Sub Ops Ten

Aurora Regency, an imprint of Musa Publishing, has an open call for Regency romance fiction submissions: "Do you have a sweet, traditional Regency romance that you've written but haven't found a publisher that specializes in Regency romance any longer? Do you have a rights reverted traditional Regency that you'd like to see back in publication? Have you always wanted to write a traditional Regency but didn't spend the time to do it because you thought no one published them any more? Aurora Regency is actively seeking submissions for ALL traditional Regency romance for our 2012/2013 release schedule." Editor also notes: "Traditional Regency romance, which means sweet. No pre-marital sex, and the bedroom door is firmly closed for the final *ahem* event." and "We will consider reprints to rights reverted stories." and "Also ***Special call for Christmas and New Years' themed Regencies!*** Please submit by July 31, 2012 for Holiday 2012 release consideration." Length: 5-120K, Payment: Not specified, but I pulled this from the publisher's web site: "Musa is a royalty-paying small publisher. Musa does not charge fees for set up, printing, or anything else. Money flows to the author, not the other way around." [PBW notes: before you submit you might first query on what percentage they pay and terms.] Obviously reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see call to submit post and publisher's web page for more details.

Editor Silvia Moreno-Garcia has an open call for Exile Editions' Dead North, an anthology of zombie stories set in Canada: "Smart, quirky and unique takes on zombies. Silvia loves stories with strong heroes, non-linear plots and multicultural characters. Yes, we want to know if the Inuit would cope with the zombie apocalypse with no major issues or if Chinese-Canadians have a secret recipe to deal with zombie disasters. Was the wendigo really a zombie? Was the Great Fire of 1886 started by zombie hunters? Would zombies freeze in the Manitoba winter? Would a hockey stick make a good defensive weapon against the undead? You tell us. Canadian writers, Aboriginal writers, culturally diverse writers, new generation writers, Francophone writers and female writers are strongly encouraged to submit." Length: 2-10K; Payment: "2 cents (CAD) per word and two contributor copies." Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 30th, 2012.

White Cat Publications has an open call for romantic fiction submissions to be published in their upcoming debut quarterly Insatiable ~ the Magazine of Paranormal Desires print and e-zine: "We are accepting all manner of supernatural, paranormal, weirdness, oddities, and whatnot so long as there is a romantic plot element. Time period is not a sticking point. Modern, period, complete fantasy/alternate reality all will be looked at. We want imaginative, well-written stories that are crafted with care. Not to knock it because there is a place for every good word out there, but porn without plot will not be accepted. Sex is good and natural and fun but it must move the plot forward. We at Insatiable are more interested with emotional content and that “oomph” that good writing evokes in the reader. Also, we are not afraid of humor. Just because there’s love involved doesn’t mean it can’t be funny." Length: up to 5K (query for longer); Payment: "3 cents per word. For reprints, we pay 1 cent per word." Reprints obviously okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Kaleidotrope magazine's summer reading period opened July 1st, and here's the sort of submissions they'd like to see: "Kaleidotrope tends heavily towards the speculative — towards science fiction, fantasy and horror — but we like an eclectic mix and are therefore always eager to read interesting work that falls outside those categories. Man does not live on space ships, elves and ghostly axe murderers alone, after all. We’d suggest picking up a recent issue to familiarize yourself with the zine, and/or checking out other work by our past contributors, to get a sense of what we’re looking for and what we like. In the end, what we want is interesting and unconventional work, well-written stories and poems that surprise and amuse us, shock and disturb us, that tell us things we didn’t know or reveal old truths in brand new ways. We want strange visions of distant shores, of imaginary countries and ordinary people, and work that doesn’t lose sight of entertainment and the joy of good writing." Length: "We have no maximum word limit, although anything over 10,000 words may be a tougher sell. We do like well crafted flash fiction, too, although preferably not under 250 words." Payment: "we will pay $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, we offer a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece; for artwork, $10." Query on reprints, electronic and snail mail submissions okay, see guidelines for more details. Current reading period closes in September (no particular date specified so I'd assume the 1st.)

Lamplight, a Horror annual print and quarterly e-zine, is likewise looking for submissions: "We want your best. But then, doesn’t everyone? We print both short stories and flash fiction. We are looking for horror, dark speculative fiction and noir. No specific sub-genres or themes, just good stories. That being said, we prefer the Shining over the Dark Half. Excessive gore and sexuality should be avoided unless it is essential to the story. We are not taking vampire or zombie stories at this time. The quarterly is published as an ebook, and at the end of the year all the quarterlies are bound together in an annual collection. We are asking for non-exclusive, worldwide, serial rights to your work for both electronic and print. We want to publish it, we don’t want to own it. Length: "1000 words or less, consider it flash fiction; 2000 words or more, consider it short story. In-between? Send it over and we can talk." Payment: "For short stories we pay $150 per story. For flash fiction, we pay $50." Reading periods: "As Lamplight is a quarterly, there are some reading dates associated with it. While we take submissions year round, there are cut off dates for the individual issues: Spring – 15 January; Summer – 15 April; Fall – 15 July; Winter – 15 October. Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Luna Station Press is looking for submissions from female writers only: "We publish speculative fiction by women writers. (Sorry, Gents!) We love stories in any form, novels, novellas, short stories, etc. and we think women have strong, but unheard voices in speculative literature. Help us give them a voice. We also publish select poetry collections and are open to all forms, with the only criteria being that we like it. Science fiction and fantasy poetry, fairy tales in poetic form, or straight-up introspection, we’d love to see it. Finally, we publish non-fiction. We do our best to hunt down quirky, interesting and unique books and authors with unique voices. Have something interesting and unique to say to the world? Let us know. We accept short story collections, novels, novellas, and just about everything in between, so long as it’s woman-authored. Series will be considered, but please note if your manuscript is part of one and include details on your thoughts for the rest of the series (length, basic plot ideas, etc.). Speculative fiction is preferred, but we will leave what defines ‘speculative’ up to you. Space Opera, Cyberpunk, Slip Stream, Sword and Sorcery, Steampunk, Magical Realism, etc. all are welcome. Young Adult titles are welcome, too! Stuff we don’t want to see: Anything biased toward any religion, race or moral preference; Extreme gore or sexual content (everything in moderation); Fan Fiction (original stories only, please); Bad grammar/punctuation (please proofread and watch your sentence structure!); Plagiarism. Otherwise, just about anything goes. Poetry Guidelines: Have something a bit unusual to share? Awesome. Send it, we would love to see it. Genre poetry collections are welcome, as are more traditional forms. We would love to publish someone’s epic tale in verse form. Non-Fiction Guidelines: Once again, just about anything goes. Crafting books, memoirs, travel diaries, guidebooks, creative non-fiction, etc. Your manuscript can be a concise treatise on a particular topic, or as wide and rambling as a life fully-lived. Payment: "Our payment terms are simple. Authors get 50% of the NET profits. That’s not the list price, that’s factoring all the weird fees charged by distributors, that’s regardless of format (electronic or paperback). If you google around a bit, you will find that we offer a great royalty rate. We do this because we think it’s fair, taking into account the work we put into everything we produce and the work you have already put into your art. Royalties are paid quarterly via PayPal or Amazon Gift Card. Totals under $10 will rollover to the next quarter, but will payout the following quarter, regardless of total." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Nightmare e-zine wants horror submissions: "Nightmare is seeking original horror and dark fantasy stories of 1500-7500 words. Stories of 5000 words or less are preferred. We pay 5¢/word for original fiction, on acceptance. To see which rights we're seeking, please view our contract template (PDF) for original fiction. All types of horror or dark fantasy are welcome; if in doubt, go ahead and submit it and let our editors decide. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. We believe that the horror genre's diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and our submission queues; we welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation." Payment: 5 cents per word for original fiction, 1 cent per word for reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Specutopia e-zine would like to see submissions of: "...stories by talented writers who are as proficient at the art of writing, as they are the craft. We want beautifully written stories that are skillfully and expertly executed--stories that are powerful, exhilarating, tragic, moving, insightful, edgy, unique. Solid writing mechanics, stunning prose, imaginative settings, compelling characters, and well-thought out plots are all equally important. We're only looking for the best stories from serious writers. We want writers who are not only adept at creating theme, plot, character, and setting, but also able to masterfully intertwine these elements in a way that results in a seamless, cohesive whole. Stories should start strong, develop purposefully, be well paced, and finish with a satisfying and complete ending. Most importantly, a story has to be engaging and impactful. It has to have a consistent and captivating voice. Technical aspects and elements are ultimately employed to support the overall effect of a well-told story. Proficient construction without emotion and meaning fails to achieve the main goal: conveying a story that says something. We're interested in all types of speculative fiction. However, we want stories where the speculative element is clear, meaningful, and integral to the story. By speculative we mean science fiction, fantasy, and the myriad hybrid and cross genres they include. We are not interested in horror. Genre is secondary to quality. What We Don't Want: We don't want trite or gimmicky stories. We don't want stories from writers who are still learning the basics of writing. We don't want stories that aren't polished, edited, or proofread. We don't want clones of other published stories, fan fiction, or clichéd characters, plots, and settings. We don't want stories that have no purpose or meaning. We don't want stories that haven't been sweated and bled over. We put no limitations on tense, viewpoint, or structure. We don't want to limit the creative possibilities of skillful writers. Our philosophy is that any approach can be used well by an experienced writer. And, often, stories require a particular approach to be written most effectively. We are fine with strong language, sexuality, and violence. However, we don't want erotica, rape, or gore for its own sake." Length: Unspecified; Payment: 1 cent per word. No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Undina Press wants submissions of "...well-written, erotic short stories in the science fiction and fantasy genre." Length: "Stories need to be between 4000 and 15,000 words." Payment: "We pay an upfront advance ranging from $20-30 per story for electronic only rights, and then we pay 50% royalties on the sales price for sales from our website, or 50% of what we receive from sales from our third party vendors. We hold these rights for two years with an option to renew." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

UFO Publishing has an open call for their anthology Unidentified Funny Objects — An Anthology of Humorous Science Fiction & Fantasy: "We’re looking for speculative stories with a strong humor element. Think Resnick and Sheckley, Fredric Brown and Douglas Adams. We welcome quality flash fiction and non-traditional narratives. Take chances, try something new, just make sure that your story is funny. Puns and stories that are little more than vehicles for delivering a punch line at the end aren’t likely to win us over." Length: 500 words to 4K; Payment: Upon acceptance, "$0.05 per word + contributor copy." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: August 31, 2012.

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