The "Where can I send this story?" thread

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JChandlerOates

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OK, How about a place to submit a 16K literary thriller concerning a 15 y.o. boy, his best friend, his sister, bullies, rites of manhood, and a climactic bloodbath? It's been sitting in the slushpile at McSweeneys for 3 months.
 

blacbird

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My current (nearly finished) short is an unrelentingly bleak, dark tale of a man trapped in a nearly hopeless situation by his own stupid arrogant mistake, and his resulting mental deterioration. Ain't got a clue where to submit something like this, and it probably won't see the end of the tunnel.

Thereby fitting in with all the other stuff I've written.

caw
 

MumblingSage

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My current (nearly finished) short is an unrelentingly bleak, dark tale of a man trapped in a nearly hopeless situation by his own stupid arrogant mistake, and his resulting mental deterioration. Ain't got a clue where to submit something like this, and it probably won't see the end of the tunnel.

Thereby fitting in with all the other stuff I've written.

caw

A university lit mag! (Sorry...my sister and I had a running gag for a while about how very glum so many short stories written by middle-class English majors are).

That said, powerful dark fiction--whether literary or a more hard-boiled thriller type--has its fans and its markets. Are you following any currently, yourself? It's not a style I'm deep into myself, although The Dreadful Café and Apex magazine both look for dark speculative fiction, and I'm sure those glum English Majors mature to be published in a literary magazine somewhere.

OK, How about a place to submit a 16K literary thriller concerning a 15 y.o. boy, his best friend, his sister, bullies, rites of manhood, and a climactic bloodbath? It's been sitting in the slushpile at McSweeneys for 3 months.

The length is a bit awkward--unsure if it wants to be a long short story or a novella (novelette, I guess, but that's just a word for 'awkward length unsure if it wants to be a long short story or a novella'). Do you want to land it in a magazine or are you considering ebook potential? Or perhaps an anthology that accepts novellas, although I don't know what the anthology market is like for literary thrillers. When it comes back from McSweeneys (fingers crossed it does with an acceptance letter, of course!) you might want to give it a last look to see if it can be brutally cut or generously expanded to fit a market more comfortably.
 

JChandlerOates

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The length is a bit awkward--unsure if it wants to be a long short story or a novella (novelette, I guess, but that's just a word for 'awkward length unsure if it wants to be a long short story or a novella'). Do you want to land it in a magazine or are you considering ebook potential? Or perhaps an anthology that accepts novellas, although I don't know what the anthology market is like for literary thrillers. When it comes back from McSweeneys (fingers crossed it does with an acceptance letter, of course!) you might want to give it a last look to see if it can be brutally cut or generously expanded to fit a market more comfortably.
I could always add more scenes, and there might even be a point to some of them (build up the antagonist), but it should be a short novella. It's basically one week in a 15 year old boy's life.

There are contests and there are some places that take longer works.
 

Smiling Ted

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Here's toughie - A 700-word monologue from a batty old lady walking around the city and telling her uncomplaining nephew the "secret history" of New York. Very tongue-in-cheek...a voice from the Tinfoil Hat Brigade, if you like.
 

Smiling Ted

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And while we're on the topic-

A 700-word first-person narrative in which the centaur Chiron laments the Manhattan singles scene.
 

MumblingSage

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Smiling Ted--the second is a strong contender for any urban fantasy or humorous fantasy places that accept flash fiction (Untied Shoelaces of the Mind comes to mind--and for zany granny, too).

General advice for people searching for markets: Remember to do some searching on your own before asking strangers on the internet for help. The more tightly you can pinpoint genre--and if possible similar stories or authors--the better. Keep track of stories you read that remind you of the sort of thing you write, and where you see them published, and where else the author has been published. Make lists of potential markets. Keep lists of where you've already sent your work--it's often much easier to offer suggestions for a person's story when they tell where they've already sent it.

Also keep in mind your goals for the story--in a magazine (print or online?), as an ebook, in a short story contest? Pro, semi-pro, or any payment is good? What sort of reader do you want to reach?

Also offering suggestions to the other people in this thread may help spark a brainstorm of your own. And yes, I'm saying this in a thinly-veiled plea for more contributions, because I'm best read in sci-fi, fantasy, some flash fiction, and over the past year or so romance and erotica. But there's a lot I don't know still.
 

DragonLady

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@Sai and @MumblingSage

Thank you for your suggestions. I will certainly look into those when I can get back online using a computer instead of my phone. The short story market isn't my strongest scene, but I am trying my best to learn.
 

tgentry78

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I have a story about a hitman, but with a bit of a twist as the action takes place primarily in a coffee shop and it's not really "hard-boiled". Anyone know of a place that accepts light/humorous crime stories?
 

House Steel

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Anyone know anywhere I can submit a 2,900 word story about a socially anxious teen's struggle to complete the simple task of a shopping trip? I don't even know if there is any kind of genera it fits into, it's sort of a window into the mind of someone that struggles socially type thing, told in first person present tense.

Also is 2,900 words flash fiction or a short story? Or is it awkwardly placed between the two?
 

MumblingSage

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Anyone know anywhere I can submit a 2,900 word story about a socially anxious teen's struggle to complete the simple task of a shopping trip? I don't even know if there is any kind of genera it fits into, it's sort of a window into the mind of someone that struggles socially type thing, told in first person present tense.

Also is 2,900 words flash fiction or a short story? Or is it awkwardly placed between the two?

The fact that your protagonist is a teen may help place you in YA. I had a list of YA markets in one of my comments on Sohalt's story a few days ago. 2900 words is very much a short story. Flash fiction is usually 1000 words or less (sometimes 1500, but don't count on that).

@tegently: Sorry, I'm not sure what market would take that although it sounds like a fun kind of story. Do general mystery and suspense 'zines sometimes like a lighter touch?
 

House Steel

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The fact that your protagonist is a teen may help place you in YA. I had a list of YA markets in one of my comments on Sohalt's story a few days ago. 2900 words is very much a short story. Flash fiction is usually 1000 words or less (sometimes 1500, but don't count on that).

@tegently: Sorry, I'm not sure what market would take that although it sounds like a fun kind of story. Do general mystery and suspense 'zines sometimes like a lighter touch?

Thank you kindly :)
 

Ashling

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Ghost Story Contest?

I'm looking for a contest to enter my 2,400 word ghost story in. The contest would need to be:

-- Fee free
-- Pays cash prize
-- Open to entries from writers living in USA
-- Open to adult writers

I post here sporadically--If there's a more appropriate board to post this question, I'd appreciate a pointer in its direction.

Thanks!
 

MumblingSage

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I'm looking for a contest to enter my 2,400 word ghost story in. The contest would need to be:

-- Fee free
-- Pays cash prize
-- Open to entries from writers living in USA
-- Open to adult writers

I post here sporadically--If there's a more appropriate board to post this question, I'd appreciate a pointer in its direction.

Thanks!

Out of curiosity, why does it have to be a contest, as opposed to a magazine or anthology?

In any case, Ralan.com has a lot of listings for fantasy and horror (depending which way yours tends), including a list of contests. Not sure if there are any specifically for ghost stories right now, although with Holloween approaching, maybe...
 

Degas_Dancer_Sydney

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Here's my "where to send?" question. An erotic short story - about 15k words - in which all the sex is told as reminiscence between the two characters.

He is a broke widowed-when-young ghost-writer, she's his best friend. She finds it hilarious when he takes a job ghosting the bio of a famous harlot, because "you're every girl's perfect big brother." That conversation ends with her taking on the job of beta reader.

She critiques his sex scenes, either demanding that he tell her his experiences ("Not what you did, how you felt.") or relating her own (including her toying with bondage). Hence the erotica content.

The ending is a "weepy", though. She makes a flippant remark about his long-dead wife, which unleashes all the grief he'd never let out ten years ago when his wife died, which she'd missed because she was stranded overseas without the money to come home.

I've shown it to two friends, both of them say they cried buckets at the end, but that doesn't help me work out what to DO with it.
 

mkwensky

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How about a literary flash with some humor and is kind of about cats but not entirely?
 

MumblingSage

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Here's my "where to send?" question. An erotic short story - about 15k words - in which all the sex is told as reminiscence between the two characters.

He is a broke widowed-when-young ghost-writer, she's his best friend. She finds it hilarious when he takes a job ghosting the bio of a famous harlot, because "you're every girl's perfect big brother." That conversation ends with her taking on the job of beta reader.

She critiques his sex scenes, either demanding that he tell her his experiences ("Not what you did, how you felt.") or relating her own (including her toying with bondage). Hence the erotica content.

The ending is a "weepy", though. She makes a flippant remark about his long-dead wife, which unleashes all the grief he'd never let out ten years ago when his wife died, which she'd missed because she was stranded overseas without the money to come home.

I've shown it to two friends, both of them say they cried buckets at the end, but that doesn't help me work out what to DO with it.

So it's gonna have to be erotica, not erotic romance, given the lack of happy-ever-after. Although I don't see the conclusion between your ghost-writer and his friend--does he split with her after the painful memories of his wife? Would it ruin the story to tack on a scene with them making it up to each other (and making up, and making out, etc etc...)?

My other question, which may be even more important, is: is this a sad story with erotic content, or an erotic story that happens to be sad? The second sounds to me like an easier sell, although if the story is more literary in tone you may try literary markets for it.

Otherwise, my go-to listing is erotica-readers.com and erotica-readers.blogspot.com and their lists of calls for submissions. Also on This Very Forum you'll find calls for submissions from a variety of epubs taking erotica and romance with varying levels of erotic content, most of which accept novelettes (15k is the floor for submissions at Liquid Silver and Carina, and it's a bit higher than the minimum wordcount for Samhain).

How about a literary flash with some humor and is kind of about cats but not entirely?
That's a fun pitch for your story but isn't super helpful for me to pinpoint it's marketing niche. Have you checked out flash markets like Flash Fiction Online, Untied Shoelaces of the Mind, and Every Day Fiction? How about magazines featuring cats? How about humor magazines?
 

MumblingSage

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One trick for finding markets: find at least 1 market featuring the type of story you've written (ghost story, humorous flash, erotica, chick lit, historical mysteries, whatever). Then, to find other markets like it, check out the biographies of the writers published there to see where else their work has appeared. Do your research on each market you find that way, too, since the writer may have done something quite different in their other stories, but usually you'll generate some leads that way.
 

Ashling

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Out of curiosity, why does it have to be a contest, as opposed to a magazine or anthology?

In any case, Ralan.com has a lot of listings for fantasy and horror (depending which way yours tends), including a list of contests. Not sure if there are any specifically for ghost stories right now, although with Holloween approaching, maybe...

To maximize my income I try to win a couple of contests that don't publish entries before submitting my stories to a magazine. If they win 3rd place I know they need another coat of polish before sending to a magazine. Doing that increases my chances of getting them published.

Yeah, with Halloween only 60 days away I thought finding a ghost story contest would be easy. :Shrug: None of the contest newsletters I subscribe to have listed anything yet. Googling turned up a bunch of defunct contests.

My story isn't in Stephen King territory, it has more of a Hitchcock or Twilight Zone vibe. No blood, gore or screaming. Not what I usually write (mainstream, literary & mystery). Thanks Mumbling Sage for the Ralan.com link. I'll check it out.
 
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Brandon M Johnson

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I'm pretty well-read involving the speculative fiction markets out there, but I've got a straight horror story with no speculative elements and I'm drawing a blank. I don't want to shelf it though, because if I can cut a few adverbs, the story's pretty good.

It's flash fiction, just under 1,000 words, and it's probably PG-13, with a bit of blood spatter at the end.

Anyone know some good horror flash markets?

Incidentally, I don't think the story could be expanded any; it works best as flash, I believe.

Oops, this thread looks like it may be dead... if so, why not revive it?
 

House Steel

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I've got a 5,500 word horror story. Hopefully somewhere takes stories that long...
 

soapdish

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I'm pretty well-read involving the speculative fiction markets out there, but I've got a straight horror story with no speculative elements and I'm drawing a blank. I don't want to shelf it though, because if I can cut a few adverbs, the story's pretty good.

It's flash fiction, just under 1,000 words, and it's probably PG-13, with a bit of blood spatter at the end.

Anyone know some good horror flash markets?

Incidentally, I don't think the story could be expanded any; it works best as flash, I believe.

Oops, this thread looks like it may be dead... if so, why not revive it?
No, I don't think it's dead. Just in a coma. :D

As for flash markets for horror with no speculative features? I think there are at least a few. Do your homework, as usual, to check these out as far as credibility, because some of them I've had no personal experience with.


Shock Totem

Underground Voices (my favorite!)
Dark Discoveries (another favorite)

One Buck Horror (on hiatus, but if you're willing to wait)

Shroud (also closed, but if you're wiling to wait)

SubTerrain (I have no experience with them, but I'm pretty sure they take flash. They are usually themed submission, but there's one issue that's coming up that's NOT themed)



I've got a 5,500 word horror story. Hopefully somewhere takes stories that long...
Tough length in some ways. I have several this length and have a hard time finding markets. But, there are definitely some. If you can shave off those extra 500 words, it puts you at the max. word count for MANY more markets.

Same advice--check these all out, because some of them I don't have experience with. And not knowing if you're horror is supernatural or not, some may not be a fit.

In any case...

Shock Totem
Dark Discoveries (a favorite)
Three-Lobe Burning Eye
Nightmare
Nightblade (another favorite)
 

soapdish

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So, I have a 6,200 word Urban/Contemporary Fantasy piece that got favorable words at GigaNotoSaurus (to give an idea of one place I targeted already) but still rejected. I can tighten it, but I'm not sure all the way to 5k, though possibly.

Fantasy markets are a little unfamiliar to me (a horror writer). Anyone know a fantasy market that leans MORE toward the urban or contemporary style, with less focus on high fantasy or swords and stuff? :D

It's definitely light. More humor than anything else.

Thank you!
 

House Steel

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Tough length in some ways. I have several this length and have a hard time finding markets. But, there are definitely some. If you can shave off those extra 500 words, it puts you at the max. word count for MANY more markets.

Same advice--check these all out, because some of them I don't have experience with. And not knowing if you're horror is supernatural or not, some may not be a fit.

In any case...

Shock Totem
Dark Discoveries (a favorite)
Three-Lobe Burning Eye
Nightmare
Nightblade (another favorite)

Thankyou! Some of those seem like a really good fit :)
 

OJCade

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Fantasy markets are a little unfamiliar to me (a horror writer). Anyone know a fantasy market that leans MORE toward the urban or contemporary style, with less focus on high fantasy or swords and stuff? :D

It's definitely light. More humor than anything else.

Thank you!

Andromeda Spaceways is always on the lookout for humour, and they take stories up to 10K (up to 20K if you're from Australia or NZ).
 
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