Calls for Submission #5

• The biggies, of course, are Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Very tough markets, but you can find the guidelines here:
• http://www.themysteryplace.com/eqmm/guidelines/
• http://www.themysteryplace.com/ahmm/guidelines/
• Streets of Shadows. 2k-4k words, deadline April 3, 2014. Pays $0.06 per word. http://alliterationink.tumblr.com/post/78447701060/streets-of-shadows-is-open-for-submissions
• The Exile Book of New Canadian Noir. Submissions are open NOW! Canadian authors only. Pro rates. https://newcanadiannoir.submittable.com/submit
• Drag Noir Deadline March 20, token payment plus a copy. Deadline March 20, 2014.  http://www.foxspirit.co.uk/call-for-stories-drag-noir/
• One Eye Press. Lock and Load: Both Barrels Volume 3. Open March 2-May 11,2014. Pays $25. Looking for crime/noir fiction 1500-4500 words. http://oneeyepress.com/submissions
  Note, these guys also publish Shotgun Honey, which I’ve mentioned before as a non-paying flash market.
• Black Denim Lit. Token payment $5. http://www.bdlit.com/submissions.html (UPDATE: effective March 14, they now pay USD $0.01 / word)
• Black Scat Review. Pays a copy, deadline March 15. “Lit noir.” Query first. http://blackscatbooks.com/submissions/
• The Savage Kick. Max 8000 words, very specific guidelines. Only publishes once a year, 3-4 stories per issue. http://murderslim.com/?page=savage_kick_submissions&nav=nav_savage_kick&poster=poster_savage_kick_ho
• Australian writers with mystery or suspense tales set in Brisbane (very specific, I know) are needed. http://www.blackbeaconbooks.blogspot.com.au/p/submissions.html
• Over My Dead Body. 750-4000 words, pays $0.01 per word. No deadlines, query first. http://www.overmydeadbody.com/wguide13.htm
• Akashic Books Mondays are Murder mystery series. Non-paying. Max 750 words. Must have a “noir” feel. (Scroll down, as there are several calls on the same page). http://www.akashicbooks.com/submissions/
• All Due Respect. Quarterly crime fiction magazine. Looking for stories 2k words and up. Pays $25. No deadlines listed. http://all-due-respect.blogspot.in/p/submission-guidelines.html
• Level Best. Postal submissions only, and only open to residents of the six New England States. Looking for crime/thriller/mystery/horror stories, maximum 5,000 words, deadline April 30, 2014. Those selected will receive $25 and a copy of the anthology. http://levelbestbooks.com/submissions/
• Stay Cool: A Tribute to Elmore Leonard. Deadline September 30, 2014. http://perpetualpublishing.com/2013/10/07/call-for-submissions-stay-cool-a-tribute-to-elmore-leonard/
• The Big Click. Bi-monthly. Pays $100. Literary/crime fiction (read guidelines carefully, and maybe check out an issue before you submit). Ongoing deadlines. They specify open to underrepresented writers. Also, they require a query letter first, though this is not stated in their guidelines. http://www.thebigclickmag.com/guidelines/
• Needle. Noir (hard-boiled) market. Short fiction only (average is about 2400 words). Ongoing deadlines. Pays a copy  http://needlemag.wordpress.com/guidelines/
• Plan B Magazine. Pays $0.01 per word, straight mystery genre, max 5000 words. http://www.plan-b-magazine.com/guidelines/
• Read Short Fiction. Pro Market, pays $0.05 per word (1500-4000 words), takes all genres. http://www.readshortfiction.com/submission-guidelines/
• Spider Road Press. Eve’s Requiem: Five Tales of Women, Crime, and Horror. Max 8000 words, deadline April 30, 2014. Pays $20 and 2 contributors’ copies. Looking for “literary, intense stories in which strong women actively face dangerous situations.” No vampires/werewolves and violence must be plot-related (not gratuitous). http://www.spiderroadpress.com/Submissions.html 

Pro rate-paying markets currently accepting submissions:

• Women Destroy Fantasy. They have a very short submissions window, just March 15-31. Here’s an article from the editor, Cat Rambo, outlining what she looks for and what she likes. http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/2014/03/04/women-destroying-fantasy-what-ill-be-looking-for/
• Jamais Vu Issue 3 open for submissions until April 15, 2014. Fiction 1500-5k words (prefer 2k-3k), pays $0.05 per word (pro market). Quarterly.https://postmortempress.submittable.com/submit/28148
• Cemetery Dance October Dreams 2 anthology. This is an already tough market, made more so by only having one slot open! Deadline coming VERY soon–open until full! https://cemeterydance.submittable.com/submit 

Semi-pro markets currently accepting submissions:

• Primeval: A Journal of the Uncanny seeks essays and creative nonfiction (up to 5K words) related to the following: literature, music, film, television, infamous locations, and diabolical esoterica. Contributors are paid $50 and two copies. Open until filled. Send all submissions to primeval.journal@gmail.com.
• Postscripts to Darkness has re-opened for fiction submissions for our planned 6th volume, scheduled for release in Fall 2014! “We have revised our submission guidelines somewhat, so please read them carefully if you are thinking of sending your stories for our consideration.” We pay one cent/word (Canadian, minimum payment $25) for fiction between 1500 and 4500 words. http://pstdarkness.com/submissions-2/
• Like a Haunted Trail: Erotic Tales of the Weird Wild West. Deadline March 15, looking for erotica 3k-6k words. Pays $25.http://www.circlet.com/?p=5240
• The 2014 issue of The Martian Wave is still looking for submissions. All stories must centre around the exploration and colonization of space. Payment is 1/2 cent per word. Send your submissions ASAP. http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/tmwguidelines.htm
• Flapperhose. Looking for flash/short fiction up to 5,000 words (pays $0.01 per word) and poetry (2.5 cents per word). “Surreal, shadowy, sensual, satirical.” Not quite sure what that means. Quarterly, so the next deadline isn’t listed. http://flapperhouse.com/submit/
• Weird Bard Press. Torn Pages anthology. Looking for fiction about social upheaval, 1000-5000 words. This call is extremely vague, so I assume they’ll know what they want when they see it. No vampires, zombies, werewolves, or erotica. They want stories with queer/disabled/POC/”Other” characters. Political but not soapbox. Pays $0.02 per word. Open March 1-May 31 2014.http://www.weirdbard.com/p/page-one.html

Token, royalty, and non-paying markets currently accepting submissions:

• Witty Bard Publishing. They have one steampunk and one fantasy anthology upcoming. Deadline April 26, 2014. http://www.wittybardpublishing.com/
• Goblin Fruit. Poetry e-zine, pays $5 for poetry “of the fantastical.” (Think “Goblin Market” for example, revised fairy tales, speculative work). Next submission period April 9th – June 1st, 2014. http://www.goblinfruit.net/2013/fall/guidelines/
• Visionary Press Collaborative., (formally Visionary Press Cooperative,) has several submission calls out there. Check them all out here. Something for everyone… Horror, Children’s, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance, and Poetry. http://www.visionarypresscoop.ws/p/submission-calls.html
• Noodle Doodle Fear’s Accomplice 2 Anthology. Pays royalties, 5k-8k words. http://tmclean1.wix.com/noodledoodle#!submissions/c19rj
• James Ward Kirk Fiction. Serial Killers Quattuor. Pays a contributor’s copy. 3k-5k, open til filled. http://jwkfiction.com/index.php/opsub
• Sky Warrior Books. These Vampires Don’t Sparkle anthology. Deadline March 15, 2014. Royalties. http://skywarriorbooks.blogspot.ca/2013/08/new-vampire-anthology-call-for-writers.html

Contests:

•  Wicked Women Writers Contest. Theme: Beauty and the Beast. Create a 10 minute podcast. Deadline April 13, 2014. http://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/wicked-women-writers-challenge-2014/
• Flyway journal has recently opened their Sweet Corn Fiction Contest. First place is $500, publication, and organic Iowa Sweet Corn! Second place is $50 and publication. Entry fee: $12 (submission only) or $15 (submission + back issue) Deadline is March 31st. The final judge is Dean Bakopoulos. http://flyway.org/blog/uncategorized/sweet-corn-short-fiction-contest-with-guest-judge-dean-bakopoulos/
• Diego Comics Publishing Witches anthology. Looking for fantasy stories that involve a witch character, 2500-5000 words.https://www.diegopublishing.co.uk/kof-tales
• Broken Worlds Dystopian short fiction contest. Max 5000 words, deadline May 1, 2014. Prize is £100 Short listed stories will be published in an anthology. http://www.almondpress.co.uk/#/dystopian-short-story-contest/4581919339