EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION #1: A PRIMER TO STEVE RASNIC TEM is now available!!

My first book as a publisher just went live!!!!

The first in a series of scholarly primers, introducing and exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction: “EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION #1: A PRIMER TO STEVE RASNIC TEM,” published through my press, Dark Moon Books.

Line up the cigars, 'cause it’s like the birth of a new child. And immense thanks and gratitude to Michael Arnzen for his sharp commentary throughout the book, and Michelle Prebich for her gorgeous interior artwork, and especially to Steve Rasnic Tem for consenting to this project!

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Available for sale here:

(Paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Dark-Short-Fiction-Primer/dp/0998827525/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1500048816&sr=8-1

(ebook): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073VY4GKN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500048816&sr=8-1&keywords=Exploring+Dark+Short+Fiction+%231%3A+A+Primer+to+Steve+Rasnic+Tem
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Back Copy Description:

For over four decades, Steve Rasnic Tem has been an acclaimed author of horror, weird, and sentimental fiction. Hailed by Publishers Weekly as “A perfect balance between the bizarre and the straight-forward” and Library Journal as “One of the most distinctive voices in imaginative literature,” Steve Rasnic Tem has been read and cherished the world over for his affecting, genre-crossing tales.

Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to his work, the first in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover—or learn more of—the rich voice of Steve Rasnic Tem, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich.

Included within these pages are:

• Six short stories, one written exclusively for this book
• Author interview
• Complete bibliography
• Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University)
• … and more!

Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Steve Rasnic Tem.

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Table of Contents includes:

Introduction by Eric J. Guignard
Steve Rasnic Tem: A Biography
Hungry (fiction)
Hungry: A Commentary
The Last Moments Before Bed (fiction)
The Last Moments Before Bed: A Commentary
In These Final Days of Sales (fiction)
In These Final Days of Sales: A Commentary
The Giveaway (fiction)
The Giveaway: A Commentary
Rat Catcher (fiction)
Rat Catcher: A Commentary
Whatever You Want (fiction)
Whatever You Want: A Commentary
Why Steve Rasnic Tem Matters by Michael Arnzen, PhD
In Conversation with Steve Rasnic Tem
The Subject Matter of Horror: An Essay by Steve Rasnic Tem
A Bibliography of English Language Fiction for Steve Rasnic Tem

D.O.A. III Available, and it's Awesome!

Received my contributor’s copy yesterday for the latest anthology I’m in D.O.A. III (May, 2017 by Blood Bound Books! Edited by Marc Ciccarone and Andrea Dawn, I am STOKED to be part of this alongside some of my horror idols! My own story is “RITCHIE,” a murdered high school bully who keeps coming back annually to get revenge on the victim who killed him.

Available for sale here: https://www.amazon.com/D-O-III-Extreme-Horror-Anthology/dp/1940250269/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1497420458&sr=8-1

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Edited by: Marc Ciccarone and Andrea Dawn

Table of Contents includes:

Notches by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola
The Broken Hearted by T. Fox Dunham
N Word by Shane McKenzie
Skipp’s Splatterpunk Alphabet Souffle by John Skipp
Takeaway Night by T.M. McLean
Burnt by Lucian Marano
Junk by Ryan Harding
The Package by Kristopher Rufty
Red by Richard Christian Matheson
8 out of 10 by Daniel I. Russell
Posthumous by Lloyd Kaufman and Lily Hayes Kaufman
Bury Them Deeper by David Sandner
These Beautiful Bones by Betty Rocksteady
Subject #270374 by C.M. Saunders
Beer Battered by K. Trap Jones
L’Amuse Bouche by Hal Bodner
Proud Papa by Adrian Ludens
Cry the Banshee by C. Cameron Rossi
TerrorSluts for Eternity versus the Ungodheads of the Interdimensionals by Allistair Rennie
We Believe in 5B by Airika Sneve
Taking Root by Christoph Weber
The Bliss Point by Wrath James White
Woeful City by Garrett Cook
Ritchie by Eric J. Guignard
I’d Give Anything for You by Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum
Hostile by Jeff Strand
Metal Heat by Jaap Boekestein
Repulsive Glamour by John McNee
The Bitch by Kristopher Triana

June, 2017 Dark Fiction Short Story Market Listings/ Notes

Here are some genre short story market listings with a focus on Dark Fiction that I find interesting, are currently open, and pay a minimum professional rate of five (5) cents per word:

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June, 2017 Market Listings/ Notes

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Apex Magazine

http://www.apex-magazine.com/submission-guidelines

Payment: 6 cents a word

Story Length: up to 7,500 words

Deadline: Ongoing

Reprints?: No

Response: One month

Description: Exceptionally well-written Science fiction, fantasy, horror, and all its sub-genres.

Liminal Stories (online mag)

http://liminalstoriesmag.com

Payment: 6 cents a word

Story Length: up to 10,000 words.

Deadline: Through June 15 (intermittent)

Reprints?: No

Response: 1 month or less

Description: Prose stories and poetry that are strange and unsettling, sharp-edged and evocative.  Although we will consider any genre, we have a soft spot for weird fiction, magical realism, soft science fiction, and those uncategorizable stories that straddle the line between genres.  Liminal stories should linger in the mind and evoke emotion in the reader.

Aliterate

http://www.aliterate.org/submit

Payment: 6 cents a word

Story Length: 2,500 – 8,000 words

Deadline: July 28, 2017

Reprints?: No

Response: about 7-to-21 days

Description: Literary genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, Westerns, pulps, thrillers, horror, romance, etc).

DarkFuse Magazine

https://darkfuse.submittable.com/submit/27528

Payment: 5 cents a word

Story Length: 99 – 2,000 words (will publish up to 15,000, but max pay at 2,000 words)

Deadline: None listed. Closes intermittently

Reprints?: No

Response: Up to six months

Description: Horror, thriller, suspense, crime, sci-fi, bizarre—anything with a dark slant.

Asimov’s Science Fiction (magazine)

http://www.asimovs.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines

Payment: 8 cents a word

Story Length: 1,000 – 20,000 words

Deadline: Intermittently open

Reprints?: No

Response: Five weeks

Description: Character-oriented Science Fiction stories that is serious, thoughtful, yet accessible (occasional humor), including borderline fantasy, slipstream, and surreal fiction (and some poetry).

Trouble the Waters (edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Pan Morigan, and Troy L. Wiggins: Rosarium Books)

http://rosariumpublishing.com/trouble-the-waters-submissions.html

Payment: 6 cents a word

Story Length: 2,500 – 7,000 words

Deadline: November 1, 2017

Reprints?: A few

Response: unknown

Description: Water-themed speculative short stories that explore all kinds of water lore and deities, ancient and new as well as unimagined tales. We want stories with memorable, engaging characters, great and small, epic tales and quieter stories of personal and communal growth. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, interstitial, and unclassifiable works are welcome.

***Non-PRO-Paying Market, but Eric J. Guignard’s “Pick of the Month”

HIDDEN ANIMALS: A Collection of Cryptids (Dragon’s Roost Press)

http://thedragonsroost.net/styled-3/index.html

Payment: 3 cents a word

Story Length: 4,000 – 5,000 words

Deadline: August 31, 2017

Reprints?: Query first

Response: unknown

Description: We are looking for lesser known cryptids, creatures of the dark corners of cryptozoology. They can be the antagonist, the protagonist, the creeping dread which drives the story, but they must be present; Finely crafted works of Dark Speculative fiction which feature one (or more) of the lesser known, but established cryptids. Authors are encouraged to put their own spin on the classic creature. Make them terrifying. Make them sympathetic. Make them humorous. Above all, make them feel real.

Dark Moon Books Is Reopening Its Doors for Business with a New Website!

Behold and tremble (with fear? Amusement? Revulsion? Disappointment?—you decide!), for DARK MOON BOOKS has arisen!

Finished building out a completely new website and published it over the weekend. Please check out: www.darkmoonbooks.com. 

Of course, if any errors or issues are found, I'd love to be told. Otherwise, I'm declaring Dark Moon Books legit and ready for business!

May, 2017 Dark Fiction Short Story Market Listings/ Notes

Here are some genre short story market listings with a focus on Dark Fiction that I find interesting, are currently open, and pay a minimum professional rate of five (5) cents per word:

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May, 2017 Market Listings/ Notes

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Welcome to Miskatonic University (Broken Eye Books)

http://www.brokeneyebooks.com/submissions.html

Payment: 8 cents a word

Story Length: 3,000 – 6,000 words (and flash fiction, 1,000 words or less)

Deadline: June 30, 2017

Reprints?: No

Response: unknown

Description: Miskatonic University is still going strong in the Arkham Valley (and in various satellite campuses and research stations around the world). Looking for tales that combine college life and the cosmic weird. Of course, there's beer, sex, and parties; study groups and all-night cramming; campus activism and impassioned discourse; vital research and faculty struggling for tenure. But also, you know, gruesome and psychedelic cosmic weirdness; weird fiction set in a modern-day Miskatonic University. Stories should be set within or be inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos.

The Forge Literary Magazine

https://www.forgelitmag.com/flm/submit

Payment: 5 cents a word

Story Length: Generally 3,000 words or less, but may be open to a bit longer. Flash is also highly appreciated (1,000 words or less).

Deadline: Continually open

Reprints?: No

Response: 3 months or less

Description: Prose Fiction--Open to all genres and voices, and stories with any background. Literary excellence is our only criteria. Pieces read anonymously, so please do not put your name anywhere in the file.

Strange Beasties anthology (Third Flatiron)

http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions

Payment: 6 cents a word

Story Length: 1,500 – 3,000 words

Deadline: May 15 - July 15, 2017

Reprints?: No

Response: up to eight weeks

Description: Slipstream. Are you itching to invent your own odd literary devices or creatures?  Impress us, delight us, or scare us with the diversity of your fiendish creations. Creatures of the id don't necessarily have to be monsters, but they do need to be strange. We'd fancy some ghostbusters and monster hunters too.

Flash Fiction Online

http://flashfictiononline.com/main/submission-guidelines/

Payment: $60 flat (= 6 cents/ word+)

Story Length: 500 to 1,000 words

Deadline: Intermittently open

Reprints?: Yes (payment at 2 cents/ word)

Response: Within one month

Description: A very short but complete story of flash fiction. Strong, interesting characters, in genres of dark sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, crime, horror, and even literary.

Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show

http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=content&article=submissions

Payment: 6 cents a word

Story Length: up to 17,500 words

Deadline: Intermittent

Reprints?: No

Response: Three months

Description: Science fiction, fantasy, and horror (in the sense of supernatural suspense, not gory blood-fests). stories. Well-developed milieus and believable, engaging characters. We also look for clear, unaffected writing (Follow the PG-13 standard as a model for content restriction).

Chicken Soup for the Soul – “My Crazy Family!” (NON-HORROR, NON-FICTION)

http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

Payment: $200 plus ten copies of the book

Story Length: to 1,200 words. Poetry: open line count.

Deadline: June 30, 2017

Reprints?: No (some exceptions allowed)

Response: NO rejections sent out. Assume rejection if not heard 60 days before date of publication.

Description: We do love our families but they can also drive us crazy! It’s fun to read about all those wacky relatives and compare them to our own. These true stories, either serious or hilarious, will touch your heart or make you laugh… or both. They will make you see that other families are not that different from your own, and that when push comes to shove, we all need our crazy families.

**This above market also open to separate submission calls for non-fiction stories on Redemption; Christmas Cheer; and other topics. ADDED HERE as I know several horror writers have broken into non-genre works through this.

***Non-PRO-Paying Market, but Eric J. Guignard’s “Pick of the Month”

The Beauty of Death 2—Death by Water (ed. by Alessandro Manzetti and Jodi Renée Lester)

http://www.independentlegions.com/news/open-submission-the-beauty-of-death-2-death-by-water

Payment: $100 flat

Story Length: 4,000 – 5,000 words

Deadline: September 1, 2017

Reprints?: No

Response: 1 month

Description: Stories that fit the theme: Death by Water. All types of horror are welcome. Sex or violence in a story should be artistically justified; no excessive gore. No stories about child abuse of any kind. We welcome all subgenres and forms of speculative fiction..

New Release in Issue #5 of Gamut Magazine

NEW RELEASE! I’ve written an article for Issue #5 of Gamut Magazine (May), titled: “The Five Human Senses in Modern Horror Short Fiction.” This is a tie-in article to my forthcoming anthology, The Five Senses of Horror, scheduled for publication in June, 2017 from Dark Moon Books. Gamut is a pay online magazine, available here: http://gamut.online/memberships