Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Shout Out Friday
First off, the always interesting Veronica Sicoe posted a great piece asking how much science (and scientific plausibility) is necessary in science fiction?
Along the same thread, check out the 2012 Hugo winning Fan-zine SF Signal for tons of cool science fiction content.
 |
| Baby rhinos are so cute! Photo by Han van Hoof. |
For those of you wanting to get a manuscript out to agents in a new and exciting way, be sure to check out Miss Snark's First Victim's "Bakers Dozen Challenge" where 60 stories will be selected to have their first 250 words posted for agents to "bid on".Nice!
Want a laugh? Check out OFW's "Ten Gifts You Should Never Give a Writer". Brief but hilarious!
Finally, I've had to update my "My Fiction" page because I've had another micro-fiction (I think that's the most appropriate term for it) piece published on 140fiction.com. Please check out my story "God's Plan".
Have a great weekend!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Science Fiction and Fantasy Paying Markets
ATTENTION: YOU CAN VIEW UPDATED LISTINGS BY CLICKING THE TAB AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE OR BY CLICKING HERE.
I've posted a new page here on my blog that I hope will help some folks sell some stories! I'm also including the info in this post.
There are plenty of good sites out there listing paying markets for fantasy and science fiction short stories but most of the time that's all they are, lists. I put this table together for my own reference and I'd like to share it with you. I make absolutely no promises that the information is up to date or accurate (although I will try my best). Please see individual websites for specific information. If you have any corrections, addition, and/or comments, please feel free to email me at adamg73(at)juno(dot)com.
If there's a blank cell that means I couldn't find that bit of information. C/W means cents per word.
I've posted a new page here on my blog that I hope will help some folks sell some stories! I'm also including the info in this post.
There are plenty of good sites out there listing paying markets for fantasy and science fiction short stories but most of the time that's all they are, lists. I put this table together for my own reference and I'd like to share it with you. I make absolutely no promises that the information is up to date or accurate (although I will try my best). Please see individual websites for specific information. If you have any corrections, addition, and/or comments, please feel free to email me at adamg73(at)juno(dot)com.
If there's a blank cell that means I couldn't find that bit of information. C/W means cents per word.
| Name | Genre(s) | Max Length | Pay | Response Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abyss and Apex | Sci-fi, Fantasy | 10k | 5 c/w up to 1.5k, $75 for longer | 3 months | Especially interested in flash fiction (<1.5k) |
| Analog | Sci-fi | 2k-7k for shorts, 10k-20k for novelettes, and 40k-80k for serials | 6-8 c/w up to 7.5k, $450-$600 for 7.5k-10k, 5-6 c/w for longer | 5 weeks | |
| Azimovs | Sci-fi | 20k | 6-8 c/w up to 7.5k, 6-6.5 c/w for 7.5k+ | 5 weeks | |
| Black Gate | Epic Fantasy | None | 3-6 c/w up to 5k, $150-$200 from 5k-15k, $200-$250 for 15k+ | 3-5 months | Currently closed to submissions, Accepts simultaneous submissions |
| Buzzy Mag | Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror | 10k | 5 c/w | 6-8 weeks | Accepts novel length manuscripts |
| Clarkesworld | Sci-fi, Fantasy | 1-8k | 10 c/w up to 4k, 5 c/w for longer | 2 days | |
| Fantastic Frontiers | Sci-fi, Fantasy | 500-2k | 3 c/w | ||
| Fantasy and Science Fiction | Sci-fi, Fantasy | 25k | 6-9 c/w | 8 weeks | Snail mail only |
| Flagship | Sci-fi, Fantasy | 2k-7k | $25/story | ||
| Interzone | Sci-fi, Fantasy | 10k | Snail mail only | ||
| Miscellanea | Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror | 300 | $10/story | ||
| On Spec | Sci-fi, Fantasy,Horror | 1k for "short short stories", 6k for short stories | "sss" = $50, ss = $125 (1k-3k), $175 (3k-5k), $200 (5k-6k) | 3 months | |
| Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show | Sci-fi, Fantasy | None | 6 c/w up to 7.5k, 5 c/w for 7.5k+ | 3 months | |
| Strange Horizons | Sci-fi, Fantasy | 9k (5k max prefered) | 7 c/w, $50 min. | 2 week avg., 70 day max | |
| Tugboat | All | 3.5k | 10 c/w, $50 min. | Currently closed to submissions |
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
BEER!!!! (and what it might say about your characters)
Prince Charming just put in a long hard day fighting dragons and all he wants to do is put his feet up and watch a little bit of jousting on MSPN (Mid-evil Sports Programing Network) but when he gets back to Camelot (which is a silly place) the Princess is on a rampage because the enchanted woodland critters have soiled the tapestries again (This is a castle and we have many tapestries, and if you are a Scottish lord then I am Mickey Mouse!). After shooing the enchanted animals outside and cleaning up their enchanted droppings, our hero puts the seven dwarfs to bed and then, finally, sits down with a nice cold flagon of his favorite brew.
But what brew? What epic beer does our epic hero epically quaff in this epically epic fantasy? And does it matter?
You bet your ass it matters!!!
As I've said before, I'm a beer nut, a brew fanatic, a hop head, an alcoholic...wait, scratch that last one. I love beer!
Most people follow a similar beer path. Generally, folks start their beer journey in the Land of American Style Pilsners. This is a very desolate, colorless land full of frat boys and NASCAR logos. There's nothing wrong with starting here, or even visiting on a hot summer day, but I don't recommend taking up residence. Once you stop drinking beer just to get drunk, it's time to move on into the Realm of Micro-brews. There are two routes that most people take to get there, either through the mountain pass of light citrusy wheat beers or through the darker amber beer mines. Both routes are safe, delicious, and inviting. Usually beer travelers take their time on these roads and some never leave. Those that choose to press on tend to head to the Kingdom of Ports and Stouts. A heady place full of depth and intrigue. There's a lot to see there and it's usually best to visit in the winter. A few brave souls press on and finally reach my home, the Land of Hops where the IPAs and hoppy reds roam free. By the time you've made it here you are sure to be a beer snob and proud of it. From the Land of Hops you might visit your old haunts back along the path or take occasional forays into the Valley of Sours, the Plains of Alt, or any of the attractions the diverse world of beer offers.
I believe that where you are along your beer journey, and therefore what you drink, can say a little about who you are. For example:
Pilsners - Your a working class, blue-collar, salt of the earth sort of person. You drink the same beer your daddy did and if it was good enough for him, then by god it's good enough for you (the same could be said for your politics). Wherever you're from, you're proud of it. Slow to change your ways and often stubborn, you say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Wheats - You are one laid back individual. Problems slough off you like water off a ducks back. You're a dreamer who knows that money doesn't make a person happy. As a result, you often find yourself in money trouble. Outdoorsy, you can usually be found on some forest trail with your bike or your dog.
Porters and Stouts - You're an intellectually minded person who takes life seriously. You like your coffee black and your beer blacker. Slow to judge and even slower to react, you prefer to take your time to ponder over the many issues that life throws your way. you like rainy days and big fireplaces.
IPA's and Red - Adventurous and gregarious, you are a risk taker with a reputation for taking any situation to the edge (sometimes past). You tend to consider yourself smarted than you actually are but, either through dumb luck or the help of your friends, it usually doesn't get you into trouble. You're naturally funny but you also tend to try to hard in social situation.
Are these characterizations always true?
No.
Are they ever true?
I have no idea.
Are the beers worth trying.
Hell yes.
Enjoy!
But what brew? What epic beer does our epic hero epically quaff in this epically epic fantasy? And does it matter?
You bet your ass it matters!!!
As I've said before, I'm a beer nut, a brew fanatic, a hop head, an alcoholic...wait, scratch that last one. I love beer!
Most people follow a similar beer path. Generally, folks start their beer journey in the Land of American Style Pilsners. This is a very desolate, colorless land full of frat boys and NASCAR logos. There's nothing wrong with starting here, or even visiting on a hot summer day, but I don't recommend taking up residence. Once you stop drinking beer just to get drunk, it's time to move on into the Realm of Micro-brews. There are two routes that most people take to get there, either through the mountain pass of light citrusy wheat beers or through the darker amber beer mines. Both routes are safe, delicious, and inviting. Usually beer travelers take their time on these roads and some never leave. Those that choose to press on tend to head to the Kingdom of Ports and Stouts. A heady place full of depth and intrigue. There's a lot to see there and it's usually best to visit in the winter. A few brave souls press on and finally reach my home, the Land of Hops where the IPAs and hoppy reds roam free. By the time you've made it here you are sure to be a beer snob and proud of it. From the Land of Hops you might visit your old haunts back along the path or take occasional forays into the Valley of Sours, the Plains of Alt, or any of the attractions the diverse world of beer offers.
 |
| Brewed in Japan, this batch of Hitachino Nest Beer spent 3 extra days in the mash due to the giant earthquake of 2011. This resulted in a unique, once in a lifetime, un-replicable brew that beer nuts like me have been clamoring over. |
Pilsners - Your a working class, blue-collar, salt of the earth sort of person. You drink the same beer your daddy did and if it was good enough for him, then by god it's good enough for you (the same could be said for your politics). Wherever you're from, you're proud of it. Slow to change your ways and often stubborn, you say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Wheats - You are one laid back individual. Problems slough off you like water off a ducks back. You're a dreamer who knows that money doesn't make a person happy. As a result, you often find yourself in money trouble. Outdoorsy, you can usually be found on some forest trail with your bike or your dog.
- Sure Bets:
- CooperSmith's Brewing (Fort Collins, CO) "Mountain Avenue Wheat"
- Terrapin Beer Co. (Athens, GA) "Sunray Wheat"
- Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI) "Founders Fest Wheat"
Porters and Stouts - You're an intellectually minded person who takes life seriously. You like your coffee black and your beer blacker. Slow to judge and even slower to react, you prefer to take your time to ponder over the many issues that life throws your way. you like rainy days and big fireplaces.
- Sure Bets:
- Great Divide Beer Co. (Denver, CO) "Yetti Imperial Stout"
- Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) "The Abyss"
- Lagunitas Brewing (Petaluma, CA) "Cappuccino Stout"
- Oakshire Brewing (Eugene, OR) "Espresso Stout"
 |
| The Beer Gods shining down on my favorite brewery. |
IPA's and Red - Adventurous and gregarious, you are a risk taker with a reputation for taking any situation to the edge (sometimes past). You tend to consider yourself smarted than you actually are but, either through dumb luck or the help of your friends, it usually doesn't get you into trouble. You're naturally funny but you also tend to try to hard in social situation.
- Sure Bets:
- Terminal Gravity Brewing (Enterprise, OR) "IPA"
- Green Flash Brewing (San Diego, CA) "West Coast IPA"
- Good Life Brewing Co. (Bend, OR) "Descender IPA"
- Double Mountain Brewing (Hood River, OR) "IRA"
- Bridgeport Brewing Co. (Portland, OR) "Kingpin Red"
 |
| This was my birthday present from my wife this year. She knows what I like! |
Are these characterizations always true?
No.
Are they ever true?
I have no idea.
Are the beers worth trying.
Hell yes.
Enjoy!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Freeing Yourself To Write
I have an idea for a story.
No you don't.
Um...yes, I do. It's a good idea. It's different than anything I've ever read.
That's just because you haven't read crap. This story's been written before, many times, by authors much more talented than you.
But I'm going to put a new spin on it.
What, the "I've never published anything" spin? I'm sure that will revolutionize the genre.
Well...even if it's been done before, since I haven't read it that probably means there are plenty of others that haven't read it either. If nothing else, it should be fun to write because it's a good idea.
Yeah...about that...
What?
Is it really a good idea?
Sure! It has action, interesting characters, and tons of conflict.
And a giant plot hole in the middle that you have no idea how to fill.
Yeah, but I'll figure that out as I write.
And a two dimensional bad guy who seems to be bad just for the sake of being bad. Come on, you read three blog posts last week about how much people hate that.
Ok, I'll give him some back story.
And all of a sudden your short story turns into a novella. You've only read a hand-full of novellas and you've written...how many?
A few...
Seriously?
Ok, zero. But that doesn't matter. I've got to start somewhere. If the idea pans out it could even turn into a novel.
And when are you going to have the time to write said novel, hmm? You barely have time to squeeze in one or two short stories a month, let alone a novel. Even then writing takes more time away from family and friends than you want it to.
You may have a point...
Of course I do. Just set the idea aside for now. You can always come back to it when you have more time. It will be a better story in the end for having the time to mull it over.
That's probably true.
I had an idea for a story.
___________________________
Sometimes my greatest barrier to writing is me. I don't consider myself a particularly negative person and I'm not prone to over-thinking things but that doesn't mean I don't get in my own way FAR too often.
And just to be clear, grilling yourself about whether a story is worth writing isn't always a bad thing. None of us have a lot of spare time so it's important that we scrutinize our ideas so that we can prioritize our projects and not go on too many time wasting wild goose chases.
Asking questions is good but over thinking is bad. It can shut down creativity and take the fun out of writing.
So what do I do about it?
I give myself permission to screw up.
I've found that, for me, it's best to let the questions come. I'll let myself fret and worry for a little bit and then I'll say something like this:
"Ok, that's enough. I want to write this story. It's ok if it isn't original. It's ok if the characters aren't perfect. It's ok if I never finish. Maybe the story will suck. Or maybe, just maybe it will turn out good. Or even great. Either way, I'm going to write because that's what I love to do and, regardless of the outcome, I will be happy."
And that's the truth. I've written a ton of crappy stories, things that will never see the light of day, but that's not important. The important thing is that I enjoyed writing them. I like writing and it's ok if every story doesn't turn out. I write because it's fun.
How many times have you had a similar internal dialog? What approach do you take to push past the questions?
No you don't.
Um...yes, I do. It's a good idea. It's different than anything I've ever read.
That's just because you haven't read crap. This story's been written before, many times, by authors much more talented than you.
But I'm going to put a new spin on it.
What, the "I've never published anything" spin? I'm sure that will revolutionize the genre.
Well...even if it's been done before, since I haven't read it that probably means there are plenty of others that haven't read it either. If nothing else, it should be fun to write because it's a good idea.
Yeah...about that...
What?
Is it really a good idea?
Sure! It has action, interesting characters, and tons of conflict.
And a giant plot hole in the middle that you have no idea how to fill.
Yeah, but I'll figure that out as I write.
And a two dimensional bad guy who seems to be bad just for the sake of being bad. Come on, you read three blog posts last week about how much people hate that.
Ok, I'll give him some back story.
And all of a sudden your short story turns into a novella. You've only read a hand-full of novellas and you've written...how many?
A few...
Seriously?
Ok, zero. But that doesn't matter. I've got to start somewhere. If the idea pans out it could even turn into a novel.
And when are you going to have the time to write said novel, hmm? You barely have time to squeeze in one or two short stories a month, let alone a novel. Even then writing takes more time away from family and friends than you want it to.
You may have a point...
Of course I do. Just set the idea aside for now. You can always come back to it when you have more time. It will be a better story in the end for having the time to mull it over.
That's probably true.
I had an idea for a story.
___________________________
Sometimes my greatest barrier to writing is me. I don't consider myself a particularly negative person and I'm not prone to over-thinking things but that doesn't mean I don't get in my own way FAR too often.
And just to be clear, grilling yourself about whether a story is worth writing isn't always a bad thing. None of us have a lot of spare time so it's important that we scrutinize our ideas so that we can prioritize our projects and not go on too many time wasting wild goose chases.
Asking questions is good but over thinking is bad. It can shut down creativity and take the fun out of writing.
So what do I do about it?
I give myself permission to screw up.
I've found that, for me, it's best to let the questions come. I'll let myself fret and worry for a little bit and then I'll say something like this:
"Ok, that's enough. I want to write this story. It's ok if it isn't original. It's ok if the characters aren't perfect. It's ok if I never finish. Maybe the story will suck. Or maybe, just maybe it will turn out good. Or even great. Either way, I'm going to write because that's what I love to do and, regardless of the outcome, I will be happy."
And that's the truth. I've written a ton of crappy stories, things that will never see the light of day, but that's not important. The important thing is that I enjoyed writing them. I like writing and it's ok if every story doesn't turn out. I write because it's fun.
How many times have you had a similar internal dialog? What approach do you take to push past the questions?
Monday, August 20, 2012
Adam August Awesomness!
I've been fortunate enough to be invited over to Jeff Hargett's blog "Strands of Pattern" to take part in his August is Awesome blog fest!
Head over there to read about why your story NEEDS an animal.
And a HUGE thanks to Jeff for the opportunity to visit his blog and for all the nice things he said about me. I'm all warm and fuzzy...
One more thing, I added a new page to my blog with links to some of my writing that is floating around the world wide web. Take a look!
Head over there to read about why your story NEEDS an animal.
And a HUGE thanks to Jeff for the opportunity to visit his blog and for all the nice things he said about me. I'm all warm and fuzzy...
One more thing, I added a new page to my blog with links to some of my writing that is floating around the world wide web. Take a look!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Sci-Fi Stories and Paying Market
Just a quick heads up:
If you're looking for some quality science-fiction, check out Abyss & Apex. They have some pretty awesome FREE stories up on their site.
For all you sci-fi writers, A&A is also a paying market: "US $.05/word (five cents a word) up to 1,500 words, and a flat payment of $75.00 for longer stories".
I submitted a story a few days ago. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
If you're looking for some quality science-fiction, check out Abyss & Apex. They have some pretty awesome FREE stories up on their site.
For all you sci-fi writers, A&A is also a paying market: "US $.05/word (five cents a word) up to 1,500 words, and a flat payment of $75.00 for longer stories".
I submitted a story a few days ago. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
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