Writers' Corner Lit News and Links

Contests

Harpur Palate: [link]
Milton Kessler Memorial Prize for Poetry, July 1 - November 1, 2008. Accepts poems no more than 3 pages long, previously UNpublished work only. Entry fee is $15.00 per 5 poems submitted and includes a free subscription to all entrants. Winner will receive $500 plus a copy of the contest issue. No e-mail submissions, snail mail only.

Mississippi Review: [link]
April 1 - October 1, 2008. Accepts fiction (1,000 - 5,000 words) OR up to 3 poems (10 pages or less altogether) PER ENTRY. There is NO limit on the number of entries each person can submit. Fee is $15.00 per entry and includes a free copy of the prize issue for each entrant. Accepts previously UNpublished work only. Winners announced January 2009; a winner in each category will receive a grand prize of $1,000 each. No e-mail submissions, snail mail only.

Ruminate: [link]
Short story contest, deadline October 15, 2008. Accepts short stories 5,000 words or less. Fee is $15.00 per entry, but includes a free copy of the contest issue for each entrant and all entries will be considered for future publication in 2009 regular issues. Prizes are $300 to the grand-prize winner, and $150 to the runner-up. E-mail submissions and snail mail submissions both accepted.

Inkwell: [link]
Short story contest, deadline October 30, 2008. Accepts up to 3 stories, 5,000 words or less each, per entrant. Fee is $15.00 for each entry. Previously UNpublished work only. Prize is $1,500 to winner. No e-mail submissions, snail mail only.

Inkwell: [link]
Poetry contest, deadline October 30, 2008. Accepts up to 5 poems, 40 lines or less each, per entrant. Fee is $10.00 for the first poem, $5.00 for all others after that. Previously UNpublished work only. Prize is $1,000 to winner. No e-mail submissions, snail mail only.

Glimmer Train Press: [link]
Very short fiction award, August 1 - August 31, 2008. Accepts short stories 3,000 words or less. Fee is $15.00 per story. Previously UNpublished work only, though simultaneous submissions are ok as long as you notify them if your piece is accepted elsewhere. Prizes are $1,200, publication, and 20 copies of the contest issue to the 1st place winner; $500 to the 2nd place winner; $300 to the 3rd place winner. Online submissions through contest website only.


Genre Showcase

Last time around, I included a bunch of random journals and magazines that were accepting submissions. From now on this spot will be reserved for a different genre each time, so that each will have a fair representation. This time, we'll be focusing on gothic and horror mags. Next time I'll focus on fantasy, so check back!

BlueBlood
Fetish, goth, and erotica fiction. MUST QUERY FIRST. 18 YEARS OR OLDER ONLY. Accepts art and photography also. E-submissions ok. Details here: [link]

Morbid Outlook
Goth, dark, and miscellany fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Online publication only, accepts e-mail submissions but only if pasted into the body, not as attachments. Also accepts book, movie, fashion, and music reviews. Details here: [link]

Three Lobe Burning Eye
Speculative fiction, fantasy, horror, and magic realism, 7,000 words or less. Online publication only, accepts e-mail submissions only. No multiple or simultaneous submissions, please. Details here: [link]

Twilight Tales
Previously UNpublished fantasy, horror, sci-fi, nonfiction and fiction, 2,000 - 4,000 words in length. Also accepts excerpts from original novels. Flash fiction is also accepted, 1,000 words or less. Details here: [link]

Weird Tales ( http//weirdtales.net )
Fiction 10,000 words or less, and poetry. Many famous writers have started in and written for this magazine. They do pay for accepted submissions: $0.03 - $0.04 per word for fiction, $5 per poem, and two free copies of the issue in which your piece appears in print. Simultaneous submissions ok, no multiple submissions. Details here: [link]


Tips and Tricks of the Trade

- When submitting to a contest, magazine, journal, or website, you should make your piece as "photo-ready" as you can. This means sending it through the spell check, making sure it's to the journal or magazine's standards (Is it supposed to be size 12 font? Double-spaced?). It is always a great idea to have a friend or family member close by who is willing to read the story or poem at least one time through to catch any spelling or punctuation errors. Or even to look for typesetting errors, like two commas where one should be, or faded toner in the print-out. Editors appreciate this, as they look at dozens of submissions every day. They will be more inclined to publish something that looks its best than something you wrote and half-heartedly prepared to send out.

- It is good to keep a journal of your submissions. Many places have rules like "Previously unpublished work only," or "No simultaneous submissions," and many contests, journals, and magazines can take anywhere from weeks to months to get back to you, so it's easy to forget who has what. Simply jotting it down in a notebook, journal, or planner will keep you on top of deadlines, where your submissions are, and where you've been published, so that all of this useful information is easily at hand for things like resumes and if you want to submit another story to a magazine that has accepted you in the past.


Other Lit Links and Resources

A grand list of online lit magazines: [link]

Online Thesaurus: [link]
So you can replace some of those irksome words that work their way into your story like a hundred times.

Suite 101, Free Basic Grammar Lessons: [link]
Get a better grasp of the English language today! It will only improve your writing.

The Soundzine: [link]

365 Tomorrows: [link]
Publishes a new piece of sci-fi flash fiction every day and accepts submissions. Also has a nice forum for discussing the stories or just chatting about literature and the sci-fi genre. Really up-beat and positive community of sci-fi lit supporters.

Deviantart getLIT chat: [link]
For all questions, critique exchanges, to chat about lit, and get help on your writing. Check it out! Also - join the getLIT chat campaign and post the link to your journal/signature and give the dA lit community a boost today!!


Coming soon: International lit news, for all you writers not in the United States.

Keep writing!!