Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Asimov's Science Fiction print magazine is now accepted submissions via an "online submission system"; seeks science fiction "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." Length and Payment: fiction - <7½k=6¢/word; 7½k-12½k=$450, seldom buys longer than 20K; >12½k=5¢/word; poetry - $1/line 40 lines or less. No reprints, see submission guidelines for more details.

The 15th ChiZine Short Story Contest is now open for entries of "dark, well-written stories" Length 4K or less, prizes: "1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes: Publication in ChiZine: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words at seven (7) cents per word (USD). There will also be five honourable mentions." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see contest guidelines page for more details. Deadline June 30, 2010.

Comet Press has an open call for submissions for their extreme zombie anthology Deadcore: "We are looking for hardcore, gruesome, twisted, zombie stories." Length: 15-30K, Payment: 1/2 cent per word, $150 max, plus three contributor copies, no reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline July 1, 2010 or when filled.

UK science fiction audio magazine Cossmass Infinities is look for "short stories, ideally, between 4000 -- 8000 words. Stories should be either Science Fiction or Fantasy, or even a blend of both. Try to avoid mediaeval-fantasy though. We pay £20 a story, upon acceptance, for non-exclusive audio rights. Previously published stories are welcome. You do not need to have been published elsewhere. Payment is through Paypal." Submission by online electronic form only, see guidelines for more details.

Kitsune Books is "a traditional small-press literary publisher and offer standard publishing contracts to authors on whose works we are willing to take a chance." Looking for literary fiction, memoir, poetry and more. Length: fiction/nonfiction 70-95K, poems 100+ pages. Payment: varying advance, 10% royalty on net. No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Library of Horror has an open call for their Malicious Deviance anthology, and seeks "well written speculative fiction with a heavy horror element focusing on bad protagonists from all walks of humanity. Everyone has the capacity for evil. Some people are born with it while others acquire evil through life's experiences or bad influence. Whatever the reason, I am seeking out stories of bad people doing bad things, meeting bad ends, or even reigning victorious in the end (though I will give preference to the bad guy getting it in the end. I'm not looking to completely glorify evil.) This does go against the lexicon of Good vs. Evil, but I don't give a shit. We're breaking the rules here. Bad people have stories that need to be told, and it's about time they're published in an anthology. The stories must have a strong horror element, but feel free to cross your genres. I would like to see a good mix of styles and genres as long as horror is at the root of your story. Any time frame is welcome. You can use whatever POV you like, though 2nd and 1st person are a hard sell. Be creative. Serial Killers, vampires, zombies, werewolves and other such well-worn themes must be absolutely fantastic and mind blowing; even then they're a hard sell. I'm looking for all kinds of bad people, not just the ones we are used to reading as antagonists. Remember, anyone can be evil... Anyone." Length: 3-9K, Payment: "1 cent per word plus one contributor copy", reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Now open to novel submissions in multiple genres including romance fantasy, mystery, SF, and more, Canadian e-publisher MuseItUp welcomes "new and seasoned writers to send us their manuscripts. Although a submission doesn't guarantee an acceptance, we will offer comments with tips on how to improve your manuscript and invite you to resubmit. Simultaneous submissions will be accepted provided it is clearly stated in your cover letter that another publisher is considering your work. Our authors do not pay a fee to e-publish their books with us. We provide editing and cover art for all our books, and assign the ISBN number to your work." Length 3K - novel length, Payment: no advance, unspecified royalties, query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Annual print mag Science Fiction Trails is open for a brief time to submissions for "stories with science fiction content that are set in the Wild West era. Stories must take place on earth during the time period 1850-1900 AD. All stories should have a strong connection to the western region of the United States [this can include western Canada or northern Mexico]. We very much appreciate historical accuracy." Length: 1-7K, Payment: $10 + contributor copy, reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Steward House Book Publishing is "open to a variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction, if the writing shows skill and care with words. At this time we are not accepting book proposals: only finished manuscripts will be considered for publication. We are not interested in and will reject outright any submissions of an autobiographical or poetic nature." Length: 15-150K, Payment: varying advance/royalty based on author/content, query on reprints, prefers electronic submissions, see guidelines for more details.

Australian publisher Ticonderoga Publications has an open call for their More Scary Kisses anthology, and seeks "your best stories in the paranormal romance vein. We are looking for submissions with romantic and paranormal or speculative elements. These can be humorous, scary, sexy or thought-provoking, but the primary focus should be romance." Length: 1-8.5K, Payment: "2 copies and Aus 2 cents/word (GST inc., maximum payment $100) on publication", no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

All of the above sub ops were found among the many marvelous market listings at Ralan.com.