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
This post is best viewed on a wide screen to allow for viewing tables.
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 | F | SF | H/DF | Pay Per Word USD (originals) | Flat Pay USD (originals) | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcanist, The | SF/F/Horror flash fiction | Y | Y | Y | $0.100 | https://thearcanist.io/a-call-for-submissions-244f646d25a4 | ONE-TIME TEMPORARY CLOSURE | |
| Strange Horizons | All speculative fiction and poetry | Y | Y | Y | $0.100 | http://strangehorizons.com/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/ | ONE-TIME CLOSURE UNTIL 2023 | |
| Apex Magazine | SF, fantasy, and horror | Y | Y | Y | $0.080 | https://apex-magazine.com/submissions/ | ONE-TIME CLOSURE in December. | |
| Apex Magazine Flash Fiction MONTHLY CONTEST – DUE 7th – end of month | SF, fantasy, and horror, themed | Y | Y | Y | $0.080 | https://apexbookcompany.moksha.io/publication/apex-magazine-flash-fiction | ||
| Baffling Magazine (Neon Hemlock) | All speculative flash fiction | Y | Y | Y | $0.080 | https://www.bafflingmag.com/submissions | ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: December, submissions themed to “performance” as well as unthemed | |
| Book Worms | Horror | N | N | Y | $0.080 | https://rsaintclaire.com/ | ||
| Crawling Moon: Queer Tales of Inescapable Dread (Neon Hemlock) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 1/15/23 | Themed, queer gothic horror | N | N | Y | $0.080 | https://www.neonhemlock.com/submissions | ||
| Darkness Beckons (Flame Tree Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/14/22 | Horror | N | N | Y | $0.080 | https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/darkness-beckons-submissions-0 | ||
| Frivolous Comma | Intersectional speculative fiction and poetry themed to under-represented people, culture, setting, etc. | Y | Y | Y | $0.080 | https://www.frivolouscomma.com/submit/ | ||
| Jim Baen Memorial Writing ANNUAL CONTEST – DUE 10/01 – 01/31 | Near future positive space exploration SF | N | Y | N | $0.080 | https://www.baen.com/contest-jbmssa | ||
| DreamForge Anvil | Positive science fiction and fantasy | Y | Y | N | $0.070 | https://dreamforgemagazine.com/call-for-submissions/ | ONE-TIME CLOSURE until ?? (historically Oct/Nov) | |
| On Spec | All spec-fic fiction and poetry, Canadians preferred | Y | Y | Y | $0.037 | https://onspecmag.wpcomstaging.com/submissions/ | ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 11/1/22 – 11/30/22 | |
| Tales from the Clergy: Stories Inspired by Ghost (October Nights Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/1/22 – 12/31/22 | Horror inspired by the band Ghost | N | N | Y | $0.030 | https://splattertheatre.com/pages/about-us | ||
| Best Horror of the Year ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY - DUE 12/01 | Horror | N | N | Y | $0.010 | https://ellendatlow.com/2022/03/11/call-for-submissions-for-the-best-horror-of-the-year-volume-fifteen-2022-material-only/ | ||
| Best of Utopian Speculative Fiction (Android Press) ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY – DUE 12/31/22 | Utopian speculative fiction reprints first published in the current year | Y | Y | Y | $0.010 | https://www.android-press.com/best-of-utopian-speculative-fiction-anthology | ||
| Dark Void Magazine | Science fiction horror in space | N | Y | Y | $0.010 | https://www.darkvoidmagazine.com/submissions | ||
| Underland Arcana | Mildly speculative and weird fiction | Y | Y | Y | $0.010 | https://www.underlandarcana.com/submissions/ | ONE-TIME SUBMISSION PERIOD: 10/1/22 - ?? | |
| Wind (Eerie River Publishing) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 12/1/22 - 12/31/22 | Horror themed to wind | N | N | Y | $0.008 | https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/open-submission | ||
| Quantum-Steampunk Short Story Contest ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 1/15/23 | Steampunk SF themed to quantum physics | N | Y | N | $1,500.00 | https://quantumfrontiers.com/2022/10/09/announcing-the-quantum-steampunk-short-story-contest/ | ||
| Story Unlikely’s Annual Short Story Contest ANNUAL CONTEST – DUE 10/1 – 12/31 | All genres, including fantasy, science fiction, etc | Y | Y | Y | $500.00 | https://www.storyunlikely.com/#contest | ||
| Dark Yonder | Noir and dark fiction, including dark SF and horror-adjacent | N | Y | Y | $50.00 | https://www.thaliapress.org/darkyonder | ||
| Damned and the Divine, The (Quill and Crow Publishing House) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/1/22 – 1/1/23 | Gothic fiction themed to mythology | Y | N | Y | $40.00 | https://www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com/anthologysubmissions | ||
| Violent Delights & Midsummer Dreams (Quill and Crow Publishing House) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 2/1/23 – 4/1/23 | Dark fiction themed to Shakespeare retellings | N | N | Y | $40.00 | https://www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com/anthologysubmissions | ||
| Wicked Bestiary, The (Quill and Crow Publishing House) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 6/1/23 – 9/1/23 | Dark fiction themed to monstrous folk tales and legendary creatures | Y | N | Y | $40.00 | https://www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com/anthologysubmissions | ||
| Dead Hookers in Gas Station Bathrooms (Sinister Smile Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE UNTIL FULL | Road trip horror | N | N | Y | $30.00 | https://www.sinistersmilepress.com/dh-submissions | ||
| For Those Who Deserve to Exist (Inked in Gray) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 10/31/22 - 12/30/22 | Triumphant speculative fiction by and about marginalized people. Limited demographic. | Y | Y | Y | $30.00 | https://inkedingray.com/2022-anthology-open-call/ | ||
| Brave New Weird (Tenebrous Press) ANNUAL AWARD / ANTHOLOGY – DUE 11/1 | Weird horror first published between 11/1 of previous year and 10/31 of current year, reprints only | N | N | Y | $25.00 | https://tenebrouspress.com/blog/2022/9/28/the-brave-new-weird-awards-are-coming-anthology-submissions-open-oct-1-2022 | ||
| Fanatical | Speculative fiction inspired by a tabletop game | Y | Y | Y | $21.90 | https://www.fanaticalmag.com/p/submissions_16.html | ||
| Deathcap & Hemlock | Themed to dark fiction in recipe format | N | N | Y | $10.00 | https://www.deathcapandhemlock.com/submit | ||
| Full Moon Chronicles (Howling Wolf Press) | Speculative fiction, flash fiction, and poetry | Y | Y | Y | $10.00 | https://www.howlingwolfpress.com/submissions/ | ONE-TIME INDEFINITE HIATUS due to hurricane | |
| Mesozoic Reader, The (Farther Trees) | All genres, themed to prehistory incl. dinosaurs, Lost World stories, etc. | Y | Y | N | $10.00 | https://farthertrees.wordpress.com/mesozoic-reader/ | ONE-TIME CLOSURE until fall 2023 | |
| Deadly Drabble Tuesdays (Hungry Shadow Press) | Horror, weird, dark SF, and dark fantasy drabbles | N | N | Y | $8.00 | https://www.hungryshadowpress.com/submissions | ||
| Corvid Queen | Feminist fairy and folk tales, retellings, and pop culture stories. | Y | N | N | $5.00 | https://corvidqueen.com/submit/ | Reprints only okay if original market is defunct. | |
| Trembling with Fear | Horror, dark SF, and dark fantasy, themed and unthemed | Y | Y | Y | $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 CLOSURE until early 2023 | |
| Twelve House Books | Weird novellas, novels, and story or poetry collections | Y | Y | Y | $0.00 | https://twelvehousebooks.wordpress.com/ | ||
| Neon Hemlock Novellas | Science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, and weird, especially queer stories | Y | Y | Y | https://www.neonhemlock.com/submissions | 2023 SUBMISSION PERIODS: June 2023 for trans women and POC, October 2023 all authors. | ||
| Grantville Gazette (Baen) – DEAD MARKET | Alternate history in the Grantville cannon | N | N | N | $0.060 | https://grantvillegazette.com/submissions-to-the-gazette/ | READ GUIDELINES. This is a very complicated shared world. WARNING: Submissions require posting on the message board. | |
| Universe Annex (Baen) – DEAD MARKET | F/SF | N | N | N | $0.060 | http://grantvillegazette.com/wp/universe-annex-submissions/ | Prefers < 15,000 words. WARNING: Submissions require posting on the message board. | |
| Were-Traveler, The – DEAD MARKET | Speculative fiction, themed issues. ONE-TIME THEMES: The Wyrd, Twisted, & Curst Creature Tarot (DUE 2021/2022); retro SF (DUE 2021/2022); undead (DUE 2022) | Y | Y | Y | $15.00 | https://the-were-traveler.weebly.com/submissions-call.html |
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 blog post/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 11/15/2022. 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/