This week Selene MacLeod once again brings us the occasional column Calls for Submission (CfS). You can see all of the CfS columns here. Don’t forget to joint Selene’s Facebook groups
Now here’s Selene with various calls, some with deadlines today and tomorrow! I bolded deadlines in the next week to make it easier to skim for them! – Beverly
This month, I’m going to let you in on my secrets. Many of these posts can be found in one or more of the groups on Facebook, but in case you were wondering where I found them, here you go. The thing to remember is, most of the work is done for you if you look here and in the groups. If you’re looking at the source pages, there is a lot more stuff to scroll through. You will also find a lot more dead links, sneaky vanity publishers, and high fees.
Duotrope.com –Always the most comprehensive source for open markets, Duotrope has come under fire for charging user fees. The fee is reasonable, though, for $50 a year (up front) or $5 a month (pay as you go).
The Submission Grinder – Very similar to Duotrope, The Grinder is a searchable database. In some ways, there are more markets to choose from here, but it’s not as up to date as Duotrope.
http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/
Ralan.com – This is a page with market listings, linked by rate of pay, with a focus on speculative fiction.
NewPages.com – Lists classifieds, contests, and more. Updated weekly.
Writingcareer.com – This one’s only updated about once a month, but it’s the most useful as only paying markets are listed.
Winningwriters.com – More poetry contests. Free to subscribe, but it does require a login.
Storiesspace.com – A forum with a large list of markets especially contests. Some have fees, some don’t.
E-zines:
poetrykit.org/ezines.htm –A huge list of e-zines that accept poetry, but I haven’t checked all the links (there are tons here!)
Litreactor.com –Excellent article by Richard Thomas. LitReactor is a great site for writing courses and discussion. http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-where-to-send-your-stories
So, as you can see, if you’re willing to put in the research, there are lots of publishing opportunities for writers looking to build a portfolio. However the benefit to joining the Facebook groups is that some of the leg work is done for you! Or, you know, you could just keep reading.
Current open calls for submissions
Pro Markets
Recommended Reading. Looking for “top quality literary stories” 2k-10k words. Pays $300 per story. There is no restriction on genre, so magical realism and maybe soft sci-fi might work. Deadline
June 1.
https://electricliterature.submittable.com/submitSemi-Pro Markets
Postscripts to Darkness. Looking for short fiction 1500-4500 words. “Weird fiction” covers it (read guidelines carefully). Deadline
May 31. Pays $0.01 per word.
http://pstdarkness.com/submissions-2/Token and Non-Paying Markets
Forgotten Places: Best of the Horror Society. Note: You must be a member of the Horror Society to submit. 3k-7500 words, deadline June 13. Pays a contributor’s copy.
http://best-of-the-horror-society.com/Contests
Tony Hillerman Mystery Writers Competition. Deadline
June 1. First novel competition (only unpublished novelists may enter). Looking for novel-length (60,000 words) fiction (crime/thriller, focused on a solution) set in the Southwestern United States. First prize is $10,000 and publication.
http://www.hillermanprize.com/#!about1/c20eeDinopunk Death Match. Winner gets $10 and podcast. Max 1000 words, deadline June 6.
