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
Unidentified Funny Objects
* Vampires
* Deals with the Devil / Djinn in a bottle variants
* Stereotypical aliens probing people, abducting cattle, and doing other stereotypical alien things.
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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