The original version of this page can be found at : http://forum.sfreader.com/default.aspx?f=31&m=74252
| Posted By : HTKuehl - 3/25/2008 6:46 AM | | I just saw that starting April 19th, Sword and the Sorceress 23 will be open. Here's the guidelines:
Stories should be the type generally referred to as "sword and sorcery" and must have a strong female protagonist whom the reader will care about. See Sword & Sorceress 22 (or 1-20) for examples. We do not want stories with explicit sex, gratuitous violence, or profanity. We are NOT a market for poetry. We are willing to consider stories set in modern times, but we won't buy more than one or two of those for the anthology.
No simultaneous submissions. With regard to multiple submissions, do not submit more than one story at a time. If we've rejected your first one, you may send another as long as it's before the deadline.
If you have not sold to MZB, please read "What is a Short Story?" and "Why Did my Story Get Rejected?" before submitting to us.
Reading period: Saturday, April 19 to Friday, May 16, 2008. Stories received before or after this period will be deleted unread.
Response time is expected to follow MZB's traditional standards: you should hear within a week if we're holding your story for the final line-up or rejecting it.
Deadline: May 16, 2008.
Length: up to 9,000 words, with preference given to shorter stories. The longer a story is, the better it has to be.
Formatting and Submission:
Format with one-inch margins on all four sides of page.
Please do not use a header or footer.
Your name, full mailing address, and email address must be in the upper left corner, single spaced.
Skip two lines, center the text, then put the title, with your name (or byline) on the next line. We're not going to be as rigid as MZB was about pen names, but we expect them to be reasonable, rather than cute.
The rest of the manuscript should be single-spaced, with the first line of each paragraph indented 1/2 inch.
If you need to indicate a break, put "#" on a line by itself, centered.
Do not underline; use italics instead. Do not use bold face.
Word count will be determined by our word processor; that way it will be the same for everyone.
Save your document as an .rtf file (rich text format or interchange format, depending on what your computer calls it). E-mail as it as an attachment to VIEW IMAGE. The subject line should be "SS23–your last name–story title" (e.g.: SS23-Bradley-Dark Intruder) -- we don't want submissions caught in our spam filter.
Rights purchased: first rights.
Payment: 5 cents per word as an advance against a pro rata share of royalties and foreign or other sales.
"Learn to paint pictures with words." ~ Brian Jacques
"I never considered that I wouldn't make it. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. If I had known how hard it would be, I might have given up." ~ Kim Harrison
------------------------
Forthcoming:
"Cannibal Club." Pen Pricks, April 2008.
"The Lesson." Midnight Times, April 2008.
"Wayward Magic" and "Tone Deaf." Strange Worlds of Lunacy: The Galaxy's Silliest Anthology, April 2008.
"Full Moon Pulls at Him." Aphelion Webzine, April 2008.
"Allure of the Net." Flashshot, April 4, 2008.
"The Magic Word." Flashshot, April 17, 2008.
"To Have and to Hold." Flashshot, May 10, 2008.
"The Final Goodbye." Ruins Metropolis. Hadley Rille Books, 2008.
"Raising the Dead." Bewildering Stories: Issue 289, 2008. |
| Posted By : H.P. Lovesauce - 3/25/2008 8:10 AM | | (In what way was MZB "rigid about pen names"?)
Lovesauce's muse said...
Melinda frowned. She had broken a heel. Which was well enough, but she'd aimed for the man's calf muscles. |
| Posted By : Nik - 3/25/2008 12:44 PM | Glad to see they had enough success to keep the antho going.
Nicholas Ian Hawkins
Forthcoming
"Knowledge and Dust," in Magic & Mechanica, from Ricasso Press, Spring 2008
Published
"What Heroes Leave Behind," in Return of the Sword, Flashing Swords Press, March 2008
"The Weald Maiden's Will," in Every Day Fiction, March 5, 2008
"Relativity," in FLASHSHOT, September 28, 2007
Visit my website, Trampler of Beautiful Phrases, at nihawkins.wordpress.com |
| Posted By : tchernabyelo - 3/25/2008 1:05 PM | Excellent news.
I failed last year, but I shall try again this time...
Brian Dolton
Yi Qin stories:
"The Box Of Beautiful Things" - IGMS#3
"The Man Who Was Never Afraid" - Abyss and Apex #20
"At Blue Crane Falls" - Abyss and Apex #25 "Where No Wind Blows" - Staffs & Starships #2
"What The Sea Refuses" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"What The Heart Bears" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"Above The Clouds" - Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel (forthcoming)
Other Land Of Wind And Ghosts stories:
"The Dragon Path" - Fictitious Force (forthcoming)
"Three Out Of Four" - Sorcerous Signals Feb-Apr 08
Stories in other settings:
"The Unicorn Hunter" - OG's Speculative Fiction #8
"Call Centre" - Necrotic Tissue #1
"When Winter Came" - ASIM #32
"Cold Fire" - Flashing Swords #9
"St. Saviour And The Devil's Dandy" - Flashing Swords (forthcoming) |
| Posted By : Jordan Lapp - 3/25/2008 1:16 PM | Looking forward to crossing swords with you guys in the slush! I've got one I've been holding for this, and I'm starting on another one.
Jordan Lapp
Managing Editor
|
| Posted By : Nik - 3/25/2008 1:22 PM | I still have not written a story with a female protagonist--strong female characters, yes, but not the main character. This has to do with my own lack of confidence in writing a convincing female main character, and nothing else. I think if I try to do this in the future--and I'd like to--it will involve a lot of long conversations with my fiancee.
Nicholas Ian Hawkins
Forthcoming
"Knowledge and Dust," in Magic & Mechanica, from Ricasso Press, Spring 2008
Published
"What Heroes Leave Behind," in Return of the Sword, Flashing Swords Press, March 2008
"The Weald Maiden's Will," in Every Day Fiction, March 5, 2008
"Relativity," in FLASHSHOT, September 28, 2007
Visit my website, Trampler of Beautiful Phrases, at nihawkins.wordpress.com |
| Posted By : ennubi - 3/26/2008 6:51 AM | this looks tempting to try....so this was out last year? was anything learned about particular likes/dislikes on their part from the last round? like more kersplutchy s&s versus more character building sort of s&S? i'm afraid i've never picked up the books.
thanks
ennubi |
| Posted By : tchernabyelo - 3/26/2008 8:03 AM | I only subbed one story and got a "not what we're looking for" response, which I think is their standard form. Not really possible to judge from that sample size.
I've identified three rather different possibilities for them this time, though two are out at the moment (hopefully I'll hear back before the submission window), though whether they'll turn round stuff quick enough to try that many stories I don't know (they were pretty quick last time but I was only just before the closing deadline so didn't have the chance to try something else).
Brian Dolton
Yi Qin stories:
"The Box Of Beautiful Things" - IGMS#3
"The Man Who Was Never Afraid" - Abyss and Apex #20
"At Blue Crane Falls" - Abyss and Apex #25 "Where No Wind Blows" - Staffs & Starships #2
"What The Sea Refuses" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"What The Heart Bears" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"Above The Clouds" - Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel (forthcoming)
Other Land Of Wind And Ghosts stories:
"The Dragon Path" - Fictitious Force (forthcoming)
"Three Out Of Four" - Sorcerous Signals Feb-Apr 08
Stories in other settings:
"The Unicorn Hunter" - OG's Speculative Fiction #8
"Call Centre" - Necrotic Tissue #1
"When Winter Came" - ASIM #32
"Cold Fire" - Flashing Swords #9
"St. Saviour And The Devil's Dandy" - Flashing Swords (forthcoming) |
| Posted By : Bitter Irony - 3/26/2008 10:31 AM | Forgive me if this was already mentioned and I just missed it: does this market accept multiple submissions? I'm in the same boat as tchernabyelo, with at least three possibilities, but two are currently being considered by other markets.
From even the greatest of horrors, Irony is seldom absent.
~H.P. Lovecraft, The Shunned House
And here I begin my foray into the dark and deadly waters of e-zine editing...
|
| Posted By : Nik - 3/26/2008 10:34 AM | Looks like they don't, but you can send another if your first gets rejected, and so on, and it looks like their response rate is fast.
As for finding out what they like--I would suggest reading S&S 22. I still have the first four volumes on my shelf waiting to be read...
Nicholas Ian Hawkins
Forthcoming
"Knowledge and Dust," in Magic & Mechanica, from Ricasso Press, Spring 2008
Published
"What Heroes Leave Behind," in Return of the Sword, Flashing Swords Press, March 2008
"The Weald Maiden's Will," in Every Day Fiction, March 5, 2008
"Relativity," in FLASHSHOT, September 28, 2007
Visit my website, Trampler of Beautiful Phrases, at nihawkins.wordpress.com |
| Posted By : HTKuehl - 3/26/2008 12:33 PM | I subbed something like four times last time. I was churning out S&S as fast as my fingers could type it (All of them have since been accepted elsewhere). I think they are looking for S&S that you don't see everyday. I mean, 22 volumes have been out so far. I'm sure they've seen a lot. Hopefully I have better luck this time, since this is a market that I want to crack before I die. :o)
"Learn to paint pictures with words." ~ Brian Jacques
"I never considered that I wouldn't make it. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. If I had known how hard it would be, I might have given up." ~ Kim Harrison
------------------------
Forthcoming:
"Cannibal Club." Pen Pricks, April 2008.
"The Lesson." Midnight Times, April 2008.
"Wayward Magic" and "Tone Deaf." Strange Worlds of Lunacy: The Galaxy's Silliest Anthology, April 2008.
"Full Moon Pulls at Him." Aphelion Webzine, April 2008.
"Allure of the Net." Flashshot, April 4, 2008.
"The Magic Word." Flashshot, April 17, 2008.
"To Have and to Hold." Flashshot, May 10, 2008.
"The Final Goodbye." Ruins Metropolis. Hadley Rille Books, 2008.
"Raising the Dead." Bewildering Stories: Issue 289, 2008. |
| Posted By : Gustavo - 3/27/2008 11:44 AM | I will definitely be writing something, so we'll be meeting in the slush.
Mike, it sounds like your story is a really really good one to get held that long in that many places!
Visit my livejournal! http://bondo-ba.livejournal.com/
|
| Posted By : Jens Rushing - 4/1/2008 11:46 PM | | I subbed twice last year; rejected twice! Both stories have been sold since. It's a tough market! Anyone read #22? I read #5 last year when preparing and... wasn't too impressed. But that was seventeen editions ago. |
| Posted By : BarbT - 4/2/2008 11:40 AM | | I had a story in "19". I was rejected for "2I" by Diana Paxson. I'm going to read "22". I hope I can write something that will suit Elisabeth Waters...and finish it in time. :)
|
| Posted By : Jordan Lapp - 4/2/2008 12:37 PM | | It is definitely worthwhile to research this market.
Given that probably 90% of the writers in the S&S genre are men, statistically the stories in S&S 22 should reflect that, but only two men made the ToC (the opposite of what pure statistics say).
That gives me the impression that they are not looking for the kind of fiction that men usually write.
Looking at S&S 21, I'd say that's a fact. There were about four or five "Men are Evil" stories, and very few "warrior against monster pieces". Many of the "standard" S&S slots were taken up by authors that the editor identifies as friends in the lead in to the story.
To get into this market, it's my impression that you really have to stretch the boundaries of S&S (there was a story about a medicine woman in a tribe of cavemen in 21.). Also, I'm betting that running your story through the old gender genie before submitting wouldn't hurt.
Personally, I'm going very experimental with my story. Hopefully, the risk pays off.
Jordan Lapp Managing Editor
|
| Posted By : Keralen - 4/2/2008 4:54 PM |
Jordan Lapp said...
To get into this market, it's my impression that you really have to stretch the boundaries of S&S (there was a story about a medicine woman in a tribe of cavemen in 21.). Also, I'm betting that running your story through the old gender genie before submitting wouldn't hurt. Gender genie: Hey, I'm a guy! My husband will be very surprised.
According to this, if I avoid the word "the" and set it in first person, I'll be writing like a girl and thus get in. Back to the revisions. |
| Posted By : UnclePete - 4/2/2008 4:57 PM | Jordan Lapp said...To get into this market, it's my impression that you really have to stretch the boundaries of S&S (there was a story about a medicine woman in a tribe of cavemen in 21.). Also, I'm betting that running your story through the old gender genie before submitting wouldn't hurt. Personally, I'm going very experimental with my story. Hopefully, the risk pays off.
What a great toy! Thank you Jordan -- I'll start another post to keep from derailing this thread.
____________
"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." --Thomas Jefferson
www.creativeguypublishing.com |
| Posted By : Jordan Lapp - 4/2/2008 4:57 PM |
Keralen said...
According to this, if I avoid the word "the" and set it in first person, I'll be writing like a girl and thus get in. Back to the revisions.
Obviously, that was meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek. 
Jordan Lapp Managing Editor
|
| Posted By : SC Bryce - 4/2/2008 8:53 PM | Keralen said...Jordan Lapp said... To get into this market, it's my impression that you really have to stretch the boundaries of S&S (there was a story about a medicine woman in a tribe of cavemen in 21.). Also, I'm betting that running your story through the old gender genie before submitting wouldn't hurt. Gender genie: Hey, I'm a guy! My husband will be very surprised. According to this, if I avoid the word "the" and set it in first person, I'll be writing like a girl and thus get in. Back to the revisions.
That's hysterical (no pun intended). I ran several stories and the author's predicted gender matched up with the protag's gender in every case but 1. Either that's a good thing, or I need some medication to stabilize my hormone levels.
SC Bryce
www.SCBryce.com |
| Posted By : SilviaMG - 4/3/2008 6:47 PM | | The gender genie said I was a woman. Hooray. |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 4/3/2008 6:50 PM | I ran several of mine through and where I had a female protag I was female, where I had a male protag I was male. I guess that means I understand. What exactly isn't clear. 
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5 (March, 2008).
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : SilviaMG - 4/3/2008 6:54 PM | "Given that probably 90% of the writers in the S&S genre are men, statistically the stories in S&S 22 should reflect that, but only two men made the ToC (the opposite of what pure statistics say).
That gives me the impression that they are not looking for the kind of fiction that men usually write. "
I've only read two Sword and Sorceress (the old ones from MZB time) and my impression was that they were very specific about what kind of sword and sorcery they wanted, what kind of female characters they liked, etc. It's definitely not Conanesque. Is that even a word? |
| Posted By : Jens Rushing - 4/4/2008 12:29 AM | Conanical.
I.e., pertaining to the Conan Canon. |
| Posted By : ScrewMoonshine - 4/5/2008 3:14 PM | Hmmm. I have a good little tale which features two joint protagonists, one male and one female. The story is told from the woman's perspective, but it's clearly a shared adventure. Should I give it a try? (Ran it through the Gender Genie and to my surprise it came up female.)
Robert Orme
Out now:
"Time in a Capsule" in Unparalleled Journeys II (www.journeybookspublishing.com/)
"On the Tree Top" in Ultraverse vol.3 #5 (www.ultraverse.us)
"The Scab, the Man, and the I.V." in Mount Zion Speculative Fiction Review #3 (www.mountzionpress.com)
Coming soon:
"Replacing Someone" in Aoife's Kiss #26, September 2008 (http://samsdotpublishing.com/aoife/main.htm)
"More Than One Way to Protect" in Lords of Justice (www.carnifexpress.net/blogs/) |
| Posted By : Jens Rushing - 4/19/2008 9:41 PM | Wow!
My story was rejected in under an hour.
"This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't have quite the feel we want."
Which is what I got last year...
How fortunate, to have so many perfect stories to discard!
"Socks and Banshees" at Every Day Fiction.
"Blankenship & Dawes in The Island of Ignominy!" at Pantechnicon.
"No Right" at Space Westerns.
We encourage you to visit www.jensrushing.com! |
| Posted By : erazmus - 4/20/2008 8:51 AM | Jans,
Thanks for this information. I got a "were holding your story for further consideration" about two hours after I sent it in.
I was concerned and elated. Elated, because I wasn't rejected, concerned, because I'm paranoid. Were they just holding my first story so they wouldn't have to read any more of mine? They had held my story from last year through the entire reading period as well, and you can see I didn't make the ToC.
I read about your quick turn around rejection, put it in light of my quick turn around hold and decided that Ms. Waters is just damn quick on her turn arounds. This project has her attention, which is not always the case when submssions open for an anthology.
Take heart, and send her something else. And send that one that got rejected somewhere else as well.
And I understand her comments to you as well. She's going to get a lot of good stories, and she knows exactly what she is looking for for this book. Many stories will be rejected because they are not exactly what she wants for this book, despite being excellent stories. There are, after all, many excellent stories and only the one book she is doing.
So buck up man! Send you story off to a more general pro market. I'm sure it will eventually place well.
Mike
Michael D. Turner
"Psyched Up" in _Turn the other Chick_-ed. E. Friesner-Baen books
www.baen.com
"Dutchman Rescue"in Continuum SF #6
www.continuumsciencefiction.com/orders.htm
"An Incident at Black Tongue Tavern" in _Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy_ from Fantasist Enterprises:
www.fantasistent.com/books/anthologies/BASH.php
"Pink Plastic Flamingos" in Big Pulp
www.bigpulp.com/m.html
"Stains" in Tales of the Talisman 3-1 www.zianet.com/hadrosaur/index.html
"Morning Coffee" in Every Day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/morning-coffee-by-michael-d-turner/
"The Jewel Below" in Flashing Swords
flashingswords.sfreader.com/issues/issue8/vol2-iss8-05.htm
"Happy Landings" in Every Day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/happy-landings-by-michael-d-turner/
"Teller of Tales" in Every day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/teller-of-tales-by-michael-d-turner/
Read "Silver Shells" In Every Day Fiction
www.everydayfiction.com/silver-shells-by-michael-d-turner/ |
| Posted By : strange behaviour - 4/20/2008 9:05 AM |
Jens Rushing said...Wow! My story was rejected in under an hour. "This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't have quite the feel we want." Which is what I got last year... How fortunate, to have so many perfect stories to discard!
Well that beats my 2 1/2 hour "perfectly good" rejection! |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 4/20/2008 10:17 PM | Well I sent along one of my Oriental fantasies with a female protagonist, so I'm pumped. I've had some good luck of late with them, so I hopeful, especially hearing how fast the responses are coming.
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5 (March, 2008).
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : Jens Rushing - 4/21/2008 12:04 AM | Thanks for the encouragement, Erazmus. I was just a bit dismayed at the rejection being so fast, I wondered whether my story was actually read or not. Congrats on your "further consideration"!
"Socks and Banshees" at Every Day Fiction.
"Blankenship & Dawes in The Island of Ignominy!" at Pantechnicon.
"No Right" at Space Westerns.
We encourage you to visit www.jensrushing.com! |
| Posted By : tchernabyelo - 4/21/2008 5:43 AM | I got a same-day reject on Sundy, as well, with the same wording as jens and strangebehaviour. I don't know if it's the only form they've got, or whether some people don't write "perfectly good stories"...
I'll be sending something else along pretty soon, and then something else, and then...
Brian Dolton
Land Of Wind And Ghosts stories:
"The Box Of Beautiful Things" - IGMS#3
"The Man Who Was Never Afraid" - Abyss and Apex #20
"At Blue Crane Falls" - Abyss and Apex #25 "Where No Wind Blows" - Staffs & Starships #2
"What The Sea Refuses" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"What The Heart Bears" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"Above The Clouds" - Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel (forthcoming)
"The Dragon Path" - Fictitious Force (forthcoming)
"Three Out Of Four" - Sorcerous Signals Feb-Apr 08
"The Last Arrow Of Liang Xi" - Darwin's Evolutions (forthcoming)
Stories in other settings:
"The Unicorn Hunter" - OG's Speculative Fiction #8
"Call Centre" - Necrotic Tissue #1
"When Winter Came" - ASIM #32
"Cold Fire" - Flashing Swords #9
"St. Saviour And The Devil's Dandy" - Flashing Swords (forthcoming) |
| Posted By : Bitter Irony - 4/21/2008 1:09 PM | Tchernabyelo--it's not the only form they use. Mine wasn't "perfectly good."  Ah, well, I've got stories lined up about as long as the amazon basin waiting to be sent in: as has been mentioned before, the speedy rejection is indeed something to be grateful for.
From even the greatest of horrors, Irony is seldom absent.
~H.P. Lovecraft, The Shunned House
And here I begin my foray into the dark and deadly waters of e-zine editing...
|
| Posted By : SilviaMG - 4/21/2008 2:53 PM | | I received a one day: This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for Sword & Sorceress. Try this on another market. |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 4/21/2008 9:18 PM | I curious. How many of us have submitted and NOT had a reply yet? Hearing all these fast responses makes me wonder if my submission was actually received. 
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5 (March, 2008).
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : Pam - 4/21/2008 9:23 PM | I subbed on Sat., and on Sun. I received a note that they were holding my story for consideration. (same thing happened last year and then they said no thanks at the end)
Pam
The ultimate tragedy was not to die, but to have had life and let it slip through your hands, day by day, unused, until in the end it was gone, and you had learned nothing, given nothing, left no portion of grace or love in any soul. -- Anne Rice, Tathen, pg 9
|
| Posted By : Rob Santa - 4/22/2008 8:13 AM | Yeah, that was troubling for me, too. If they had rejected it right away I could have sent another piece. Still, it was a nice hold letter. 
I have a sub over there that's about 24 hours old. They must be getting busy.
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 4/22/2008 9:01 PM | On checking, I see that they do say they should send a reply within a week, so I'm still in the range.
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5 (March, 2008).
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : Jason T - 4/23/2008 6:37 AM | | I think Mr. Turner and Mr. Santa are right as I just received a rejection, although it was sent at around 10 last night which made it closer to a two-day rejection. My first female protag, down in flames. Damn.
"Mortismagus" in Magic and Mechanica, Ricasso Press Forthcoming 2008
|
| Posted By : Rob Santa - 4/23/2008 10:46 PM | Got the "perfectly good" rejection with a one-liner about why it didn't make the cut. At least I have the opportunity to send another piece.
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : Jason T - 4/24/2008 8:19 AM | Well, at least you got the one line as to why, me...nada. I really wish they would have sent a little something in the form rejection to indicate what "feel" they were after (as mine did not quite have said "feel") but then again, they might only know it when they see it. As for me, I've got nothing else to send and doubt I'll have time to give it another shot this time around. Good luck to all; I look forward to meeting you in the slush next year...
Jason Thummel
"Mortismagus" in Magic and Mechanica, Ricasso Press Forthcoming 2008
"The Gift of the Unspoken God," in The Infinity Swords, Carnivah House>>, Forthcoming 2008
|
| Posted By : tchernabyelo - 4/24/2008 10:40 AM | I think the only way they can keep the turn-round going is to use the brief form. I prefer a bit more feedback, but to be fair, they're turning round in hours where other magazines turn round in months (and remember, too, that they are paying pro rate so they are probably gettin a LOT of subs).
I sent a second one in and haven't heard back yet; not sure if that's a good sign, whether they're slowing down from the volume of subs, or whether they just figure hat they'd rather not be swamped by my pathetic efforts so they don't want to reply too quick in case I send them somethign else (which, obviously, I plan to do...)
Brian Dolton
Land Of Wind And Ghosts stories:
"The Box Of Beautiful Things" - IGMS#3
"The Man Who Was Never Afraid" - Abyss and Apex #20
"At Blue Crane Falls" - Abyss and Apex #25 "Where No Wind Blows" - Staffs & Starships #2
"What The Sea Refuses" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"What The Heart Bears" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"Above The Clouds" - Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel (forthcoming)
"The Dragon Path" - Fictitious Force (forthcoming)
"Three Out Of Four" - Sorcerous Signals Feb-Apr 08
"The Last Arrow Of Liang Xi" - Darwin's Evolutions (forthcoming)
Stories in other settings:
"The Unicorn Hunter" - OG's Speculative Fiction #8
"Call Centre" - Necrotic Tissue #1
"When Winter Came" - ASIM #32
"Cold Fire" - Flashing Swords #9
"St. Saviour And The Devil's Dandy" - Flashing Swords (forthcoming) |
| Posted By : Elisabeth Waters - 4/28/2008 7:11 PM | The anthology is Sword and Sorceress, not Sword and the Sorceress.
My first name is spelled Elisabeth, not Elizabeth.
"Rigid about pen names" means that MZB alway said "If it's not good enough to put your real name on it, why do you think it's good enough for me to buy?"
I don't know what table of contents had only two men (unless somebody is talking about S&S 2, which was published in 1985). S&S 22 had 4 male authors out of 16 stories. The reason it doesn't conform to the ratio of male writers in the sword & sorcery genre as a whole is that MZB objected to having women treated as "bad conduct prizes" -- and after two decades of working for her, I picked up a lot of her standards/opinions. God knows I heard them often enough.
I try to respond to submissions within a week at most, and it's usually 2-4 days. If it's been a week and you haven't heard from me, resend the story. I just got a query from someone asking why I hadn't responded to his submission, and the reason was that I hadn't received his submission. |
| Posted By : MichaelEhart - 4/28/2008 7:31 PM | Thank you, Elisabeth, for the clarification. And welcome to the forums!
Click here to buy my book!
The Servant of the Manthycore from DEP
Illustrated by Rachel Marks, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock
Read me in 2008!
"Without Napier" Every Day Fiction, April 9
"Night of Shadows, Night of Knives" Magic and Mechanica, Ricasso Press, Spring 2008
"To Destroy All Flesh" Return of the Sword, Flashing Swords Press, Spring 2008
"Only His Name" Every Day Fiction, March 30
"An Exorcism Straight, Hold the Elvis" They Are Not What They Seem, Janrae Frank, ed., TBA
"The First Trial of Jermaish the King" Flashing Swords #10, May 2008
Still in print!
"The Stars by Law Forbidden" Unparalleled Journeys II, Journey Books, 2007
"Six Zombies Doing That Mick Jagger Strut" Damned in Dixie, Tenoka Press, 2007
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| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 4/28/2008 7:38 PM | Well the bad news is I'm the pain-in-the-ass that nudged. The good news is editor is holding my Oriental fantasy for consideration. Cool!
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5 (March, 2008).
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : Jordan Lapp - 4/28/2008 7:55 PM |
Elisabeth Waters said...
I don't know what table of contents had only two men (unless somebody is talking about S&S 2, which was published in 1985). S&S 22 had 4 male authors out of 16 stories. The reason it doesn't conform to the ratio of male writers in the sword & sorcery genre as a whole is that MZB objected to having women treated as "bad conduct prizes" -- and after two decades of working for her, I picked up a lot of her standards/opinions. God knows I heard them often enough.
My mistake. I mentioned the ratio not to be disparaging, but to point out (rightly, from your posting above), that the type of Sword & Sorcery pieces men usually write would have a hard time placing in Sword & Sorceress 23.
Jordan Lapp
Managing Editor
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| Posted By : BarbT - 4/29/2008 6:59 PM | | Elisabeth, Elisabeth, Elisabeth. (One hundred times on the blackboard)
My previous mistake has been edited to cyber-oblivion.
Sorry, and welcome!
Barb T.
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| Posted By : Jaqhama - 5/1/2008 5:27 AM | | Hi Liz. (Errr Lis?) Welcome to the forums.
Why do American's use Z to replace S in so many words?
Possible Eastern European settlers way of writing words/names last century?
You can read some of my stories here: Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : tchernabyelo - 5/1/2008 5:47 AM | Actually, I've read more than once that the "z" spelling on most things like "realize" predates the "s" spelling.
Brian Dolton
Land Of Wind And Ghosts stories:
"The Box Of Beautiful Things" - IGMS#3
"The Man Who Was Never Afraid" - Abyss and Apex #20
"At Blue Crane Falls" - Abyss and Apex #25 "Where No Wind Blows" - Staffs & Starships #2
"What The Sea Refuses" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"What The Heart Bears" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"Above The Clouds" - Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel (forthcoming)
"The Dragon Path" - Fictitious Force (forthcoming)
"Three Out Of Four" - Sorcerous Signals Feb-Apr 08
"The Last Arrow Of Liang Xi" - Darwin's Evolutions (forthcoming)
Stories in other settings:
"The Unicorn Hunter" - OG's Speculative Fiction #8
"Call Centre" - Necrotic Tissue #1
"When Winter Came" - ASIM #32
"Cold Fire" - Flashing Swords #9
"St. Saviour And The Devil's Dandy" - Flashing Swords (forthcoming) |
| Posted By : Jaqhama - 5/1/2008 10:18 AM | Zou zink zo?
You can read some of my stories here:
Swamp Story. Down South. Florida Haze.Wild Justice...
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| Posted By : anna - 5/7/2008 1:04 PM | I submitted my first one, and got the standard form rejection mentioned earlier in this thread. Had the time, so I subbed something else I've had sitting around.
It got rejected too, but I got a nice personal response telling me why this time.
I just have such a hard time doing the "happily ever after" ending..... |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 5/16/2008 6:34 PM | Well, the submission window closed today. Anyone with a story being held heard anything?
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5 (March, 2008).
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : SC Bryce - 5/16/2008 8:25 PM | I sent mine in today (along with, I'm sure, hundreds of other people). According to their guidelines, I'll get my rejection around next Friday! Still, I count myself lucky that I got it in at all. I had calendared the deadline as tomorrow, but decided this afternoon to double-check the date. Sheesh! I think I would have murderized myself if I had screwed this up!
SC Bryce
www.SCBryce.com |
| Posted By : Elisabeth Waters - 5/16/2008 9:50 PM | |
It's Lisa. Remember Liza Minelli's song "Liza with a Z"? I'm the reverse. Elisabeth is the Swedish spelling, which is where my maternal line comes from (3 generations ago, not orginally -- my mitochondrial DNA is in the H1c1 Haplogroup).
I'm taking a short break before going back to the slush pile. I've done only 1/3 of yesterday's submissions and haven't even started on today's.
Nobody whose story I held has heard back yet, but I'm hoping to have a final line-up by Tuesday. Even if I've held a story from the very first day, the author should hear back in a month, so if I don't get to the hold pile until the deadline, I don't feel that I'm holding anyone's story for an unreasonably long time.
I've got a busy weekend ahead of me, so I'd better get back to work.
Best wishes,
Elisabeth Waters
Busy Editor <g> |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 5/17/2008 9:56 AM | Thanks for the update, Lisa. We wait on tender hooks. 
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5 (March, 2008).
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : Pam - 5/17/2008 1:35 PM | A month turn-around is a godsend in this business, and more especially so considering the volume of submissions!
The ultimate tragedy was not to die, but to have had life and let it slip through your hands, day by day, unused, until in the end it was gone, and you had learned nothing, given nothing, left no portion of grace or love in any soul. -- Anne Rice, Tathen, pg 9
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| Posted By : BarbT - 5/17/2008 4:41 PM | Got a super-fast rejection. Not what was wanted for Sword and Sorceress. Darn! Ah well, out it goes again.
Amazing turn-around time. Thanks!
Barb
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| Posted By : J. Cheney - 5/17/2008 5:41 PM | | Everyone hearing in a month! That's a most impressive goal! |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 5/18/2008 8:14 PM | Got the attached e-mail from Lisa today. Damn! I had high hopes for this anthology.
Thank you for letting me read "The Dragon's Food."
This is a good story, and I liked it, but now I have to cut the hold pile down to what will fit in one volume of Sword & Sorceress (as usual, I have enough for three volumes).
Try this story on another market, and I hope that you'll send me something again next year.
Best wishes,
Elisabeth Waters
Editor
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5.
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in Fantasist Enterprises's “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : Pam - 5/18/2008 10:05 PM | Me Three!
The ultimate tragedy was not to die, but to have had life and let it slip through your hands, day by day, unused, until in the end it was gone, and you had learned nothing, given nothing, left no portion of grace or love in any soul. -- Anne Rice, Tathen, pg 9
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| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 5/19/2008 6:18 AM | You open?
Jim Stratton Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5.
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in Fantasist Enterprises's “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : J. Cheney - 5/19/2008 10:21 AM | | I'm out too, after 30 days. Reports of 'rejections after hold' have been coming in at the Rejections and Acceptances Log.
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| Posted By : Bitter Irony - 5/19/2008 11:33 AM | Reeeeeeejected!  No hard feelings. I'm still buying the anthology--and I'm definitely submitting again next year!
From even the greatest of horrors, Irony is seldom absent.
~H.P. Lovecraft, The Shunned House
And here I begin my foray into the dark and deadly waters of e-zine editing...
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| Posted By : crystalwizard - 5/19/2008 3:36 PM | Jim Stratton said...
You open?
Sept 30 for everything but short poetry. Unless you just want it to sit in my submissions folder till september. |
| Posted By : crystalwizard - 5/19/2008 4:02 PM | erazmus said...
Maybe we should schedual a gynocentric hero issue?
Mike
A what? What's a gynocentric hero? |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 5/19/2008 4:21 PM | i don't think I want to know.
erazmus said...Maybe we should schedual a gynocentric hero issue? Mike
Jim Stratton Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5.
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in Fantasist Enterprises's “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : Jim Stratton - 5/19/2008 8:27 PM | erazmus said...
Stories where the girl is the hero, female centered hero stories? Or stories that probably got rejected for S&SXXIII.
It was meant as a joke.
Mike
So was mine!
Jim Stratton
Forthcoming publications:
“The Heretic” in Tower of Light Online Magazine in Issue #5.
“Living With Miracles” in Big Pulp Online Magazine in October, 2008.
“One Life, One Arrow” in Fantasist Enterprises's “Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel” due out in late 2009.
“Your Duty To Your Lord” in Morrigan Books' “Age of Blood & Snow”, due out Winter, 2008. |
| Posted By : crystalwizard - 5/20/2008 2:08 AM | erazmus said...
Stories where the girl is the hero, female centered hero stories?
Those should go to Carol for Lorelei Signal:
www.loreleisignal.com/
Here's what she says about that magazine:
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The Lorelei Signal is an award winning web based magazine dedicated to featuring strong female characters in Fantasy short stories.
This does not mean I don't want to see strong men either, balance is the key. I just don't want to see female characters who are weak, having to be constantly rescued, etc. Females in the story should have the same strength of character as their male counterparts and not be there as window dressing. This has been changing over the years in fantasy writing - the idea of the female character being nothing more than a sidekick, the princess to be rescued, etc has faded significantly. But, she still shows up occasionally.
The title of this magazine was taken from the Animated Star Trek episode by the same name. In that episode the men of the Enterprise fell under a siren song and it was Lt. Uhura who had to take command of the Enterprise. It was a pretty hokey set-up to finally get a female in the command chair of the original Enterprise, but at least she got there.
So tell us your fantasy stories, but remember you have to include a strong female character in an important role.
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| Posted By : crystalwizard - 5/20/2008 2:46 AM | erazmus said...
Carole lives here in the springs, I know her well. L-S is a great market.
Mike
Talk her into joining us here on SFReader :) |
| Posted By : Jason T - 5/20/2008 8:36 AM | Nice suggestions, but all three markets mentioned aren't open for subs right now. Perhaps Mr. Turner is right, and FSP should do a heroic "Girls of Summer" issue to accompany the other special summer release (full disclosure: I just happen to have a tale or two that fits the bill...)
Jason Thummel
"Mortismagus" in Magic and Mechanica, Ricasso Press Forthcoming 2008
"The Gift of the Unspoken God," in The Infinity Swords, Carnivah House > >, Forthcoming 2008
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