Clamour and Mischief Cover Reveal

 So I'll be trying something newish with this blog. Instead of posting the update of deadlines and all that in every single post, I'll keep it in its own post. For other chatter, I'll make separate posts. Today's chatter regards my forthcoming story in Clamour and Mischief from Clan Destine Press and edited by Narrelle M. Harris. Narrelle has just revealed the cover in full and I am so excited about it. So many birds clamouring for our attention! Thank you Andrea L Farley (aka Altocello) for the beautiful artwork on this anthology.

I'm thrilled to have my story published in this anthology; it seems like such a perfect fit. Well, granted this was a anthology invite which I wrote a completely fresh story for, but it also gave me an excellent opportunity to expand the story world that readers already saw in Stone Shaper Tanukis Estranged (published in Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging - Volume Blue from Improbable Press).

I will share the release date for Clamour and Mischief at a later date, but for now, please enjoy the cover reveal below:

Awards Eligibility Post for 2021

Awards Eligibility Post for 2021

Hi there! Here is my eligible story for anyone reviewing pieces for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story, the Hugo Award for Best Short Story, the Locus Award for Best Short Story, or the World Fantasy Award - Short Fiction. Please consider reading my first-ever eligible publication for the Short Story Category.

My short story Stone Shaper Tanukis Estranged (2,160 words) appeared in Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerged - Volume Blue which was published on December 13th, 2021. In a near future Japan, a divorced tanuki struggles to reunite with his daughter despite a failed child custody case, communicating by nothing more than their stone-shaping abilities.

Thank you very much for your consideration!

R.J.K. Lee

Please consider these authors below as well:

Rebecca E. Treasure: https://twitter.com/R_E_Treasure/status/1463515972199927812

M. Elizabeth Ticknor: https://twitter.com/LizTicknor/status/1460036608523177992

Leah Ning: https://twitter.com/LeahNing/status/1459886968020652034

Halloween Ends and NaNoWriMo Begins

Happy Halloween people. I had a nice outing with my daughters and girlfriend. We had a home party with two other families. Great fun, though my older daughter got a bit tired after the festivities. We had the Joker, Pennywise, a spooky skeleton, and the green monster Mike.

As for my most recent submissions, I just submitted a 3500-word story to PseudoPod. That story would be a trip to hear read live in their podcast. It has a haunting beauty to its dark poetry. Such an emotional literary horror piece. Makes me cry. I also submitted a 350-word revision of a weird xmas story I wrote a few years back. and sent it out to the Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest.

Some good news for me--I applied for a scholarship for some master workshops with teachers at Fyrecon 2020 (money has been rather scarce for me since job loss hit hard as a freelancer) and, guess what? I got approved for two master workshops! The first one is a two-day workshop of eight total hours: Cracking the Story Code with Amy White.The second one is The Secrets of a Howling Good Plot with Wulf Moon (I took his other master class on winning short stories in the summer).

And now, it's suddenly November. Already the second of November for me here with a bunch of business to take care of... voice acting job needs to get finished in a few days, some examiner training I need to send, another teaching-related project that awaits revision/expansion, and some jobs will take over several days this month...Sigh.

Of course, NaNoWriMo has started, so I'm supposed to get 6000 words written into the rewrite/revision of my novel today to get off on the right foot with my profile mentioning some further details. I'm working as a NaNo Rebel again this year, with plans to dive back into my 60,000-word novel. I pitched this one to agents at the Willamette Writers Conference, but after that I ended up adding another thread and messing with the story, so I must expand or cut or completely rewrite it. My plan is to explore a few sections of it that need fleshing out then cut out the excess and expand with the heart of it in mind. Basically approach my novel with some lessons learned while working with Wulf Moon's Super Secrets over the course of a year. I think his KYD exercises will be especially useful. I also have a flash that I wrote in August/September that will provide another good link into the novel, and a possible new diving in point for it. We'll see. I expect to reach around 100,000 words on this one if the current structure of it is any sign of its new normal to come.

I had a past post on NaNoWriMo advice. I may try to do that again, but here...I recommend using as many approaches as will help. Keep a notepad and pen handy, but also keep your smart phone handy. Both can be useful to brainstorm wherever you are. If you're stuck at work, you can keep quick notes on the side. Use Scrivener to keep all your notes together and various drafts for swift reference. Print out pages and mark them and move them around for structural inspiration. Set a clock, do writing sprints, and/or use the Write or Die software to make sure you write during your planned or unplanned sessions. Do not plan everything as things will fall apart, but do plan some so that it actually happens. Do leave something waiting to be written whether by having a notepad full of notes or a scene not quite finished. Have your inspiration constant my having your fingers in multiple pies (more than one scene ready to go, multiple avenues and interests that need to be jumped into, etc.). Okay, that's all the quick advice I have for now. Just zoom through the words and get the basic idea and pathways down. Do plan to come back and revise. Also, some new advice I'll be toying with: consider the Super Secrets, and especially the KYD exercises, as long they don't slow down your production output too much. But these last two are especially important if you find you not quite reaching the actual story and emotional core behind it.

I do have the Pack Chat writer friends who have been such a boon. Though we have finished the 2019-2020 year and the official 2020-2021 group has been reduced, our pack chat group remains. Quick to provide feedback on stories and always adding in some nice chat on life and writing inspiration. A nice pack of fellow creatives. One has invited me to send the first 50 pages of my novel to provide some help in my rewrite. Others have provided consistent help with fixing up my short stories and flash. One in particular has always been happy to tear apart my stories to help find the stronger core.

In the meantime, short story submissions continue. Current 2020 stats are inserted below.

Total submissions to publications: 113 (111 to pubs of 5-20¢/word; 2 to 1-4¢/word)

Rejections:     96 (59 short, 32 flash, 4 poems, 1 novel writing grant application)

Pending:         17 (10 short, 7 flash)

Just a few new deadlines added below. A bunch with deadlines right at the start of the month. Details for Flame Tree's latest horror anthology Beyond the Veil have been added now that they announced more about it (11/15 deadline). Deep Magic is still open if you have any amazing PG-13 speculative stories to send us first readers. The Dread Machine has a new anthology looking for dread-inspiring stories set in 1986 (2/26/2021 deadline). Added Departure Magazine to deadlines as their window is now limited to January 2021, i.e. they are currently closed. Also adding an open anthology on quiet horror with no deadline below from Cemetery Media Gates. Edit: Added Flame Tree’s flash fiction contest (11/17 deadline) to the deadlines list.

Open Anthology with no specified deadline yet (pay 1-10¢/word)

There is also a new story call for an anthology forthcoming from Cemetery Media Gates with no specific deadline (probably closing in early 2021 once they have enough stories). Details: CMG's Quiet Horror anthology, 1000-3000 words probably best (up to 5000 words OK), payment is a flat $100 (so if 1000 words then 10¢/word, if 2000 words then 5¢/word, 3000 words then about 3¢/word), Genre/Theme: Quiet Horror/confessional style supernatural experiences, Multiple and Simultaneous NO (but can resubmit one week after receiving a rejection), Note: this links to CMG's Twitter post on it which is the primary source on this "secret open call". 

Submission Deadlines in September and Beyond (pay 5-20¢/word USD or equivalent)

11/1, Metastellar, ~1000 words, 8 cents/word, Genre: F/SF/H

11/1, Dark Matter Magazine (Halloween Issue and General Issue), 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: various SF (including Afrofuturism, Alternate Universe, Apocalyptic, Cyberpunk, Dark Humor or Satire, Dying Earth, Dystopia, Hard Boiled, Hard SF, Near Future, Pulp, Occult SF, SF Fantasy, SF Horror, Slipstream, Space Opera, Theological, Weird SF), Theme: general submissions and Halloween or monster themed story call, Poetry OK ($30/poem), Comics OK (1-10 pages; $50/page), Simultaneous OK, Multiple OKish, Reprints OK (2¢/word)

11/1 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest (3rd annual), ~350 words, prize money (1st=$50, 2nd=$25,10+HMs=$5, Genre: SpecFic/SF/F/H/Humor/Weird Theme: scary stories set around any winter holiday, Reprints: query, Note: accepts narrative poetry, multiple entries OK

10/15-11/2, PseudoPod, 1500-6000 words (4500 best) or ~1499 words (500-1000 best), 8¢/word, Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy/Weird, Simultaneous OK (if not both Escape Artists publications)

11/1-11/2, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, open 1st-2nd every month, 1000-40000 words (shorter preferred), 6¢/word (reprints 2¢/word), Genre: F/SF, Poetry ($1/line, ~40 lines, reprints 50¢/word), Articles (2-6¢/word, reprints 1-4¢/word), Note: great feedback provided if requested in cover letter

11/1-11/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)

11/1-11/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is only open to Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors

11/15, Apex Holiday Horrors Flash Fiction Contest, ~250 words (not including title/byline), $25 for winner and $10 for two runner-ups, Genre/Theme: Horror set around any winter holiday

10/31-11/15, Beyond the Veil: A New Collection of Horror Stories (Flame Tree Anthology), 3000-5000 words ("most likely to be successful at" but will read a little outside that range up to around 6000 or so), 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: any horror, Further notes: edited by Mark Morris; Beyond the Veil is the second book in the Flame Tree Book of Horror series; also see 1st book in series titled "After Sundown which published in October 2020, submit here: 2020@flametreepublishing.com, Multiple OK, Simultaneous OK

11/17, Flame Tree Flash Fiction Contest, ~1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre/Theme #1: Horror/A Red Christmas, Genre/Theme #2: SF/Icy Planet, Note: sign up for their newsletter to get notified of these every month and read the past winners 

9/21-11/30 (closing date unknown but likely around the end of November), Deep Magic, 1000-40,000 words, 8¢/word up to 7499 words ($599.92 pay cap above that), Genre: SF and Fantasy, Note: PG-13, Reprints OK (2¢/word up to 10,000 words and capped at $200 for longer)

11/30, ServiceScape Short Story Award, ~5000 words, $1,000 USD (one winner), Genre: any

11/30: Cast of Wonders (General Submissions), ~6000 words (best 3000-4500 or flash <1000), 8¢/word, Genre: any YA, Note: good feedback provided last time I submitted

11/30, Strange Horizons, open every Mon 16:00 UTC - Tue 16:00 UTC, ~10,000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: all speculative, (Note: closes for all of December, Poetry OK, Non-Fiction OK

11/1-11/30, ProleSCARYet: Tales of Horror and Class Warfare, 1000-4500 words, $75/story, Genre: Horror/Dark Weird/Dark SF, Theme: anything anti-capatalist and horror (horrors of capitalism; monstrous bosses, jobs from literal Hell, working class folks fighting back against great cosmic evils, etc.), Simultaneous OK, Note: "Please send submission to prolescaryetanthology@gmail.com. Include your name, story title, and word count in the subject heading (e.g., Karl Marx — “Capitalism Bad” — 3,500 Words”). Include an author bio of under 100 words and no more than two links to accompany your story."

12/1, Don't Touch That: An Anthology of Parenthood in SFF, ~5000 words, 6¢/word, Genre: F/SF, Theme: "Parents exploring ancient, curse-ridden caves with their children. Parents trying to give their kin enough personal space to grow their own intergalactic empires - and make their mistakes. Parents hunting the monsters that hide beneath kids' beds. Parents offering advice to the adventuring child who never takes it." Submit: "a .doc or .docx file to donttouchthatantho@gmail.com no later than 11:15pm EST on December 1, 2020." Note: open to 2 slush stories

12/2, Arkansas Intergalactic Themed Issue, ~8000 words, $20/page capped at $250, Genre: SF/Speculative, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (in one submission packet), Poetry OK, Note: no submission fee if they haven't hit the monthly cap

11/30-12/4, Fireside (Autumn 2021 Issue), ~3000 words, 12.5¢/word, Genre: Any (English or Spanish) 

12/1-12/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)

12/1-12/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is open to all authors

12/1-12/31, PodCastle, ~6000 words (3000-4500 best), 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy, Simultaneous OK, Reprints ($100 for >1500 words, $20 for flash)

12/31, Lost Contact, 1000-7000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: Horror/Weird Science, Theme: use lost contact idea as you please and link it with horror and technology, Simultaneous OK

8/27-12/31, THE MODERN DEITY’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING HUMANITY, DERELICT, and WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (three anthologies from Zombies Need Brains LLC), 7500 words, 8¢/words + royalties, Theme 1: urban fantasy w/ a god/deity, Theme 2: SF/F about abandoned ships, Theme 3: SF/F about colliding cultures, Sub to contact@zombiesneedbrains.com w/ name of anthology and title of story submitted, Multiple OK (separate emails), Reprints/Simultaneous NO

12/31, Curiouser Magazine, ~5000 words (~1000 words = about 7¢/word), $50-125/story ($25/poem), Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (1 story or 3 poems or 2 flash of ~750 words)

1/1-1/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)

1/1-1/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is only open to Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors

1/2-1/31, Departure Mirror, ~20,000 words, 10¢/word ($300/story above 3000 words), Genre: SF/F, Poetry OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK

10/1-1/31, Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, ~8000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF, Want "Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, adventure"

2/1-2/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)

2/1-2/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is open to all authors

2/25/2021, The Dread Machine's first annual anthology, 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: anything dread-inspiring set in the actual 1986 or alternate version, Multiple subs OK but no simultaneous

3/1-3/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)

3/1-3/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is only open to Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors

8/10/2021-8/31/2021, PseudoPod (Flash Fiction Contest), ~1500 words (500-1000 best), 8¢/word, Genre: any horror, Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK (if not an Escape Artists podcast)

Publications Open for Submission (No specified deadline; pay 5-20¢/word USD or equivalent)

*added Boneyard Soup, Departure Mirror, and Infinite Worlds Science Fiction Magazine*

TEMP CLOSED: Addition Magazine, 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Rebuild, Genre: General/SF, Note: if no response in 14 days assume they rejected the story

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, ~12,000 words, 5-8¢/word, Genre: Mystery/Crime/Suspense /Thriller

Amazing Stories, 1000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: science-fiction

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, ~20,000 (8-10 cents/word), 40k-80k serials (6 cents/word), poetry ($1/line), 4000-word fact articles (9 cents/word), Genre: SF, Multiple Yes

Anathema: Spec from the Margins, 1500-6000 words (if 1500-2000 words pays 5¢/word), $100 CAD/story ($50/poem), Genre: SF/F/H, Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (under 100 lines, Non-Fiction OK (1500-3000 words), Limited demographic: queer/two-spirit person of colour/Indigenous/Aboriginal, Note on Genre/Theme: "We are open to any form of genre or speculative content. We talk about what we do as "SF/F/H, the weird, slipstream, surrealism, fabulism, and more," elsewhere on the site. But we are not limited to those genres. Use them as a starting point and send whatever you want: as long as it's got some kind of speculative content we'll consider it. And we are also interested in seeing work that has been difficult to place because of content or perspective."

Apex Magazine, ~7500 words, 8 cents/word, Genre: F/SF/Horror

Asimov's, 1000-20,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F

NEXT SUBMISSION WINDOW IS January 2021 (Issue 4.1, released Spring 2021), Augur, ~5000 words, 8¢/word, $60CAD/poem, Genre: SF/F/Literary/dreamy realism/slipstream/fabulism/magical realism/literary speculative, Poetry OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK Note: submit up to 2 short stories per window or 4 across genres and poetry of 5 pages or less with 5 poems or 10 pages total per window

Baffling Magazine, ~1200 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F/Horror (especially interested in queer/trans/aro/ace; welcomes weird/slipstream/interstitial), Simultaneous OK

Beneath Ceaseless Skies, ~15,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: literary adventure fantasy (no urban fantasy and nothing modern)

Boneyard Soup Magazine, 2000-6000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy, Reprints OK, Non-Fiction OK, Art OK

Clarkesworld Magazine, 1000-22,000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: SF/F

Cloud Lake Literary, ~3500 words, $50 CAD/per page to a maximum of $150 CAD, Genre: fiction/creative nonfiction/poetry/child lit/YA, Note: Canadian Writers only

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, open 1st-2nd every month, 1000-40000 words (shorter preferred), 6¢/word (reprints 2¢/word), Genre: F/SF, Poetry ($1/line, ~40 lines, reprints 50¢/word), Articles (2-6¢/word, reprints 1-4¢/word), Note: great feedback provided if requested in cover letter

Daily Science Fiction, 100-1500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F/slipstream, will consider flash series

The Dark, 2000-6000 words, 6¢/word, Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy/Experimental

Dark Matter, 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF

OPEN THROUGH NOVEMBER 2020, Deep Magic, 1000-40,000 words, 8¢/word up to 7499 words ($599.92 pay cap above that), Genre: SF and Fantasy, Note: PG-13, Reprints OK (2¢/word up to 10,000 words and capped at $200 for longer), Note: opens periodically and currently open until some time in November

CLOSED UNTIL JANUARY 2021, Departure Mirror, ~20,000 words, 10¢/word ($300/story above 3000 words), Genre: SF/F, Poetry OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK

CURRENTLY CLOSED, Dreamforge Magazine, 100-15,000 words, 4-8¢/word, Genre: SF/F (positive/hopeful),  Poetry/NonFiction OK, Reprints OK (4-5¢/word)

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, 250-20,000 (2500-8000 best), 5-8¢/word, Genre: Mystery/Crime/Suspense/Thriller

Flame Tree Press, seeks 70k-120k word novels (SF/F/H/Crime), often announces short story anthologies (8¢/word), runs a monthly flash fiction contest (700-1000 words at 8¢/word; reprints: 6¢/word), Note: sign up for newsletter to receive notice of monthly flash fiction contest prompts and upcoming anthology calls 

Flash Fiction Online, 500-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any, Multiple OK (up to 3 submitted at a time), Reprints OK (2¢/word), note: remove all author identifying info from submitted files

Focus on the Family Clubhouse, 500-2000 words, 15¢/word, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Humor/General, Age/Theme: 8-12 year old and Christian values

CLOSED TO SUBS UNTIL FEB 2021 Hybrid Fiction, 500-5000 words (or serialized novellas), 6¢/word, Genre: speculative hybrid/cross-genre (blend of 2+ genres, such as dark fantasy, steampunk western, historical fantasy, weird western, crime fantasy, etc.)

Infinite Worlds Science Fiction Magazine, 1500-5000 words, $100/story, Genre: SF, also Art and Comics OK

CURRENTLY CLOSED (NEXT OPEN: 12/1-12/31), PodCastle, ~6000 words (3000-4500 best), 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy, Simultaneous & Multiple OK, Reprints ($100 for >1500 words, $20/flash)

Pulp Literature, ~40000 (~5000 best), 5-8¢/word (up to 7000 words), Seeking: any genre or between-genre, poetry, comics, illustration, and open to novel queries in Jan/July, Poetry (up to 3 poems or 5 pages w/ $25-$50)

Reckoning, ~20,000 words, 8¢/word ($30/page for poems), Genre: SF/F/General, Theme: enivironmental justic, Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (prefer multiple 3-5 poems <10 pages, but send only one if longer)

Smokelong Quarterly, ~1000 words, $50/piece, Genre: Literary, Simultaneous OK, Notes on what they want: language that surprises and excites, narratives that strive toward something other than a final punch line or twist, pieces that add up to something, often (but not necessarily always) something profound or emotionally resonant honest work that feels as if it has far more purpose than a writer wanting to write a story

Strange Horizons, open Mon. 1600 UTC - Tue. 1600 UTC (closed Dec.), ~10,000 words (~5000 best), 10¢/word, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Humor/Literary, Poetry ($50/poem), Reprints No, Multiple No, Simultaneous No

Terraform, ~2000 words, 20¢/word, Genre: SF, Theme: nearer future fiction any form welcome ("classic-style SF short stories, social media posts from beyond the horizon, fictive data dumps, experimental graphic narratives, and so on"), Note: send submissions to terraform.motherboard@gmail.com

CURRENTLY CLOSED (PREVIOUS WINDOW: 8/12-9/4), Uncanny Magazine, 750-6000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: SF/F Wants: "intricate, experimental stories and poems with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs. Uncanny believes there’s still plenty of room in the genre for tales that make you feel."

Voyage, ~6000 words, $200/story, Genre: YA/General, Simultaneous OK

Zooscape, ~10,000 words, 8¢/word (flash and $80 for longer), Genre/Theme: anything furry/anthropomorphic animal figure, Multiple query

Submission Deadlines in August and Beyond (pay 1-4¢/word USD or equivalent)

9/15-11/15, New Tales of Fairy Godmothers by Kate Wolford, 4000-7500 words, 1¢/word, Genre: fairy tale fantasy, Theme: new fairy godmother tales that refresh/subvert the trope, simultaneous OK

9/15-11/15, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary

1/4-11/15, In Darkness Delight Anthology (Corpus Press), 2500-7500 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror, SF (soft)

11/30, Women Destroy Retro Science Fiction, 750-1500 ($10) or 1501-2500 words ($15), Genre/Theme: retro-futurism with a female filled world of impossible wonders, Note: Women authors only (Transwomen authors accepted because transwomen are women)

12/1 Worldbuilding Fantasy Anthology, 3500-7000 or 9000-15,000 words, flat payment (short $100; novella $200), Theme: Politics as Conflict. Genre: any Fantasy (PG-13)

3/15/2021-5/15/2021, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words. 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary

Publications Open for Submission (No Specified Deadline; pay 1-4¢/word USD or equivalent)

Star Ship Sofa (District of Wonders), 3000-9000, 1¢/word (less if 7500-9000 words), Genre: SF, Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK, Note: buying audio rights only

Dark Moon Digest, opens on the 1st every month and closes when full 1500-7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror (complex, creepy, like Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, Simultaneous OK

Perpetual Motion Machine, ~1500 words, $25/story, Genre: Horror (same as Dark Moon above)

Bourbon Penn, 2000-7500 words, 2¢/word, Genre: speculative (odd/imaginative ones), especially slipstream/cross-genre/magic realism/absurdist/surreal

The Colored Lens, ~20,000 words, 1-2¢/word, Genre: any speculative

Three-Lobed Burning Eye, 500-1000 words or 1001-7500, Genre: any spec especially horror/dark fantasy (prefers hybrid/weird), $100/short story or $30/flash

Conferences, Conventions, and Workshops to Sign Up For

World Fantasy Convention 2020, Oct 29, 1:00 PM – Nov 01, 4:00 PM, Fee: $125, Online, Guests include Stephen Graham Jones, Brandon Sanderson, Tracey and Laura Hickman, C.J. Cherryh, Cindy Pon, Stephen Gallagher, Anne Groell, and David Cherry

ShannaraCon, October 23rd, basic ticket is currently $13, celebrates the release of the very last Shannara book, event will be recorded and shared on social media

Fyrecon, Nov 12-14, $50 with some discounts available

Flights of Foundry, probably in May 2021 (I just learned about this, so I missed it this year, but it looks great, so note to self)

Where to search for submission windows on your own?

The Submission Grinder: a submission tracker and market database that is free to use for all, helps provide data on publications and submission windows

Duotrope, same as above, a submission tracker and market database that requires a paid subscription for full usage, may go into a bit more depth than Grinder though not by much based on my brief trial subscription

Ralan.com: up-to-date listings for the speculative market and advice

Horror Tree: recent markets, articles, interviews, and fiction

Write Jobs, lots of good and bad jobs, markets, contests, etc.

50 Magazines and Anthologies That Pay for Horror Fiction, a decent list with speculative focus

Where to Submit Short Stories: 30 Magazines and Websites That Want Your Work, a decent list with a literary focus

28 Themed Submission Calls for August by S. Kalekar, submission possibilities including a few good ones I haven't had time to add to the lists above

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: plenty of updated lists of agents, calls for submission, contests, conferences, recipes, and more

Need motivation for the submission game? 

Submitting Short Fiction: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Genre Edition by Holly Lyn Walrath, a useful guide on playing the submission game written in 2019

Submission Tetris: An Analytic Approach by Laurence Raphael Brothers, a brief but useful consideration of what and where to submit in the submissions game from SFWA


Also, great advice at these links below

Wulf Moon's Super Secrets: a ton of great advice on writing short stories that win (he runs a workshop that you can peek in on and learn from as it goes)

Charlie Jane Anders' advice: chapters from her forthcoming non-fiction book Never Say You Can't Survive with new chapters released every Tuesday

Delilah S. Dawson's page of links, including her advice on how to get published

And here, more links

This is a listing of speculative award winners. Go read, study, and improve yourself.

Here are grants to apply for with the Speculative Literature Foundation

This is a listing at critter.org that shows general response times of various publish

Expanding (9 deadlines soon; WWC 2020 next week; 40 rejections so far!)

There are at least 9 deadlines coming up on 7/31-8/2, so feel free to jump to the updated deadlines listed below. I started including a few more details, such as poetry, multiple subs, simultaneous subs. You should also check the conferences. Willamette Writers Conference is coming up very soon; you should register by Monday and jump into Eric Witchey's class. Highly recommended.

It's going fairly strong with my writing; I've written a few new short pieces and done some revision. Submitted a bunch. Now if I could just fit in some work on a novel. I've probably been holding back enough and need to wrap up and consider how to publish, perhaps starting with those agents I met at the conference years back...

Current Stats for Personal Goal of 100 Rejections in 2020 

Rejections: 40 (25 short, 14 flash, 1 poem) 

Pending: 19 (10 short, 5 flash, 1 poem)

Total 2020 Submissions: 59

The writing sprints went well this week, and I've just about finished the story for the Third Flatiron story call. I like how it loosely linked to another flash I sent into a contest earlier this month. Now to just sort out that ending and polish it up to send in for a few critiques, so I can get to other matters.

Thankfully, more members from the Super Secrets challenge group joined my shared critique folder, and we have been exchanging emails. I find this was one of the major changes that helped me after joining the Super Secrets challenge group: more exchanges with other motivated writers. Writing together with others who are just as motivated, exchanging critiques or brainstorming or discussing ideas, is incredibly inspirational.

Good news that I noticed: Apex Magazine is open for submissions, and their already successful Kickstarter is still going. Amazing Stories successfully funded their Kickstarter.

Missed: I just missed the submission window for Addition Magazine (1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: general, SF), so submit right away next time it opens.

Lists below. Do let me know if you have anything else I should add.

Conferences, Conventions, and Workshops to Sign Up For

Willamette Writers Conference 2020, July 30 - August 2, 7 AM - 8 PM Pacific Time, Online, $299/$349, Note: I wish I could go but work won't allow me to make time for this, definitely take a class from Eric Witchey if you can (it's called Character Fluency, and is 5-7 PM PST on 7/27/. 7/28. 7/29). There's still time to sign up! In fact, I may be able to fit Witchey's class in between work obligations.

Fyrelite: Fall Edition, Oct. 3, workshops available (Forrest Wolverton, Amy White, Scott E. Tarbet) of 4 or 8 hours ($75/$145 includes Fyrecon registeration),Wulf Moon's workshop on a good plot also available

World Fantasy Convention 2020, Oct 29, 1:00 PM – Nov 01, 4:00 PM, Fee: $125, Online, Guests include Stephen Graham Jones, Brandon Sanderson, Tracey and Laura Hickman, C.J. Cherryh, Cindy Pon, Stephen Gallagher, Anne Groell, and David Cherry

Fyrecon, Nov 12-14, $50 with some discounts available

Flights of Foundry, probably in May 2021 (I just learned about this, so I missed it this year, but it looks great, so note to self)

Submission Deadlines Coming Up in July, August, and September 

7/30, Augur, ~5000, 8¢/word, Multiple OK (~2 stories & ~10 pages of poems), Simultaneous OK, Poetry (~5 pages, $60CAD/poem), Genre: dreamy realism/slipstream/fabulism/magical realism/literary spec/afrofuturism/soft SF/SF-fabulism/SF-fantasy/indigenous futurity/hopepunk/dystopia/utopia/post-apoc/solarpunk/SF-realism/Canadian-SF/ecofic/hopeful futures, Theme: Multiplicity of Futures, interested in both trauma/oppression and hope/better futures

7/31, 34 Orchard, Fiction (1000-7500 words), Poetry (send ~3 poems), $50/piece, Theme: scary/disturbing/unsettling/sad (pandemic stories welcome), Simultaneous OK, next submission window is 1/1/2021-1/31/2021

7/31, Arc Poetry Magazine, poetry (~3 poems or ~360 lines), $50/poem, one submission/year, Simultaneous OK, open again 9/1-12/31

7/31, Mysterion, ~9000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: speculative that engages with Christianity

7/31, If There's Anyone Left, ~1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any SF or speculative, Note: only for LGBTQ, POC, disabled, or marginalized gender

7/31, VQR Online, 3500-8000 words, Genre: literary only, Poetry: all types/length, Nonfiction: 3500-9000 words

8/1 Burly Tales, 5k-15k, 5¢/word, Genre: Fantasy, Erotica, Romance, Reprints OK, Theme: adaptation of fairy tales that feature burly men and are sex positive as in HEA or HFN endings

8/1, Third Flatiron, 1500-3000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Brain Games Stories to Astonish, Genre: SF/F/H/steampunk/cyberpunk/myth/satire

8/1, Cemetery Gates Media Untitled Anthology, 3000-6000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: Horror, Theme: local lore or location-based oddities, Simultaneous OK

8/1-8/2, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, 1000-40000 words (shorter preferred), 6¢/word (reprints 2¢/word), Genre: F/SF, Poetry ($1/line, ~40 lines, reprints 50¢/word), Articles (2-6¢/word, reprints 1-4¢/word), Note: great feedback provided if requested in cover letter

8/1-8/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)

8/15 (or until filled), No Police = Know Future, ~4000 words. 8¢/word. Theme: SF stories that give potential (and hopefully positive) futures that involve alternatives to modern day policing. 

8/15-30 (tentative), Cast of Wonders (Flash Fiction Contest), ~1500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any YA, Note: good feedback provided last time I submitted, https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/

8/23, Great River Review, Poetry (1-3 poems), $120, Note: BIPOC poets only, Note: must provide mini reading of your work

8/24-8/28, Fireside Summer 2021 Issue, ~3000 words, 12.5¢/word, Genre: Any (English or Spanish) 

8/30, Heartwreck: Romantic Disasters at Sea, 2000-5000 words, 2¢/word, Seeking personal essays and creative memoir about love gone wrong at sea

8/31, Strange Horizons (Mexico Issue), ~4000, 10¢/word, Genre: any speculative, Note: only for Indigenous people in Mexico, Mexican people, and people of Mexican origin

Submission Deadlines and Windows in September and Beyond

9/4, On the Premises Short Story Contest 36, 1000-5000 words, prize money (1st $220, 2nd $160, 3rd $120, HM $60), Theme: Smell, Genre: any except children’s and gross horror, https://onthepremises.com/current-contest/

9/22, Reckoning: 5th Issue, ~20,000 words, 8¢/word ($30/page for poems), Genre: SF/F/General, Theme: enivironmental justic, Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (prefer multiple 3-5 poems <10 pages, but send only one if longer)

9/25, Incoming Magazine, Pitches for 20-page black and white comic, Genre: SF, £ 800/$1000, email story outline (text/storyboard) and a selection of concept art/past work to: magincoming@gmail.com

9/1-9/30 PodCastle, ~6000 words (3000-4500 best), 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy, Simultaneous OK, Reprints ($100 for >1500 words, $20 for flash)

7/1-9/30, WotF Q4, ~17000 words (aim for 3000-10,000), 8¢/word, prize money (1^st $1000, 2nd $750, 3rd $500, annual grand $5000, plus Hollywood workshop; semi-finalists get feedback), Genre: F/SF, Note: contest for new writers w/o 4+ pro-level publications; the forum is very helpful, especially the Super Secrets thread; free workshop available on website

8/10-10/11 Dream Foundry Contest, Words ~10,000, prize (1^st $1000, 2^nd $500, 3^rd $200), Note: contest for new writers (have published 4000 words or less, earned $320 or less from those words and never been nominated for a major award)

11/1 WEIRD CHRISTMAS Flash Fiction Contest - 3rd annual; SpecFic/sf/f/h/humor/weird (flash). Words: <350. Fee: $0. Prizes: 1st=$50; 2nd=$25 10+ HMs=$5; + pub & podcast. Reprints: query. Note: will accept narrative poetry, multiple entries okay. Judge: Craig "Kringle" Brewer. E-subs: EMAIL ONLY. Contact: Craig "Kringle" Brewer (QS). Results & PubDate:: 7 December 2020

10/15-11/2, PseudoPod (General Submissions), 1500-6000 words (4500 best), 8¢/word, Genre: any horror, Reprints OK 

9/15-11/15, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary

1/4-11/15, In Darkness Delight Anthology (Corpus Press), 2500-7500 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror, SF (soft)

11/30: Cast of Wonders (General Submissions), ~6000 words (best 3000-4500 or flash <1000), 8¢/word, Genre: any YA, Note: good feedback provided last time I submitted

12/1 Worldbuilding Fantasy Anthology, 3500-7000 or 9000-15,000 words, flat payment (short $100; novella $200), Theme: Politics as Conflict. Genre: any Fantasy (PG-13)

11/30-12/4, Fireside (Autumn 2021 Issue), ~3000 words, 12.5¢/word, Genre: Any (English or Spanish) 

7/1/2020-2/28/2021, Upon a Once Time, 1000-3000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Mashup of two fairytales, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Grimdark/New Weird/Dying Earth/genre-bending

7/1/2020-2/28/2021, The Wild Hunt: Stories of the Chase, 1000-3000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Wild Hunt (folklore, myths, drama), Genre: SF/Fantasy/Grimdark/New Weird/Dying Earth/genre-bending

3/15/2021-5/15/2021, 9/15-11/15, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words. 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary

8/10/2021-8/31/2021, PseudoPod (Flash Fiction Contest), ~1500 words (500-1000 best), 8¢/word, Genre: any horror, Reprints OK, Simultaneous Sub OK (if not an Escape Artists podcast)

Publications Open for Submission (No Specified Deadline; Pay 5-10 Cents/Word)

TEMP CLOSED: Addition Magazine, 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Rebuild, Genre: General/SF, Note: if no response in 14 days assume they rejected the story

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, ~20,000 (8-10 cents/word), 40k-80k serials (6 cents/word), poetry ($1/line), 4000-word fact articles (9 cents/word), Genre: SF, Multiple Yes

Apex Magazine, ~7500 words, 8 cents/word, Genre: F/SF/Horror

Asimov's, 1000-20,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F

Beneath Ceaseless Skies, ~15,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: literary adventure fantasy (no urban fantasy and nothing modern)

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, open 1st-2nd every month, 1000-40000 words (shorter preferred), 6¢/word (reprints 2¢/word), Genre: F/SF, Poetry ($1/line, ~40 lines, reprints 50¢/word), Articles (2-6¢/word, reprints 1-4¢/word), Note: great feedback provided if requested in cover letter

Clarkesworld Magazine, 1000-22,000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: SF/F

Daily Science Fiction, 100-1500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F/slipstream, will consider flash series

The Dark, 2000-6000 words, 6¢/word, Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy/Experimental

Dark Matter, 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF

Focus on the Family Clubhouse, 500-2000 words, 15¢/word, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Humor/General, Age/Theme: 8-12 year old and Christian values

Hybrid Fiction, 500-5000 words (or serialized novellas), 6¢/word, Genre: speculative hybrid/cross-genre (blend of 2+ genres, such as dark fantasy, steampunk western, historical fantasy, weird western, crime fantasy, etc.)

Pulp Literature, ~40000 (~5000 best), 5-8¢/word (up to 7000 words), Seeking: any genre or between-genre, poetry, comics, illustration, and open to novel queries in Jan/July

Reckoning, ~20,000 words, 8¢/word ($30/page for poems), Genre: SF/F/General, Theme: enivironmental justic, Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (prefer multiple 3-5 poems <10 pages, but send only one if longer)

Strange Horizons, open Mon. 1600 UTC - Tue. 1600 UTC (closed Dec.), ~10,000 words (~5000 best), 10¢/word, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Humor/Literary, Poetry ($50/poem), Reprints No, Multiple No, Simultaneous No

Publications Open for Submission (No Specified Deadline; Pay 1-4 Cents/Word)

Star Ship Sofa (District of Wonders), 3000-9000, 1¢/word (less if 7500-9000 words), Genre: SF, Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK, Note: buying audio rights only

Dark Moon Digest, opens on the 1st every month and closes when full 1500-7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror (complex, creepy, like Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, Simultaneous OK

Perpetual Motion Machine, ~1500 words, $25/story, Genre: Horror (same as Dark Moon above)

Bourbon Penn, 2000-7500 words, 2¢/word, Genre: speculative (odd/imaginative ones), especially slipstream/cross-genre/magic realism/absurdist/surreal

The Colored Lens, ~20,000 words, 1-2¢/word, Genre: any speculative

39 rejections and 11 pending, Wulf Moon workshop, and upcoming deadlines

Hello everyone. I hope life and your creative pursuits are going well. My goal of 100 rejections in 2020 is still underway. Not sure I'll make it, but we'll see. Current stats are 39 rejections (24 short stories; 14 flash, 1 poem) and 11 pending (9 short stories, 2 flash stories, 1 poems).

I took a wonderful online workshop from Wulf Moon over the weekend. I love that so much is available online now! Since I almost never travel to the USA. Moon went over all the essentials for a prize-winning story and provided plenty of motivation. Great class with practical handouts and exercises. 4 hours was not enough. Recommended. He's teaching it again in November: How to Write Winning Stories that Take the Gold! And he's also teaching a new class in October: The Secrets of a Howling Good Plot.

I am about to join a writing sprint with a fellow Super Secrets challenge member. We're aiming to write something fresh for the Third Flatiron story call. We'll either be using a writing prompt from Super Secrets or a prompt idea I have from the Clarion West workshop I attended.

That's all the news for now. I updated the deadlines list below. Please do let me know if there is anything missing from the list. I'm always looking for more places to submit (though I try to aim at 5 cents a word or above). Currently a speculative short story focus here, though I try to mention opportunities for poetry and may be gradually adding on more general/literary publications.

All the best with life and creativity!

R.J.K. Lee

Submission Deadlines Coming Up in July, August, and September 

7/1-7/31, Mysterion, ~9000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: speculative that engages with Christianity

7/1-8/1, Third Flatiron, 1500-3000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Brain Games Stories to Astonish, Genre: SF/F/H/steampunk/cyberpunk/myth/satire

8/1-8/2, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, 1000-40000 words (shorter preferred), 6¢/word (reprints 2¢/word), Genre: F/SF, Poetry ($1/line, ~40 lines, reprints 50¢/word), Articles (2-6¢/word, reprints 1-4¢/word), Note: great feedback provided if requested in cover letter

8/1-8/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)

8/15 (or until filled), No Police = Know Future, ~4000 words. 8¢/word. Theme: SF stories that give potential (and hopefully positive) futures that involve alternatives to modern day policing. 

8/15-30 (tentative), Cast of Wonders (Flash Fiction Contest), ~1500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any YA, Note: good feedback provided last time I submitted, https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/

8/24-8/28, Fireside Summer 2021 Issue, ~3000 words, 12.5¢/word, Genre: Any (English or Spanish) 

9/4, On the Premises Short Story Contest 36, 1000-5000 words, prize money (1st $220, 2nd $160, 3rd $120, HM $60), Theme: Smell, Genre: any except children’s and gross horror, https://onthepremises.com/current-contest/

9/1-9/30 PodCastle, ~6000 words (3000-4500 best), 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy, Simultaneous OK, Reprints ($100 for >1500 words, $20 for flash)

7/1-9/30, WotF Q4, ~17000 words (aim for 3000-10,000), 8¢/word, prize money (1^st $1000, 2nd $750, 3rd $500, annual grand $5000, plus Hollywood workshop; semi-finalists get feedback), Genre: F/SF, Note: contest for new writers w/o 4+ pro-level publications; the forum is very helpful, especially the Super Secrets thread; free workshop available on website

Submission Deadlines and Windows in October and Beyond

8/10-10/11 Dream Foundry Contest, Words ~10,000, prize (1^st $1000, 2^nd $500, 3^rd $200), Note: contest for new writers (have published 4000 words or less, earned $320 or less from those words and never been nominated for a major award)

11/1 WEIRD CHRISTMAS Flash Fiction Contest - 3rd annual; SpecFic/sf/f/h/humor/weird (flash). Words: <350. Fee: $0. Prizes: 1st=$50; 2nd=$25 10+ HMs=$5; + pub & podcast. Reprints: query. Note: will accept narrative poetry, multiple entries okay. Judge: Craig "Kringle" Brewer. E-subs: EMAIL ONLY. Contact: Craig "Kringle" Brewer (QS). Results & PubDate:: 7 December 2020

10/15-11/2, PseudoPod (General Submissions), 1500-6000 words (4500 best), 8¢/word, Genre: any horror, Reprints OK 

9/15-11/15, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary

11/30: Cast of Wonders (General Submissions), ~6000 words (best 3000-4500 or flash <1000), 8¢/word, Genre: any YA, Note: good feedback provided last time I submitted

12/1 Worldbuilding Fantasy Anthology, 3500-7000 or 9000-15,000 words, flat payment (short $100; novella $200), Theme: Politics as Conflict. Genre: any Fantasy (PG-13)

11/30-12/4, Fireside (Autumn 2021 Issue), ~3000 words, 12.5¢/word, Genre: Any (English or Spanish) 

7/1/2020-2/28/2021, Upon a Once Time, 1000-3000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Mashup of two fairytales, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Grimdark/New Weird/Dying Earth/genre-bending

7/1/2020-2/28/2021, The Wild Hunt: Stories of the Chase, 1000-3000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Wild Hunt (folklore, myths, drama), Genre: SF/Fantasy/Grimdark/New Weird/Dying Earth/genre-bending

3/15/2021-5/15/2021, 9/15-11/15, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words. 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary

8/10/2021-8/31/2021, PseudoPod (Flash Fiction Contest), ~1500 words (500-1000 best), 8¢/word, Genre: any horror, Reprints OK, Simultaneous Sub OK (if not an Escape Artists podcast)

Publications Open for Submission (No Specified Deadline; Pay 5-10 Cents/Word)

Hybrid Fiction, 500-5000 words (or serialized novellas), 6¢/word, Genre: speculative hybrid/cross-genre (blend of 2+ genres, such as dark fantasy, steampunk western, historical fantasy, weird western, crime fantasy, etc.)

Strange Horizons, open Mon 1600 UTC-Tue 1600 UTC (closed in December), ~10,000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Humor/Literary

Addition Magazine, 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Theme: Rebuild, Genre: General/SF, Note: if no response in 14 days assume they rejected the story

Pulp Literature, ~40000 (~5000 best), 5-8¢/word (up to 7000 words), Seeking: any genre or between-genre, poetry, comics, illustration, and open to novel queries in Jan/July

Asimov's, 1000-20,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F

Beneath Ceaseless Skies, ~15,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: literary adventure fantasy (no urban fantasy and nothing modern)

Clarkesworld Magazine, 1000-22,000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: SF/F

Daily Science Fiction, 100-1500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F/slipstream, will consider flash series

The Dark, 2000-6000 words, 6¢/word, Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy/Experimental

Dark Matter, 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF

Focus on the Family Clubhouse, 500-2000 words, 15¢/word, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Humor/General, Age/Theme: 8-12 year old and Christian values

Publications Open for Submission (No Specified Deadline; Pay 1-4 Cents/Word)

Dark Moon Digest, 1500-7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror (complex, creepy, like Twilight Zone or Black Mirror

Perpetual Motion Machine, ~1500 words, $25/story, Genre: Horror (same as Dark Moon above)

Bourbon Penn, 2000-7500 words, 2¢/word, Genre: speculative (odd/imaginative ones), especially slipstream/cross-genre/magic realism/absurdist/surreal

The Colored Lens, ~20,000 words, 1-2¢/word, Genre: any speculative