# Somewhere to Submit a Short Story?



## Candra H

Eh, I hate posting threads like this. 

But I'm looking for somewhere to sub a story thats a mix of horror, soft SF, dark fantasy and action/revenge, and I'm having a bit of trouble finding a good match for it. It's about a woman going after a monster in revenge so the strongest elements are probably fantasy and horror/action. Already tried Apex and Shock Totem but they're not really appropriate, and while I'm currently on a duotrope trawl, I'd also love to hear if you guys know of anywhere not listed there that might be suitable?

Cheers

Candra


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## Foxee

Might be something here, I don't know, I just pulled it up real quick.


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## Candra H

Cool link Foxee, thanks! Not so sure about that cute little electronic unicorn in the top left corner, but there's a few possbles in the list for sure. Andromeda's a good one, I'd forgotten about them. More humour oriented but definitely worth looking into.

Currently looking at Dark Horizons (BFS) which is possibly a good fit. Would love to sub to somewhere like Black Static or Interzone but they're postal subs and being out here in the sticks, thats way too slow an option for me.

Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated because I think I'm getting locked into using only Duotrope and missing out on unlisted markets as a result. Maybe I should try just googling occasionally...


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## ARNorris

You might look through Duotrope's Digest. Put in details about your story and it'll pull up a query with matches that might fit.


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## Candra H

Uh, AR, did you read the other posts...?


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## ARNorris

Wow...okay then. Good luck on your search.


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## Candra H

Heh, no worries. And thanks for the luck, I think I'm going to need it.


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## Foxee

Candra H said:


> Cool link Foxee, thanks! Not so sure about that cute little electronic unicorn in the top left corner,


I totally agree there, it's a little off-putting.


> but there's a few possbles in the list for sure. Andromeda's a good one, I'd forgotten about them. More humour oriented but definitely worth looking into.


I might have to look into that one, too. I'm glad there are some possibles here that weren't repeated from Duotrope. I was a little worried that they would be.


> Currently looking at Dark Horizons (BFS) which is possibly a good fit. Would love to sub to somewhere like Black Static or Interzone but they're postal subs and being out here in the sticks, thats way too slow an option for me.
> 
> Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated because I think I'm getting locked into using only Duotrope and missing out on unlisted markets as a result. Maybe I should try just googling occasionally...


 That's basically what I did, put in the list that you posted here (horror, SF, Dark Fantasy, etc) into the search engine, there were quite a few hits. Have NO idea how good any of them are, of course.

Might it be worth it to subscribe to Writer's Digest? They do an online thing now and if you're churning out work like you seem to be it might just be worth the outlay.


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## The Backward OX

Somewhere on this site our fearless leader recently gave a link to another site, UK-based from memory, similar to duotropes. Look for a Closed Thread icon.


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## Candra H

Thanks, Ox. I looked around and thought it might be The Writer's Yearbook in Resources. Had a look at the site but it doesn't come across as very user friendly. Another source though for sure so I'll keep it in mind.



> Might it be worth it to subscribe to Writer's Digest? They do an online thing now and if you're churning out work like you seem to be it might just be worth the outlay.


 
Ech, don't know about churning work out... More like taking so long to sort out the stories I've got that they built up all at once. Thanks for the tip re Reader's Digest. I'd consider it if I wasn't wary as h*ll about that particular publication gig. I remember my sister joined up once thinking she could buy the occasional book from them. They kept hounding her to buy more and more books and wouldnt leave her alone when she tried to leave. Cant remember how it all turned out but I'm sure others have had similar bad experiences.

Anyway, thanks again for the tips and links. Much appreciated.


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## Foxee

Ack! I didn't mean Writer's Digest...I meant *Writer's Market*. Sorry, annoying brain handed my hands the wrong word to type.


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## Candra H

I hate when that happens... 

Thanks for the link, checking it now.


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## Candra H

Foxee said:


> Ack! I didn't mean *Writer's Digest*...I meant *Writer's Market*. Sorry, annoying brain handed my hands the wrong word to type.


 
Wow... I think I did the same thing. I had it in my head you were talking about _Reader's_ Digest not _Writer's_ Digest. 

Weird how the eyes can see one thing and the brain imagine another.


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## cat_smh

I got a free years membership to Writers Market online when I bought their 2010 market guide and it seems pretty good.  There's a nice easy search feature where you can type in your genre and it brings up a list of all the magazines and publishers who accept submissions.  When you click on the link it brings up all the details for each one: submission protocol, rates of pay, any specifics they are looking for.  It looks quite good.

Cat xx


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## Candra H

Thanks Cat. Interesting to hear how the Writer's Market listings works. It sounds very similar to Duotrope which is free, so I'm not sure the outlay would be worth it in the long run, unless Writer's Market lists other or more publishing markets. Not sure how I'd find out the difference without subscribing, unless you did a comparison and came back with it...

No pressure of course, just purely out of curiosity.


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## cat_smh

I've never tried Duotrope so I might have to go and have a nosey anyway :mrgreen:.

I'll let you know what I find...

Cat xx


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## cat_smh

I've been having a browse on Duotrope and it's really good for a free site, but I prefer Writer's Market.  Just to give you an idea:  I did a search on both for magazines that are currently accepting submissions for fantasy fiction of any length.  Duotrope came back with 13 primary matches, Writer's Market with 129.  Duotrope does give you many more secondary listings which are worth having a look through but they don't necessarily match what you're looking for.  On the other hand you can be much more specific with Duotrope for exactly what you want to sell than on WM, which is possibly why the primary listing is so much shorter.  So WM wins for me but I'll definately keep Duotrope bookmarked.

Hope this helps!

Cat xx


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## Candra H

Thanks for taking the time to do a comparison, Cat. It helps a lot.


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## Foxee

Now I'm curious, Candrah, are you coming up with any good possibilities for these? I'm interested not so much in which ones but where you're finding possibilities that you like.


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## Candra H

Hmm, havent so much come up with possibilities as stored the posted links in my favourites for future browsing. 

I dunno. I tend to blanket search for each story. So I'll look at Duotrope first, and this time I was lazy and blinkered myself into looking there only, then I'll look at what people are talking about on forums, go for the word of mouth approach which can turn up some intersting markets. I've always found a suitable home before needing to go further in my search but I've learned of a couple of handy links in here. And there's also RALAN, which is a bit more dedicated to spec fic and humour. I don't think it's as user-friendly as Duotrope but it's definitely another handy place to look.

There's endless markets out there and one of them will suit whatever story a person is offering. I guess it's just a case of grafting through the searching process until a suitable market comes up. I've got a few personal favourites though that are always top of my sub list.

Murky Depths
Shock Totem
The Absent Willow Review
Albedo One
Black Static (TTA press postal subs only so havent tried them yet)
Interzone (TTA press and also postal subs and probably way out of my league)
Morpheus Tales
Strange Horizons
Dark Horizons
Abyss and Apex
Apex (different from the above)

I tried linking to all the sites but if they don't work, let me know and I'll redo them. Not sure if any of that answered your curiosity, Foxee, but I hope so. A bit doolally tonight and my concentration levels are through the floor.


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## Foxee

That's actually more than I expected, Candrah! I wasn't aware of RALAN. Looking forward to when you get back to us with your success stories.


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## Auskar

Candra H said:


> ...I'm looking for somewhere to sub a story thats a mix of horror, soft SF, dark fantasy and action/revenge, and I'm having a bit of trouble finding a good match for it. It's about a woman going after a monster in revenge so the strongest elements are probably fantasy and horror/action. Already tried Apex and Shock Totem but they're not really appropriate, and while I'm currently on a duotrope trawl, I'd also love to hear if you guys know of anywhere not listed there that might be suitable?


I submitted something similar to Absent Willow Review (it's running right now).  I didn't submit to get paid, though - I don't know if that is one of your parameters (I will read the entire thread after I post this).

I'm looking for a place to submit a flash fiction sentimental ghost story.  It doesn't scare, there isn't action.  It's just a nice sweet story with a ghost in it.


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## Candra H

Auskar said:


> I submitted something similar to Absent Willow Review (it's running right now). I didn't submit to get paid, though - I don't know if that is one of your parameters (I will read the entire thread after I post this).
> 
> I'm looking for a place to submit a flash fiction sentimental ghost story. It doesn't scare, there isn't action. It's just a nice sweet story with a ghost in it.


 
Cool about The Absent Willow Review. They're a great zine and I've had some really positive rejections from them. Congrats on getting your story in there - is it available to read now? Let me know which one and I'll go take a nosey. I've also got a piece of art displaying in their art gallery - the pic in my avatar - thats looknig for an appropriate story match. I hope someone writes something for it soon. 

Good luck finding a home for your ghost story. I'd suggest Dark Tales but if you're looking for a quick home, they're probably not the best fit because it's pretty much a one man band and he does his best but the issues take a while to come out. Also, it's competition based so you'd have to either subscribe to the mag and get one free entry in the comp or pay the going rate which is £3.00/$5.00. They did publish a story that sounds similar to yours last year - no horror, just a thought-provoking and interestingly told ghost story, so I thought I'd mention it.

http://spinetinglers.co.uk/default.aspx


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## Auskar

Here is the link to my story... *Caught in a Trap
 *
I don't have any stories that would be a good match for that illustration.  Most of what I write is science fiction based, though I'm changing the focus somewhat.  What was basically a military story is becoming a science fiction horror story.

I have another story called *Boogity*, that will appear in* Abandoned Towers*.  I submitted that long ago and it is sort of about a con man in space.  I'm working toward getting published in a professional market.  Then I'l work toward SFWA membership.  Then someone will want to publish a book, I hope.


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## Candra H

Coolio. thanks for the link. Will head over for a look once I post this.

No worries about the illustration. I think I'm kind of blanket-bombing people with suggestions to write stories for it so I can see it up on the homepage. Haha. Got to plug my work and all that.

I hear you about working towards getting published in a professional market. I'm at a similar stage in the game myself. Had a couple of small credits and one future acceptance but nothing major yet. Would love to get into one of the big mags like Interzone or Murky Depths, or maybe one of the BFS subsidiarys, Dark Horizons, but I think I need to improve my writing first.

Good luck with your hunt and for future novel submissions.


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## Candra H

P.S. Just read your story. Very cool. I liked it a lot, especially the surprise of finding out about the main character, though I wont say any more in case others want to read it.


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## Baron

Two members of staff from a web site which has received bad press have been using this thread to attract membership.  All posts which name the site in question have been removed and those staff members have been banned from this site.


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## Auskar

Funny.


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## Candra H

Haha, seconded. I better get up there and edit the link out of my post too. Looks like I was right in the first place.


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## Auskar

Well, that guy (whose comments have been edited out) seemed like too much of an advocate of the site - and my comments about the site (constructive criticisms) were edited out, too.  

I'm not the person to say what is right.  Depending on the point of view, I promote or am an advocate of my own stories - and sometimes I probably push the envelope on that.


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## John Yeoman

Duh, you could submit it to a short story contest. They don't usually demand first publishing rights, so multiple submissions to several contests are usually acceptable. And the cash prizes are often more lucrative than the trivial sums paid by short story publishers.


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## Candra H

Not sure if you're talking to me, John. I'm aware of contests as much as any other market. If the entry is free, I'll consider it but otherwise, while I'm not in this game to make huge sums of money, it would be nice not to have to pay someone to publish my work.


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## Auskar

I wouldn't pay.  I realize there are some short story contests that charge a minimal amount per entry and offer a prize, but paying to publish a story?  I don't think I would do that. Plus, I'm poor.  If you're good enough and you catch the right editor or catch an editor on a good day, a good story will get published eventually.  Until then, practice and get better.  

If my assumptions are wrong, someone let me know.


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## John Yeoman

Auskar said:


> I wouldn't pay.  I realize there are some short story contests that charge a minimal amount per entry and offer a prize, but paying to publish a story?  I don't think I would do that.



I agree. I don't think _anyone _should pay to see their story published. But are you confusing a vanity publisher with a legitimate story contest? (Perhaps I misunderstood.) No reputable contest takes payment for publishing a story. That's what a vanity publisher does.

Unless it's funded by a commercial or institutional sponsor, a contest must take a small entry fee so it can fund the prize money. And it will publish only those stories - for example, on its web site - that were of sufficient quality to win a prize. 

The world can judge the quality of the stories when the stories are published on the contest site. If a contest publishes dross, it speaks volumes about the contest's judging criteria and its integrity. 

I have a particular distaste for contests - whether free or fee-charging - that do not publish their winning entries. Nobody can tell the quality of the winning stories or judge the legitimacy of the contest: for example, was the prize money ever paid out?

A legitimate contest will always name the winners and publish the winning stories. That's the opposite of paying to have your story published. It's an enterprise where your stories could pay _you _a significant amount of money!


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## Auskar

I agree, John (though the picture looks a lot like Blake).  I was telling the other person he shouldn't pay.  I should have used the handy-dandy "reply with quote" function.


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## Candra H

I'm noticing your pro-contest signature on this and another site, John, so I get your insistance on promoting entering contests. It's just not what I'm interested in because I'd kind of like to try my luck elsewhere and not have to pay for the chance of publication, regardless of the need for prize money generation. If I do enter a contest at some point, it wont be because someone came along and promoted that particular method to me for their own internet aggrandisment. I'll do my own grafting. And I am aware of the difference between vanity publishers, contests and other forms of getting our work out there. Thank you though, for the input.

And, the he is a she.


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## Auskar

Candra H said:


> And, the he is a she.


 I knew that.  I just didn't go back and re-read the post.  And see how I'm using the handy-dandy "reply with quotes" feature.

I've  never entered a contest.  I'm trying to get published, too - not make  money and not spend money.  Of course, I want to make money someday.


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## Candra H

Auskar said:


> I knew that. I just didn't go back and re-read the post. And see how I'm using the handy-dandy "reply with quotes" feature.
> 
> I've never entered a contest. I'm trying to get published, too - not make money and not spend money. Of course, I want to make money someday.


 
It's cool. I just wanted to make things clearer.

I think we're of the same mind. It's not just about making money or spending it (speculating to accumulate) but about getting our work out there and published and maybe one day also making some money at it.

I think promotional types get bogged down and blinkered by their need to advertise, and thats cool. It just gets a bit tiresome, feels like a browbeating, you know?


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## Auskar

Candra H said:


> I think we're of the same mind. It's not just about making money or spending it (speculating to accumulate) but about getting our work out there and published and maybe one day also making some money at it.  I think promotional types get bogged down and blinkered by their need to advertise, and thats cool. It just gets a bit tiresome, feels like a browbeating, you know?


Lots of people make money off prospective writers.  It's a market, just like people who want to buy houses are a market.  Like you, I understand that.  I don't want to feed the market.  I just want help.  So I'm trying to publish short stories, make my way toward being published in a professional market, and so on.  I think it is very much like you.

However, I do promote my own stuff.  Someday, I hope to have a published novel I can promote.


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## Sara

I know this might not be what you're looking but have you considered publishing your short stories via the likes of Smashwords or even Kindle?  I'm not necessarily talking about a commercial venture although if you do want to charge it would need to be a low fee because it's a short story.  I'm just thinking that you might get a larger audience this way, particularly if you use it as a "taster".  One of the reasons I've suggested each of these platforms is because you could get an "author page" on each of them which would give you a chance to make your contact details more widely known.  

I do know of some competitions but I'm not going to mention them as that doesn't seem to be what you want.  I'm fairly certain I heard about some magazines recently and if it's OK with you I'll post the names when I find the details again.  I'm new here and I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to advertise anything which is why I'm checking that it is acceptable for me to post their details.

Loads of luck to both of you.


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## Candra H

Sara said:


> I know this might not be what you're looking but have you considered publishing your short stories via the likes of Smashwords or even Kindle?


 
Maybe if I was chasing a quick publishing fix and that ever elusive internet readership. But I'm not. I'm looking to get my work published in (hopefully) print magazines and I'm not in this for a quick easy way to readers but for the long haul. I think a lot of people in this impatient internet age think the quickest route to publishing is the best but it's not that way for me.

One day, if I get enough stories published, I'll consider bringing them together in an anthology. But thats years down the line and not something I'm interested in right now.


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## Deleted member 33527

Hmm, well Leyline recommended these places to me. Might want to check them out:

Story Quarterly :: Submissions

Storyscape Literary Journal


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## Candra H

Thanks for the links, Dream. They both look pretty promising, probably the second might be a better proposition for the kind of story I write. The first - Story Quarterly - looks ideal for the kind of writing I've seen from you, which is more literary than genre based. I wonder if JoeB knows about that one? It would be right up his street too, and it's a paying market. Think I'll PM him about it. Have you submitted to either of them?


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## Deleted member 33527

No I haven't yet, but I have them on my favorites list for future stories. I submitted a story to this site a while ago: All Things Girl

I haven't heard back from them. Probably means they didn't take the story. Oh well.


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## Candra H

Cool. Good luck with the sub. 

I checked the site out but couldnt find anything about response times. I think if you havent heard anthing by the end of three months, send them a polite query, see if they got your story, how it's doing etc. A lack of response can mean any number of things and sometimes they can take months to get back to you. It's a nuisance if you're looking to get work published fast but if you're patient and persistent, it'll pay off eventually.


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## Marian

So, suppose I do find a site to submit my story, even just so that they evaluate or take a quick look at my story, how can I be sure that no one copies my story and violates my copyrights...? From your experience what are the best methods that I need to take in order to protect my copyrights when publishing my story online?

Thanks,

Marian.


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## Baron

Copyright is automatic when you produce a work.  The date stamp on the original Word document is sufficient to establish ownership.  Works posted online aid the process as they also carry the date of posting.  The bottom line is that if people held back submissions for fear of being ripped off then nothing would ever get published.


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## dale

this site has quite a few links in it....some of the links have already been mentioned, but there's a few more in here......

Horror Factor - Horror Short Fiction Markets


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