Overview of my 2021 Writing Accomplishments

I don’t usually put together year-end wrap-ups, but I felt inspired last week, and wanted to recap what I’ve done, mostly for goal-setting/ objectives “missed-or-met” purposes, but partly, also, just to have everything listed in one place instead of several dozen separate social media posts!

In the year of 2021, this is what I did (related to writing!):

OVERVIEW

• I wrote and had published seven original short stories
• I wrote and had published four reprint short stories
• I edited and had published four volumes in the series, Haunted Library of Horror Classics (through SourceBooks)
• I edited and published through my press (Dark Moon Books) one Primer book for Ramsey Campbell (part of the Exploring Dark Short Fiction series)
• I edited and published through my press (Dark Moon Books) one themed anthology

(Plus a number of blurbs, reviews, introductions, etc. I didn’t particularly track)

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ORIGINAL STORIES PUBLISHED:

The Shimmer of Trees
Published in: Campfire Macabre
January, 2021
www.cemeterygatesmedia.com
(1,065 words)

Herein, the Dusk of Time Which Awaits Us All: An Account of the Astral-Afterlife
Published in: Paranormal Contact: A Quiet Horror Confessional
March, 2021
www.cemeterygatesmedia.com
(3,724 words)

Ommetaphobia
Published in: Boneyard Soup Magazine, issue #2
April, 2021
www.boneyardsoup.com
(2,838 words)

Down Amongst the Graves, Where Yon Family Lay Eternal
Published in: Unreal Magazine, issue #5
June, 2021
www.unrealmag.com
(3,506 words)

Two Hearts Make a Half; or, Ghosts of a Rodeo Clown
Published in: Were Tales: A Shapeshifter Anthology
September, 2021
www.brigidsgatepress.com
(4,000 words)

Incident at the Red Hawk Road Stop
Published in: December Tales
September, 2021
www.curiousbluepress.com
(7,162 words)

If I Drive Before I Wake
Published in: In Darkness, Delight: Fear the Future
September, 2021
www.corpuspress.com
(2,817 words)


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REPRINT STORIES PUBLISHED:

The Shimmer of Trees
Published in: Pseudopod Podcast
December, 2021
www.pseudopod.org
(1,065 words)

The Moon Over Andersonville
Published in: Horror for the Throne: One-Sitting Reads
July, 2021
www.madhousemanor.com
(1,289 words)

Footprints Fading in the Desert
Published in: Longshot Island Magazine
May, 2021
www.longshotisland.net
(3,875 words)

A Case Study in Natural Selection and How It Applies to Love
Published in: Tales to Terrify Podcast
March, 2021
www.talestoterrify.com
(7,491 words)


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HAUNTED LIBRARY OF HORROR CLASSICS SERIES (AS SERIES EDITOR)

The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics
Published by Poisoned Pen Press through SourceBooks
Edited by Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger
http://ericjguignard.com/haunted_library.html

• The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics
Vol. VIII: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James
Edited by Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger
Published October, 2021

• The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics
Vol. VII: The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers
Edited by Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger
Published August, 2021

• The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics
Vol. VI: The Parasite and other Tales of Terror by A.C.D.
Edited by Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger
Published May, 2021

• The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics
Vol. V: Of One Blood: or, The Hidden Self by Pauline Hopkins
Edited by Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger
Published February, 2021


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EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION PRIMER SERIES (AS EDITOR AND PUBLISHER):

Exploring Dark Short Fiction #6: A Primer to Ramsey Campbell
Edited by Eric J. Guignard
With fiction written by Ramsey Campbell
Published by Dark Moon Books
September, 2021
www.darkmoonbooks.com/Primer_6.html


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ORIGINAL ANTHOLOGY AS EDITOR AND PUBLISHER:

Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World (2021 edition)
Edited by Eric J. Guignard
Published by Dark Moon Books
November, 2021
www.darkmoonbooks.com/travel_anthology.html


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+HORROR LIBRARY+ ANTHOLOGY SERIES:

Additionally, I took over the anthology series +HORROR LIBRARY+ and rereleased all volumes (#1–6, plus BEST OF) under Dark Moon Books, AND read 1,200 submissions for upcoming Volume 7!
http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/horror_library.html

Interview up today with ITW's THE BIG THRILL magazine

This just in! The latest article today from THE BIG THRILL magazine is for me!!

This fantastic write-up and interview covers my latest anthology book, PROFESSOR CHARLATAN BARDOT’S TRAVEL ANTHOLOGY TO THE MOST (FICTIONAL) HAUNTED BUILDINGS IN THE WEIRD, WILD WORLD, published by Dark Moon Books!

I’ve been reading the prominent THE BIG THRILL magazine for many years, and am so proud and thrilled to be part of this issue. Published by the International Thriller Writers, and written by Allison McKnight, my thanks to all involved and best wishes for a successful and safe 2022.

= “…PROFESSOR CHARLATAN BARDOT’S TRAVEL ANTHOLOGY TO THE MOST (FICTIONAL) HAUNTED BUILDINGS IN THE WEIRD, WILD WORLD is a guided journey through six continents… a beautifully presented anthology of ghost stories from around the world by writers from around the world. These stories come with illustrations, maps, latitude and longitude, and individual introductions from Professor Bardot himself. (Imagine Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone openings, but instead it’s a widely traveled professor of the obscure and haunted.)… ”

More Here: https://www.thebigthrill.org/?p=73797

 

December, 2021 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

HWA L.A.: December, 2021

New or Reopening Market Listings/ Notes
At Minimum Pro-Paying (5 cents+ per word)

Uncharted
https://uncharted.submittable.com/submit
Payment: $200 flat
Story Length: 1,000–5,000 words
Deadline: ongoing
Reprints?: Yes (but no pay)
Response: Three months
Description: Any type of genre story: Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, etc. (see submission page for additional themed 1-time calls).


Valravn (Yearly annual of “wyrd fiction” by Raven Canticle Press)
https://www.ravencanticlepress.com/submissions/
Payment: 10 cents a word
Story Length: 3,000–10,000 words
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (open periodically afterward)
Reprints?: No
Response: unknown
Description: Non-themed speculative short fiction. Prefer horror, but open also to fantasy science fiction, etc.


Fantasy Magazine
https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/fantasy/guidelines
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: 1,500–7,500 words (preferred less than 5,000)
Deadline: open the first week of every month (1st–7th)
Reprints?: No
Response: within 3 months
Description: Original fantasy and dark fantasy stories (including horror).


TWO SEPARATE ANTHOLOGIES from Flame Tree Publishing
https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/weird-horror-short-stories-call-for-submissions-0-0-0
Payment: 8 cents a word (6 cents/ word for reprints)
Story Length: 2,000–4,000 words (soft range)
Deadline: January 9, 2022
Reprints?: Yes
Response: 3 months

1. Compelling Science Fiction: Tales which are on the more plausible end of the SF spectrum.

2. Christmas Gothic Short Stories: Dark and moody, the ghastly, the ghostly and the magical Christmas short story!

Factor Four Magazine (Online Mag)
http://factorfourmag.com/submissionsinfo/
Payment: 11 cents/ word
Story Length: up to 1,000 words
Deadline: Continually open
Reprints?: No
Response: 1 month or less
Description: Short fiction in the genres of speculative fiction, specifically science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, super hero, or any combination of these. We are looking for stories that are engaging to our readers in such a short word count.


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).



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

Triangulation (Parsec Ink): Energy (annual themed anthology)
http://parsecink.com/index.php/triangulation-submissions/
Payment: 3 cents a word
Story Length: up to 5,000 words
Deadline: February 28, 2022
Reprints?: No
Response: April 30, 2022
Description: Theme of sustainable energy; fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, and speculative horror stories that explore the possibility of creating sustainable energy with alternative technologies and/or social change.


34 Orchard
https://34orchard.com/guidelines
Payment: $50 flat
Story Length: 1,000–7,500 words
Deadline: Jan. 1, 2022–Jan. 31, 2022
Reprints?: No
Response: February 28, 2022
Description: Dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad.

My Upcoming Author Events, In-Person Signing and Virtual Festival Guest Speaker

I’ll be signing books, posters, and movie deals* (*maybe) this SUNDAY, Dec. 12, at Los Angeles’s GREATEST horror-themed bookstore, DARK DELICACIES!

3:00 p.m. start time, or line up early. Dark Delicacies daily parades a veritable Who’s-who of Hollywood actors, authors, artists, and other guests-célèbre!

Bolstering my presence are such grand company as Lisa Morton, Kate Maruyama, PJ Manney, J.D. Horn, and surprise appearances slated by others!!

https://www.darkdel.com/store/p2475/Sun%2C_Dec_12th_3_pm%3A_December_Tales_Ghost_Story_Anthology_TPB.html#/

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And if you can’t book that cross-country flight to attend in-person, join me for a virtual event the following week, as I speak to the state of ghosts, their cultural impact, authors of note, and other discussions of the supernatural for The New York Ghost Story Festival 2021!

Hosted by acclaimed author and festival founder Daniel Braum, I’ll be in conversation along with extraordinarily talented company, notably authors and speakers Jo Kaplan and Kevin Lucia! RSVP requested for the event, scheduled: Friday, Dec, 17 at 5:00 p.m. PST!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1120197698384218/

November, 2021 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

HWA L.A.: November, 2021
New or Reopening Market Listings/ Notes
At Minimum Pro-Paying (5 cents+ per word)

The Reinvented Detective (Book 2 in the Reinvented Anthology Series) (Edited by Jennifer Brozek and Cat Rambo)
https://www.arcmanorbooks.com/thereinventedanthology
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: 1,500–5,000 words
Deadline: January 15, 2022
Reprints?: No
Response: May 1, 2022
Description: Detective stories reinvented for the modern age: As we move forward into the age of information, what happens to our ideas of detection and crime? How do you handle it when your smart car blackmails you or you need to murder the downloaded personality of your enemy? What acts to enforce society's norms and catch those violating them in the future? Will our definitions of crime—or punishment—change, and what new forms of either might appear?


Apex Magazine
http://www.apex-magazine.com/submission-guidelines
Payment: 8 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.


Beneath Ceaseless Skies
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/submissions/
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: Up to 15,000 words
Deadline: None at present. Closes intermittently
Reprints?: No
Response: Two to seven weeks
Description: “Literary adventure fantasy”: stories with a secondary-world setting and some traditional or classic fantasy feel, but written with a literary approach. We want stories set in what Tolkien called a “secondary world”: some other world that is different from our own primary world in some way. It could be different in terms of zoology (non-human creatures), ecology (climate), or physical laws (the presence of magic). It could be set on Earth but an Earth different from our primary world in terms of time (the historical past) or history (alternate history). It could have a “pre-tech” level of technology, or steampunk technology, or magic as technology, or anything else that’s not advanced or modern technology. However, the setting should contain some element that is in some way fantastical.


The DARK (monthly online e-magazine)
http://thedarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines
Payment: 6 cents a word
Story Length: 2,000–6,000 words
Deadline: Currently open, but intermittent
Reprints?: Yes
Response: between 1 day to 1 week
Description: Unique Horror and Dark Fantasy (No graphic/ violent content); fiction that may fall out of “regular” categories (Tons of great authors publish here).


Cossmass Infinities
https://www.cossmass.com/submit/
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: 1,000–7,500 words (also open to novelettes up to 17,500 words)
Deadline: Dec. 1–7, 2021
Reprints?: No
Response: 3 months
Description: Non-themed science fiction and fantasy short stories.


The Antihumanist
https://theantihumanists.com/fiction-submissions/
Payment: 5 cents a word
Story Length: up to 1,000 words
Deadline: ongoing
Reprints?: No
Response: unknown
Description: Fiction that challenges human centered narratives, that forces us to confront our place in the universe, that makes us question: Who are we? Why are we here? Is there a purpose? Historically, weird fiction has best captured this goal. However, we are willing to accept submissions from speculative, horror, and literary writers that meet the above criteria.



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

Andromeda Spaceways Magazine
https://andromedaspaceways.com/submissions-manager/
Payment: 1 cent a word AUD (Australian)
Story Length: up to 10,000 (less is better)
Deadline: ongoing
Reprints?: No
Response: 1–3 months
Description: Any science fiction, fantasy and supernatural horror works, including all associated sub-genres. Poetry, artwork, and non-fiction also welcome (though low pay, this is a highly-read, well esteemed indie market)


Three-Lobed Burning Eye
https://www.3lobedmag.com/submissions.html
Payment: $100 flat
Story Length: 1,000–7,500 words
Deadline: Continually open
Reprints?: No
Response Time: within 3 months
Description: Non-themed, original speculative fiction: horror, fantasy, and science fiction.

New title available to reviewers on NetGalley: Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World

Reviewers or NetGalley subscribers:

New release, Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World (2021 edition), is available for free this month for ebook reviewers!!

“At Last, an Authoritative Compendium to (Fictional) Haunted Buildings for the Delight and Exploration of Reader-Travelers Around the Globe.”

For nearly forty years, renowned paranormal investigator Professor Charlatan Bardot has examined, documented, and acquired stories of haunted buildings around the world. Partnered with leading anthologist Eric J. Guignard, and gifted artists Steve Lines and James Gabb, the greatest of Charlatan’s discoveries are made available now in this comprehensive travel anthology!

From the Philippines’ tragic Ame-Soeur Clothing Factory, to Sweden’s reverent Fish Church; from Tanzania’s vengeful Unguja Restaurant, to Canada’s cursed Crow Island Lighthouse, Charlatan Bardot presents a lifetime of experience and insight into paranormal architecture.

27 feature stories and 36 tiny tales are included of haunted temples, diners, hotels, shops, hospitals, outposts, theaters, and other building types, along with maps, travel notes, illustrations, and more, all designed to provide an immersive experience for veteran travelers and armchair ghost hunters alike!

Enter Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World and explore the strange and curious locales of the globe and of your imagination.

13-digit ISBN (hardback): 978-1-949491-50-0

13-digit ISBN (paperback): 978-1-949491-48-7

13-digit ISBN (e-book): 978-1-949491-49-4

Date of publication: November 2, 2021

Publisher: Dark Moon Books

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/240114