Hello Readers,
Good news to share! My latest story, Singing Over Sour Remains, was published in June 2026 in Issue 27 of Zooscape. A parrot protagonist, their poetic songs of a beloved gibbon friend and lost family. Survival action with squirrels in a post-human landscape. A certain respect and hope we all need to carry on.
Zooscape is edited by Mary E Lowd, and I actually reviewed one of her books, Queen Hazel and Beloved Beverly on February 19th, 2024.
Give my story a read and let me know what you think.
Before I go, it's been a while since I blogged on my writing work, so a brief confirmation that I am still hard at work despite *shakes fist at all the nonsense in the world*. I haven't stopped writing and subbing stories. I write and complete at least one story a month and send out 20 pieces a month on average. Not as much as previous years but at least I am consistent. The only thing you can do in this hopeless industry is be consistent and keep writing.
Good luck to all of you out there.
R.J.K. Lee
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
New story out!
Monday, January 6, 2025
FINAL STATS for Writing Submissions in 2024
I've been meaning to post an update on my 2024 writing progress. Here it is.
Overall, 2024 was disappointing. I expected more success. In the past two years (2023-2024), I have more than doubled my number of
submissions made each year compared to 2022, and yet, I have not seen an increase in my accepted pieces. In 2023, 470 submissions and 4 accepted, and in 2024, 428 submissions and 3 accepted. Compare that to 2022, with 129 submissions and 3 accepted. Yeah, certainly not an easy industry...
I can say that I’ve
been happily surprised by the massive increase in my submissions made during
2023. And that has consisted of exciting content that I can't help but send out. While
part of that is just my own addiction to submitting my work to markets in the
hopes of furthering my fledgling career, another part of that comes down to the
only writing group I’m engaged with these days (Fireside Quills). I already thanked them in our
private discord, but I really am grateful to all of them. Keeps me motivated when I often
feel like I have lost all motivation in this irritating industry.
For those interested in my stats from 2024, read below for a brief overview. Otherwise, if you have read any of my work and enjoyed it, do let me know. I’ll try to figure out a better way to share my work with readers moving forward. Just submitting to markets as I have been is clearly not enough.
As of now, I have three publications coming out this year.
-My flash fiction piece that was going to be published on New Year’s Eve in Myriad: Kinship will still be coming out on January 14th. This month!
-I have a story in Alternative Leadership to be published by B Cubed Press (not sure when, but soon).
-I also have that horror story coming out in June in Don’t Ask, Ghosts Tell to be published by Tundra Press. I posted a sneak peak at the final cover of that here.
Please give these stories a read when you can and let me know what you think. I’ll keep you all posted with other news in the future.
Good luck to everyone this year! - RJK LEE
* after posting my stats on Substack, I decided to add more stats on 2015 to now, so see below for both last year's stats and those from 2015 on
----
FINAL STATS for Writing Submissions in 2024
Quick look
Total submissions: 428. Accepted: 3. Pending:84. Rejected: 460.
See further breakdowns below.
TOTAL
Submissions made in 2024: 428 total, including 3 acceptances, 84 drabbles or flash pieces, 258 short fiction or novelettes, 1 novella, 73 poems, 4 reprints, 5 pitches, and 1 collection
ACCEPTED
Pieces accepted in 2024: 3 total, including 2 short stories
and 1 flash piece.
NEW WORK
29 new pieces written and completed (not including the countless
revised, re-expanded, or revamped work), including 21 short stories and 8 flash
fiction pieces.
PENDING
Submissions still pending from 2024: 84 total, including 6 drabble or flash pieces, 46 short stories or novelettes, 23 poems, and 1 reprint.
REJECTIONS
Total rejections received in 2024: 460 total, including 109 drabble
or flash pieces, 263 short stories or novelettes, 1 novella, 77 poems, 5 pitches,
4 reprints, and 1 collection.
Rejections of submissions made in 2024: 343 total, including
73 drabble or flash pieces, 210 short stories or novelettes, 1 novella, 50 poems,
5 pitches, 3 reprints, and 1 collection.
Rejections of submissions made in 2023: 117 total, including 36 drabble or flash pieces, 53 short stories or novelettes, 27 poems, and 1 reprint.
WOTF
Submissions to Writers of the Future 2024: Q1 rejection, Q2 rejection,
Q3 honorable mention, Q4 honorable mention
----
2015-2025
2015-2017 included a lot of novel drafts and an attempt to pitch a few at an Oregon writers conference. 2018-2019 consisted of recovery from a major life disaster. Since then, my primary goal has been to reach 100+ rejections a year (of short stories, poetry, etc.) to keep myself motivated and take the inevitable struggle for acceptances more positively.
As you can see below, the number of acceptances per year have plateaued at about 3, despite the significant uptick in submissions and rejections. I’m hoping to do more about that this year, perhaps reducing submissions and bringing my focus back to novels.
2025: 34 submissions so far, and no acceptances yet (but three stories due for publication)
2024: 428 submissions, 3 acceptances, 460 rejections
2023: 470 submissions, 4 acceptances, 392 rejections
2022: 129 submissions, 3 acceptances, 126 rejections
2021: 162 submissions, 3 acceptances, 138 rejections
2020: 140 submissions, 2 acceptances, 115 rejections
2019: 5 rejections
2018: 0
2017: 8 rejections
2016: 7 rejections
2015: 5 rejections
Monday, October 21, 2024
Book Review: It Will Only Hurt for a Moment (gothic horror thriller)
By Delilah S. Dawson
Published by Del Rey on October 22, 2024
Adult. Content notes: abuse of all kinds, sexual assault, violence and death to animals and humans; personally, I appreciate authors who deal directly with such subject matter, and Dawson does it pretty well, but fair warning.
As usual, a spoiler-free review.
I enjoyed the Delilah S. Dawson Star Wars books I read a while back, and I especially loved her short story in Uncanny and the perfect novels she wrote as Lila Bowen, so I was excited to dive into another. This didn’t disappoint. Grab a copy for a quick gothic horror thriller: a solid read for the Halloween season. I loved this for the immersion in a haunting setting with fleshed-out traumatic reasons for the haunting, and the gradual path toward unhinged is fun. Teases us with the supernatural and the history of the place until everything comes together and brings the protagonist to the brink of disaster and death.
Interactions between goth photographer and main character are amusing and charming and engaged me. Some excellent tension between characters. as well. The way violence and death and abuse pops in like a brutal slap felt real to me. Those scenes from the second POV are great. I often get a kick out of stories with these locations characters know they shouldn’t explore, but explore anyway, then keep coming back even when it’s going to bring heaps of trouble (sure, it’s trope-ridden but feels authentic to me when that is pretty much what I’d do).
It’s not a perfect book, though. The hook with family tension is strong, though perhaps needed more to stand out as unique in today’s deluge of literature. I wasn’t immediately swept in until we started exploring the primary setting, the artist retreat and its shadows. The characters are all frustrating for their treatment of others (you different, you bad, no talk, everything trauma), but that is pretty common in gothic style works, and it does thread well with the setting. One or two of the developments were a stretch that I wish had more chapters devoted to them.
But all that said, I couldn’t put this down. It held my attention so much that I wanted more more more. The elements are balanced out enough to keep tugging. If you’re like me and always enjoy a gothic romp, worth the read. Also worth mentioning the cover art; though I received an advance reader's copy in ebook form, I am tempted to order myself a hardcover to re-read and admire the cover. I look forward the next Dawson book I dive into.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me a copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Related Links
Author Website: https://www.whimsydark.com/
Author Linktree: https://linktr.ee/delilahsdawson
Author-curated playlist for the book (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3jWJ8zfdJ6PBoFfdPO6lm6
Author talks cover reveal: https://terribleminds.com/ramble/2024/04/05/delilah-s-dawson-it-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-cover-reveal/
Cover Artist Website: https://www.reginaflath.com/
Book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207460605-it-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Only-Hurt-Moment-Novel-ebook/dp/B0CTJMSJ7C
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/It-Will-Only-Hurt-for-a-Moment-Audiobook/B0CTMXKDVB
Friday, August 2, 2024
Book Review: The Jaguar Mask (shapechanging, visions and protest in Gautemala City)
Published by Stelliform Press on August 1st, 2024
DeLuca's debut novel, 348-page paperback
Adult (violence, death)
Read on without fear of spoilers! Also note that I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I thank the author, publisher, and BookSirens for the opportunity.
My second experience with a book published at Stelliform and my mind is blown again.
Knowing that Michael J. DeLuca is the publisher of the magazine, Reckoning, I had high expectations for this debut novel and was happy to discover a story even better than expected. I am definitely going to read it a second time. Rich, immersive writing is rich, full of detailed, meaningful descriptions, and yet it doesn’t get bogged down. The flow of the story pulled me along nonstop. I had to force myself to slow down to try to check more details about the story vocabulary and location, as I have not traveled to Guatemala City or Central America and know extraordinarily little about it, but I ended up saving further research for a second read. There are so many details about tradition, culture, religion, politics, wildlife, the land; it would’ve been overwhelming if the characters and story itself didn’t have such a deep hold on me while reading.
I highly recommend everyone to experience The Jaguar Mask, especially anyone interested in animals, artists, shapechangers, crime, politics, protest, mythology and religion, Central America. The story is wrapped around a number of elements that pull it forward to its intense ending. Two protagonists lead the story: Cristina, a local painter with visions and a busy family life, plus Felipe, an unlicensed taxi driver who is also a jaguar shapechanger grappling with his identity. Other elements include life with the taxi driver’s roommates (Luz and her trans girlfriend Anibal), the political movement they’re involved in, a morally questionable detective’s investigation into murder and corruption, the death of Cristina’s mother, plus plenty more about hope, despair, survival, and various considerations of the specific struggles and history of Central America.
The treatment of the trans character felt authentic, though that is in no way the focus of this book. Regardless, I loved Anibal and Luz so much. Such positive forces. In fact, the treatment of relationships felt really authentic throughout. In a similar vein, the treatment of the political movement felt authentic as well. It was shown to be a positive force overall, but the author wasn’t afraid to portray some less positive elements to it, such as moments of doubt and feelings of futility.
The use of masks was brilliant. Felipe reveals a large number of masks, and each one had a very particular personality and background attached, as well as shifting Felipe’s perspective on the world. How they connect to Felipe is explored more and more as the story progresses. The idea of masks, of how we present ourselves, is also explored among other people and groups, not just for this character’s supernatural or magical realist engagement with them. For example, how masks are used by local gangs and police officers to take control. Or how masks are used by citizens for survival.
Regarding Felipe’s struggle with identity and masks:
[…] which gave his reflection coily hair, a complexion a different shade of Brown, and a clear hint of Garífuna ancestry in the high brow and narrow jaw. As with the conquistador, but in inverse, the caiman mask seemed to cause people either to afford him a little more respect or to let their eyes slide right past him as if he wasn’t there — unsettled by otherness? He had a skull mask, but he never wore it; death had meant something different to his ancestors. El Bufo was used to the conquistador mask; today, the conquistador it would be. The rest went in their shoebox into the hollow place under his seat.
Felipe reflecting on the masks of other people:
The woman walking in the lead looked like she’d lived through the civil war and the revolution. A few steps behind her, a man with a crutch wore the right leg of his pants pinned shut above the knee. His cragged face expressed such eloquent sorrow it could only mean he used it to earn his living. Felipe knew that mask: his father wore it every day.
Cristina grapples with facets of her work as a painter:
For the first months the rush of freedom was overwhelming; for awhile it was enough. She’d indulge a whim, get off the bus at the crossroads above the lake and get on a different bus just to see where it went. She drank pineapple and banana smoothies and ate pupusas in central parks in twenty different highland towns before they began to run together like diluted paint. In every one, she painted an oversaturated landscape tastefully unpopulated with flowering vines and faceless women. Once in awhile she made something of her own just to know she could still do it. Three months after Miguel Ángel was born, when Teresa left for good, Cristina dug out the five or six finished paintings that were hers. She lined them up on her rack at the artisans’ market on a Sunday after church let out, then sat with Diego watching people pass, betting in whispers on who was only cutting through to the food stalls seeking Mama’s chicken, who was rushing to beat the rest of the post-church traffic to the Ninth Ave valet lots, who were foreigners lost and terrified. Her art made people stop; that much could be said for it. It scared them, she thought. Even some who weren’t already scared. They tried to understand what they were seeing. Then, coming to no immediate conclusion, they shook themselves like dogs coming out of the rain and went on.
Brief example of the city description as described by Felipe:
[…] jagged archway cut into a chain-link fence feathered in windblown plastic, a dust path beaten harder than concrete zigzagged a drunken seam down into a shanty city that seemed more the work of ants than people. Music thundered distant here as everywhere — heavy bass of the kind his hips were incapable of resisting even now. And the river thundered, gorged with toxic trash but hungry, arms of mist reaching into hollows as if seeking the tenacious root that, dislodged, would bring the whole precarious thing collapsing down. The wind smelled of chiltepes and fermented urine.
With that, I’ll wrap up by saying the ways in which the characters struggle and stumble towards the powerful ending of this novel is very compelling. Left me gaping and sitting in that moment filled with energy and hope and joy that such transformation could be possible for these characters I fell in love with. And hope that somehow a people could overcome the corruption and sickness that drags their communities into darkness.
Now I need to do research into everything I was just exposed to. Enjoy the read!
Links
Michael J. DeLuca's website: https://mossyskull.com/
Buy the book: https://www.stelliform.press/index.php/product/the-jaguar-mask-by-michael-j-deluca/
Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6721767031
Monday, July 22, 2024
Book Review: "Dark Spaces: Wildfire"
Dark Spaces: Wildfire
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Publication: IDW Publishing - May 9, 2023
Recommended for readers of crime thrillers and horror.
Warnings: language, violence
The combination of Scott Snyder and Hayden Sherman in this first entry in the Dark Spaces crime/horror series is fantastic, perhaps better than the Dungeon follow-up. Female inmates working as firefighters with a variety of trauma pushed together to survive. Amazing coloring and design from the artist that takes us on a deeper dive into splinters of backstory mashed with present-day struggles. A must-read for fans of graphic novels that grapple with trauma, crime, and horror. Especially recommended for how the writer and artist work together to present complicated characters.
Scott Snyder on Substack: https://bestjackettpress.substack.com/
Hayden Sherman's website: https://www.haydenshermanart.com/
Book listing on Penguin Random House: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/719617/dark-spaces-wildfire-by-scott-snyder-hayden-sherman/
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6690866806
My review of Dark Spaces: Dungeons: https://www.rjklee.com/2024/07/book-review-dark-spaces-dungeons.html
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Book Review: "Dark Spaces: Dungeons"
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Publication: IDW Publishing - August 27, 2024
Recommended for readers of crime thrillers and horror.
Warnings: kidnapping, torture, violence
I loved the previous Dark Spaces series about inmate firefighters, Dark Spaces: Wildfire, so I had high expectations for this one, as I often do for Scott Snyder works.
Thankfully, I was not disappointed. While it is a much different crime focus than Wildfire, Dungeons hooks on every page. Terrifying in so many ways but serves that horror carefully and with impressive focus on character. The use of a sidekick is excellent. Transitions between scenes are impressive (use of narrative connections, design of presentation, the coloring). Little pieces of dialogue are cut off and picked up again in a natural, immersive manner. I count this among my favorite crime horror stories, alongside the movie, Seven.
The artist, Hayden Sherman, does an amazing job on presenting nature as a force of weight that threads in with the desperate emotions of the story, such as when the two main characters meet a dead-end and the entire cafe is bearing down on them, and the characters hands are scrunching up his forehead, and the narrative boxes break up the next page into the photos from the villain pressing on the reader and character then snap, breakthrough, and the next page serves a freeing moment of epiphany. Then the boxes are broken up into slivers for hyper focus when they’re investigating the new lead. Every page adds such immense energy that you’ll be hard pressed to step away from this read.
There’s a scene near the climax with the characters surrounded by nature with stark shadows and lighting that had me cheering at the presentation of the raw tension. Avoiding spoilers but that had me pumped with so much terror and hope, when it hit the end, I found it hard to breathe. That lighting on the woods and the house was a godsend moment of relaxation and brief joy, and the shadow on the house as they chat hint at the haunting left behind by the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to NetGalley and Scott Snyder for allowing me the opportunity to be horrified by Dark Spaces again.
Scott Snyder on Substack: https://bestjackettpress.substack.com/
Hayden Sherman's website: https://www.haydenshermanart.com/
Interview with Scott Snyder on horror in comics and Dark Spaces: Dungeon, March 2024 (before Issue 4 was released so possible spoilers): https://aiptcomics.com/2024/03/05/scott-snyder-dungeon-qa-2/
Listing on Penguin Random House: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746770/dark-spaces-dungeon-by-scott-snyder-hayden-sherman/
Listing at Forbidden Planet: https://forbiddenplanet.com/426037-dark-spaces-dungeon/
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6690842379
Monday, February 19, 2024
Book Review: Queen Hazel and Beloved Beverly
Published by Deep Sky Anchor Press on December 8th, 2023.
A cozy portal fantasy with special attention to family bonds and childhood memories and letting go. I could see this being okay for any age group but feels directed at an adult who misses reading piles of middle grade portal fantasy books, who grew up expecting to be transported into some other world but never had that quite happen yet...
Recommended. Easy read with a good pace. The metaphors are excellent, especially the extended one about threads and memories. The story hooks surprisingly well, perhaps due to careful balance between emotion and more grounding emotion. A bunch of nostalgic tie-ins to the 80s-90s.
The opening was pretty bland for me, but the story quickly moved past that into the story itself. After that, the story dropped us into the fantastical without letting up, which was great. The raccoon and her wolf companion were awesome, and I wanted more of them. I would love to read more in that realm, or wherever those two go, whether Beverly joins them or not...
Once we got into the fantasy, I wanted the author to slow down more and give us more description of these fantastical characters and locations that we rush through. It's fitting due to the protagonist's distrust of their reality, but still, it was often frustrating at how quickly I was pulled through the reading experience. I'm one of those readers that always complain about a lack of deeper language and description, so this is an inevitable comment I'd make on many stories out there. But essential moments, like meeting the queen and saying farewell, and other such, rush by so fast, that I can't help but feel there was more depth and story I needed there to be fully satisfied.
That criticism aside, I was curled up on my couch, glued to this read, and pumped up on nostalgia for 80s-90s life and longing for fantasies come real. Such a primary mesh of emotions driving the story that I loved it by the end. This was such a light read but had me begging for more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to Book Sirens and Mary E. Lowd for allowing me the opportunity to get drawn into this novella's portal.
Author's website: https://marylowd.com/books/
Buy the book from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Hazel-Beloved-Beverly-Mary-ebook/dp/B0CKV2X8PB/
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6278327681
Book Review: Idolatry
Published by Flame Tree Press on January 9th, 2024
Idolatry is an SF social commentary novel set in India and following how Shrine Tech influences society to gradually increasing levels of domination. As with my previous review, I'll give the good, neutral, and bad. I did have pretty mixed reactions to the novel, even though it was a good read and recommended.
There are a ton of observations about job loss, awful economies, poverty, etc. -- very welcome in our current era, and the protagonist's service of the central product of Shrine Tech takes us readers through all that to greater or lesser success. A quote without spoilers from early in the book that expresses how this pressure of money affects the protagonist: "Suddenly, an immense weariness came upon Saionton, like rocks being rolled over him. Money, you need the money. The thought pressed home, implacably, along with the tremor of the contrast between his impoverishment (and that of so many others, not that he had time to care for any others), and the fantastic, soaring riches of the Company and its bosses. He forced a smile and opened his eyes wider."
Good:
-Fascinating look at how the shrine tech brings self-love and religious love and love of money together in mostly horrifying ways. Serves as a dark mirror of the various idols that entangle in people's lives and lead them about for better or worse.
-The commentary on advertising is spot on.
- Drops us into some beautiful observations and ugly commentary and unsettling moments of horror.
-Some lovely comparisons, metaphors, observations made by the central characters that make it worth reading. Like the kitten one at the end
Neutral:
-3rd person omniscient with limited jumping around. Basically, uses that POV to serve the first character, Saionton, and his job's encounter with various people, which for the purposes of the story each are introduced from their own viewpoints then jumped into at later random points of the story to overall success, though sometimes to eyerolls from this reader.
Bad:
-The ending just didn't work for me; sometimes felt like the story leaned too much on plot to get through certain spots…
-Frustrating central character, partially because of his inability to make his own decisions, but also just his ugliness in how he views others, though of course that fits the context. He does grow toward the end, but still, ugh, that guy.
-Overall, I wanted the story to move past tropes and social commentary more. I felt like I was trying to reach for more as a reader here…because my favorite parts were where the characters really settle into these moments connecting to the world, where the story releases control briefly…but those moments didn't keep going enough to be mind-blowing.
Again, I do recommend giving it a read. It's a pretty fast one with an interesting central social SF object in question, Shrine Tech. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to Book Sirens and the author for giving me the opportunity to dip into Shrine Tech.
Buy the book from the publisher's website: https://www.flametreepublishing.com/idolatry-isbn-9781787588516.html
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6246269597
Monday, January 29, 2024
Book review: a quick, fun fantasy with dragons and queer relationships
Published by Aimee Donnellan on June 24, 2023
The good:
-Character tensions.
-Grounding of the city the whole story is set in.
-The select details for major characters that help them stand out.
-The protagonist's identity and complicated relationship was greatly appreciated
-Fun, fast read; easy to read along with weightier tomes.
The not so good:
-Description and language too sparse for my taste (that may just be me though; I've found most writing that the fiction market wants is too sparse for my taste).
-Book one is short and limited to one place, which was just too simple overall. There seemed so much more there to explore. Still, a chase through the one city provided just enough complications to work, if not enough to send us into deeper exploration.
The promising:
-The teaser for Book Two was great and makes me excited to read it. Hoping the chaos promised within brings deeper explorations than Book One. The range of characters introduced was exciting to see, especially getting the two main characters from another angle.
I'll definitely be checking out Book Two. The book was a fun read, and number two looks to be even more fun.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Aimee Donnellan and Book Sirens for the opportunity.
Aimee Donnellan's website: https://www.aimeedonnellan.com/
Buy the book: https://books2read.com/u/mdX2ME
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6012280256
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
My Stories Published in 2023
Happy New Year!
It's been a very slow start for me. I certainly enjoyed the brief break. Could use more...hah. Regardless, I'm trying to play catch-up now and pick up the pace for whatever awaits me this year.
First off, my stories published in 2023. Go give them a read, if you haven't yet, and let me know what you think. Would love any feedback. Really enjoyed what I heard from some readers so far. And if you want anything signed or whatnot, just ask.
If anyone is reading for any awards out there, stories 1 and 2 below are free to read online, and for stories 3 and 4, I can send you a review copy if requested.
1) The Healing Moment Assigned by HR Central Stacks, universe-traveling librarian just wants a long vacay with her wife but first must handle baggage from the past and tentacular patrons. SF, aliens, queer-positive, fantasy adventurers. DreamForge Anvil Issue 14, December 2023, read the story here, the entire issue here, buy in paperback, too.
2) Choose a Star to Mend the Heart, space narwhal and friendship, SF, Tales and Feathers Magazine, November 2023, read the story here.
3) Memo from the Jolly Overlords, reprint (first time in physical print), a dark fantasy horror flash fiction about how brutal work is for the holiday elves, Cursed & Creepy (The Horror Lite Anthologies) by Angelique Fawns, November 2023, purchase a copy from Amazon
Final Statistics Report on Submissions during 2023
Hi there. I'd like to share my final statistics for work submitted in 2023. For comparison's sake, the total submissions for 2022 came to 129. This year was a bit more...
Total times work was submitted in 2023: 477 (108 flash/drabble, 248 short/novelettes, 3 novella, 102 poem, 10 reprint, 2 pitch, 4 acceptance)
Accepted pieces: 4 (2 short stories, 1 poem, 1 reprint)
Writers of the Future results: Q1 R, Q2 R, Q3 HM, Q4 SHM
Pending submissions at end of 2023: 100 (23 drabble/flash, 57 short story/novelette, 0 novella, 20 poem, 0 reprint, 0 pitch)
Rejections (total received in 2023): 392 (85 drabbles or flash, 204 short stories or novelettes, 3 novella, 87 poems, 10 reprints, 2 pitches)
Rejections (for subs made in 2023): 374 (85 drabbles or flash, 191 short stories or novelettes, 3 novella, 82 poems, 10 reprints, 2 pitches)
Rejected (for subs made in 2022): 18 (13 short stories or novelettes, 5 poems)
New work (written and finished in 2023): 22 (11 drabble/flash, 9 short stories/novelettes, 2 poems)
As you can see, submissions have become an addiction, a habit I hope to continue while getting more work done. Here's to more publications forthcoming.
R.J.K. Lee
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Two great horror books I reviewed in October 2023
by Warren Wagner
Published by Ghoulish Books on August 29, 2023
Adult, gay, intense, zombie apocalypse, gore, 5/5.
A fairly short, emotional rollercoaster. The story at novella-length made me crave longer exploration of the content, but it is a solid and complete read that doesn’t leave you hanging, though it might leave you in shreds. It tears the protagonist down, frustratingly so considering the journey they just went through, but in the end there's a solid push at hope that worked to bring the story full circle. Another glimmer somewhere in the middle when lovers get together was especially touching, too, and a necessary breather between wading neck-deep through death. Plays on the zombie trope with zombies that are more vocal about wanting to die, and an interesting mirror to the protagonist longing for what he lost and his inability to really engage with life as is beyond mere survival and hiding, not thriving.
Bloody and grotesque, heart-wrenching and hard, this is a must-read novella I highly recommend.
I thank the author, publisher, and BookSirens for the advance review copy I received for free, and I am voluntarily providing this review.
Links
Warren Wagner's website: https://linktr.ee/warrenwagner
Purchase at the Ghoulish website: https://ghoulish.rip/product/the-only-safe-place-left-is-the-dark/
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5876615840
~AND~
Frost Bite
by Angela Sylvaine
Published by Dark Matter INK on October 10, 2023
Cover Art by Eric Hibbeler
Comic b-grade horror, gore, prairie dogs, fast fun read, 3/5.
Fast-paced comedy horror chock-full of references to 80s-90s movies, music and culture. The nostalgia lover in me was fully appeased. This even had a solid freaking radio playlist at the end: We're All Gonna Die HOT-25.
I did love the friendship of the main characters, as well as the quick flow of the story. Easy popcorn read. Highly recommend it for that.
On the other hand, while the pace is great, this is really straightforward prose, which I personally found wanting. I am generally a lover of prose that goes deeper, so this sometimes felt too generic for me overall. Many readers will likely love it though, and certainly serves the forward momentum.
And for one more bit of criticism, I will say that sometimes the humor fell flat for me, and I went c'mon, really, ugh… but then, I mean that was part of the B-movie cheese that this glorifies so you kind of have to just roll with that.
Still, a good deal of the over-the top horror and silliness did grab me and kept me loving the ride, so I am totally on board for the next installment.
Oh, and isn't that cover art just awesome!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and Book Sirens, for the advance review copy I received for free, and I am voluntarily providing this review.
Links
Angela Sylvaine's website: https://angelasylvaine.com/
Purchase at the Dark Matter INK website: https://darkmattermagazine.shop/products/frost-bite
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5876615403
Eric Hibbeler's website: https://erichibbeler.com/
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Intense collection of eco-fiction both terrifying and wonderfully inspiring
You Are My Sunshine and Other Stories
by Octavia Cade
Published by Stelliform Press on September 21, 2023
Short story collection, Eco-fiction (both really dark and really positive)
Adult (contains lots of death and graphic depictions of violence, including loss of limbs)
* Highly recommended for the range of stories dealing with our environment and how we can better adapt to and connect with the world we live in. *
18 stories by Octavia Cade collected in here. According to the story credits in the back of the book, at least 15 of them were previously published in various magazines and anthologies between 2013 to 2022. I'd experienced a few before, so I knew I was in for a real treat reading this one through.
I really enjoyed how the stories were organized. The themes and interests of the stories flowed beautifully together. Some of the stories spoke to each other well, dancing along the ideas of sunshine, environment having its revenge, and adapting to the world to create something deeply beautiful and sustainable.
Everything within is climate fiction of some sort, though it certainly shows Cade's range in considering the topic. Readers are presented an interesting mash-up of dark and frightening with hopeful and wonderfully alive. Do be warned, a few of the opening stories are not afraid to dip into horror, while others, especially towards the second half of the book are overjoyed to be more well-adjusted solarpunk, hopepunk, and/or completely joyous. You have stories with a constant barrage of death and sadness, limbs being cut off, bears devouring us, lots of death. The title story of course, which matches well with this book's excellent cover, opens with a severed arm in a mailbox with a brief apology note. Among the most intense of stories presented herein. And the first story is all about the bears and fears in an apocalyptic future: "We feed them pieces of ourselves. Sacrificial offerings, to make them go away. Sometimes it even works."
But then you have these stories full of so much love and brilliant adaptation to a world that's been broken, Gregor Samsa's sister making up for her disgust by helping children prepare to not be disgusted by all the insects we need to live closely with; a relationship breaking finds rejuvenation through the restoration of underwater passages and fish and eels; the unreal and fantastic treatment of making rivers people, after we have giving corporations recognition as a person, and considering what that leads to; the wonderful search for a species the protagonist adores.
"And if I spend most of my time underground, now, with the eels and with the fish… it's because things seem more hopeful here. Witnessing the restoration of a species in real time rejuvenates my faith in the restoration of other things." This story surprised me by how touched I felt by the end.
"A river was never just water; a mountain never just rocks and snow. They were systems as much as we were. So we made our landmarks people, and then we made ourselves--all of ourselves--believe it." This kind of idea is returned to in several stories, and done so well. An idea that needs to be applied by our governments and communities more.
Even the treatment of death can be rather refreshing, sometimes with the most simple of lines that punch you in the gut after what you've read:
"The kids asked if the grief was worth it.
I told them that it was."
I honestly could not pick out a favorite story. By the end, I adored every single one. But I am the kind of reader that dives in for both the darkness and the light. Perfect for me.
I'll be reading these again. And I hope you do, too. There's so much substance. There's so much to think about. There's so much our communities need to consider in adapting to the world around us.
Thank you Stelliform Press and BookSirens for providing me an advance review copy for free. I am happy to provide this honest review voluntarily. I’ll keep my eyes open for more from this publisher.
Final rating: 5/5 stars. So much depth. So much beautiful writing. So intense.
*The cover art for this is absolutely gorgeous. It's by Rachel Yu Lobbenberg who also won the Best Cover Art from the Aurora Awards for her work on Arboreality (also published by Stelliform Press).
Links
Octavia Cade's website: https://ojcade.com/
Purchase at the Stelliform Press website: https://www.stelliform.press/index.php/product/you-are-my-sunshine-and-other-stories-by-octavia-cade/
Purchase at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Sunshine-Other-Stories/dp/1778092640/
Purchase at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-are-my-sunshine-and-other-stories-octavia-cade/1143428706
My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5858671076
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Book Review: Nocean by Efa
 |
| Nocean Vol. 1. Atari and Tika by Efa |
Nocean by Efa
Published by Europe Books on February 22, 2023 by Europe Books
Graphic Novel, Eco-fiction, Dystopia
Young Adult (probably suits 10-15 year old best)
* Recommend for the positive friendship between the two young female main characters, and the grandmother's restaurant. *
Loved the colors used for the artwork. The details of her home interior and Iaia’s restaurant were especially nice. The positive friendship and motivation to make change engaged me, though overall left me wanting more. I would’ve liked more time spent on character development than with the plot, though I understand the need to keep a forward momentum for pacing purposes. Even so, Atari and Tika are great characters.
For those who enjoy dystopian stories, this was a decent read. Nothing that new in terms of plot and worldbuilding: dystopian city/government, oceans destroyed, and terrorists groups fighting the evil government while some common kids who have lost parents are stuck in the middle. That’s all pretty cliche and doesn’t move much past it. That said, the main character has some tech skills and the friend she makes is pretty awesome, nice design there, so that pulled me along.
I’ll likely purchase a copy for my daughters (around late elementary school to junior high school age), and would recommend it for around that age on into high school. Fun Robin Hood sister duo. The story overall lands with a pretty decent messaging in terms of doing the right thing and being wary of negative influences. While, thankfully, this volume was satisfying on its own, I am interested to see what the author does with volume 2.
Thank you Europe Comics and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I’ll keep my eyes open for more.
Final rating: 3/5 stars. Loved the Atari and Tika friendship and the colors; wanted more character depth and less of the basic plot.
Links
Purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/41M5faI
Efa (Author/Illustrator) on Europe Comics Website: https://www.europecomics.com/author/efa/
My review on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3IRkkPt
My review on NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.com/book/281740/review/390962
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Revisiting my NaNoWriMo Approaches from 2015
Hello my fellow creatives!
I'll aim to update the list of deadlines further this weekend. For now, a NaNoWriMo focus. Plus, some related images I've put together with the likes of midjourney, canva, gimp, krita, etc. Enjoy.
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
October Deadlines
October! The month of wonderful wind and spirits and costumes. Plenty of deadlines it looks like. Hope this helps. Also take a look at the bottom of the list for more resources.
Quick self-promo: I have two stories coming out in November! One story in Clamour and Mischief available for pre-order now. Includes a bunch of great stories about corvids; my story's another entry into my near future fantastical world (Japan's displaced and humans are only one of many other animals doing alive and well and with plenty of odd powers to boot). Main characters are cyberpunk azure-winged magpies, so enjoy that.
I also have a story coming out in Tales and Feathers Issue 1. They already have three stories out for Issue 1. Go take look!
And now on to the updated lists for October 2022 and beyond. Updates I add to the list will be noted here for those who check back throughout the month.
Strange Horizons already closed after reaching their 1000-story cap (opened 10/3-10/5)
Thanks for reading and good luck with your creative work. Enjoy the season!
RJK LEE
Table of Contents
1. Deadlines/Windows after 10/1/2022 paying 5¢/word or more
2. Open Publications with no deadline paying 5¢/word or more
3. Deadlines/Windows after 10/1/2022 paying up to 4¢/word
4. Open Publications with no deadline paying up to 4¢/word
5. Publications paying royalties/advance only
6. Search for More Markets Here
7. Browse Links to Advice/Lists/Workshops
1. Deadlines/Windows after 10/1/2022 paying 5¢/word or more
10/1 (opened w/ no specified closing date), Uncanny Magazine, 750-10,000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: speculative, Reprints NO, Poetry OK (any length), $40/poem), Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, Link: https://uncannymagazine.com/submissions/
10/16, Flame Tree (Monthly Flash Fiction Contest), 700-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Horror & Supernatural, Theme: Haunted Circus, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, submit entry to the Newsletter Editor Zoë Seabourne at zoe.seabourne@flametreepublishing.com w/ theme as subject heading and author details/bio at end of story, must subscribe to newsletter which states the new month's genre/prompt (https://www.flametreepress.com/reader-exclusives/), Link: https://www.flametreepress.com/submissions/
9/19-10/19 (11:59 PM PST), Nightmare Magazine (BIPOC-only window), 1500-7500 words (not open to flash at this time), 8¢/word, Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy, Poetry OK (up to 5 poems; $40), Creative Nonfiction OK (~1000 words), Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO (but can submit one piece for each category during open periods), Link: https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/nightmare/
10/1-10/21 (midnight EDT), Flash Fiction Online, 500-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any, Anonymous submissions, Reprints OK (2¢/word), Simultaneous NO, Multiple OK (only one original and one reprint concurrently), open 1st-21st almost every month (closed in December; may close earlier if reaches submissions limit), details at the link: http://www.flashfictiononline.com/submission-guidelines-flash-fiction/
10/21, Endless Ink Publishing House Short Story Horror Comedy Contest, 5000-8000 words, prize money (1st: $750, 2nd-4th: $150), Genre: horror comedy, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, submit to nextpagejulian@yahoo.com, Link: https://www.endlessinkbooks.com/blogs/news/short-story-contest-2022-horror-comedy
10/22, Drabblecast, 500-4000 words (also: 100-word & 100-character), 6¢/word ($300 cap), Genre: weird speculative (range of SF/F/H that includes humorous, bizarre, gross, disturbing, badass, interesting, and original; stories that work well in audio format), Reprints OK (3¢/word), Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, submit stories to submissions@drabblecast.org with name and title in subject, Link: https://www.drabblecast.org/submissions/
10/21-10/26 (general submissions), Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6), anonymous submissions, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple OK (only one in each category of short, flash, and poetry), Note: open to BIPOC authors throughout all of 2022 (also the general submissions windows is tentative; check their website and Twitter @fantasymagazine for updates), Link: https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/fantasy
10/30 (11 PM AEDT), Our Ocean’d Earth (Stormbird Press), 1,000-3,000 words, paying €200, Genre/Theme: nonfiction or fiction on how important it is to fight for our oceans, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, send submissions to editor@stormbirdpress.com (attach essay/story; include an author bio of 300 words or less, contact details with mailing address and phone number, and in subject line write: ‘Ocean Anthology Submission’, the title of the submission and the country in which your story is set), More details at the link: https://www.stormbirdpress.com/news/our-oceand-earth/
7/1-10/31 (extended), There’s No Place (Renaissance Press), 500-3500 words, CAD8¢/word, Genre: any, Theme: Home (not limited to physical spaces; home can be a person, an item, a memory, a sensation), Limited: those who experienced homelessness, Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, details at the link: https://pressesrenaissancepress.ca/2022/06/29/call-for-submissions/
10/31, Elegant Literature, 500-2000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: any, Theme: haunted hideaway (theme changes each month), Reprints NO, Art OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK, also hosts a monthly contest ($10 monthly to join as member and submit to contest, but can submit to magazine without membership fee), must be a new or unpublished author to submit (considered a new author if you have not a) traditionally published a novel of greater than 40,000 words, b) self-published a novel of greater than 40,000 words and sold 100+ copies, c) sold four or more works of short fiction to markets paying 8c/word or greater, d) self-published short fiction work totalling 10,000 words or more, with profits in excess of $500, e) won a fiction contest with a prize greater than $2,500), Link: https://www.elegantliterature.com/submission-guidelines/
10/31, Metastellar, under 1200 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F/H, Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, use submission form on website (asks for bio, story image, and author photo), Link: https://www.metastellar.com/write-for-us/flash-fiction-story-submission/
9/15-11/14 (11:59 PM EDT), Mighty: An Anthology of Disable Superheroes, 500-3500 words, 8¢CAD, Limited: seeking stories written by and about people who can identify as disabled, Genre: any speculative (SF is good, but also welcomes cross-genre and encourages telling superhero stories in other settings such as fantasy or weird west), Theme: Disabled characters being empowered and living full lives while still being disabled (welcomes stories that play around with tired cliches/tropes about disability, humor, stories about and by people at the intersection of disability and other identities that have been traditionally excluded from publishing including but not limited to people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, religious minorities, women, older adults), Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO (but if your story is rejected before the deadline, you are welcome to submit another), anonymous submissions, prefers receiving submissions via this Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUSO4eL3wsN0c64IDxFm34zivtCX-qE8lVQDVbtD6G1dDFtg/viewform, more details at the link: https://pressesrenaissancepress.ca/2022/06/29/call-for-submissions-mighty/
8/15-11/15, Dark Recesses (Winter Issue), 500-5000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: horror/dark fiction, four submission windows (8/15-11/15, 11/16-2/15, 2/16-5/15, 5/16-8/15), differs from standard manuscript format (single-spaced, no indents), Nonfiction OK (specifics on their site), details at the link: http://darkrecessespress.com/submissions/
11/30, This World Belongs to Us: An Anthology of Horror Stories about Bugs, 500-5000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: Horror, Theme: stories about bugs ("terrify us with your best stories about the creepy-crawlies that outnumber us, outweigh us, and scare the bejesus out of us"; a little humor is okay but should primarily frighten readers), Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, currently running a Kickstarter, send stories to submit@frombeyondpress.com with a short ~50-word bio, Link: http://frombeyondpress.com/submissions/
12/1-1/31, Gargantua (air and nothingness press), exactly 1000 words, Genre: any (may typically fall into hard SF but welcomes any genre), Theme: stories of massive engineering megastructures that reshape stellar systems (Shellworlds, Alderson disks, Dyson spheres and swarms, O'Neill cylinders, Matrioshka brains, wormhole networks - these megastructures reshape stellar systems, are evidence of the engineering prowess of advanced civilizations, and are just darn cool concepts; tales of advanced civilizations, personal stories of the people who live in these spaces, the mythology that is created as these projects are born, to the time they crumble to stellar dust), Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, email your submission to info@aanpress.com with a one paragraph bio, wants standard manuscript format in doc/docx/rtf (and prefers Page Size: Letter; Margins: .5”; Font: Calibri 11 point, single spaced), Website Details: http://aanpress.com/submissions.html, PDF Submission Details: http://aanpress.com/Gargantua_2023_submission.pdf
12/31, Path of Absolute Power (anthology), 3000-7000 words, 5-12¢/word, Genre: superhero, Theme: stories set in the Absolute Power tabletop roleplaying game, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, email stories to info@dyskami.ca, Link: http://dyskami.ca/news.html
12/1-2/28 (11:59 GMT), The Welkin Writing Prize, ~400 words, prize money (1st: £100, 2nd: £50, 3rd: £25, several additional prizes of £25). Genre: any form of narrative prose aimed at adults (welcomes narrative prose fiction and non-fiction, including flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem etc.; the following forms are unlikely to be successful: traditional poems, stories aimed at children, and essays), Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, must be anonymous submissions (no personal info), Times New Roman/12pt font/single-spaced, filename: first five words of title, Link: https://www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize
2. Open Publications with no deadline paying 5¢/word or more
Assemble Artifacts Magazine, ~40,000 words (prefers 5000 words or more), 8-10¢/words, Genre/Theme: wonder and suspense, Poetry NO, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, will no respond in the case of rejections (assumed rejected after 3 months), submit via form with a 1-3 sentence pitch of the story and author bio, note that the contract is aimed at allowing them to produce film adaptations ("license exclusive worldwide all language first print/electronic publication, audio and media adaptation shopping rights for a term"), details at the link: https://www.assemblemedia.com/artifacts
Escape Pod (opens from 9/15 (12:01am ET)-5/31/2023), 1500-6000 words, 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: any SF (prefers high clarity/pacing to match their audio format; prefers a ray of hope even in darker stories), Reprints OK (1500-7500 words, $100), Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, Anonymous Submissions, submit via moksha (https://escapeartists.moksha.io/publication/escape-pod), details at the link: https://escapepod.org/guidelines/short-fiction/?fbclid=IwAR1Ma0nS3KVh9Y2IJCjFFaKfaqcd0Qm5HfEhkbFA_LnHVc4D4LzO-UNHf1c
Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6), anonymous submissions, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple OK (only one in each category of short, flash, and poetry), Note: open to BIPOC authors throughout all of 2022; opens for general submissions again on 7/1-7/7 and 10/1-10/7, submit stories here: https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/fantasy
GrendelPress, 3000-7000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: Dark Fantasy/Horror/Romance, Theme: themed anthologies will be developed as submissions are collected (current themes: Paramnesia, Monsters as MCs, Supernatural Stories, The Devil Who Loves Me; first antho launch planned for August 2023), Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK, check site for formatting specifics (12pt Georgia/Times New Roman, normal margins, double spaced, no headers, use three asterisks to indicate scene breaks and story end), Link: https://grendelpress.com/anthology-submissions/
Infinite Horrors, 1500-5000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Horror, Art OK ($75-$150 for commissioned, $30 for non-commissioned), Comics OK (seeking new, unpublished comic or graphic novel shorts of 4–10 pages at rates negotiated with the artist), Reprints NO, Multiple NO, Simultaneous NO, send submissions to info@infinitehorrorsmagazine.com (note that they may not send a rejection notice; if 90 days have passed, consider the submission rejected), info here: https://www.infiniteworldsmagazine.com/submissions-faqs
Planet Scumm, 5000 words, 6¢/word, Genre: SF and other (Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, sci-fi that melts in your mouth-brain not your hand-brain Speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream), Note: currently closed (might open to subs in early 2023), Link: https://www.planetscumm.space/submit
The Antihumanist, ~1000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: any genre that fits the theme, Theme: fiction that "challenges human centred narratives" and "forces us to confront our place in the universe," Simultaneous OK
The Deadlands, ~5000 words (sweet spot = 3-4k), 10¢/word,Genre/Theme: speculative fiction that concerns itself with death–but also everything death may involve, Reprints OK (~5000 words, 1¢/word), Poetry OK during open periods (currently closed since June 14th; when open: 3 poems/submission, $50/poem), Nonfiction OK (1-4k words, $100/essay), Art OK ($100/cover art), closing 12/19/2021-1/19/2022
3. Deadlines/Windows after 10/1/2022 paying up to 4¢/word)
10/6, Bright Wall/Dark Room: Recovery, 2500-4000 words, $50, Genre: essays on films, Theme: Recovery (stories of people who faced immense challenges and found a way to come out the other side; recoveries can be successful, or valiant in the mere attempt; they can be noble, or they can be attempted for all the wrong reasons; can be little better narrative material than stories of recovery, and we can’t wait to see all the ways you interpret the theme; see guidelines for examples on addiction narratives, stories of overcoming physical setbacks, wartime experiences, abuse; stories taking on supernatural notes, psychological horror, or those that are abstract, realistic, stylized, or eerie), Link: https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/submissions/ and https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/the-bright-wall-dark-room-guide-to-pitching-submitting/
10/1-10/14, Apparition Lit, under 1000 words, $30, Genre: speculative, Theme: story based on the monthly photo prompt, Link: https://apparitionlit.com/submissions/
10/15, Wandering Wave Press: Tumbled Tales 1 – Stories that Upend Genre Conventions, 1000-10,000 words, $25, Genre/Theme: any mixed genre (genre authors who cross boundaries; stories that twist the tropes; stories that you can’t classify, that can’t be pigeon-holed into a single subgenre or that pushes against your genre’s boundaries; examples include witches in space, romances that flip gender roles, alternate histories set in the near-future, and fairy tales that start after the ‘happily ever after’, Link: https://wanderingwavepress.com/submissions
10/15, Sasee: In the Spirit!, 500-1000 words, pay varies, Genre: first-person nonfiction material that is for or about women (essays, humor, satire, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women are their focus areas; no fiction or poetry), Theme: next upcoming theme is ‘In the Spirit!’ to be published in December, Link: https://sasee.com/submissions/#writer-guidelines
10/1-10/15, Dose of Dread (Dread Stone Press), 500-1000 words, 2¢/word, Genre: Horror (dread-inducing), Link: https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/
10/14-10/23, Fusion Fragment, 2,000-15,000 words, 3.5¢/word, Genre/Theme: any SF (especially likes slipstream/cyberpunk/post-apocalypse/a little bizarre; likes character-driven; likes quiet, reflective pieces; tends to dislike high adventure and humor; quality more important than genre though so send anything resembling SF), Link here: http://www.fusionfragment.com/submissions/
10/1-10/31, Solarpunk Creatures, ~7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: solarpunk, Theme: stories and artwork that put human-nonhuman or even nonhuman-nonhuman relations in the spotlight (defining “creature” broadly: wild animals, domesticated ones, intelligent fungi, plastic-eating bacteria, lakes and rivers granted personhood, reconsider traditional tropes of alien first contact and sentient AI and don't replicate the same old oppressions and assumptions of human dominance), Art OK ($100/$50), Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, send story (doc/docx/rtf) to publisher@worldweaverpress.com with subject line SOLARPUNK CREATURES: [STORY TITLE] and brief cover letter in the body of the email, Link: https://www.worldweaverpress.com/blog/call-for-submissions-solarpunk-creatures
10/31, Rituals & Grimoires | Quill & Crow, 5000-8000 words, $45, Genre: Horror /Fantasy / Dark Fantasy (seeking mature fiction, magical/historical/literary horror, Gothic elements, fantasy/horror blends, dark magical fantasy and dark academia), Theme: gothic tales of dark magic & wizardry, Reprints NO, Simultaneous Maybe (not state), Multiple NO, Link: https://www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com/rituals-and-grimoires
10/31 (11:59 PM PST), Manor of Frights (Horror Addicts), 2000-3500 words, $10, Theme: must be third person horror taking place in the Manor of Fright, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple OK (up to two stories), blind subs (remove personal info from submission), Link: https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/current-submission-calls/
10/31, Under the Stairs: An Anthology of Homebound Horror, ~3000 words, 3 cents/word, Genre: Horror (supernatural and strictly human horrors), Theme: stories about what happens when you lose your sense of home, Reprints NO, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, submit to underthestairsmag@gmail.com, Link: https://www.underthestairsmag.com/
11/2, ~350 words, 5th Annual Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest, ~350 words (excluding title), cash prize (1st: $75, prompt prize x3: $50, honorable mentions: $5), winners read on podcast (by author or other), Genre/Theme: weird Christmas-themed fiction (three categories: stocking stuffer, christmas cryptids, weird cards), Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple OK, submit to weirdxmascontest@gmail.com, Link: https://weirdchristmas.com/2022/07/19/2022-weird-christmas-flash-fiction-contest-5th-annual/
4. Open Publications with no deadline paying up to 4¢/word or more
Allegory, any word count (sweet spot: 500-5000 words), $15/story, Genre: SF/F/H, submit stories to submissions@allegoryezine.com (see link for specific subject heading and email content), Note: the first readers often give helpful feedback, editor Ty Drago, details at the link: https://www.allegoryezine.com/submissions
Black Hare Press, 5000-17,000 words, $25 (5k-10k), $50 (10k-17k), Genre: anything dark, anonymous submissions, wants British spellings, anthology in print and digital formats, include in email real name, pseudonym, ~100 word bio w/ ~4 social links, 40-word blurb, ~500-word synopsis, details at the link: https://www.blackharepress.com/submissions/
Bourbon Penn, 2000-7500 words, 2¢/word, Genre: speculative (odd/imaginative ones), especially slipstream/cross-genre/magic realism/absurdist/surreal, more details here: https://www.bourbonpenn.com/submissions
Bullet Points, 100-5,000 words, $30 flat ($20 flat for reprints), Genre/Theme: speculative military fiction sensitive to the complexity/tragedy/hope of warfare/violence in human/nonhuman society
Reprints OK ($20, longer word count okay), details at the link: https://www.nathantoronto.com/bulletpoints/submissions
Crow Toes Quarterly, ~3000 words, $25 (1-1500 words) or $50 (1501-3000 words), Genre: playfully dark fiction for children ages 8-13, Poetry OK (1-5 pieces in a single doc/pdf; $20/poem), Art OK (1-5 pieces; $20-60), Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, submit to ctqsubmissions@gmail.com with brief bio (include type of submission, title of submission, and name of artist/author in the subject line), details at the link: https://www.crowtoesquarterly.org/submit
Dark Moon Digest, 1500-7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror (complex/creepy like Twilight Zone or Black Mirror), Simultaneous OK, opens on the 1st every month and closes when full, Link: https://darkmoondigest.submittable.com/submit
Dream of Shadows, ~1500 words, £20, Genre: Horror/Fantasy, Link: https://www.dreamofshadows.co.uk/submission-guidelines
Flash Point Science Fiction, 100-1000 words, $15/story, Genre: speculative (F/SF, slipstream, other), details at the link: https://flashpointsf.com/submissions/
GigaNotoSaurus, 5,000-25,000 words, $100, Genre: F/SF (any combination of the genres), English Translations OK, Reprints NO, Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, submit via Moksha submissions portal, Link: http://giganotosaurus.org/submission-guidelines/?fbclid=IwAR3ejADSawz5Ty5xAOKTEn8hQ42yuOkFNheUS2JViZ0PWsHi_ps1YkcmXZ4
Guilty Crime Story Magazine, 1000-6000 words (sweet spot = 3k-4k), $10/story, Non-Fiction OK (~1500 words w/ 500-750 preferred, $5/article, pitch first), Art OK ($15/cover art; $10/interior art), submit to guiltycrimemag@gmail.com, Link: https://www.guiltycrimemag.com/submissions.html?fbclid=IwAR0FDEJzyTifZgXC9TBjnrDZNzVc06eEOuIyFR8LB1NG_ftgEEDQkuGX2_o
The Colored Lens, ~20,000 words, 1-2¢/word, Genre: speculative, Link: http://thecoloredlens.com/?page_id=137752
The Great Void Books, 4,000-15,000 words (website/anthologies), $5 or royalties (whichever is greater; royalties = 40% net profit divided equally among the contributors of that anthology), Genre: F/SF/H/Crime/ Mystery/Romance, Theme: varies by anthology, Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (up to 3 at a time), see deadlines for semi-pro for current anthology windows, Link: https://www.tgvb.in/submissions/
Utopia, 100-5000 words, 4¢/words, Genre/Theme: different theme each issue (accepts stories that do not match theme; matching theme increases chances of selection), Reprints NO, Poetry OK ($5/short poem; $10/long poem), Nonfiction OK, Art OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple NO, submit to Editor-in-Chief Tristan Everts, Fiction Editor: Angie, Link: https://www.utopiasciencefiction.com/submit
6. Search for More Markets Here
S. Kalekar (authorspublish.com) lists lots of places to submit stories such as this October 2022 post: https://authorspublish.com/37-themed-submission-calls-for-writers-for-october-2022/
Angelique Fawns regularly lists places to submit stories, such as this October 2022 post
Where to Submit Short Stories: 30 Magazines and Websites That Want Your Work, a decent list with a literary focus
SFWA Market Report—April 2022
7. Browse Links to Advice/Lists/Workshops
M. Todd Gallowglas does some fun and engaging classes that really inspire you to produce meaningful new work; check out his shows on Twitch or his workshops
Wulf Moon also has great workshops at Fyrecon, and is available as a professional editor and voice actor; check out his website for more info
Cat Rambo's Website: lots of good resources and classes
Grants to apply for with the Speculative Literature Foundation
A listing at critter.org that shows general response times of various publications
Publisher's Pick Free Ebook of the Month (Maintained by Arc Manor of Galaxy's Edge)
On writing cover letters for submissions to the short fiction market by Christie