Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

A word of caution about three sub ops over at Ralan.com that threw up some red flags for me: Android2.com, ManStory2.com and Vampires2.com ezines all have open calls for short fiction submissions on the Pay Markets page, offering $25.00/per story payment. Sounded good, until I read the guidelines for each, which are almost identical, and the fact that they push site membership for submitters to get preferred publication consideration. Membership to these sites is purchased through an automatic billing service, so for example if you join Vampires2.com you'll be billed $5.00 per week. Since response time can be from one to three months, you could end up paying $20.00 - $45.00 for membership while you're waiting for a reply on your sub. Also, all three sites are going live in July. I'm not saying they aren't legitimate markets, but this all just seems a bit fishy to me. If you decide to sub to any of them, do be careful.

Science Fiction and Fantasy convention BayCon has a semi-open call for their convention program book, to include "works of science fiction or fantasy. We will consider slipstream if there is a clear speculative fiction element. BayCon is a family convention and the program book and progress report are read by people of all ages. Therefore, we are looking for works that are no more adult than PG-13 in content, meaning mild swearing (at most) and no explicit sex or violence. We welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation, however, we are an English-language market only. While it is not required to use the convention's theme in submissions, it is encouraged. The theme for 2012 is: 30th Anniversary Pleasure Cruise." BayCon is not interested in subs from SFWA members, although the minimal qualifications for anyone to submit also rule out the as-yet-unpublished (the qualifications bit is a little weird. Go read it.) Length 1-4K, Payment: 5¢/word (min $50), no reprints, electronic submission via online form, see guidelines for more details. Reading period: July 15th - Sept 15th, 2011.

Comets and Criminals ezine is looking for "fantastic stories of no more than 5,000 words in the Science Fiction, Adventure, Historical, and Western genres. We also accept Crime and Mystery fiction, with an upper word limit of 10,000 words. We want amazing poetry in these genres, too, though we’re willing to look at more mainstream poetry also." Length: Fiction - 1-5K, mystery/crime 1-10K, flash fiction 1K or less, Payment: 1¢/word for fiction, $10.00 for flash fic or poem, Reprints okay but pay is less, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. First issue debuts January 2012.

Escape Collective Publishing has an open call for their escape-themed anthology" "For our first anthology, we are seeking short stories focusing on the theme of “Escape.” Escape from what, to where, why? That's up to you! But please notice that we ask for a “theme” of Escape, not specifically a “plot” based on escape; though we will read and accept stories centered around prison breaks, escapes from dying planets, and others, we wish to explore less obvious examples of escape or escapism as well. 'Fiction of the Fantastic' has often been called “mere escapism,” after all; we just want to do away with the derogatory “mere” and embrace the “escapism”: the wondrous, the sense of freedom, and more, that comes with literature that frees itself from the bounds of realism, and, in doing so, is able to look at 'reality' from a new perspective. So surprise us, entice us, move us, and free us with your stories. Stories accepted will be published in our Fall anthology." Length: up to 7.5K, Payment: "portion of the profit on the digital sale of the Anthology, on a per word royalty basis.", no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: August 15th, 2011.

Rosetta Books' The Galaxy Project Contest is "both a celebration - through new editions in widely distributed electronic form - of the great 1950's Galaxy Magazine, edited by H. L. Gold and a means through these new electronic editions of classic longer works and through its new novella contest to carry forth that tradition in the new millennium. The contest to select one novella or novelette will be judged in the spirit of H. L. Gold and the great magazine of which he was founding editor. Galaxy was open to all potential contributors in the 1950's and 1960's. Only excellence mattered. The contest will be "open" and judged on the same standards. The winner will: Be published in e-book as part of The Galaxy Project collection. Receive an advance of $1,000 against royalties of 50% of net receipts to 2,500 copies and 60% of net receipts thereafter for world English digital rights. Retain the copyright and all rights other than the initial digital use (per Galaxy Magazine's policy.) See contest page for more details. Deadline: September 2, 2011.

Winner of the PBW Strangest Antho Title of All Time award, Generic Publishing has an open call for their King Paul Crushes Your Face and You like It anthology: "We here at Generic Publishing want you to dig deep and access you inner manly man, that beast within that screws, plunders and lays waste to all that approach it, to tell tales of the glory and awesome might that is King Paul, rife with sex, violence, debauchery, depravity and big heaping buckets of gore. Picture a Chuck Norris/Maddox/Tucker Max hybrid being punched in the face by Conan to a soundtrack of W.A.S.P., killwhitneydead and Manowar, then listen to the King Paul songs on Carinemily.com (all submissions MUST match the mythology of these songs to be considered). These stories should harken back to the style and ideals of Orature (traditional tales and history passed along orally) and should be either in Flash or Praise poetry form. Do keep in mind that, while the theme of masculinity taken to cartoonish extremes will likely be handled with tongue firmly in cheek, we expect it all to be played straight. My first image of the concept lends itself to sword and sandals fantasy, but don’t feel obliged to constrict yourself to that genre; we’d love to see a steampunk Paul mowing down werewolves on a pirate ship in space. This anthology is intended for adults, so feel free to be as raunchy and brutal as you desire (please), but don’t bother us with rape fantasies or kiddie porn. Even the King has his limits." Hokay. Length: < 2K (flash fiction) or 100 lines (poetry) max, Payment: Pay: .5 cents per word for flash fiction and $5 flat rate for poetry, no reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: August 15th, 2011.

Author Michael A. Ventrella has an open call for his Tales of Fortannis anthology: "Tales of Fortannis is a new series of short stories set in the world of my novels. It's a high fantasy world with elves, dwarves, the mysterious biata, gryphons, goblins, and more." Length: < 10K, Payment: "small shared royalty", no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: August 1st, 2011, or until filled.

Pill Hill Press has an open call for their The Trigger Reflex ~ Legends of the Monster Hunter II: "The Monster Hunter is a breed apart, destined to a life filled with anguish, wild triumph, and blood. We want more of their very best stories. For inspiration, follow Van Helsing from Dracula, or Sylvester James from Autobiography of a Werewolf Hunter. Follow Quint from Jaws, Tangina Barrows from Poltergeist, or even Ripley from Alien. Set them after snow-beasts in the Himalayas, sea-monsters off of Komodo, or sandworms in Egypt. Give us legend, folklore, or beasts unknown that never leave the shadows. Tell the stories of those that hunt these monsters, stories filled with wild chases, hair-raising close calls, tragedy, regret and bloody victory. Make them gritty, give them punch, or make them subtle, creepy and suspenseful. You are welcome to dazzle, but bleak will be equally appreciated. Make the hunters heroes, or make them more evil than the creatures they hunt. Give them blind determination and a hell bent desire to win no matter what the cost, or let them face a moral uncertainty over whether or not they’re doing the right thing by killing…" (and there's a lot more, so read the guidelines carefully.) Length 2-7K, Payment: ¼¢/word, no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: until filled.

The editor of the Trust & Treachery: Tales of Power, Intrigue and Violence anthology has an open call for submissions: "We are very open as to genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, etc. Please no romance, erotica (though relevant sexual content is fine), or YA." Length: 1-5K, Payment: $20.00, no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: December 15th, 2011.

Sky Warrior Books has an open call for their Zombiefied – An Anthology of All Things Zombie anthology, for which they'd like to see "your best work on zombies, original or reprint (must have the rights), of stories 500 to 7000 words in length. Can be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Sure, we’ll take standard horror and dark fantasy, but you can be creative. Zombies in space, zombiefied critters, zombie love stories (uh, no erotica), fantasy zombies, steampunk zombies, zombie humor, zombies on toast…well, you get the idea." Payment: "author share divided equally among the authors. We pay quarterly", reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: August 15, 2011.