Writer's Resources - MARKET LISTINGS

How much time do you spend searching for a market for your writing? I used to forecast that for every three hours I spent writing, I used another hour just on researching markets. This included understanding what the market was doing, checking on the audience and reviews of publishers, deciding where best I fit in, as well as prescribing to said market's highly personalized guidelines. Whew! - It was time-consumptive.

We all have work and family and other life obligations that come first, so the time found for writing is precious and a limited resource. Utilize every writer's resource that you can, in order to sift through the unnecessary balderdash.

Here are some of the best online writing resources I have discovered that provide MARKET LISTINGS and the latest in what publications are asking for (focused on dark fiction).

http://www.duotrope.com/market_5999.aspx - Duotrope Digest

http://www.ralan.com/m.antho.htm - Ralan.com Market listings

http://horrorgenre.com/Magazines_Publishing_Houses_and_e-zines/ - Horror

http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/markets.html - Aswiebe's Market List

http://www.placesforwriters.com/calls/ - Places for Writers
http://darkmarkets.com - Dark Markets
http://www.dlsnell.com/search/label/Market%20Scoops - D.L. Snell's Market Scoops

In addition, be sure to obtain your annual print copy of WRITER'S MARKET (Writer's Digest Books), that provides traditional publishers who may not advertise on the internet.

Hope this helps, and keep writing!

AFTER DEATH… One Month update

It’s been one month since I announced open call for the latest fiction anthology, “AFTER DEATH…” I’ve already received over 125 submissions, which is three times the amount of subs I received in the first month for my last anthology, “DARK TALES OF LOST CIVILIZATIONS!”

Each day I am amazed at the brilliant and gruesome ideas that are sent to me. I am so excited to work on this - This collection is going to turn out really fantastic!

I have read all submissions sent to me on or before May 2. I rejected 58 stories immediately as they didn’t fit the guidelines, or theme, or for other reason. If you haven’t heard back from me, it simply means that I am holding your story for further consideration and until the close of the submission period. I will respond to all submissions before August 30.

Selection Process:

I am keeping stories for further consideration based on four qualifying factors:

1. The story is interesting

2. It is without obvious flaw

3. It fits the theme of this anthology

4. It is written in a strong or unique voice

I grade each submission on a rubric scale, meaning I assign a rank or grade to it, based on several factors. So, as the submission process goes on, stories that rank higher will displace the stories beneath them on the scale. As I receive more submissions, I will review stories from the consideration list and reject those which fall far enough below the others. By the end of this process, I will be able to select the best-ranked stories based on what I am looking for, as well as how the stories relate to each other.

What I Am Looking For:

Potential contributors, please note! I am looking for stories about what happens to us after we die. This can be any idea, in any subgenre relating somehow to Dark Fiction. The point of the story MUST OFFER some explanation about what we can expect after we pass away. I do not want a story about a living person who circumstantially is haunted by a ghost. That is a “ghost story” and not at all what I am looking for. Consider writing a tale that is from the perspective of the deceased. What happens to your character after they die? Where do they go? What do they see? Heaven or Hell? Another universe? Reincarnation? Other spirits? Wild adventures? Etc.

Please feel free to e-mail me directly if you have any questions about this.

ALSO! I am in discussions with a few established authors to include their stories in order to really fill out this collection with amazing writing. I will announce further details about this later, but they are authors who I have long admired and are deeply involved with the HDF writing world.

Original, Full Guidelines listed here:

http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com/2012/04/open-submissions-new-fiction-anthology.html  

Cheers,

Eric