Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Apex Publications has an open call for a follow-up to their Dark Faith antho: "We’re looking for the story only you could write, something deeply personal and at the same time universal. Everyone believes in something and we want you to put those beliefs to the test. We’re looking for smart, literate stories that don’t proselytize or stereotype. Stories that make you think, that comment on the human condition and the social order. Stories that are rich in their use of language. However, as much as we love social commentary, don’t forget to entertain us. The best way to get a feel for what we’re looking for is to read Dark Faith." Length: up to 4K, Payment: five cents a word. Note on Rights: "We buy First World anthology print rights and digital rights (for three years)." Submissions open 1/1/2012, and "Unsolicited stories received outside this timeframe will be deleted, unread." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: January 31, 2012.

Black Chicken Studios is looking for writers to provide text for an upcoming supernatural crime-romance game called Devil's Advocate: "Writers must be able to write efficient, colorful prose based in a supernatural romance scenario (think the situations of Angel, the wit and verve of Ocean's 11 and the quirky law of Ally McBeal). The game is set in modern day Las Vegas, so consider the time and place when you phrase your writing. The target audience for the game is teens and adults, so the writing must be accessible. However, writers are encouraged to write in their own voice, as long as their style remains reasonably acceptable considering the era the game-world is set in (edgy, experimental text would be out of character, for example). Writing assignments will involve Scenes to be featured in the game. Each Scene will consist of 10-20 paragraphs of text, with each paragraph being no more than three lines (NB: Lines, not sentences. We're hoping to keep things tight!) The goal is to keep the prose snappy and engaging." Payment: "The pay is $10 per assignment, with each assignment consisting of the creation of 20 events (NB: Not $10 per item written, $10 per assignment of 20 total items)." Submission info: "Submissions should include two Scenes, of 10-20 Parts each. Each Part should be 1-3 lines long at maximum. Grammatical errors and simple typos may mean instant disqualification, so be sure to double-check your work prior to submission." E-mail bc.subs@gmail.com to receive a prompt and sample Scene or ask any questions you may have. To review Black Chicken Studio's earlier work, please visit http://www.academagia.com."

Dark Eye Glances, the journal of dark poetry and lyrics, is accepting submissions for its new print antho, to be published in January 2012. "Dark Eye Glances is a literary magazine of dark poetry and lyrics. We publish poetry that incorporates overtly dark, dramatic, metaphysical and psychological themes and language. Please keep in mind that we may not accept even the finest poetry if it doesn’t suit the tone of the publication.We publish ALL FORMS of quality poetry and lyrics, although we may show some preference for poetry that is rhyming and metrical. Although we favor high quality metrical and rhyming poetry or lyrics, we will consider ALL FORMS OF QUALITY POETRY. For rhyming poetry or lyrics, the rhyme scheme need not be present in all lines or stanzas." Length: not specified, Payment: mag offers exposure; print antho not specified. Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. No deadline specified.

IFWG Publishing has a short story contest: "Story must be written with an emphasis on the speculative fiction genres (horror, science fiction and fantasy). Note that the judges will be looking for fresh, character-centric stories with depth of skill in theme and plot construction. Zombies, vampires, elves, hobbits, orcs, are unlikely to get past round one." Length: Strictly 1-3K, no entry fee. Prizes: "The Winner receives $100US cash prize and will be published in SQ Magazine; Second place receives $50US cash prize and will be published in SQ Magazine; Third place receives $25US cash prize and will be published in SQ Magazine." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see contest page for more details. Deadline: October 31, 2011.

Northwind Magazine is looking for submissions of fiction, nonfiction and poetry: "We publish any genre, any subject, any style. What's most important to us is the quality of the writing, the depth of the characterizations, and the originality of the voice." Length: fic/nonfic - up to 7.5K; no length specified on poetry, submit up to 5 poems at once. Payment: the author of the issue's featured story receives $150.00; everyone else gets exposure only. No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Musa Publishings's Penumbra e-zine has two open calls for stories with specific themes: "Shakespeare: we have a particular and undying interest in the Bard--and any speculative fiction versions of his work OR spec fic stories that feature him as a character. CALL ENDS OCT 31" and "Steampunk: Create your best gizmos and gear up for the goggle-gouging fun that is steampunk. (We'll accept gaslight fantasy too) All steampunk for this winter issue, which means anything goes. CALL ENDS NOV 15." Length: 500 words to 3.5K, Payment: 5 cents a word. Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Samhain Publishing is looking for horror submissions: "Samhain is now accepting submissions for our line of horror novels. We are actively seeking talented writers who can tell an exciting, dramatic and frightening story, and who are eager to promote their work and build their community of readers. We are looking for novels—either supernatural or non-supernatural, contemporary or historical—that are original and compelling. Authors can be previously unpublished or established, agented or un-agented. Content can range from subtle and unsettling to gory and shocking. The writing is what counts." Length: 12-100K; for print eligibility minimum 50K. Payment: not specified but their general terms are "40% of the cover price on single-author ebooks sold directly through Samhain, 30% of the cover price on single-author ebooks sold through third-party vendors such as Mobipocket, Fictionwise and All Romance eBooks, and 8% of the cover price on single-author print books, with a 3% reserve against returns. Multiple-author books will split the above royalty percentages equally."

Singular Source has a short story contest: "We are looking for hard science fiction short stories on the theme of future computer programming and technology, with particular attention programmers working with vast archives of source code." Length: 1-6K, no fee, Prizes: not specified on the contest page, but Ralan lists it at $800.00. Might want to get a confirmation on prize amounts before entering. No reprints, electronic submission only, see contest page for more details. Deadline: November 30, 2011.

Spore Press is looking for submissions of BioSciFi novels: "BioSciFi, or biology-based science fiction, which takes as its starting point the actual and potential transformations within the fundamental materials of life that are made possible by recent scientific advances. The resulting bio-reality is the shifting ground on which we build our future, and it is imagined in BioSciFi." Not a lot of specific info on this one (no mention of length, terms of payment, rights, etc.) so you might want to query this one before you submit anything.

The Western Online accepts submissions of the following: "The type of story most likely to be published here is the traditional post-Civil War Western. However, we will consider any story that is connected with the early settling of America that takes place during the 1700s and early 1800s, from swashbuckling pirates to mountain men and the early pioneers. All stories must be set in the 17th, 18th, or 19th centuries and deal with the opening and exploration of the American West." Length: 5K or less, prefers 3K or less. Payment: $5.00. Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Most of the above submission opportunities were found over among the marvelous market listings at Ralan's place.