A This 'n That Tuesday (or Yay! A Market, a Publisher, and Free Books!)

So, yes, this is one of those posts where I throw stuff out there and you are free to pick and choose. Speaking of free, let's start with your opportunity to win bunches of books!



I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and I Read Banned Books are hosting this humongous Banned Books Week Hop. And when I say humongous, I mean 250 blogs humongous. That's 250 opportunities for you to win some banned books (which also happen to be some of the best books out there). I've already espoused my opinion on this subject here and here (and not to go on about it, but the 2010 post was one of my better efforts), so I'll just say read a banned book today and grow your mind.



Next up is a submission opportunity at Big Pulp. I'm sorry I didn't throw this paying magazine out there sooner--the window is only open till the end of September! But if you have a fantabulous fantasy, horrid horror, mystical mystery, awesome adventure, super science fiction, or robust romance then you've got a chance at Big Pulp. (Just so you know, I've absolutely been slashing adjectives out of my manuscript, but it didn't seem right to waste all those perfectly fine modifiers. Not to mention adverbs.) And do let me know if you get accepted. I'd love to read your scintillating story!


And finally, if you've got a robust romance that is actually a full manuscript, then you might want to zip over to Mills and Boon New Voices. They're looking for a new voice in romance and they're giving away grand prizes, too. That is to say, the prizes are grand for the Top 20, but they also have one Grand Prize package. You have till October 10th on this opportunity but that doesn't mean you can dilly-dally about sending in that first chapter. Pull that manuscript out from under-the-bed and give it a polish. And please, let me know if you're over there so I can dash to your cozy chapter and give a comment!


That should keep you busting-out busy for the week. (And yay! I've used up my daily quota of adjectives.)

Finding Something Friday: Hot Enough For You? (Writer's and Poet's Market)

Now, I realize that the heat hovering over us throughout the good ol' US of A has drained our brains. It is nearly impossible to think, much less think straight. So I will understand if you wrap a cold towel around your head and go back to whatever you were doing to cool off. In fact, use your cold-towel wrapped time for thinking.

The Writer's Market and Poet's Market (2013) is still looking for articles and I bet, if you put your feet up and drink lots of ice cold tea, you can think up something brilliant! The deadline's been extended to August 8th, so you have a couple weeks to mull over ideas.

But even more exciting, the Poet's Market is accepting poems for the 2013 edition! You could get $50 and a copy of the 2013 Poet's Market, not to mention the cool bragging that goes along with publication.

So go find whatever's left of your brain and crank out some ideas. Try to remember to write something down. And when it cools off, you can worry about the details. 'Cause honestly, it may actually be hot enough for me.

Monday Mail: Cougars on the Prowl

Way back in 2010, I gave you a heads up about this fun anthology call-out over at Mozark Press called A Shaker of Margaritas, Cougars on the Prowl. But if you're like me, you la-ti-da'ed around, forgetting all about the story you were going to write.

And now, yeeeooow! According to an email I just opened, it's last call for the Mozark Press stories! There is absolutely no time to piddle around. You must pounce on that idea. Think cougar. Think Boomer Lit. Think Heavens to Murgatroyd!

And if you don't have any idea what Heavens to Murgatroyd! means, you're probably not a person of a certain age. You probably remembered to write your 1500 to 3,000 word story way back in 2010 when I told you about this submission opportunity.

But for the rest of us, it's exit, stage left (to write)!

(Thanks to Harlequeen at Flickr for the photo!)

To Market, To Market, To Find Fairy Tales

If you visit here often, you know that I love fairy tales. I fell in love with the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen once upon a time and long ago. When the Junior Halls came along, I loved revisiting my old friends and making a few new ones. And now, I try my hand at writing a tale, or putting a new spin on an old one.

That's why I love this market, Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. I've been hard at work on the latest issue's call out for Rumplestiltskin stories. And I cannot tell a lie. I've spelled Rumplestiltskin about 27 different ways in the last week. But I think I finally have it down. I just call him Rump in my story.

This market has recently upped its pay-and the editor's throwing a swell contest to increase its readership. Now, if there's one thing I like as much as fairy tales, it's contests. (Although technically, I like winning contests.) You can have a chance to win EC's contest if you spread the love about this wonderful market.

Whether you enter the contest or want to try writing a story for the next issue, you'd best hurry. Contest ends February 18th and submissions are accepted February 21 through the 24th only. But I can get you started on that story with a surefire opening.

Once upon a time...

Thursday's Three: Things I Learned from Jeff Herman

I should probably mention that Jeff Herman and I are not close friends. In point of fact, Jeff Herman doesn't know me from Adam's house cat. Which is a funny sort of thing we say around here that means Jeff Herman and I are complete strangers.

HOWEVER, I am reading his swell book, Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents 2011, and I feel like a kinda know the guy. I mean, I'm on page 515 (out of 1094) and a body gets a feel for things after that many pages.

So, as I'm done with the publishers section, I'll share three things I learned:

1. Many publishers, especially those from the publishing conglomerates (ie. Random House, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster), don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. If you want your manuscript to find a home there, you'll need an agent.

2. The independant U.S. presses are more open to unsolicited manuscripts, but do your research! Check the websites and fine print and follow submission guidelines carefully to maximize your chance at acceptance.

3. University presses offer excellent opportunities for publication if you write non-fiction, particularly if you've written a book with regional appeal. Some presses accept fiction, too. Look into your local college or university to see if your book will fit and follow guidelines. It may be a long process, but these presses are well-respected.

That was about the gist of 500 pages. Not that there wasn't tons more exciting stuff that I learned, but if you want details, you'll just have to get to know Jeff yourself.

Finding Something Friday on Pick-Your-Market-and-Submit

I found a warm-the-cockles-of-your-heart email in my Inbox this week. I heard from a writer friend of mine whose story had (sorta) been selected as a finalist in a contest. Terrific! And guess where she heard about that contest?

That's right. Here at the old Hall of Fame. I (sorta) didn't remember the contest, but that's beside the point. The point is that people actually win writing contests, or get their stories accepted at markets, all the time. Why can't that writer be you? So, here's a few places to submit:

Stories That Lift like (likes?) family-friendly fiction, between 50 to 2500 words. Pay is $5 to $20, enough to buy a cheeseburger or three. Read more about the guidelines here.

Cell Stories would love to put your short (1000 to 1500 words) story on miscellaneous cellphones. Unfortunately, they're not a paying market. But I mention them because they accept reprints. Maybe you've already sold a story or two, but wouldn't mind one bit sending it out there again, amongst the masses, into cellphone world.

Baconology, a soon to-be-published anthology of horror stories based on what I like to call PORK GOLD, will accept submissions until the anthology is filled. So don't lay about, like a pig in a sty, rolling around in the mud of story ideas. Get that psychotic pork plot on paper and send it in (more details here).

There, now. That should keep you busy till next Finding Something Friday. Meanwhile, I need to check the last few FSFs. 'Cause I kinda should be submitting something myself. (And by "something," I mean something other than whatever totally creepy, but scathingly brilliant, PORK GOLD story I write. Right after, um, lunch.)