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Word of the week: Erroneous – containing or characterized by error.
Welcome back, readers! We are currently running out of October, and Halloween will soon be upon us. I enjoy the spooky season, and admittedly feel a sense of sadness when all the plastic skeletons and Styrofoam gravestones go back into storage. But, the end of October, and the start of November also means that NaNoWriMo begins. Will you be participating? Even if you don’t write every day, it can be a nice way to hold yourself accountable and motivate yourself to make progress on a project. There is something very freeing about pushing your way through a draft (let’s not talk about the part where we later have to edit that draft). It can also be nice to make connections with other writers. I find the writing community to be a very welcoming and encouraging group, and cheering each other along during the process of writing can be such a strong motivator. Have you reached out to another writer recently? If you haven’t, I’d encourage you to. Ask them what they are working on, or tell them you appreciate their work. At times, I think we all need those connections. Writing can be very lonely.
As always, you can find me (Holley Cornetto) lurking on Twitter @HLCornetto. Now, onto the latest articles on writing from around the web.
Horror Tree / Trembling With Fear Update (This section is generally updated by your fearless editor and chief, Stuart C.!):
Howdy, all!
Just a quick notice on Trembling With Fear. We're still very open for Drabbles (always need more), Unholy Trinities, and Serials. However, we're taking a brief pause on short stories due to already having some contracted into March of next year.
We're also always on the lookout for more interviewers (video or email) and book reviewers if either of those are something that you'd be interested in reaching out about!
Not much else to say this week once again! The kids have had parent-teacher conferences, my work is short-staffed this week due to planned vacations, and I've got a huge group project due Saturday, so my time has been limited, to say the least. We do have a couple of announcements coming soon, though!
A quick reminder, if you work in writing outside of fiction, a little birdy told me that the Write Career could help you find a paying job in the industry from non-fiction to technical writing to editing and more! The site isn't fully up yet, and there are still bugs to be worked out, but I'm thrilled to share it with you as a sneak preview for our newsletter readers.
If you've reviewed any of our editions of Trembling With Fear on your website, let us know with a link! We're going to be adding some extra coverage on reviews. Please order and review our latest anthologies! (And e-mail us if you review it on a website!) 'Trembling With Fear: Year 5' and 'More Tales From The Tree Volume 4.'
One last request, please throw us a follow on MSN!
And now, back to Holley!
Articles:
We have a variety of articles on writing this week, falling in our general, craft, and business categories. diy MFA published an article called “Get to Know Your Ideal Reader” which may help you consider what readers in certain groups (for example, YA versus adult) are looking for when they pick up a book. “Write the book you want to read” is standard advice, but looking beyond yourself at a broader audience may help you with sales in the long run. “How to Avoid Taking Edits Too Seriously,” published at Jane Friedman’s site was an excellent primer on how to hear criticism about your work without letting it destroy your confidence. In our craft section, Nathan Bransford’s website published “Can you see what is and isn’t on the page?” which discusses the importance of depth and detail. Lastly, in our business section is “How to Supercharge Ebook Sales.” This article will come in handy for those of you who self-publish or put out releases. As someone who has not ever worked on that side of publishing (yet!), I found the article to be a very detailed and extensive overview full of useful information. I hope you do as well.
General:
diy MFA “Get to Know Your Ideal Reader” by Stephanie Dethlefs
Jane Friedman: “How to Avoid Taking Edits Too Seriously” by Hattie Fletcher
Craft:
Nathan Bransford: “Can you see what is and isn’t on the page?”
Business:
Author Media: “How to Supercharge Ebook Sales” by Thomas Umstattd Jr.
Free Fiction Roundup:
First up this week is a flash fiction piece which won Apex’s Microfiction contest, and appears at their Patreon. One of the interesting things about this piece is how the whole story is told with the use of dialogue alone. Like with last week, when we discussed nontraditional narrative formats, a dialogue only story is something that lends itself quite well into the flash fiction format. Pay close attention to how Kamei allows the story to unfold through the conversation. Second up this week is newsletter favorite (I seem to have a few of those, don’t I?), Corey Farrenkopf. Farrenkopf’s “This is Not His Ghost Story” is touching. The word choice and imagery in this piece is masterfully done, reminding me of why I’m such a fan of Farrenkopf’s writing. Last up this week is new-to-me author Ashley Libey with “Tree Full of Robins.” This story appeared at The Fabulist, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite publications to read. Libey’s story is no exception. This story tackles motherhood, loss, and what happens when grief causes you to do something you regret.
We have a bonus microfiction story this week from Kai Delmas, which was published at Stupefying Stories. I hope you enjoy!
“Hungry Moon” by Toshiya Kamei at Apex Patreon.
“This is Not His Ghost Story” by Corey Farrenkopf at Flash Frog.
“Tree Full of Robins” by Ashley Libey at The Fabulist.
Bonus Microfiction:
“Ice Hearts” by Kai Delmas at Stupefying Stories.
New Feature – Writing Exercise:
Writing dialogue that sounds natural can be a difficult task for some writers. Take a closer look at Toshiya Kamei’s “Hungry Moon” above. Note that while the story unfolds through dialogue, it never feels unnatural. For practice, try your hand at writing an entire scene from dialogue. You can go back later and add actions and dialogue tags, but see how far you can get based on dialogue alone. This is great practice for ensuring that your characters have distinct enough voices that readers can tell them apart, even without dialogue tags.
If you post any writing content during the week and think it would be a good fit for us to feature, do reach out and let us know at contact@horrortree.com
Thank you, Patreons! As always, the site's lifeblood is in your hands, and we truly appreciate your support.
Looking To Help Horror Tree?
Here are the main things we're looking for:
- Advertising and either Site or Contest sponsorships!
- Someone to help create videos for social media (we have tools, but not time!)
- Article writers (articles, interviews, reviews, crowdsource compilations, etc.)
- Sharing guest posts with us or reaching out to us to be a blog tour host.
- The obvious one here is also to become one of our Patreons or donate via Ko-Fi!
If you're interested in contributing and think you have something that would help out, PLEASE don't shy away from contacting us! (contact@horrortree.com)
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Excerpts:
Submission Window: December 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: 1 cents per word, $25 for reprints, and a contributors copy Theme: Diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Note: Reprints Welcome MYTHIC is seeking diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. We publish both new fiction and reprints. Authors are encouraged to submit their stories during the specific reading periods listed below. NEXT SUBMISSIONS PERIOD: DECEMBER 1- 31, 2022 GUIDELINES Works should be between 2,000-5,000 words. (No wiggle room above or below.) 1.) Submit in Standard Manuscript Format We prefer Times New Roman or Courier and 12-point type. Double-spaced pages. Do not have tabs in your manuscript; please set first line indents. Please include your name and contact information at the beginning of the story. Submit in .doc, .docx, .rtf format. 2.) Please NO SIMULTANEOUS OR MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS. Rights Purchased: For NEW/UNPUBLISHED FICTION, we are purchasing World English Rights For REPRINTS we are purchasing reprint rights Following an exclusivity period, all other rights revert to the author. MYTHIC retains a nonexclusive right to keep stories in the issue they appear for as long as the issue remains in print. Compensation: At this time, we PAY $0.01 CENTS A WORD for NEW short fiction. At this time, we PAY $25.00 for REPRINT short fiction. We provide authors with one free copy of the issue in which their story appears. Payment made upon publication via PayPal. (We are not responsible for any transaction fees). Authors will also receive free ad space to promote their book or sci-fi/fantasy project in an issue of MYTHIC. To submit fiction: Send all stories to submissions@mythicmag.com. Your story should be attached. Be sure your subject line is: “New Submission: Title of your Story” or “Reprint: Title of your Story”. Please include your name, title, word count, and contact information in the body of the email. Note on nonfiction: All articles and other content are chosen in-house. Please do...
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Deadline: January 31st, 2023 Payment: 5-12 US cents per word Theme: Stories will be set in the fictional comic book universe of the Absolute Power tabletop role-playing game Note: Not a huge fan of how they determine the payment scale but as it is rare that we see superhero markets open I wanted to include this one. Dyskami Publishing Company is seeking short story submissions for our upcoming superhero fiction anthology Path of Absolute Power. Stories will be set in the fictional comic book universe of the Absolute Power tabletop role-playing game (the second edition of the Silver Age Sentinels RPG) and is a thematic follow-up sequel to the Path of the Just (2003) and Path of the Bold (2004) anthologies published by Guardians of Order. This anthology will contain traditional short story fiction and is not a LitRPG or GameLit work, however; the powerful, dramatic narratives should be decoupled from role-playing game mechanics. Stories should explore the actions of heroes, villains, and neutrals as they navigate the enticement of great power in a world of normal people. The complexities of using superpowers in a mundane world are perhaps best described in the opening sentences of Book One of the Absolute Power role-playing game: The Silver Age has come and gone. Superpowers now bring fear as often as comfort, and shades of grey cast the world in shadow, muting the shining colours of yesteryear. Villains have become stronger, and their influence is felt in every nation. The need for heroes is greater than ever. Can you balance superhuman gifts with humility, compassion, and hope? Do you have what it takes to resist the ever-present lure of Absolute Power? The game title “Absolute Power” is not intended to glorify raw might or some concept of necessary corruption. Absolute Power is a warning against the...
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Deadline: December 15th 2022 Payment: Royalties Theme: Pick a name — or a personification — from ANY mythology that 1. is represented in that culture’s constellations and 2. is represented in that culture’s mythopoetic or fantastic mythos. Then write forward from that. The Of Gods and Globes anthology started with a few of us and was so successful, it has expanded to include many more. Juliet Marillier’s story in volume I was nominated for an Aurelius award. Kaaron Warren’s story in volume II won the Ditmar award. We’re gearing up for volume III now with help from fellow writer, editor, and friend of the site Emily Munro. Submit here. We’re looking for stories for the third installment Of Gods and Globes. Pick a name — or a personification — from ANY mythology that is represented in that culture’s constellations and is represented in that culture’s mythopoetic or fantastic mythos. Then write forward from that. A story based on “Jupiter” counts — both a planet and a god. A story based on “Nimrod” counts — both a constellation and a mythic hunter. A story based on planet PSR B1257+12 B does not count. A story based on the character Amarok does not count, unless there’s some sort of constellation or heavenly body the editors remain ignorant about (completely possible). Bonus points for metaphysical or philosophical hinting and musing (think Dostoevsky and Tolkien, not Plato and Nietzsche), though not required. Bonus points for exclusive submissions, though simultaneous accepted. Bonus points for prior publication and an active readership, but not required. When in doubt, read the last two volumes. Payment as per usual is on a split royalty basis with the authors. The first volume paid competitive rates over the long haul. Wordcount: under 7,500 highly preferred, under 10,000 accepted, 15,000 absolute outer limit — anything over that will be auto-rejected. Submissions close: December 15 2022 Submit here. (If for some reason the...
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Check out the 7 writing tips for how to write scenery in novels to create compelling scenes and enhance your creativity.
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Payment: royalty rate of 50% on both eBooks & paperback editions for a 5 year contract Theme: Crime and thriller novels We are currently accepting submissions; you can send them here. We’re not too bothered if the books have been published before, or if you have an agent, or if you’re an established author, or if you’re an absolute beginner. All we need is for the stories to be great and the subject matter to be commercial. Just before you submit to us though there are some things you should think about. 1) We publish CRIME & THRILLERS – if your book doesn’t fit squarely into that category don’t submit, you’re wasting your time. 2) We can only publish your book if you own the rights to it – if you don’t own the rights don’t submit, you’re wasting your time. 3) We’re called Fahrenheit Press – if you can’t spell Fahrenheit don’t submit, you’re wasting your time. 4) We’re not everyone’s cup of tea. We’re only here for the adulation & the mountains of cash *dies laughing*. Are you really sure you want to hang out with people like us? 5) If you want to be treated like a delicate little artistic flower we’re definitely NOT the publisher for you – try Faber & Faber, they’re lovely. 6) Fahrenheit are NOT A PLAY TO PAY PUBLISHER – you will never be asked to contribute to the cost of publishing your novel with us. We’re definitely not for everyone so think carefully before you submit to us. Here are links to a couple of interviews that will give you a good idea of what we’re about and what you can expect from us – if you’re smart you’ll read these first. Interview with Chris Black who is the managing editor of our...
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Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: $100 for each accepted print piece. $25 for each accepted online piece. Theme: Stories that take place in the western US. word west revue is a home for western-y writing and art and a whole lot more. a place to reimagine ‘the west’ and ‘westerns’ from new angles, overlooked perspectives, in both analogue + digital. we’re into subversion and surprise. we’re into road trips and weird americana, ufos and cosmic country—from the mountains to the deserts to the beaches to the plains. go west-ish. hi, we’re looking for writing and art and whatever else you’ve got that engages with and reimagines the ‘west.’ ideally you or your work will have some connection to the western usa, but this theme is wide open to your interpretation (though our print issues will be more focused and western-y than online, which will be more free-wheeling). we like intersections and echoes, mythos and symbolism, and perspectives not as often seen. we like road stories and weird americana. most of all, tell us a great story. show us something cool. something we can’t help falling in love with. our goal is to remain open to the unexpected—to what surprises us, to what moves us, to what makes us see ‘the west’ in ways we haven’t before. still unsure? tune into word west radio, or catch a flick at the westword cinemas. maybe you’ll find some inspiration? yeehaw 🤠 no submission fees. 1 submission per submission window. submissions will be open twice / year: september 15 – november 15 & march 15 – june 15. pitches for online content (reviews, interviews, etc.) will always be accepted. sim-subs totally fine. just please let us know if a piece is accepted elsewhere. 5k words or less for prose. up to 5 poems for poetry. pieces are read for both online and print. we aim to...
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You’ve probably heard of it, but why is the Oxford comma so important? Although it’s often touted as one of the most important punctuation marks in existence, a lot of people will say this without actually knowing why. English grammar can be tricky, and there are scenarios where you’re not sure what the right punctuation is to create clear, precise sentences. The Oxford comma is a remedy to some of the most common problems with English sentences, and as a result, it’s important to know how it works. So then, let’s say you’ve heard of the Oxford comma but want to know exactly how it works. If this sounds like you—don’t panic! You’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’re going to explain why the Oxford comma is so important, how to use it, and outline some real-life examples of what happens if you don’t! We’ve also made sure to include a short FAQ to help answer some of the questions you may have left over at the end. What Is The Oxford Comma? The Oxford comma—sometimes called the serial comma—is a comma that is placed between the two last items of a sentence when there are three or more. This can be a little confusing to wrap your head around, so let’s start with an example to explain it. In the sentence below, a writer is attempting to explain some of their favorite things in life: I adore my friends, Tolkien, and Elvis. The final comma here before the ‘and’ is what we call an oxford comma. You might be wondering why it’s necessary to use it—but we can see why if we remove it from the sentence. I adore my friends, Tolkien and Elvis. Without the Oxford comma, it appears that the writer is saying that...
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Submission Window: November 6th-12th, 2022 Payment: $25 Theme: Post-Colonialism The Fabulist accepts submissions of short fiction, poetry, visual art, and nonfiction by invitation only or during periodic open calls. Links, guidelines and policies (including our evaluation process, nondiscrimination statement, payment, and more) for fiction, poetry and visual art are below. You can get notifications for our current open calls via our email newsletter, Twitter feed, and Facebook page. Short fiction From October 2022 through April 2023, The Fabulist will be opening a new series of brief, monthly submissions windows for short, fantastical fiction of all sorts. Learn more. Our next submission window will run from Nov. 6-12. All submissions of fantastical fiction are welcome. Our special thematic interest will be: Post-Colonialism. Please review our Submissions & Publishing Policies for details on publishing rights, nondiscrimination, evaluation, simultaneous submissions, and why we never charge reading fees. How to submit your work Short fiction can only be submitted via Submittable during open submissions windows, using the linked button at the end of the following Fiction Guidelines. Fiction Guidelines The Fabulist seeks short (up to 3,000 words) works of fantastical and genre fiction, which we define expansively. Surprise us! We do love science fiction, fantasy, intelligent horror, speculative fiction, literary fabulism, magic realism, mythic/folkloric works, near-future speculations, solarpunk/cli-fi, hopepunk, and genre subversions (crime, mystery, romance, westerns, thrillers, sea adventures, gothic, and quasi-realist works) that are anchored by some element of the fantastic. Please review The Fabulist’s short-fiction archives, to get a sense of the sort of work we’ve published so far. We’re always looking to expand our horizons, but knowing where we’re coming from helps. We value • Great writing (attention to sentence construction, an awareness of the poetry inherent in prose) • Vivid settings that influence and engage the plot and character arcs • Revelations of the self and the world we live in • Sensitivity and alertness to the significant issues of...
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Deadline: January 15, 2023 Payment: $20 per story or artwork Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. submissions at electricspec (dot) comPlease don’t query us about your story submission. We don’t have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it’s not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don’t accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up...
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Let us say you’re writing a post-postapocalyptic gothic horror novel set in a frozen barony. It is approximately -40°C outside, and the cold has already killed your car battery. Dawn comes late and dusk early; at high noon, the sun struggles unseen behind the jagged peaks. You have not heard the sound of your own voice for about a week. You are the happiest you have been for a long time. Every day the dog wakes you by sliding out from under the covers and whining like an ungreased hinge. The windows are frosted over, and it’s still dark; you’re not sure how late you’ve slept, and mercifully, you don’t really care. You pull on your long johns and take the dog out to the meadow by the river, where you find yourselves stuck between two halves of an elk herd. They are slow-moving but impossibly huge, lumbering like sinister afterthoughts in the needly underbrush. You slip behind a safe palisade of tree trunks and stop in the clearing where you had once found a large spiral pattern of stones—it is buried under a few feet of snow, but you have no doubt it’s still there. You’re unsure of its origin, but like the elk, you know better than to disturb it. The dog leads you around the bend to the fork in the river, then back across the meadow and into your kitchen, where she watches you intently. Every step you take, she copies, ravenous for crumbs, attached to your heels like a limb. When you bend to start a fire, she sees that you are on your knees and your hands are occupied with something besides petting her, so she approaches and knocks her skull against yours. While you write, she lies on your feet, grunting every...
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Deadline: December 4th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Dream Horror Crystal Lake Publishing; See Web site. Editors: Kenneth W. Cain and Tim Meyer. The Theme: “We’re looking for scary, mind-bending stories featuring dreams, nightmares, hallucinations, messed-up psychedelic experiences, and various elements of phantasmagoria. Think sleep experiments gone awry and Freddy Krueger and ‘This is bat country!’ from FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, but maybe the bats are real and maybe they are vampires? Feel free to bring the weird, the trippy, and the surreal in large doses. Some movies we like for reference are: DREAMSCAPE, NOES series, THE CELL, COME TRUE, FROM BEYOND, ALTERED STATES, INCEPTION, WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, CLIMAX, and ANNIHILATION.” “We would like to see stories with unique perspectives and from diverse voices, and encourage all writers to submit. If possible, we would like to give a new writer their first professional sale. Please let us know if this would be your first pro sale in your cover letter (and please be honest).” “From this open call, we will be selecting approximately 8-10 stories to appear alongside tales from Laird Barron, Cynthia Pelayo, Eric LaRocca, Gwendolyn Kiste, Lee Murray, and Philip Fracassi. Sadie Hartmann will write a special introduction for the anthology.” “We are looking for works of fiction only. Poetry, nonfiction, or creative non-fiction will not be accepted.” Payment: “8¢/word.” Length: “2500-4500 words.” Submission window: “October 17-December 4, 2022. Please do not send submissions before October 17 or after December 4. Submissions sent outside the window will not be accepted.” Tentative publishing date: “September 2023.” Rights: “Exclusive first worldwide publication, print, and electronic rights for one year (from publication date), and non-exclusive rights thereafter.” Contributor Copies: “One paperback and e-book copy.” Simultaneous Submissions: “Yes. But please let us know if the story is accepted elsewhere. No multiples.” Turnaround: “We’re hoping to send out acceptances and rejections within 90 days. Due to the amount of...
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Deadline: November 1st, 2022 Payment: Contributors Copy Theme: “A journey bestowed upon either from or seeking a mysterious entity with a theme of being “The Road Trip God”.” PsychoToxin Press presents its first anthology title: “ROAD TRIP GOD” *** A journey can take many forms and serve many purposes. It can be a means of solace, of escape, or of discovery… But who is the one that sets each path? Who is the one that drives us to seek such an escape, and for what ends? Currently, only one of these questions may be answered. We all know him only as The Road Trip God! Who they are or why they do this, well, that’s for you all to tell! Myself and the ghouls of the newly fledged horror house, PsychoToxin press are seeking flash fiction stories (from 200-1,000 words; firm word limit) of any genre concerning a journey bestowed upon either from or seeking a mysterious entity with a theme of being “The Road Trip God”. *** Guidelines: Max word count = 1,000 words Original work ONLY — no reprints No simultaneous or multiple submissions — one story per author. We ask for first world print and digital rights for three months after publication, after which all rights revert back to the author. (We would appreciate, though, you crediting us as first appearance if you publish the story elsewhere) Stories must contain some mysterious entity (human or non-human) with a connection as “The Road Trip God” *(Note: entity does not actually HAVE to be named “The Road Trip God” — actually probably better if they weren’t — but needs to be SOME sort of interpretation of it.)* Stories must be your own! You wouldn’t appreciate having someone else rip off your work, right? Then let’s not do it to...
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SUMMONING BABA YAGA By Lindy Ryan My stepmother immigrated to the United States shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, and along with my stepsister and step-babushka, she brough borscht, matryoshka dolls, and Baba Yaga. I was seven years old, and my mother—an Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King enthusiast—had already conditioned me with a love for darker stories. Sparkly, sanitized Disney-version fairy tales didn’t appeal to me as much as the original Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen tales, where even the happiest of “happy endings” often involved bloodshed, mutilation, and—as in the case of “The Little Mermaid”—death by suicide. By the time my stepmother arrived on the Texan soil of my childhood home, the closest I’d come to a true dark fairytale were all twenty-seven episodes of Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre (of which twenty-six were retellings and the final episode a cast and crew “Grimm Party”), but even these shied away from the true dark depths of the original source material. A remarkably sweet woman, my stepmother wasn’t the storybook caricature I had come to expect. She didn’t lead with heavy applications of household chores or peddle poisoned apples. She didn’t even punish me with cautionary tales of Baba Yaga—but I found her, nonetheless. I still remember the first time I saw an illustration of Baba: leering out from the bowl of her mortar, pestle clutched in her talon-like claws. She was a black and white blur, a demonic shadow that came across as more monster than woman. This depiction of Baba Yaga came from Tales of the Russian People, a Moscow-published text from 1894. The age of the book and the fact it was published on the other side of the world should have made the image foreign, but it felt familiar. In fact,...
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