elanya

Aim high, I say!

So I finished my Cursed Wreck story last year. I'm resubmitting it this year because the magazine I'd sent it to before is going through some kind of metamorphosis. I usually only futz much with my writing in the summer on account of being too busy during the year. I do have another piece to send out this year, though, and also another one that I'd like to finish and get out. I think it is feasible for me to finish... Anyway i am considering markets. Some magazines will accept simultaneous submissions, but not *multiple* submissions. They all have different length caps (sans query, anyway), submission guidelines, payment stuff, and response times.

So here are the stories:

The Cursed Wreck: Horror; blatantly Lovecraftian. 7100 words, diving/fishmen adventure in Turkey.

Keep Off the Grass: Fantasy Horror. 4100 words. A kid tries to be a hero against an invasion of evil grass.

Shadow of a Place: Horror, in progress. A woman visits an internet friend at her creepy creepy house.

I also have...

Breaking in to the Market: never been sure how to decide the genre - Modern dark fantasy?. 4600 words. Old story - a kid gets sucked in to the soul buying racket, and sets out on his own when he gets older.

Happiness Man: Modern fantasy? 4284 words. A man invents his own god. Rejected from On Spec with some recommendations for polishing that I've yet to follow up with.

The markets:

Apex:"Where Science Fiction and Horror Meet." Up to 7500 words. Pays 5 cents a word. Simultaneous submission not accepted. he only one that doesn't just want FNSAR - they want electronic and (non-exclusive) anthology rights. Response time 20-30 days.

Cemetery Dance: Horror, dark mystery and suspense. Up to 5000 words, response time 2-4 months, pays minimum 5 cents a word, max payment of 250$. Snail mail submissions only. Simultaneous submission okay.

OnSpec: Canadian speculative fiction - sci-fi, horror, etc. Pays set amounts (150-180 for my stories), up to 6000 words okay without pre-querying. Prefers Canadian content. Snail mail submission only, 3-4 months turn around. Simultaneous submission okay, I think?

Weird Tales: Unique, fantastic and bizarre stories. Pays 3-4 cents a word, up to 10000 words. E-mail submissions okay, turn around 6-8 weeks. Simultaneous submission okay.

Talebones: Science fiction and dark Fantasy. Pays 1-2 cents/word up to 6000 words. Snail mail submissions, turn around 2-6 weeks. No simultaneous submissions.

Cursed Wreck is the one that is the most ready to go. I could send it out tomorrow. I need to reformat Keep off the Grass and look it over an it will probably be okay. The others need more revision (or, um, to be finished...) and who knows how long that'll take me?

So, thoughts? I was going to send Cursed Wreck to Weird Tales, but they might want more original stuff. I was thinking of sending Keep off the grass to OnSpec, too, but again, I dunno.

Alas, the HP Lovecraft magazine isn't accepting submissions, and is possibly dead ;p

I'm open to recommendations of other markets as well.