Abra Staffin-Wiebe, Author at Aswiebe's Market List

What Does Easy Writing Mean for You?

Big News!

My full market list is now, finally, fully searchable online! I am so excited about this!!!

I’ve been fiddling with the page for the last couple of weeks … mostly learning which things I can’t do using these plug-ins. So the actual updates from this newsletter are from the middle of April, and you should expect another update in the near future. Going forward, I’ll update the online version at the same time that I send the newsletter out. Of course, you can still download the complete spreadsheet and keep your own copy on your own computer.

Go ahead, go to the Online Market Listings, search for “anthology theme” and see if any of your stories match current calls!

What Does Easy Writing Mean for You?

What kind of scene is easiest for you to write, and why? I was asked this question recently, and I think it’s a good one for any writer to think about.

For me, it’s food scenes. This isn’t terribly surprising. I like to savor my food, I like to watch cooking shows, I’m the main cook for my household so I have some idea what I’m talking about, and description is one of the writing tools that I got for free. But those aren’t the deepest reason why feasts are easy for me to write, they’re just the price of admission.

Food is visceral. It draws me in. Writing about it kicks my imagination (and my salivary gland) into overtime. I hit flow faster. The movie that plays in my mind as I write becomes more vivid. And when it’s more vivid for me, hopefully I do a good enough job writing it that it also becomes more vivid for my reader. And if they are my ideal reader, they are probably drawn in by the same things that I am.

The other kind of writing that I find easy, for the same visceral reasons, is body horror. This despite the mid-writing research required to keep it physically possible. Theoretical research only, I assure you. 😉

Now, does this mean that I should put a feast scene (or a body horror scene) in every chapter I write? Well, no. Although if I did both, I could probably churn out a pretty good horror novella in a month or two (note to self). Balancing scene types and tension and plot is important. But it does mean that I can lean in when I see an opportunity for a feast scene or some good old-fashioned enucleation. And if I’m plotting a story and there’s a choice between a cannibal feast or a dramatic love scene, I know which one will fit my voice and style better.

Writer, know thyself!

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

Let’s just say there’s nothing like a 4theWords special event to get me pushing to meet new word challenges … or to leave me with a hot mess of a chapter that has a lot of “put this bit here, move that bit there, double-check this detail, did I already say this?” inline notes that I now need to go through and clean up to get a proper first draft.

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/

How to Pitch: 3PO Edition: http://candleinsunshine.com/musings/how-to-pitch-3po-edition/

An Open Letter to the 2023 Hugo Finalists: http://corabuhlert.com/2023/05/01/an-open-letter-to-the-2023-hugo-finalists-whoever-they-may-be/

Clock Outline: http://candleinsunshine.com/musings/clock-outline-blades-in-the-dark-style/

7 Ways to Spring Clean Your Writing: https://careerauthors.com/7-ways-to-spring-clean-your-writing/

The Basics of Crafting Terror: https://horrortree.com/how-to-write-horror-the-basics-of-crafting-terror/

Email Lists From Scratch Tutorials: https://sellingforauthors.wistia.com/projects/2nsyj3aru4

Query Shark October Newsletter-Personalization: https://tinyletter.com/QueryShark/letters/query-shark-october-newsletter-personalization

Isabel Yap’s thread: how i write with a full-time job: https://twitter.com/visyap/status/1638337852256710656

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

The Nebula Conference, May 12-14, 2023 ($150). Purchasing a membership also gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://events.sfwa.org/

Wiscon, May 26-29, 2023 ($25): http://wiscon.net/

The Orange County Library System has many upcoming free virtual writing talks: https://www.ocls.info/writers-corner

Featured Market

Uncanny Magazine‘s novella call is still open until 5/15/23!

Uncanny Magazine is seeking passionate, diverse SF/F fiction and poetry from writers from every conceivable background. We want intricate, experimental stories and poems with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs. Uncanny believes there’s still plenty of room in the genre for tales that make you feel.
Uncanny Magazine

Basics: speculative fiction novellas, 17,500 – 40,000 words, pays $.10/wd, no reprints, due 5/15/23.

Guidelines: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/submissions/

Market List Updates

To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet. Note: going forward, limited demographic market listings will be italicized.

Click here to keep reading! (Best viewed on a wide screen.)

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 04/15/2023.If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

Writers describe their planning process (or lack thereof) in all kinds of ways. Plotters! Pantsers! Plantsers! Architects! Gardeners! Drum Plotters!

Wait, no, that last one is a piece of graphics equipment.

I am not going to discuss all the different approaches, but this one secret is for all the kinds of writers who plot. Ready for it? Here goes.

You. Can. Change. Your. Mind.

Changing your mind can even be part of your process! It doesn’t mean your process is broken. Maybe you need something to write towards, but when you get there, you need to stop and think for a few days.

Imagine you’re following a treasure map to a walled city. When you finally reach it and climb that wall, you see that there’s a lot of city inside and you’re not exactly sure where the treasure is. And you also see a couple of pyramids in the distance, which look like they might have some treasures you never even guessed existed. Maybe while you were following the treasure map, you picked up some traveling companions. Now you need to consider their goals and skills too. Your treasure map didn’t fail; you’ve advanced to the next stage.

I call this the Replot Point, and I hit it about 3/4ths of the way through every writing project of sufficient length and density. Then it’s time for me to stop and think and scribble connections in my writing notebook. My subconscious has been leaving me breadcrumbs and making promises to my readers all the way along. It’s my job to follow those breadcrumbs and fulfill those promises, while getting from where I am to where I want to be. I plot from both ends to the middle. I make lists of all kinds of possible connections and outcomes. I think really hard about all of my characters’ goals and drives. I think about the emotional effect I want to produce in the reader.

And then I make a really detailed plot for the last quarter of the story. Did I change my mind about my initial plot for this part of the story? Maybe. Did I go from a big picture map to a city street map? Absolutely. Is there treasure at the end?

Well, that’s for the readers to decide.

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

I have created a detailed plot for the last 1/4 of my Altered Carbon meets The Expanse, as written by T Kingfisher* space opera/SF horror work-in-progress, and I am chugging along on it happily.

* Obvs, my pitch still needs a hell of a lot of work. But that’s a job for Future Abra.

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/

Estate Planning Tips for Authors (video): https://authorsguild.org/resource/estate-planning-tips-for-authors/

SFWA Members Weigh in on AI & Machine Learning Applications & Considerations: https://www.sfwa.org/2023/03/03/sfwa-members-weigh-in-on-ai-machine-learning-applications-considerations/

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

Flights of Foundry (highly recommended! – ASW), April 14-16, 2023: https://flights-of-foundry.org/

The Nebula Conference, May 12-14, 2023 ($150). Purchasing a membership also gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://events.sfwa.org/

The Orange County Library System has many upcoming, free virtual writing talks: https://www.ocls.info/writers-corner

Featured Market

Deathcap & Hemlock wants dark speculative flash fiction written in recipe format, pays $10.

What are we looking for?: Recipes that hint at a deeper narrative without violating the recipe structure will catch our eye. We are looking for short pieces, formatted like actual recipes (ingredients list, steps, measurements (metric, imperial; weight or volume—you decide!)). A short introductory paragraph to the recipe is okay, but optional.

Themes that are likely to mean you have a lot of competition in the slush include: revenge poisonings, transformation magic (eat something and it turns you into x), unwitting cannibalism.

We are not looking for stories about food or prose descriptions of how to make something. We are also not looking for anything that threatens actual people or real recipes for a poison that could be followed by readers. This is not a how-to site: we want speculative elements, we want recipes that ignite imagination (not felonies). Think outside the box of cereal killers.
Deathcap & Hemlock

Basics: dark speculative flash fiction, up to 1,000 words, pays $10, no reprints, due 3/31/23. Guidelines: https://www.deathcapandhemlock.com/submit

Market List Updates

Click below to see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for. For hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet. Note: going forward, limited demographic market listings will be italicized.

Click here to keep reading–Best viewed on a wide screen.

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 3/15/2023.If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

Nothing on the Internet Lasts Forever, Plus Market List Updates

Don’t fall victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is if you put something on the Internet, it’s there forever. But only slightly well less-known is this: nothing on the Internet lasts forever.

We’ve had a reminder of that recently–and no, I’m not just talking about the Fowl Site. Those who’ve been submitting short stories for a minute might have started out using Ralan.com to learn about the latest SFF market listing updates. Recently Ralan closed their doors, replacing their website with a thank-you to everyone for the last 26 years and 57 days. Wow. That is a truly impressive accomplishment! I learned a lot about following SF and fantasy publications from watching Ralan. So long, Ralan, and thanks for all the fish.

So, what does “nothing lasts forever” mean for writers?

Keep your own records. Track your submissions. I use a spreadsheet to track my submissions, because I’m old school like that. If you use an app or an online website for that purpose, make sure it allows you to download a backup. And do keep that backup updated! Once or twice a year, just save it to your computer and back it up along with all your other writing files. Pair the habit with something memorable, like tax time or Halloween, and add a reminder to your calendar.

Plan to be rejected. If you see a submission call that seems like a good fit for a story that is already currently out on submission, make a note. If/when you get rejected, go check it out.

If you submit to an anthology or a contest, save the submission guidelines. You can just save the webpage as html. The vast majority of the time, these submission guidelines go *poof* the second the submission call closes. You might want to reference them later. For example, to see what they said their submission reading process would be, or to find the name of an editor that you can stalk on the internet to see if they’ve mentioned how progress on the anthology is going. (Stalking only, do not contact directly!)

And finally, once you get a story published, save the good stuff about being published. Save a copy of the published version of your story. Save the story illustration (you can’t use it, but it’s pretty, right?). Save positive reader comments. Not only are they an ego boost you can look at when writing feels hard, but you might be able to use those quotes sometime.

That’s just the actual submission process. There’s a lot more that you might want to think about saving your own copy of–useful articles, ebooks you bought, etc. And of course, there’s the whole “when social media goes away” and “why we should control our own newsletters” thing, but that’s a separate editorial all by itself (psst, I’m over at https://wandering.shop/@abracanabra).

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

I’ve hit that sticky spot where I have to stop and plot the ending of my WiP, in exact detail, before I can write further. Uggggghhhh! I have a bunch of things that need to happen, and some of them seem mutually contradictory. I will figure it out, but in the meantime I’m writing a lot of curse words in my writing notebook. You know. For posterity.

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/

Covers, Costs, and Artists: https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2023/covers-costs-and-artists

Random Name Generator: https://www.behindthename.com/random/

Ask the Editors (of SFF Magazines): https://industry.metaphorosis.com/ask-the-editors/

You Should(n’t) Be Writing: https://medium.com/swlh/you-should-nt-be-writing-8a3da5c44794

How to Build an Amazing “About the Author” Page: https://kindlepreneur.com/build-about-the-author-page/

Scrivener Alternatives: https://alternativeto.net/software/scrivener/

How to Become a Professional Writer (humor): https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/how-to-become-a-professional-writer

Novel Subplots: http://candleinsunshine.com/musings/novel-subplots/

Melissa Caruso on main characters: https://twitter.com/melisscaru/status/1613169173513003009

TV Tropes Story Generator: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/storygen.php

Indie Author Project: https://indieauthorproject.com/authors/

Christie Yant’s Writing Tools 2023: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R9IRbolmTr42z-9l7kN9tN0De7WTDGmXv3jbVhM_kXk/

How to (Maybe) Get Out of Your Contract When Your Scam Re-Publisher Ghosts You: https://writerbeware.blog/2022/12/02/how-to-maybe-get-out-of-your-contract-when-your-scam-re-publisher-ghosts-you/

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

The Nebula Conference is over for 2022, but purchasing a membership now ($75) still gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://membership.sfwa.org/event-4563942

The Orange County Library System has many upcoming, free virtual writing talks: https://www.ocls.info/writers-corner

Featured Market

The Beauty in Blood-Drenched Circuits (Starward Shadows) anthology wants dark speculative fiction written by ChatGPT (with prompts from you).

All submissions must contain speculative elements, and we prefer stories with a dark and contemplative tone. For this anthology, we’re particularly interested in exploring the relationships that humans form with those different from themselves–be it AI, aliens, or even their own kind. We’d also like to see some space-age twists on the classics we’ve always loved. The weirder and less mainstream, the better. Bonus points if you can prompt your writing partner to write a Sword and Sorcery for the ages. We’d also love to see if you can get your new friend to open up and share a laugh. (Black humor only, of course).
Starward Shadows

Basics: dark speculative fiction, no word limit, pays $35, no reprints, due 3/30/20023. Guidelines: https://starwardshadows.com/submissions-open-beauty-in-blood-drenched-circuits-an-ai-only-anthology/

Market List Updates

To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet. Note: going forward, limited demographic market listings will be italicized.

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 01/15/2023.If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

What Can Writers Do for Awards Season? (And Best of the Year Anthologies)

tldr; Make an awards eligibility post on your website/blog. Post a thread of your publications this year on social media. Don’t forget to pay the cat pictures tax. 😉

You can call it an awards eligibility post, or an end of year post, or you can just say “This is what I got published this year.” If self-promotion makes you uncomfortable, think of this as an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve accomplished this year and what you’re happy about. John Wiswell’s post is a great example of this (and his stories are also good! go read them!): https://johnwiswell.substack.com/p/all-the-short-stories-i-published. With each story include the link (if available), the wordcount, the date published, and a quick description of what the story is about and why someone might want to read it.

Keep an eye on social media for people who are keeping lists of awards eligibility posts. Don’t be shy in sharing yours! And after you’ve made your eligibility post, remember that this is also a great time to talk about stories that you’ve really enjoyed reading that were first published this year. A rising tide, etc.

Okay, you say, but what else can a writer do? That’s where it gets more complicated. There is definitely a decreasing return on investment at this point. But yes, for many awards, there are other things you can do to increase your story’s visibility.

This is not true of all awards. Notable awards where authors can not offer their work for consideration include the Arthur C. Clarke Award (unless you’re a UK self-publisher), the British Fantasy Award, the BSFA Awards, the Locus Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Award, the Mythopoeic Awards, and the Shirley Jackson Award.

For a list of awards (and Best of the Year anthologies), click to view the full-size table of award info and the rest of the market list updates:

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be between 11/15/2022 and 11/30/2022. If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

As the seasons change, I’m reminded that when writers are most productive can change too. Our lives change, our schedules change, our responsibilities change. Hell, our brains change. What works best for you during the summer might not work at all in the fall and winter. Or switching to a new method might break you out of a rut. Knowing what works for you matters, especially if you’re planning on doing NaNoWriMo this year! And if you are planning on doing NaNoWriMo, that quantity of writing provides an excellent opportunity to experiment.

So how do you know when and what works best for you?

There are no shortcuts to this, I’m afraid! You have to try it to find out. Track the time you spend, when you spend it, how many words you produce, and how you feel about those words. You’ll probably want to give yourself a few days of trying something to see how it works for you, because the first day of a new system or schedule is always weird. Only alter one thing at a time–I suggest trying a different writing schedule first.

Here are some things to try, to see what works for you.

Schedule

Look at all the time you have available. Consider temporarily changing your wake-up time, your bedtime, your lunch break habits, your Disney+ habit, and any other “normally I do X now” times that you can move around. Schedule a particular time of day to be your designated writing time. Write at that time every day. Remember that this might change depending on the season, and on the darkest days of the year, a happy light is your friend!

Try writing in a block of at least 2 solid hours with minimal breaks.

Try writing in 25-minute intervals with breaks according to the Pomodoro Method.

Try writing in snippets throughout the day instead of one big chunk of time. Uninstall social media apps and write on your phone when you would normally check Instagram, or carry a notebook with you.

Try burst writing. Don’t write for a couple of days, then go to a coffee shop or turn off your phone and close your door and neglect everything else for a 4-6 hour block of writing.

Method

Outline the whole story first.

Outline the scene you’re about to write.

Don’t outline at all.

Write out of sequence. Focus on the scene you’re most excited about first.

Write multiple stories at once. Switch between them when you get bored. Try a few sentences and if you aren’t excited about what you’re writing, move on to the next one. (Note: this method only works if things eventually get finished!)

Means

Write longhand, then transcribe it later. (Remember to count transcription time.)

Try dictation. Give the free trial a shot.

Gamify it with 4theWords.

Write in a coffee shop, write lying on the couch, write at a desk, write in a museum. Try different locations.

Write with friends, or find a local writing meet-up (NaNoWriMo will offer several).

Write totally alone.

Write with strangers nearby, without interacting with them.

Try blocking the internet and social media while you write.

(Do you have a writing question? Send it to me, either by replying to this email or by using the contact form on my website, and it may get answered in the next newsletter.)

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

This newsletter of markets updated in October is going out a little late, thanks to Halloween shenanigans. Other than that, I’ve been writing on my WiP. It’s kind of boring giving status updates on writing a novel, right? Because mostly it’s just, “Yup, still writing a novel. Recently researched skullcaps, skullstripping (actual medical terminology!), and the decay rate of brains.” You know, the usual. Also, turns out brains liquify fairly quickly because they are already so liquidy.

I’m over 25% of my wordcount goal for the novel, though. And I think the plot’s about in the same place. Hurray! 1/4 done!

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/

What is Your Halloween Writer Type: https://careerauthors.com/what-is-your-halloween-writer-type/

Wanting a Beta Reader: https://twitter.com/clpolk/status/1584320844825735169

Write the Thing: https://www.thingswithout.com/comic/write-the-thing-comic-734/

The Ecology of Worldbuilding: https://www.sfwa.org/2022/10/25/ecology-worldbuilding/

Marathon Lessons: https://stone-soup.ghost.io/archive/marathon-lessons/

Top 10 Twitter Tips for Authors: https://twitter.com/garethlpowell/status/1580920359502909441

How to Make Twitter Suck Less: https://shaunduke.net/2021/07/howtomaketwittersuckless/

How to Leave Twitter for Mastodon: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-get-started-on-mastodon-and-leave-twitter-behind

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

World Fantasy Convention ($125), Nov 3-6, 2022: https://www.wfc2022.org/

The Nebula Conference is over for 2022, but purchasing a membership now ($75) still gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://membership.sfwa.org/event-4563942

Featured Market

The Quantum-Steampunk Short-Story Contest wants quantum steampunk, pays total awards worth $4,500.

Entries must satisfy two requirements: First, stories must be written in a steampunk style, including by taking place at least partially during the 1800s. Transport us to Meiji Japan; La Belle Époque in Paris; gritty, smoky Manchester; or a camp of immigrants unfurling a railroad across the American west. Feel free to set your story partially in the future; time machines are welcome.

Second, each entry must feature at least one quantum technology, real or imagined. Real and under-construction quantum technologies include quantum computers, communication networks, cryptographic systems, sensors, thermometers, and clocks. Experimentalists have realized quantum engines, batteries, refrigerators, and teleportation, too. Surprise us with your imagined quantum technologies (and inspire our next research-grant proposals).
Quantum-Steampunk Short-Story Contest

Basics: quantum steampunk stories, up to 3,000 words, grand prize $1,500 Visa certificate plus other whimsical categories up to $4,500 total, reprint acceptability unspecified, due 1/15/23.

Guidelines: https://qtd-hub.umd.edu/contest/

Additional details: https://quantumfrontiers.com/2022/10/09/announcing-the-quantum-steampunk-short-story-contest/

Market List Updates

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 10/15/2022. If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

Ah, the joy of research! It’s amazing how much research writers use to build purely imaginary science fiction and fantasy worlds. And I love it. There are the tiny little bits of research that make pleasant diversions (hey, what’s the etymology of spick-and-span anyway?) and the big chunks of research that are a necessary part of realistic world- and alien-building (carapaces and mandibles and cuttlefish, oh my!). As long as you don’t get lost down a research rabbit hole, and words still get written, research can be great refreshment for the imagination. And sometimes, indulging in “research” and random facts can inspire your writing.

Here are some excellent research-based sources of inspiration:

Dan Koboldt’s “Science in Science Fiction, Fact in Fantasy” articles are written by experts in a wide variety of topics: http://dankoboldt.com/science-in-scifi/
Eleanor Konik’s newsletter, Eleanor’s Iceberg, covers all kinds of interesting and weird things that she learns in the course of her writing, and you can learn about them too! https://newsletter.eleanorkonik.com/
FightWrite goes into the nitty-gritty of combat and debunks some common misunderstandings: https://www.fightwrite.net/blog/
Scientific American’s pop science newsletter: https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/newsletter-sign-up/

(Do you have a writing question? Send it to me, either by replying to this email or by using the contact form on my website, and it may get answered in the next newsletter.)

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

The current chapter in my WiP (work-in-progress) seems to be all vibes, no driving plot action. It’s Chapter 6, so that’s far enough in that it should be okay, right? Right??

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/

Apex Mag wants (unpaid) slush readers: https://apex-magazine.com/blog/apex-magazine-flash-fiction-contest-slush-reader-needed/

Tade Thompson on synopses: https://twitter.com/TadeThompson/status/1570133449155186688

SFWA Safety Resources: http://www.sfwa.org/safety/

Close to You: Writing in Third Person Close: https://careerauthors.com/third-person-close-pov/

Writing Tricks and Brain Hacks: https://twitter.com/rapscallison/status/1562442998717509635

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

Can*Con (CAD$45), Oct 14-16, 2022: https://can-con.org/2022-registration-and-price-list/

World Fantasy Convention ($125), Nov 3-6, 2022: https://www.wfc2022.org/

The Nebula Conference ($150) is over for 2022, but purchasing a membership now still gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://membership.sfwa.org/event-4563942

Featured Market

Phantom wine 2022 Ghost Story Writing Contest wants ghost stories, only 250 entries accepted, winner takes $5,000.

TELL US A GHOST STORY THAT’S NEVER BEEN TOLD
Phantom Wine

Basics: ghost stories, up to 2,500 words, pays $5,000 to the winner, no reprints, due 10/31/22 or until full. Guidelines: https://phantomwine.com/ghoststories/

Market List Updates

To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet. Note: going forward, limited demographic market listings will be italicized.

Name	What they want	Pay Per Word USD (originals)	Flat Pay USD (originals)	Website	Notes
Artifice & Craft (Zombies Need Brains) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/31/22	All speculative fiction, themed to enchanted artwork	$0.080		https://zombiesneedbrains.moksha.io/publication/artifice-craft/guidelines
Cossmass Infinities	SF and fantasy	$0.080		https://www.cossmass.com/submit/	SUBMISSION PERIODS: BIPOC/GLBTQ+ (2/1 – 2/14, 10/1 – 10/14) and open to all (2/8 – 8/14, 10/8 – 10/14). May close early if receive many submissions.
Dragonesque (Zombies Need Brains) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/31/22	All speculative fiction, themed to dragons	$0.080		https://zombiesneedbrains.moksha.io/publication/dragonesque/guidelines
Escape Pod (Podcast) Short Stories	SF	$0.080		https://escapepod.org/guidelines/short-fiction/	An Escape Artists publication. Original work up to 6,000 words. Reprints up to 7,500 words. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIODS: 9/15/22-5/31/23, 9/1/23-5/31/24
Fiyah	Speculative fiction. LIMITED DEMOGRAPHIC: authors from the African diaspora	$0.080		http://www.fiyahlitmag.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSIONS SCHEDULE: 9/1/22-12/31/22 unthemed, 2/1/23-3/3/23 carnival, 6/1/23-7/31/23 belonging
Game On! (Zombies Need Brains) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/31/22	All speculative fiction, themed to games (not sports)	$0.080		https://zombiesneedbrains.moksha.io/publication/game-on/guidelines
If There's Anyone Left	Speculative fiction. Limited demographic: marginalized authors	$0.080		https://www.iftheresanyoneleft.com/submission-guidelines	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: Spring 2023
Never Wake (Crystal Lake Publications) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/17/22-12/04/22	Horror themed to dreams and hallucinations	$0.080		https://www.crystallakepub.com/authorcentral/
Nightmare Magazine	Horror/dark fantasy and poetry	$0.080		https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/nightmare/guidelines	Prefers < 5,000 words. SUBMISSION PERIODS: 2x yearly, usually March and September. Special flash fiction submission periods. Do not submit if rejected by Lightspeed, okay if rejected by Fantasy Magazine. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIODS: 9/26/22-10/9/22	Award-nominated
Solar Flare (Zombies Need Brains) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/31/22	All speculative fiction, themed to solarpunk	$0.080		https://zombiesneedbrains.moksha.io/publication/solar-flare/guidelines
Solarpunk Magazine	Solarpunk fiction and poetry	$0.080		https://solarpunkmagazine.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME 2022 Submission periods:. November 2022 submission period canceled.
DreamForge Anvil	Positive science fiction and fantasy	$0.070		https://dreamforgemagazine.com/call-for-submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 9/22/22 – 10/15/22, esp. wants solarpunk and hopepunk
Mighty (Renaissance Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/14/22	Fantasy and SF, themed to disabled superheroes. Limited author demographic: both disabled and historically underrepresented	$0.061		https://pressesrenaissancepress.ca/2022/06/29/call-for-submissions-mighty/
Drabblecast PODCAST	SF, fantasy, and horror	$0.060		https://www.drabblecast.org/submissions/	Also publishes 100 word and 100 character stories, without pay. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: until 10/22/22
Planet Scumm	SF and weird fiction	$0.060		https://www.planetscumm.space/submit	RIGHTS: Also takes audio rights. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: open until 10/2/22
Heartlines	SF/fantasy fiction and poetry themed to long-term relationships, incl. Platonic	$0.059		https://www.heartlines-spec.com/submission-guidelines/
Dark Recesses Magazine	Horror and dark fiction	$0.050		http://darkrecessespress.com/submissions/
Grendel Press ONGOING ANTHOLOGIES	Dark fantasy and horror, themed and unthemed	$0.050		https://grendelpress.com/anthology-submissions/
Solarpunk Creatures (World Weaver Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/1/22-10/31/22	Themed to solarpunk featuring non-human characters	$0.030		https://www.worldweaverpress.com/submit-anthologies.html
Translunar Travelers Lounge	Fun SF and fantasy	$0.030		https://translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/	SUBMISSION PERIODS: 3/15-3/21 (POC), 3/22-4/15 (all), 9/15-9/21 (POC), 9/22-10/15 (all)
Under the Stairs	Horror	$0.030		https://www.underthestairsmag.com/submissions	ONE-TIME THEME DUE 10/31/22: Homebound Horror
Wild Hunt Magazine	Weird and surreal, themed issues	$0.027		https://wildhuntmag.com/submissions	Wordcount may vary by issue. Note: offers paid critique feature. ONE-TIME THEME DUE 10/2/22: Moon.
Dragon Gems (Water Dragon Publishing)	Fantasy or science fiction	$0.020		https://waterdragonpublishing.com/submissions/dragon-gems/
Alchemy Press Book of the Unknown, The (Alchemy Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/1/22-12/14/22	Weird fiction with a hint of horror	$0.013		https://alchemypress.wordpress.com/2022/07/30/the-unknown/
Cafe Irreal Magazine	Fabulist fiction	$0.010		http://cafeirreal.alicewhittenburg.com/
Fable (Aurelia Leo) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/30/22	Horror, mystery, thriller, especially with supernatural elements	$0.010		https://pridebookcafe.com/fable-an-anthology-of-horror-suspense-the-supernatural/?v=7516fd43adaa
Fable (Pride Book Cafe) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/30/22	Horror and mystery, especially supernatural	$0.010		https://pridebookcafe.com/fable-an-anthology-of-horror-suspense-the-supernatural/?v=7516fd43adaa
Pride Quarterly (Aurelio Leo/Pride Book Cafe)	All speculative fiction, from flash fiction to novella and poetry by limited demographic: QTBIPOC creators	$0.010		https://pridebookcafe.com/pride-quarterly/?v=7516fd43adaa
Sand, Salt, Blood (Sliced Up Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/16/22 OR UNTIL FULL	Horror fiction and poetry, themed to the sea	$0.010		https://sliceduppress.com/submissions/
Back Forty (JayHenge Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE UNTIL FULL	Speculative fiction themed to frontiers	$0.005		http://www.jayhenge.com/callforstories.html
Vampiricon, The (Mind’s Eye Publications) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/1/22-10/31/22	All genres, fiction and poetry, themed to vampires	$0.005		https://mindseyepublications.submittable.com/submit
Phantom Wine Ghost Story Contest (Bogle Vineyards) ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 10/31/22	Ghost stories		$5,000.00	https://phantomwine.com/ghoststories/	Capped at 250 entries
Escape Pod (Podcast) Novelette Reprints	SF reprints only		$100.00	https://escapeartists.moksha.io/publication/escape-pod/27/submit	An Escape Artists publication. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 9/15/22-5/31/23
Haunting Hooks: Scary Story Opener Writing Contest (Dictionary.com) ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 10/7/22	SF themed to scary SF story opening (beginning only)		$100.00	https://www.dictionary.com/e/scary-story-opener-writing-contest/
word west revue	Western-themed fiction and poetry, including weird western		$100.00	https://www.wordwestrevue.co/submit	SUBMISSION PERIODS: 9/15-11/15, 3/15-6/15
Bikes in Space Series ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY - DUE 1/15	All feminist speculative fiction, themed to bikes plus annual theme		$50.00	https://microcosmpublishing.com/blog/tag/call-for-submissions/	ONE-TIME 1/15/23 THEME: gardens
Halloween Contest (Tales from the Moonlit Path) ANNUAL CONTEST – DUE 10/13/22	Horror and dark speculative fiction, themed to prompt		$50.00	https://talesmoonlitpath.com/halloween-challenge-2022/
Tales from the Moonlit Path ANNUAL CONTEST – DUE 10/13	Horror, themed to quote		$50.00	https://talesmoonlitpath.com/halloween-challenge-2022/
Mycelia	Eerie, weird literary fiction and poetry		$44.47	https://www.hederafelix.com/submissions/
Empire of Beasts (Lost Boys Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/1/22	SF and fantasy themed to a new society of an anthropomorphized creature		$40.00	https://www.lostboyspress.com/empire-of-beasts
Rituals & Grimoires (Quill and Crow) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/1/22	Horror and dark fantasy themed to dark wizards		$40.00	https://www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com/rituals-and-grimoires
Women and the Sea (Tyche Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/30/22	All genres, themed to women and the sea		$38.36	https://www.rhondaparrish.com/home/open-calls-for-submission/
Dead of Winter (Toasted Cheese Literary Journal) CONTEST – ANNUAL, due 10/1-12/21	Horror set in autumn or winter, themed		$25.00	http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/dead-of-winter/	Annual theme is posted Oct 1st. Word count range varies by year.
Eidetic	Horror		$25.00	https://www.spibb.net/eidetic	Flash fiction under 1,000 words, short stories 2,000-10,000 words.
Alien Dimensions	SF themed to aliens in space		$20.00	http://aliendimensions.com/submission-guidelines/
Theatre Phantasmagoria, The (Night Terror Novels)	Horror flash fiction, themed monthly		$13.33	https://nightterrornovels.wordpress.com/2021/12/02/announcement-ongoing-flash-fiction-now-open-for-submissions/
A-Z of Horror (Red Cape Publishing) ONGOING ANTHOLOGY SERIES	Horror, themes change every 2 months.		$11.52	https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME 2022 THEMES: 9/1/22-10/31/22, quantum; 11/1/22-12/31/22, revenge. RIGHTS: Must not be available elsewhere.
Full Moon Chronicles (Howling Wolf Press)	Speculative fiction, flash fiction, and poetry		$10.00	https://www.howlingwolfpress.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 9/1/22-10/31/22
Incubate (Speculation Publications) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/14/22	Feminist horror themed to rage		$10.00	https://www.speculationpub.com/submissions
Tales from the Moonlit Path	Horror and dark speculative fiction		$10.00	https://talesmoonlitpath.com/submissions/
Yay! They’re Here! (Dead Fish Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/31/22	SF themed to first contact with aliens		$5.00	https://deadfishbooks.com/submissions.html
Hoot	All genres, flash fiction and poetry		$0.00	http://www.hootreview.com/submissions/
Neon Hemlock Novellas	Science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, and weird, especially queer stories			https://www.neonhemlock.com/submissions	2022 SUBMISSION PERIODS: October 11-24, 2022 all authors.
Mysterium Tremendum (Silent Motorist Media) – DEAD MARKET	Weird fiction/horror, themed to the sacred or numinous		$50.00
Boneyard Soup – DEAD MARKET	Horror and dark fantasy	$0.050
Page & Spine – DEAD MARKET	All genres, incl. SF/spec fic/H	$0.010
Wondrous Real Magazine, The – DEAD MARKET	Fabulism		$10.00
Legendary Tales – DEAD MARKET	All speculative fiction	$0.010
Nightmares and Phantasms PODCAST – DEAD MARKET	Horror		$5.00
Constraint 280 (microverses) – DEAD MARKET	Speculative micro-fiction		$2.80	https://microverses.net/submissions	Wordcount estimated. 280 character maximum.
Mantid Magazine – DEAD MARKET	Speculative fiction		$75.00
Lackington's – DEAD MARKET	Speculative fiction, themed	$0.008		https://lackingtons.com/submissions/
Liquid Imagination – DEAD MARKET	Spec-fic and literary. Also has a special flash fiction section.		$8.00

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!

Abra Staffin-Wiebe, Keeper of Lists
Aswiebe’s Market List
Abra Staffin-Wiebe’s Author Website

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The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 9/15/2022. If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

Permanent link to this newsletter in the archives: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/aug-2022/

Thoughts in Passing

What makes a strong paragraph?

Watch your openings.
Go against the grain.
Mix it up.
End strong.
…And if you’re focusing too much on it, save it for your edits!

Watch your openings. Watch out for repetitive paragraph beginnings. He, she, then, while, next, [character name] are common offenders. My critique group recently flagged me for using “He” to open too many paragraphs in a section. Similar sentence structure at the beginning of each paragraph can also be a problem.

Go against the grain. This depends on your natural tendencies. Do you normally write short and choppy? See if you can blend some sentences together. Do you normally write long sentences? Break them up (while preserving the natural flow). Long sections of dialog? Add action or description. Heavy on “looking at”-type description? Work action into the description. Figure out what your normal tendencies are and train yourself to look for places to go against them. This flows best not as large sections of something different, but occasional changes within a paragraph.

Mix it up. This is similar to going against the grain, but it depends less on your natural tendency and more on paying attention to what you’ve done. Then do something different. This is also a good way to figure out what your natural tendencies are. Were the last 4-5 paragraphs long? Write a short one. What sentence structures have you been leaning on? Try a different one.

End strong. Humans naturally put more weight on endings. The last item in a list. The last word or clause in a sentence. The last sentence of a paragraph. That’s where to put things you want to hit home for the reader: an evocative image; a sound; a shocking emotion; or a hook to pull them on.

Save it for your edits! As always, your mileage may vary. Different techniques work for different writers. If you find yourself getting bogged down in the sentence- and paragraph-level of your writing, save it for edits of sections that you really want to shine.

(Inspired by someone else’s locked Patreon post.)

(Do you have a writing question? Send it to me, either by replying to this email or by using the contact form on my website, and it may get answered in the next newsletter.)

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

I’m deeply enjoying leaning into the weird and grotesque in my writing. When I cackle as I write, it’s a good sign. I’ve been cackling a lot as I write my latest project…

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/

Why Unreliable Characters Are So Compelling: https://careerauthors.com/why-unreliable-characters-are-so-compelling/

Quick Tips on Writing a Novelette: https://horrortree.com/quick-tips-on-writing-a-novelette/

Delete Me (privacy service): https://joindeleteme.com/

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

ChiCon 8 / WorldCon ($30), Sept 1-5, 2022: https://chicon.org/

Can*Con (CAD$45), Oct 14-16, 2022: https://can-con.org/2022-registration-and-price-list/

World Fantasy Convention ($125), Nov 3-6, 2022: https://www.wfc2022.org/

The Nebula Conference ($150) is over for 2022, but purchasing a membership now still gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://membership.sfwa.org/event-4563942

Featured Market

The Merciless Mermaids: Tails From the Deep anthology wants dark mermaid stories.

We’re sounding the ship’s bell for stories about malevolent and merciless merfolk of all kinds. Give us your mermaids who fought for the wrong reasons, made tough by their circumstances or by their own choices. Show us their schemes and villainous wiles, the fairytales that end in blood. Or laughter. Tempt us with their twisted workings across time and space, colors and creeds.
…Original “dark mermaid” short stories and poetry in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, and romance, appropriate for a “PG-13” audience. Mermaids must be integral to the story. Diverse cultures and non-traditional legends and persons welcomed. Please, no copyrighted characters.
Merciless Mermaids

Basics: all speculative fiction, themed, up to 5,000 words, pays $.06/wd, no reprints, due 8/31/22 – 10/7/22.

Guidelines: https://wordfirewestern.moksha.io/publication/merciless-mermaids-tails-from-the-deep/guidelines

Market List Updates

To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet. Note: going forward, limited demographic market listings will be italicized.

Name	What they want	Pay Per Word USD (originals)	Flat Pay USD (originals)	Website	Notes
Deadlands, The	Death-themed speculative fiction and poetry	$0.100		https://thedeadlands.com/guidelines/
Strange Horizons	All speculative fiction and poetry	$0.100		http://strangehorizons.com/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 10/3/22 UNTIL FULL (1,000 stories submitted)
Unspeakable Horror 3: Dark Rainbow Rising (Crystal Lake Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/30/22	LGBTQIA+-themed horror	$0.100		https://vinceliaguno.blogspot.com/2022/06/call-for-submissions-unspeakable-horror.html?m=1
Fantasy Magazine	Fantasy and dark fantasy fiction and poetry	$0.080		https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/fantasy/guidelines	OK to submit even if previously rejected by sister publications Nightmare Magazine or Lightspeed. SUBMISSION PERIODS: ONE-TIME open to BIPOC authors all of 2022. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD 10/1/22 – 10/7/22.
Flame Tree Press	Frequent themed anthologies	$0.080		https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/topic/call-for-submissions
Gothic Romance Anthology (Brigid’s Gate) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/30/22	Gothic romance. Limited author demographic: women and non-binary people	$0.080		https://brigidsgatepress.com/submissions
Immigrant Sci-Fi Short Stories (Flame Tree Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/30/22	SF themed to immigration and migration. Limited demographic: authors with direct/familial experience with theme.	$0.080		https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/immigrant-sci-fi-call-for-submissions-0-0
Merciless Mermaids: Tails from the Deep (WordFire Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/31/22-10/7/22	Themed to PG-13 dark mermaid stories	$0.060		https://wordfirewestern.moksha.io/publication/merciless-mermaids-tails-from-the-deep/guidelines
There’s No Place (Renaissance) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/30/22	All genres, themed to home. Limited demographic: authors who have experienced homelessness	$0.060		https://pressesrenaissancepress.ca/2022/06/29/call-for-submissions/	Accepted stories will be 70% Canadian
Alfred Hitchcock's	Mystery, including paranormal	$0.050		https://www.alfredhitchcockmysterymagazine.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines/	Long response time
Dread Machine	Dark SF, horror, magic realism, slipstream, and poetry	$0.050		https://www.thedreadmachine.com/submit/	Reprints up to 7,000 words.
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine	Mystery of all types	$0.050		https://www.elleryqueenmysterymagazine.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines/	Prefers 2,500 - 8,000
Dead & Bloated (The Evil Cookie Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/1/22	Extreme horror, with dark humor, themed to water	$0.030		https://theevilcookie.com/pages/submissions
Superstition (Redwood Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE UNTIL FULL	Horror and dark fiction themed to superstition	$0.020		https://redwood-press.com/category/submissions/
Interzone	Science fiction, fantasy, and horror	$0.015		https://interzone.press/submissions/	Do not submit the same story to Interzone and IZ Digital
IZ Digital (Interzone)	Science fiction, fantasy, and horror	$0.015		https://interzone.digital/story-submissions/	Do not submit the same story to Interzone and IZ Digital
After Dinner Conversation (Magazine and Podcast)	Discussion-provoking stories, all genres	$0.010		https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/submissions
Mythic Magazine	SF/F	$0.010		http://www.mythicmag.com/p/submissions.html	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 8/2/22 – 8/31/22
Project Briar Rose (Manawaker Studio) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/31/22	SF, themed to personal qualities (see guidelines)	$0.010		http://www.manawaker.com/submit-to-project-briar-rose/
Troopers (Shacklebound Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/31/22	Flash fiction themed to law enforcement and military SF	$0.010		https://shackleboundbooks.wordpress.com/troopers/
Two-thousand Word Terrors (Rooster Republic Press)	Horror	$0.010		https://roosterrepublicpress.com/short-story-submissions/	Wants about 2,000 words, slightly under is okay. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: due 8/31/22
Underland Arcana	Mildly speculative and weird fiction	$0.010		https://www.underlandarcana.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: Fall 2022, probably October
Emerging Writers Contest (Dream Foundry) ANNUAL CONTEST – DUE 8/8 – 10/8	Speculative fiction. Limited demographic: non-pro authors		$1,000.00	https://dreamfoundry.org/writing-contest/	No admission fee.
Into Chaos (Sans Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/6/22	All genres, themed to embracing the unknown and stepping into chaos		$151.25	https://www.sanspress.com/submissions
Pets, Pets, PETS!!! (Los Suelos, California) ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 9/5/22	All genres, esp. twisted, surreal, occult, themed to pets		$150.00	https://lossuelos.com/submissions/
Nemesis (Wicked Taxidermy Press) ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 8/31/22 (estimated)	Speculative fiction themed to enemies-to-relationship		$100.00	https://www.wickedtaxidermypress.com/submissions	All entries will be “considered for publication,” short stories’ regular rate is $10.
Furious Gazelle's Halloween Writing Contest, The ANNUAL CONTEST - DUE 10/01	All genres, themed to Halloween		$50.00	http://thefuriousgazelle.com/submit/halloween-writing-contest/
Tumbled Tales 1 (Wandering Wave Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/1/22	Speculative fiction, themed to subverting tropes and expectations		$25.00	https://wanderingwavepress.com/submissions
Ghastling, The	Psychological or quiet horror, ghost stories, themed		$17.74	https://theghastling.com/submit/	Check their Twitter for submission windows.
Flash Point Science Fiction	All speculative flash fiction		$15.00	https://flashpointsf.com/submissions/
Freeze Frame Fiction	Flash fiction, all genres		$10.00	https://freezeframefiction.com/write/submission-guidelines-faq/	SUBMISSION PERIODS: 8/1 – 12/31, 2/1 – 6/30
From the Yonder Vol 5 (War Monkey Publications) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/31/22	Horror based on folk legend or tall tale from around the world		$10.00	https://warmonkeypublications.com/submissions
Tales from the Radiator (Strong Branch Productions) PODCAST	All weird fiction and speculative fiction		$5.00	https://strongbranchproductions.com/tales-from-the-radiator/	RIGHTS: non-exclusive audio rights, plus reprint rights. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 9/30/22 or until 100 submissions received
Strange Libations: Dark Cocktails (Apex Magazine) ONE-TIME CALL – DUE 9/9/22	Dark micro-fiction in cocktail recipe form		$0.00	https://apexbookcompany.moksha.io/publication/strange-libations-dark-cocktails/guidelines
Hypnos Magazine – DEAD MARKET	Weird fiction and cosmic horror	$0.010			Fast response time.
Year After, The – DEAD MARKET	Fantasy, literary, and science fiction	$0.010		https://www.theyearaftermag.com/submissions
Timeworn Literary Journal – DEAD MARKET	Historical fiction, esp. incl. genre and speculative elements		$25.00
McCoy's Monthly – DEAD MARKET	All genres, incl. literary and SF		$20.00
Toasted Cake (Podcast) – DEAD MARKET (Indefinite Hiatus)	Speculative flash fiction		$15.00	http://toastedcake.com/submissions.html	ONE-TIME CLOSURE until August ?? 2022
Chillfiltr – DEAD MARKET (no longer lists pay)	Literary fiction and fantasy			https://chillfiltr.com/write-for-chillfiltr/
Daily Science Fiction – DEAD MARKET	SF, fantasy, slipstream, dark fantasy but not pure horror, etc.	$0.080		http://dailysciencefiction.com/submit/story/guidelines

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!

Abra Staffin-Wiebe, Keeper of Lists
Aswiebe’s Market List
Abra Staffin-Wiebe’s Author Website

Feel free to share this newsletter with others by whatever means you like, as long as you include all of it. 

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 9/15/2022. If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 8/15/2022. If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

Permanent link to this newsletter in the archives: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/july-2022/

Thoughts in Passing

Giving Yourself Grace … For a Little While

Life happens. It’s a truism because it’s true. After the past couple of years, we all understand how quickly our lives can be disrupted. Some disruptions are predictable (summer vacation, a new baby), others are less so (sickness, a dying relative, job loss). In my household, the last couple of months have been a little of column A, a little of column B. We’re all fine now.

My writing schedule, however, is shot. My Pacemaker.press wordcount graph looks terrible. You can really see when my kids came home from school, followed quickly by our whole family getting sick and then having an activity-packed family reunion.

I am not good at giving myself grace. I’m a fairly slow writer, and if I don’t drive myself to write on a schedule, suddenly weeks have gone by without words on the page. And I don’t write well in short spurts. I really need a few uninterrupted hours to sink into deep work mode.

So, grace. Giving yourself grace is not the same thing as giving up. Grace can be saying, “I can’t do as much as I want while [current circumstances], but I will if [better conditions].” Then you do what you can, when you can, under the current circumstances. Sometimes that’s a little, sometimes that’s nothing. Then you can either wait or do what you can until your circumstances change. That might be because they are temporary and have a natural end date. Or it might be because you have worked to get your life closer to those better conditions.

For me, knowing that there is an end condition and planning for it makes all the difference. I can give myself grace, even if right now all I can do is make a list, or take a few notes, or add a reminder to my calendar for later.

(Do you have a writing question? Send it to me, either by replying to this email or by using the contact form on my website, and it may get answered in the next newsletter.)

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

I’ve tinkered with the way the new market listings table shows up on the website. It should be more responsive for cellphones and smaller screens (will still display best on a larger screen). And now it has a search function! Please do leave a comment in my contact form letting me know what you think.

Other than that, I’m getting snippets of writing done on my space opera novel, when I can. Trying not to wince at how far behind my Pacemaker.press chart thinks I am!

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/
🧵 indicates a useful thread on Twitter.

Purgatorial Stories: Hallmarks and Patterns: https://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2022/07/25/purgatorial-stories-hallmarks-and-patterns/

Reflections on Writing Horror: https://horrortree.com/reflections-on-writing-horror-as-fast-as-she-can-blog-tour/

Here’s how to find your damn comps 🧵: https://twitter.com/GuerillaMemoir/status/1547916175379533832
…with caveats🧵: https://twitter.com/isabeljka/status/1549025082344968194

10 Swords Writing Exercise 🧵: https://twitter.com/SixFeetZen/status/1547621439099940865

Guard Rails Around the Bottomless Pit: https://maxgladstone.substack.com/p/guard-rails-around-the-bottomless

Behind the Scenes: http://www.augurmag.com/what-happens-to-a-submission-at-augur-magazine/

Romancing SFF: https://www.sfwa.org/2022/06/16/romancing-sff-why-romance-should-be-part-of-your-worldbuilding/

Publishing Checklist: Making Books: https://dreamfoundry.org/2022/06/23/publishing-checklist-making-books/

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

ChiCon 8 / WorldCon ($30), Sept 1-5, 2022: https://chicon.org/

Can*Con (CAD$45), Oct 14-16, 2022: https://can-con.org/2022-registration-and-price-list/

World Fantasy Convention ($125), Nov 3-6, 2022: https://www.wfc2022.org/

The Nebula Conference ($150) is over for 2022, but purchasing a membership now still gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://membership.sfwa.org/event-4563942

Featured Market

The annual Unidentified Funny Objects anthology wants humorous SF/fantasy, due 8/25/22.

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. The best way to learn what we like in general is to read a previous volume. You can buy them here and also read the online stories for free. WHAT WE DON’T WANT These are the tropes we see entirely too much of in the slush pile.
You will improve your odds if you steer clear of these:
* Zombies
* Vampires
* Deals with the Devil / Djinn in a bottle variants
* Stereotypical aliens probing people, abducting cattle, and doing other stereotypical alien things.
Unidentified Funny Objects

Basics: humorous speculative fiction, 500 – 6,000 words, pays $.08/wd, no reprints, 2022 submissions close 8/25/22.

Guidelines: https://alexshvartsman.com/ufo-unidentified-funny-objects/

Market List Updates

To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet. Note: going forward, limited demographic market listings will be italicized.

July '22 Update

New and updated science fiction, fantasy, and horror publication listings for Aswiebe's Market List, July 2022 edition.

Name	What they want	Pay Per Word USD (originals)	Flat Pay USD (originals)	Website	Notes
Unidentified Funny Objects ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY - DUE 7/26 – 8/25	Funny F/SF	$0.100		http://alexshvartsman.com/ufo-unidentified-funny-objects/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 7/26/22 – 8/25/22
Augur Magazine	Literary SF/F, fabulism, slipstream, and poetry	$0.088		http://www.augurmag.com/submissions/	80% Canadian. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: closes 7/31/22
Tales & Feathers Magazine	Cozy slice-of-life fantasy	$0.088		https://www.augurmag.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: closes 7/31/22
Daily Science Fiction	SF, fantasy, slipstream, dark fantasy but not pure horror, etc.	$0.080		http://dailysciencefiction.com/submit/story/guidelines	ONE-TIME temporary closure until ??
Fiyah	Speculative fiction. LIMITED DEMOGRAPHIC: authors from the African diaspora	$0.080		http://www.fiyahlitmag.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME THEME: Hauntings and Horrors due 7/31/22
Real Stories of the United States Space Force (Baen Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 1/22/23 or when full	Hard SF fiction, poetry, and fact, themed to current and future near-Earth space-related threats	$0.080		https://cstuarthardwick.com/ussf-call-for-submissions/
Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic: An Anthology of Hysteria Fiction ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/1/22	Dark speculative fiction, themed to hysteria	$0.060		https://www.cosmichorrormonthly.com/hysteria-submissions/	Charity anthology
Obsolescence (Alan Lastufka) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/??/22 UNTIL FULL	Dark SF, fantasy, and horror themed to technology	$0.060		https://alanlastufka.com/2022/07/16/announcing-obsolescence-a-dark-sci-fi-fantasy-and-horror-anthology/
Shakespeare Unleashed (Black Spot Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 8/21/22	Horror themed to Shakespeare’s works	$0.060		https://www.crystallakepub.com/announcing-our-next-anthology/
Utopia Science Fiction	SF, especially hard SF	$0.040		https://www.utopiasciencefiction.com/submit	Length: prefers up to 5,000 words, may serialize longer stories
Sherlock is a Girl’s Name (Clan Destine Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/30/22	Mystery of all types, themed to a female Sherlock Holmes	$0.035		https://www.clandestinepress.net/blogs/clan_destine_press_blog/call-for-submissions-sherlock-is-a-girls-name
Sci Phi	Non-character-driven SF, esp. big idea SF and classic-style SF	$0.033		https://www.sciphijournal.org/index.php/submission-guidelines/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: open until 8/4/22
Fusion Fragment	SF	$0.031		http://www.fusionfragment.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: open until 8/7/22
Post Roe Alternatives (B-Cubed Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/8/22	SF themed to the justice system post-Roe v. Wade	$0.030		https://bcubedpress.moksha.io/publication/post-roe-alternatives/guidelines	Query first for reprints or > 4,000 words.
Science Fiction Tarot, The (tdotSpec) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/04/22	SF	$0.030		http://tdotspec.com/submissions/
Neon Magazine	Dark literary fiction and poetry, especially surreal or speculative	$0.024		https://www.neonmagazine.co.uk/guidelines/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION THEMES: Machines due 1/15/23, Childhood due 6/15/23
Dirt in the Sky (Filthy Loot) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/15/22	Literary horror themed to the haves and have-nots	$0.020		https://www.filthyloot.com/submissions/
Intrepidus Ink	Speculative flash fiction, action-adventure, speculative fiction, and literary, with intrepid main character	$0.020		https://intrepidusink.com/
Speculative North Magazine (Tdotspec)	Speculative fiction	$0.016		http://tdotspec.com/submissions/
From the Depths (Wyldblood Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/31/22	Fantasy and fantastic horror themed to the sea	$0.012		https://wyldblood.com/from-the-depths/
Aphotic Realm Magazine	Horror fiction, flash fiction, and poetry	$0.010		https://aphoticrealm.com/submissions/
Night Terrors (Scare Street) ANTHOLOGY SERIES	Creepy literary dark fiction and horror	$0.010		https://scarestreet.com/submissions/	RIGHTS: takes non-exclusive audio rights, translation rights
Space and Time Magazine	Science fiction, fantasy, and horror	$0.010		https://spaceandtime.net/submissions/	Submission period: 1/15 – 1/31, 7/15 – 7/31
Two-Thousand Word Terrors (Rooster Republic Press)	Horror	$0.010		https://roosterrepublicpress.com/short-story-submissions/	ONE-TIME 2022 SUBMISSION PERIOD: 8/1/22 – 8/31/22
Wyngraf - flash fiction	Secondary world cozy fantasy flash fiction	$0.010		https://wyngraf.com/submissions/	SUBMISSION PERIOD: Always open to flash fiction submissions
Wyngraf - short stories	Secondary world cozy fantasy	$0.010		https://wyngraf.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: Opens 8/1/22
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology (Armoured Fox Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE UNTIL FULL	Furry erotic horror, themed	$0.005		https://armouredfoxpress.wixsite.com/website/callforsubmissions
Nameless Songs of Zadok Allen & Other Things That Should Not Be, The (JayHenge Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE UNTIL FULL	Cosmic horror	$0.005		http://www.jayhenge.com/callforstories.html
Phantom Thieves & Sagacious Scoundrels (JayHenge Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE UNTIL FULL	Speculative fiction themed to rogues and thieves	$0.005		http://www.jayhenge.com/callforstories.html
Imagining Indigenous Futures ANNUAL CONTEST - DUE 12/1	Indigenous SF writing sample		$1,000.00	https://iaftfita.wildapricot.org/Imagining-Indigenous-Futurisms-Award/
Tales by Moonlight Novella Contest (Ankara) ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 9/15/22	Fantasy novellas/novelettes		$1,000.00	https://ankaracircle.com/	WARNING: all entries will be published online for voting, using first publication rights.
Voyage	YA, all subgenres		$200.00	https://thevoyagejournal.com/submit/
Darkness Visible, A (Ontology Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/31/22	Postmodern or experimental horror		$96.25	https://www.ontologybooks.com/submissions
Heroic Fantasy Quarterly	Heroic fantasy, sword & sorcery fiction and poetry		$75.00	http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?page_id=39	Will serialize more than 10,000 words. ONE-TIME CLOSURE UNTIL ??
Weird Christmas Flash Fiction ANNUAL CONTEST - DUE 11/2	Weird flash fiction themed to Christmas		$75.00	https://weirdchristmas.com/2022/07/19/2022-weird-christmas-flash-fiction-contest-5th-annual/
Fairy Tale Magazine, The	Fairy tale retellings, themed. ONE-TIME 2023 THEME: love.		$50.00	https://www.fairytalemagazine.com/submissions	FKA Enchanted Conversation. Submission periods: 12/1/22 – 1/2/23 love-themed, 5/1/23 – 6/2/23. Occasional calls for longer works.
Wind Guide You (Sadwrn Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/1/22	Strange, setting-themed speculative flash fiction		$40.89	https://sadwrnpress.com/index.php/en/45-wind-guide-you-call-for-submissions
Curiouser Magazine	Surrealism, horror, weird, fabulism, and near-future SF		$34.79	https://curiousermag.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME DEMOGRAPHIC LIMITATION: Australian residents only for Issue 3 (subs opened 6/30/22)
Bullet Points	Military speculative fiction		$30.00	https://www.nathantoronto.com/bulletpoints/submissions
99 Fleeting Fantasies	Fantasy		$25.00	https://pulsepublishingsubmissions.moksha.io/publication/99-Fleeting-Fantasies/guidelines
Tales of Sley House ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY – DUE 7/1 UNTIL FULL	Fantasy, SF, horror, mystery, and thriller		$25.00	https://www.sleyhouse.com/submissions	Length: “about” 6,000 words. Submission periods: 7/1 – 7/15 college students only, 7/16 until full open for everyone
Funemployment Quarterly	SF and fantasy		$15.59	https://funemployment.xyz/submissions/
Night's End, The PODCAST	Dark speculative fiction, some themed issues		$10.00	https://www.nightsendpodcast.com/	ON-TIME THEME SUBMISSIONS: Halloween and Gothic/ghost stories due 8/29/22
Trembling with Fear	Horror, dark SF, and dark fantasy, themed and unthemed		$5.00	https://horrortree.com/submissions/	Wordcount and reprint acceptability varies, prefers unthemed stories in 800-1,500 range, themed up to 2,500, may serialize longer. ANNUAL SUBMISSION THEMES: 12/1 – 1/25 Valentine, 2/1 – 7/31 Summer Holiday, 7/1 – 10/13 Halloween, 7/1 – 12/7 Christmas. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: Summer Holiday theme until 8/31/22
Every Day Fiction	All flash fiction		$3.00	http://www.everydayfiction.com/submit-story/
Future Fiction	Near-future hard SF			https://www.futurefiction.org/proposte-editoriali/?lang=en	Works accepted in 13+ different languages and published in translation to Italian and German
Nightfire (Tor/Forge's Horror Imprint)	Horror novels and novellas			https://nightfire.moksha.io/publication/nightfire/guidelines	ONE-TIME CLOSURE until ??
Queer Blades (Farther Trees) – DEAD MARKET	Fantasy adventure with LGBTQIA+ main characters		$10.00	https://farthertrees.wordpress.com/queerblades/
Scare Story – DEAD MARKET	Horror themed to ghosts, monsters, the supernatural etc.	$0.010		https://scarestreet.com/submissions/
Annorlunda Enterprises – DEAD MARKET	All genres except horror and erotica		$100.00
From the Farther Trees – DEAD MARKET	Fantasy		$10.00	https://farthertrees.wordpress.com/submissions/
Satyr Central – DEAD MARKET	All genres, esp. weird and genre-nonconforming fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, superhero, horror, comedy		$20.00
Aftermath – DEAD MARKET	Realistic apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic environmental fiction	$0.020		https://www.aftermathmag.org/submissions.html

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!

Abra Staffin-Wiebe, Compiler of Lists
Aswiebe’s Market List
Abra Staffin-Wiebe’s Author Website

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Table Test

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July '22 Update

New and updated science fiction, fantasy, and horror publication listings for Aswiebe's Market List, July 2022 edition.

Name	What they want	Pay Per Word USD (originals)	Flat Pay USD (originals)	Website	Notes
Unidentified Funny Objects ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY - DUE 7/26 – 8/25	Funny F/SF	$0.100		http://alexshvartsman.com/ufo-unidentified-funny-objects/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 7/26/22 – 8/25/22
Augur Magazine	Literary SF/F, fabulism, slipstream, and poetry	$0.088		http://www.augurmag.com/submissions/	80% Canadian. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: closes 7/31/22
Tales & Feathers Magazine	Cozy slice-of-life fantasy	$0.088		https://www.augurmag.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: closes 7/31/22
Daily Science Fiction	SF, fantasy, slipstream, dark fantasy but not pure horror, etc.	$0.080		http://dailysciencefiction.com/submit/story/guidelines	ONE-TIME temporary closure until ??
Fiyah	Speculative fiction. LIMITED DEMOGRAPHIC: authors from the African diaspora	$0.080		http://www.fiyahlitmag.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME THEME: Hauntings and Horrors due 7/31/22
Real Stories of the United States Space Force (Baen Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 1/22/23 or when full	Hard SF fiction, poetry, and fact, themed to current and future near-Earth space-related threats	$0.080		https://cstuarthardwick.com/ussf-call-for-submissions/
Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic: An Anthology of Hysteria Fiction ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/1/22	Dark speculative fiction, themed to hysteria	$0.060		https://www.cosmichorrormonthly.com/hysteria-submissions/	Charity anthology
Obsolescence (Alan Lastufka) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/??/22 UNTIL FULL	Dark SF, fantasy, and horror themed to technology	$0.060		https://alanlastufka.com/2022/07/16/announcing-obsolescence-a-dark-sci-fi-fantasy-and-horror-anthology/
Shakespeare Unleashed (Black Spot Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 8/21/22	Horror themed to Shakespeare’s works	$0.060		https://www.crystallakepub.com/announcing-our-next-anthology/
Utopia Science Fiction	SF, especially hard SF	$0.040		https://www.utopiasciencefiction.com/submit	Length: prefers up to 5,000 words, may serialize longer stories
Sherlock is a Girl’s Name (Clan Destine Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/30/22	Mystery of all types, themed to a female Sherlock Holmes	$0.035		https://www.clandestinepress.net/blogs/clan_destine_press_blog/call-for-submissions-sherlock-is-a-girls-name
Sci Phi	Non-character-driven SF, esp. big idea SF and classic-style SF	$0.033		https://www.sciphijournal.org/index.php/submission-guidelines/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: open until 8/4/22
Fusion Fragment	SF	$0.031		http://www.fusionfragment.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: open until 8/7/22
Post Roe Alternatives (B-Cubed Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/8/22	SF themed to the justice system post-Roe v. Wade	$0.030		https://bcubedpress.moksha.io/publication/post-roe-alternatives/guidelines	Query first for reprints or > 4,000 words.
Science Fiction Tarot, The (tdotSpec) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/04/22	SF	$0.030		http://tdotspec.com/submissions/
Neon Magazine	Dark literary fiction and poetry, especially surreal or speculative	$0.024		https://www.neonmagazine.co.uk/guidelines/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION THEMES: Machines due 1/15/23, Childhood due 6/15/23
Dirt in the Sky (Filthy Loot) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/15/22	Literary horror themed to the haves and have-nots	$0.020		https://www.filthyloot.com/submissions/
Intrepidus Ink	Speculative flash fiction, action-adventure, speculative fiction, and literary, with intrepid main character	$0.020		https://intrepidusink.com/
Speculative North Magazine (Tdotspec)	Speculative fiction	$0.016		http://tdotspec.com/submissions/
From the Depths (Wyldblood Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/31/22	Fantasy and fantastic horror themed to the sea	$0.012		https://wyldblood.com/from-the-depths/
Aphotic Realm Magazine	Horror fiction, flash fiction, and poetry	$0.010		https://aphoticrealm.com/submissions/
Night Terrors (Scare Street) ANTHOLOGY SERIES	Creepy literary dark fiction and horror	$0.010		https://scarestreet.com/submissions/	RIGHTS: takes non-exclusive audio rights, translation rights
Space and Time Magazine	Science fiction, fantasy, and horror	$0.010		https://spaceandtime.net/submissions/	Submission period: 1/15 – 1/31, 7/15 – 7/31
Two-Thousand Word Terrors (Rooster Republic Press)	Horror	$0.010		https://roosterrepublicpress.com/short-story-submissions/	ONE-TIME 2022 SUBMISSION PERIOD: 8/1/22 – 8/31/22
Wyngraf - flash fiction	Secondary world cozy fantasy flash fiction	$0.010		https://wyngraf.com/submissions/	SUBMISSION PERIOD: Always open to flash fiction submissions
Wyngraf - short stories	Secondary world cozy fantasy	$0.010		https://wyngraf.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: Opens 8/1/22
Furry/Lovecraftian/Erotic/University Themed Anthology (Armoured Fox Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE UNTIL FULL	Furry erotic horror, themed	$0.005		https://armouredfoxpress.wixsite.com/website/callforsubmissions
Nameless Songs of Zadok Allen & Other Things That Should Not Be, The (JayHenge Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE UNTIL FULL	Cosmic horror	$0.005		http://www.jayhenge.com/callforstories.html
Phantom Thieves & Sagacious Scoundrels (JayHenge Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE UNTIL FULL	Speculative fiction themed to rogues and thieves	$0.005		http://www.jayhenge.com/callforstories.html
Imagining Indigenous Futures ANNUAL CONTEST - DUE 12/1	Indigenous SF writing sample		$1,000.00	https://iaftfita.wildapricot.org/Imagining-Indigenous-Futurisms-Award/
Tales by Moonlight Novella Contest (Ankara) ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 9/15/22	Fantasy novellas/novelettes		$1,000.00	https://ankaracircle.com/	WARNING: all entries will be published online for voting, using first publication rights.
Voyage	YA, all subgenres		$200.00	https://thevoyagejournal.com/submit/
Darkness Visible, A (Ontology Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/31/22	Postmodern or experimental horror		$96.25	https://www.ontologybooks.com/submissions
Heroic Fantasy Quarterly	Heroic fantasy, sword & sorcery fiction and poetry		$75.00	http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?page_id=39	Will serialize more than 10,000 words. ONE-TIME CLOSURE UNTIL ??
Weird Christmas Flash Fiction ANNUAL CONTEST - DUE 11/2	Weird flash fiction themed to Christmas		$75.00	https://weirdchristmas.com/2022/07/19/2022-weird-christmas-flash-fiction-contest-5th-annual/
Fairy Tale Magazine, The	Fairy tale retellings, themed. ONE-TIME 2023 THEME: love.		$50.00	https://www.fairytalemagazine.com/submissions	FKA Enchanted Conversation. Submission periods: 12/1/22 – 1/2/23 love-themed, 5/1/23 – 6/2/23. Occasional calls for longer works.
Wind Guide You (Sadwrn Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/1/22	Strange, setting-themed speculative flash fiction		$40.89	https://sadwrnpress.com/index.php/en/45-wind-guide-you-call-for-submissions
Curiouser Magazine	Surrealism, horror, weird, fabulism, and near-future SF		$34.79	https://curiousermag.com/submissions/	ONE-TIME DEMOGRAPHIC LIMITATION: Australian residents only for Issue 3 (subs opened 6/30/22)
Bullet Points	Military speculative fiction		$30.00	https://www.nathantoronto.com/bulletpoints/submissions
99 Fleeting Fantasies	Fantasy		$25.00	https://pulsepublishingsubmissions.moksha.io/publication/99-Fleeting-Fantasies/guidelines
Tales of Sley House ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY – DUE 7/1 UNTIL FULL	Fantasy, SF, horror, mystery, and thriller		$25.00	https://www.sleyhouse.com/submissions	Length: “about” 6,000 words. Submission periods: 7/1 – 7/15 college students only, 7/16 until full open for everyone
Funemployment Quarterly	SF and fantasy		$15.59	https://funemployment.xyz/submissions/
Night's End, The PODCAST	Dark speculative fiction, some themed issues		$10.00	https://www.nightsendpodcast.com/	ON-TIME THEME SUBMISSIONS: Halloween and Gothic/ghost stories due 8/29/22
Trembling with Fear	Horror, dark SF, and dark fantasy, themed and unthemed		$5.00	https://horrortree.com/submissions/	Wordcount and reprint acceptability varies, prefers unthemed stories in 800-1,500 range, themed up to 2,500, may serialize longer. ANNUAL SUBMISSION THEMES: 12/1 – 1/25 Valentine, 2/1 – 7/31 Summer Holiday, 7/1 – 10/13 Halloween, 7/1 – 12/7 Christmas. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: Summer Holiday theme until 8/31/22
Every Day Fiction	All flash fiction		$3.00	http://www.everydayfiction.com/submit-story/
Future Fiction	Near-future hard SF			https://www.futurefiction.org/proposte-editoriali/?lang=en	Works accepted in 13+ different languages and published in translation to Italian and German
Nightfire (Tor/Forge's Horror Imprint)	Horror novels and novellas			https://nightfire.moksha.io/publication/nightfire/guidelines	ONE-TIME CLOSURE until ??
Queer Blades (Farther Trees) – DEAD MARKET	Fantasy adventure with LGBTQIA+ main characters		$10.00	https://farthertrees.wordpress.com/queerblades/
Scare Story – DEAD MARKET	Horror themed to ghosts, monsters, the supernatural etc.	$0.010		https://scarestreet.com/submissions/
Annorlunda Enterprises – DEAD MARKET	All genres except horror and erotica		$100.00
From the Farther Trees – DEAD MARKET	Fantasy		$10.00	https://farthertrees.wordpress.com/submissions/
Satyr Central – DEAD MARKET	All genres, esp. weird and genre-nonconforming fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, superhero, horror, comedy		$20.00
Aftermath – DEAD MARKET	Realistic apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic environmental fiction	$0.020		https://www.aftermathmag.org/submissions.html

27 Places to Sell Flash Fiction, and Other Market List Updates

The next update of Aswiebe’s Market List will be after 7/15/2022. If you don’t want to miss an update, subscribe to the Aswiebe’s Market List newsletter: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/subscribe-to-market-list/

Thoughts in Passing

27 Places to Sell Flash Fiction

What even is flash fiction? Because the major awards don’t have a “flash fiction” category, there is no standard definition. Most publications agree that if it’s under 1,001 words, it is flash fiction. Some stretch that to under 1,501 words or even 2,001 words. Some ask for fiction that’s under 501 words. (And then there’s micro-fiction, which is usually under 300 words, and drabbles, which are exactly 100 words long.)

How do you know if a publication is flash fiction friendly? Even if they don’t list a minimum wordcount in their guidelines, flash fiction may be a hard sell. If they specifically mention flash fiction in their guidelines, that’s a good sign! If they say that they have more room for shorter stories, that’s a good sign!

What’s the best place to sell flash fiction? Flash fiction contests are worth considering. Low risk, high reward! Publications that specialize in flash fiction are a good bet. When comparing publications, remember that a flat pay rate instead of a per-word pay rate may be a better deal for flash fiction. And for these very short pieces, it’s great to find publications with a minimum guaranteed payment.

Here are 27 places to sell your flash fiction.

Name	Min Wordcount	Max Wordcount	What they want	Pay Per Word USD (originals)	Flat Pay USD (originals)	Payment Notes	Website	Notes
Factor Four Magazine	0	1,000	All speculative flash fiction, especially SF, fantasy, supernatural, and superhero fiction	$0.110			https://factorfourmag.com/submissionsinfo/
Arcanist, The	0	1,000	SF/F/Horror flash fiction	$0.100			https://thearcanist.io/a-call-for-submissions-244f646d25a4
Third Flatiron Press	600	3,000	Science fiction, fantasy, horror, themed issues. Flash fiction, no theme required.	$0.080			https://thirdflatiron.com/	ONE-TIME THEME: 7/19/22 – 8/2/22 things with feathers (hope or the loss of)
Baffling Magazine (Neon Hemlock)	0	1,200	All speculative flash fiction	$0.080			https://www.bafflingmag.com/submissions
Pseudopod (Podcast)	500	6,000	Horror and dark fantasy	$0.080		$100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction	http://pseudopod.org/submissions/	An Escape Artists publication. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIODS: 3/1/22-7/31/22 (2022 anthologies and collections), 8/12/22-8/21/22
Gargantua (Air and Nothingness Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/1/22-1/31/23	1,000	1,000	All genres, flash fiction, themed to massive engineering megastructures	$0.080			http://aanpress.com/submissions.html
Metastellar	0	1,000	Fantasy, SF, and horror flash fiction	$0.080			https://www.metastellar.com/write-for-us/flash-fiction-story-submission/	ONE-TIME SUBMISSION WINDOW 10/1/22 – 10/31/22. NOTE: submission gives right of publication, even without a contract signing
Campfire Macabre Vol 2 (Cemetery Gates Media) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 6/1/22-8/15/22	500	1,500	Horror flash fiction, themed to When We Were Getting High, My Last Trick ‘r Treat, Body Grotesquerie, Ominous Visitors from Deep Space, or Out in the Fields, Forests, and Lakes	$0.080			https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/submissions/
Cast of Wonders Podcast	0	7,500	Clean YA SF/F/H	$0.080		$100 flat for reprints, $20 for flash fiction	http://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/	ONE-TIME 2022 SUBMISSION PERIODS: 06/15/22 – 06/30/22 (Young Authors), 08/01/22 – 08/31/22 (Flash Fiction Contest) ### Query first for > 6,000 words.
Podcastle (Podcast)	0	6,000	Fantasy fiction	$0.080		$100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction	http://podcastle.org/guidelines/	An Escape Artists publication. Original fiction up to 6,000 words, reprints up to 17,000. ONE-TIME SUBMISSION THEME: Indigenous Magic (#ownvoices) 7/1/22 – 7/31/22
Frozen Wavelets	0	1,500	Speculative flash fiction and poetry	$0.080			https://earthianhivemind.net/frozen-wavelets/	Reprints 500 – 1,500 or fewer words, original fiction 750 or fewer words.
Orion’s Belt	0	1,200	Literary speculative flash fiction	$0.080			https://www.orions-belt.net/submissions
PodCastle Flash Fiction Contest RECURRING CONTEST – DUE 3/1 – 3/31	0	500	Fantasy flash fiction	$0.080			https://podcastle.org/2021/02/16/podcastle-flash-fiction-contest-vi/	Recurring contest, rotates between Escape Artists publications Escape Pod, PodCastle, and PseudoPod.
Flame Tree Newsletter Flash Fiction	700	1,000	Horror and sci-fi, themed. Subscribe to free newsletter for themes.	$0.080			https://www.flametreepress.com/submissions/	SUBMISSION PERIOD: usually 2 weeks at the beginning of the month
Shoreline of Infinity	0	6,000	SF and Fantasy	$0.052		Pays £40/1,000 words	http://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/	RIGHTS: Also takes audio rights. ONE-TIME 2022 SUBMISSION PERIODS: 6/13 – 8/28 (flash fiction competition), 9/11 – 9/14
Apparition Lit	0	5,000	Speculative fiction, themed. Separate monthly flash fiction contest.	$0.050		$50 min	https://apparitionlit.com/submissions/	Submission periods: 2/15 – 2/28, 5/15 – 5/31, 8/15-08/31 (ONE-TIME 2022 THEME: Nostalgia), 11/15 – 11/30, with a 1-week extension each period for BIPOC.
Dose of Dread	500	1,000	Flash horror fiction	$0.020			https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/	SUBMISSION PERIOD: 1st – 15th Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct
Wyldblood Press – Wyld Flash	0	1,000	Speculative flash fiction	$0.012		Pays £.01/word	https://wyldblood.com/submissions-2/
Starward Shadows Quarterly	500	4,000	All spec-fic	$0.010		Flash fiction is paid $10 flat.	https://starwardshadows.com/submissions/
Wyngraf – flash fiction	0	1,001	Secondary world cozy fantasy flash fiction	$0.010			https://wyngraf.com/2022/03/20/now-open-to-cozy-flash-and-microfiction/
Hypnos Magazine	0	10,000	Weird fiction and cosmic horror	$0.010		$.03/wd for flash fiction	http://www.radiumtownpress.com/guidelines.html	Fast response time.
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine	0	10,000	All speculative fiction and poetry, especially humorous and lighthearted	$0.007		AU $0.01, min AU$20, max AU$100. Flash fiction and poetry AU$10.	https://andromedaspaceways.com/submissions-manager/	Subscribers and AU/NZ authors can submit up to 20,000 words. ONE-TIME CLOSURE until 7/1/22.
Electric Literature	0	10,000	Literary, all genres, incl. experimental. The Commuter takes flash fiction. Recommended Reading takes short stories.		$300.00	$100 for flash	https://electricliterature.submittable.com/submit	SUBMISSION PERIODS: Recommended Reading (short stories) has 2 1-week open submission periods, usually in Spring and Fall, The Commuter (flash fiction) has 4 1-week submission periods. NOTE: Long response time.
Craft Literary	0	6,000	Literary, with a focus on writing craft		$200.00	$100 for flash	https://www.craftliterary.com/submit/
Three-Lobed Burning Eye	0	7,500	All speculative fiction, western, and suspense		$100.00	$100 per story, or $30 for flash fiction.	http://www.3lobedmag.com/submissions.html
Flash Fiction Online	500	1,000	All genres, including SF/F/H and literary		$80.00		https://www.flashfictiononline.com/submission-guidelines-flash-fiction/what-were-looking-for-and-not/	Submission period: 1st to 21st monthly, closed December.
Daily Science Fiction	100	1,500	SF, fantasy, slipstream, dark fantasy but not pure horror, etc.	$0.080		Plus $.05/wd if they choose to use story in anthology.	http://dailysciencefiction.com/submit/story/guidelines

Flash Fiction Markets

Do you have a writing question? Send it to me, either by replying to this email or by using the contact form on my website, and it may get answered in the next newsletter.

What I’ve been up to lately, writing-wise:

My cozy, funny, queer story about a haunted drag show and an unusual pest control specialist is now up at PodCastle! Go to Episode 740 to read or listen, or find it in your preferred podcast stream.

Note: ASL is its own language, with its own grammar and syntax that is different from English. This story is written to convey the meaning, not as a direct word-for-word translation. Special thanks to Anna Dudda for providing a Deaf expert reading.

Beck’s Pest Control and the Case of the Drag Show Downer

Things Shiny or Useful

Archive of all shiny or useful links: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/shiny-or-useful-writing-links/

Five PR Tools Every Writer Should Know About: https://www.authorsguild.org/industry-advocacy/five-pr-tools-every-writer-should-know-about/

9 Things We Learned From Tracking 150k Books for 3 Years on Amazon: https://www.ingramcontent.com/publishers-blog/9-things-we-learned-from-tracking-150k-books-for-3-years-on-amazon?

Dark Art as an Access Need: https://adahoffmann.substack.com/p/dark-art-as-an-access-need

Digital Security for Filmmakers: https://www.digitalsecurity.film/

Crash Override Network: http://www.crashoverridenetwork.com/resources.html

How to Write Character Arcs: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/write-character-arcs/

Setting boundaries (thread): https://twitter.com/AyanaGray/status/1535431505270525953

Accessible links (thread): https://twitter.com/Em1lySm/status/1516741011422199810

How to See if a Song is Copyrighted: https://legismusic.com/how-to-see-if-song-is-copyrighted/

List of Public Domain Music: https://www.pdinfo.com/public-domain-music-list.php

Free adspace on Dead Headspace for LGBTQ+ community through 7/24/22: https://horrortree.com/dead-headspace-is-offering-free-ad-space-to-the-lgbtq-community/

Reimagining Conflict: https://www.sfwa.org/2022/05/10/reimagining-conflict-writing/

Reasonable Agreement: On the Crapification of Literary Contracts: https://doctorow.medium.com/reasonable-agreement-ea8600a89ed7

Using Writer’s Block to Diagnose Story Problems: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryrobinettekowal/video/7081295775627480362

Classes for BIPOC writers: https://twitter.com/tinytempest/status/1537421038115381249

Atticus (for creating ebooks): https://www.atticus.io/

Sorting Hat Chats: https://sortinghatchats.wordpress.com/2020/01/17/the-basics/

What Debut Authors Should Know (thread): https://twitter.com/MissDahlELama/status/1537437057332617216

Artbreeder (Creative Commons AI art generator, great for character art!): https://www.artbreeder.com/beta/about

Upcoming Virtual Conventions/Workshops

(Any registration fees are noted.)

Westercon (?), July 1-4, 2022: http://westercon74.org/

ChiCon 8 / WorldCon ($30), Sept 1-5, 2022: https://chicon.org/

The Nebula Conference ($150) is over for 2022, but purchasing a membership now still gets access to recorded panels and year-round special events: https://membership.sfwa.org/event-4563942

Featured Market

Mysterion wants speculative fiction that engages with Christianity. Open for submissions during July 2022.

We are looking for speculative stories that meaningfully engage with Christianity.
Your story doesn’t need to teach a moral or cleave closely to an approved theological position.
Your story doesn’t need to be pro-Christian. We’re unlikely to publish anything that insults us, but we do want to read stories that challenge us. Having said that, there are tropes we see too often in stories critical of Christian faith and tradition: evil preachers, theocratic dystopias, Christians abandoning their faith because something inexplicable happened, crazy Christians trying to bring about the apocalypse by doing something in Israel, an unambiguously evil God. Any of these will be a hard sell.
There are tropes we see too often on the pro-Christian side, too. Stories where the plot resolution hinges on one or more characters becoming Christian, apocalypse stories based on a literal reading of Revelation, rapture stories, spiritual warfare with angels and demons as characters, retold Bible stories, allegory, theocratic utopias, anything that reads like C.S. Lewis fanfic. You’d have to do a very unique take on one of these to get anything other than a quick rejection.
Mysterion

Basics: themed speculative fiction, up to 9,000 words, pays $.08/wd for original work, $.04/wd for reprints, reprints okay, annual submission periods in January and July.

Guidelines: https://www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html

Market List Updates

To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet. Note: going forward, limited demographic market listings will be italicized.

Test
Name	What they want	Pay Per Word USD (originals)	Flat Pay USD (originals)	Website	Notes
Alternate History (Flame Tree Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 7/11/22	SFF themed to alternate history	$0.080		https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/alternate-history-call-for-submissions-0-0
Baffling Magazine (Neon Hemlock)	All speculative flash fiction	$0.080		https://www.bafflingmag.com/submissions
Hidden Realms (Flame Tree Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 7/11/22	SFF themed to hidden places	$0.080		https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/hidden-realms-call-for-submissions-0?
Mysterion	SF, fantasy, and horror with Christian themes	$0.080		http://www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html	SUBMISSION WINDOWS: January, July
Third Flatiron Press	Science fiction, fantasy, horror, themed issues. Flash fiction, no theme required.	$0.080		https://thirdflatiron.com/	ONE-TIME THEME: 7/19/22 – 8/2/22 things with feathers (hope or the loss of)
Mythulu	SF/F/H, themed	$0.040		https://mythulu.com/emagazine-submission-call/
Night Frights (Dark Moon Digest) ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/1	PG-rated YA horror	$0.030		https://perpetualpublishing.com/2022/05/21/now-open-for-submissions-night-frights-a-ya-horror-magazine/
Superstition (Redwood Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 7/1/22 until full	Horror and dark fiction and poetry themed to superstition	$0.020		https://redwood-press.com/category/submissions/
Wyldblood Press – Wyld Flash	Speculative flash fiction	$0.012		https://wyldblood.com/submissions-2/
Museum Piece (Metaphorosis Books) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 7/31/22	SFF themed to museums	$0.010		https://books.metaphorosis.com/open-calls/
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine	All speculative fiction and poetry, especially humorous and lighthearted	$0.007		https://andromedaspaceways.com/submissions-manager/	Subscribers and AU/NZ authors can submit up to 20,000 words. ONE-TIME CLOSURE until 7/1/22.
Islandia Journal	All genres, themed to myth, folklore, history, and ecology of Florida and the Caribbean		$100.00	https://www.islandiajournal.com/
Short Story Substack	All genres		$100.00	https://shortstory.substack.com/p/coming-soon
Flash Fiction Online	All genres, including SF/F/H and literary		$80.00	https://www.flashfictiononline.com/submission-guidelines-flash-fiction/what-were-looking-for-and-not/	Submission period: 1st to 21st monthly, closed December.
Reclaiming Joy (WriteHive) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 7/1/22 – 8/30/22	Speculative fiction themed to reclaiming joy after difficulties		$30.00	https://writehive.org/news/coming-soon-reclaiming-joy-anthology/
Future Fire, The	Progressive speculative fiction and poetry		$20.00	http://futurefire.net/guidelines/fiction.html	Prefers under 7,500 words.
Haunted Train, The: Creepy Tales from the Railways ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 8/15/22	Stories about trains		$10.72	https://www.raynehall.com/general-8
Incubate (Speculation Publications) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE UNTIL FULL	Feminist horror themed to rage		$10.00	https://www.speculationpub.com/submissions
Insignia’s Best Asian Speculative Fiction ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY – DUE 6/1 – 6/30	All speculative fiction set in Asia with an Asian main character, reprints only		$5.00	https://insigniastories.com/subs/
Wyldblood Press – Novels and Novellas	Science fiction and fantasy		$0.00	https://wyldblood.com/submissions-2/

Updated Listings for June

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!

Abra Staffin-Wiebe, Compiler of Lists
Aswiebe’s Market List
Abra Staffin-Wiebe’s Author Website

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