fiction-anthology/

Indie Authors Press. Looking for cyberpunk stories, 2k-10k, token payment $10. Open until filled. Also looking for sci-fi novels. http://www.salgado-reyes.com/submissions/

Dead Guns Press. Looking for hardboiled crime, noir, thriller, horror, and apocalyptic fiction. E-zine is non-paying. Anthologies pay a contributor's copy, and they have a royalty-paying “Showcase Special” for novellas. http://jthompson612.wix.com/dead-guns-press#!our_story/c18bc

The Literary Hatchet. Looking for dark, literary short fiction and poetry, 500-3000 words. Deadline July 1, pays $15. http://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/LiteraryHatchet/submissions.htm

Dialogual. Publishes stories (max 350 words) of dialogue only. No deadlines, publishes 2-4 times per month on Thursdays. http://dialogual.wix.com/dialogual#!sub/cqh1

Dark House Books. Anthology of Cozy Noir. 500-7500 words, deadline June 30. Pays royalties. http://jeannelyetgassman.blogspot.ca/2014/05/call-for-cozy-noir-fiction-dark-house.html

Forgotten Places: Best of the Horror Society. Note: You must be a member of the Horror Society to submit. 3k-7500 words, deadline June 13. Pays a contributor's copy. http://best-of-the-horror-society.com/

April Moon Books. Stomping Grounds. Looking for stories about giant monsters, 2500-6000 words. Deadline August 31. Pays a contributor's copy. There will also be an editor's award for the best story.  http://www.aprilmoonbooks.com/#!stomping-grounds-submission-guide/cq5x

Knightwatch Press. Killer Bees from Outer Space. Pays Royalties. http://davidgullen.com/?p=889

Silver Birch Press. Looking for “literary” stories and poetry inspired by The Great Gatsby. Deadline September 1, max 2000 words. Pays a contributor's copy. http://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/call-for-submissions-the-great-gatsby-anthology/

Contests 

Christopher Hewitt Literary Award. $50 prize, no entry fee. Looking for literary entries in each of four categories: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, and Drama. Deadline June 15. Must be related to HIV/AIDS. Max 1200 words. http://aumag.org/wordpress/2014/04/25/christopher-hewitt-award-2014/

Tony Hillerman Mystery Writers Competition. Deadline June 1. First novel competition (only unpublished novelists may enter). Looking for novel-length (60,000 words) fiction (crime/thriller, focused on a solution) set in the Southwestern United States. First prize is $10,000 and publication. http://www.hillermanprize.com/#!about1/c20ee

IST (Issues in Science and Technology) science fiction story contest. Submit a precis of 250 words by June 1. Stories (2500-5000 words) will be due later. Prize is $1500.  http://issues.org/issues-science-fiction-contest/

Dinopunk Death Match. Winner gets $10 and podcast. Max 1000 words, deadline June 6.

http://humanechoes.com/writing-contest-prompt-dinopunk-deathmatch/

GenreLitChat #2: Crime and Thriller

We're two weeks away from the next #GenreLitChat, and this time it's a crime! The lineup:

• J.T. Ellison  (When Shadows Fall) (J.T.'s Twitter: @thrillerchick)
• John Rector (Out of the Black) (John's Twitter: @john_rector)
• Christopher Irvin (Federales) (Christopher's Twitter: @chrislirvin)
• John Mantooth (The Year of the Storm) (John's Twitter: @busfulloflosers)

What is #GenreLitChat? It's an occasional Twitter chat with writers on the state of genre, and how their work does--or doesn't--fit. Learn about new books! Ask authors questions! Crack open a beer! Well, I guess that last part's optional, but please feel free. 

The date of this thriller and crime Twitter chat is Thursday, May 22nd at 8:00 p.m. EDT / 5:00 p.m. PDT. When you join the chat, you can use this page (http://twubs.com/GenreLitChat) which will focus only on the hashtag, and even automatically insert the hashtag for you if you ask questions or reply. Alternatively, you can follow the hashtag #GenreLitChat right on Twitter, but make sure you use the hashtag or your questions and comments may be missed!

You can send questions to me, the moderator, during the chat (@BeverlyBambury). You are also encouraged to send questions ahead of time to beverly@beverlybambury.com and I'll add the best ones to the list. 

Questions? Email me or ask in the comments. Hope to see you during #GenreLitChat in two weeks!

The Amazing Stories Response to the Travelling to Cons on the Cheap Guest Post

A while back, Effie Seiberg was kind enough to author a guest post for me, The Cheapskate's Guide to SF/F cons: A Guest Post. It's been among the more popular posts on my blog with its useful info that balances being a fan and attending cons for fun, and the all-important business-savvy advice.

Today Steve Davidson, the head honcho over at Amazing Stories, wrote about his experiences at conventions on the cheap from when he was younger and contrasted that with the modern experience. He was kind enough to mention my thought that it could be different for women to do things like crash in rooms or (gasp!) hitchhike. I really appreciated this response and the contrast with how things were before I'd ever even heard of cons. So thanks, Steve!

Anyhow: I encourage you to go take a look at his post. Thanks, as always, for reading.

My Ad Astra 2014 Schedule

I only have a few panels this year at Ad Astra (which is in a new hotel this year--the former Polaris hotel), though I have many that I'd like to attend, and several launches and readings that are of interest. Clients Bundoran Press and the EDGE gang (Suzanne Church and Michael Martineck) are both having launch parties at the same time, so that allows for some sitcom-like fun of back-and-forth to parties! (Well. Maybe a bit.) I'll also be going to the Guest of Honour Brunch, and hopefully will sit with Patricia Briggs.

It's funny--I'd told someone recently that my Canadian business wasn't that robust, but given the number of clients I'll see this weekend, I've realized it's healthier than I thought. That pleases me. :)

Anyhow, I am bringing coupons for my April 13th Self-Planning for Self-Promotion Web Workshop, so if you're around ask me for a flyer. If I am out of flyers, I'll still give you the code, because I am a very nice person. ^_^

With no further delay, here's my official schedule. If I don't see you here, I'll see you around, I am sure. Looking forward to it!

Friday, April 4th, 2014

7 p.m.
Self-Promotion on the Social Media Soapbox. Along with me are Ellie Di Julio, K. V. Johansen, and Linda Poitevin. It's in Markham A.

9 p.m.
Marketing Tips and Tricks for Self-Publishing. Along with me are Candice Lepage, Sarah WaterRaven, and Thomas Gofton. It's in Newmarket.

Saturday, April 5th, 2014

3 p.m
Eyes on the (Literary) Prize. Along with me is Mike Rimar. Not sure if someone else will be added. It's in Oakridges.

Bonus Fun: The Cheapskate's Guide to SF/F Conventions

Teacher, Teach Thyself? Lessons Learned in Marketing Myself

It's been interesting prepping for my upcoming self-promo webinar sessions. Over the last several years I've learned a lot about the different types of writing. Stuff I know both practically and from my education: sales writing, business writing, formal argumentation, Facebook posts, etc. So perhaps ironic would be a better way of describing my efforts instead of interesting; because I didn't do a very good job getting this out the door.

What happened was that I wasn't getting nearly the number of conversions into ticket sales that I would have expected based on the even'ts page views. A couple of days ago it hit me hard: I'd left the Eventbrite page the same text as my rambling blog post. I've fixed it up now, but for this first session it may be too little too late.

So that's my big lesson--more information isn't necessarily better when it comes to sales communication. I do like a nice, dense, informative blog post, (OK. I probably could use editing there, too,) but when you're trying to interest someone, you have to be short, punchy, and get the benefits out there first thing. I didn't do a good job at that.

In any case, learning from mistakes is a valuable part of getting better at anything, whether it's running a business, the craft of writing, relationships, cooking... anything. So embrace the suck, as they say, and figure out what to do better next time.

So what has been your big lesson lately? What are you doing differently these days? If you care to share, how did you realize your mistake?

Press Release: Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with the Gods

This is the first time I've ever published a press release. Normally they don't have a big place in publicizing a book; but, in this case, Tesseracts, an annual anthology of the best in Canadian speculative fiction, holds a story by my husband, James Bambury. Keep an eye out for pre-orders which should be available soon. 

Don't worry. I'll remind you. - Beverly

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" edited by Liana K and Jerome Stueart 
Faith in Science Fiction and Fantasy Anthology 
ISBN: 978-1-77053-068-3 (Trade Paperback 5.5" X 8.5") 
E-BOOK: e-ISBN: 978-1-77053-069-0 To be released April, 2015
http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/tess18/t18-catalog.html

Authors announced for the latest volume of the prestigious Canadian speculative fiction anthology series. 

(Calgary, Alberta) EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing is pleased to announce the names of the contributing authors for the forthcoming edition of the prestigious Tesseract series. 

"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" will include works by: Robert J. Sawyer, Matthew Hughes, Alyxandra Harvey, Halli Lilburn, Derwin Mak, J.M. Frey, Steve Stanton, Megan Fennell, Jen Laface and Andrew Czarnietzki, S. L. Nickerson, John Park, Janet K. Nicolson, Suzanne M. McNabb, Allan Weiss, Savithri Machiraju, Carla Richards, Mary-Jean Harris, James Bambury, Mary Pletsch, David Jón Fuller, and Jennifer Rahn, Erling Friis-Baastad, David Fraser, John Bell, David Clink and Tony Pi -27 of the biggest names and brightest rising stars in Canadian science-fiction and fantasy. 

This latest volume of the Tesseracts series contains tales of creative and religious diversity - a trending topic in books and movies. The stories and poems draw from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism and the beliefs of Indigenous Canadians, (as well as actually creating faiths and religions of other worlds). 

“Any anthology that starts with a story called 'Mecha-Jesus' is clearly not a traditional look at religion” says EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publisher, Brian Hades. “This robotic savior is joined by the Hindu god Ganesh trying to break into Bollywood, the Sun God Ra discovering Coronation Street, a priest on Mars, a vampire in residential schools, and a woman with a secret under her hijab. 'Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods' definitely contains many surprises!”

As in past versions of the Tesseract series, the editors are handpicked by the publisher. “Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods” is edited by widely-published sci-fi/fantasy author and writing teacher Jerome Stueart -- who is a gay Baptist from the Yukon Territory -- and “perfect heathen” media personality Liana Kerzner -- who is best known as Liana K. 

"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" is a lively, thoughtful interfaith/interpath anthology of creative and religious diversity - with a speculative fiction and fantasy twist!

Media Contact: 
Janice Shoults, EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing 
www.edgewebsite.com 
403.254.0160

ABOUT THE TESSERACTS SERIES: 

The first Tesseracts anthology was edited by Judith Merril. Since its publication in 1985, 299 authors/editors/translators and guests have contributed 502 pieces of Canadian speculative fiction, fantasy and horror for this series. Some of Canada's best known speculative fiction writers have been published within the pages of these volumes - including Margaret Atwood, William Gibson, Robert J. Sawyer, and Spider Robinson (to name a few). Tesseracts Eighteen is the forthcoming volume in the series. The entire series includes Tesseracts One through Eighteen, plus Tesseracts Q, which features translations of works by some of Canada's top francophone writers of science fiction and fantasy. 

Self-Planning for Self-Promotion: A Book Marketing without B.S. Web Workshop

I am doing an in-depth online workshop on self-promotion for all authors and comic creators. This isn't just for the self-published, either. If you're published by any house, big or small, you know how much work falls to you for your own book marketing and publicity. In fact, it's telling that my clients primarily fall in the small-to-medium publisher category, with the next largest being major publishing houses. (And yes, I have a few self-published/owner-created comics clients, too!)

Right now there are two dates: Thursday, March 27th at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and Sunday, April 13th at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (get those tickets here). I will do this again a few times a year as long as there is interest, so if you miss these, let me know what time is good for you and I will take that into consideration when I schedule the next one. (Also, if you can gather 6 or more people interested in the workshop, I'll create another event at a time chosen by your group.)

Here is a tentative course outline:

• Pre-Planning
• Honestly determine your strengths and capabilities
• Choose the right tools for you
• CreateSpace and other print-on-demand vs. traditional printing vs. ebook-only
• Decide whether to create a business entity or publish under your own name
• First Steps
• Plan and Outline
• How far in advance to send review requests?
• How far in advance to hire help if you are going to?
• How to get blurbs?
• Publicity: interviews, guest blogging
• What about traditional media?
• One-sheets for mailed books
• Book trailers and other video
• Details
• How many and what type of targets?
• Get your data right here!
• Review copies: physical vs. electronic
• Keep consistent, good records
• What does return on investment mean in this context?
• Social media: tips, tricks, and useful apps
• Obstacles
• Toughening up to criticism--or how to cope if you can't
• Connections and networking: more important than you think
• Growing too fast: slow follower growth is GOOD
• The importance of honest people
• Self-publishing and industry respect
• Q&A

This should all take between 90 minutes and two hours, depending on how many questions there are--and please do bring questions! Also, feel free to email me questions ahead of time if you don't see them addressed in the outline and I'll do my best to work them into the material.

Buy tickets here:

• Thursday, March 27th at 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Sunday, April 13th at 1 p.m. Eastern Time

I look forward to meeting with you soon!