The very best site I’ve found for learning about anthologies and other publishing opportunities is duotrope.com. There, they let you search, sort, and track markets. Speculative fiction writers can also use ralan.com. Horror writers might find the Library of the Living Dead forum useful, especially Other Publishers if you’re looking for a mix of opportunities.

Usually writers looking to publish are in one of two situations. Either you have a story and don’t know what to do with it, or you’re looking for ideas of what to write that someone will want. Duotrope.com will help you in both cases.

If you have an existing story you’re trying to get published then do a search on duotrope.com. You put in the genre, length, and what kind of payment level you’re looking for (from non-paying, token, through professional rates) and it will find fits. Then click on each match and use the link to the actual website. Find the market’s Submissions page to make sure your piece is a good fit with that market. Always follow the submission guidelines. I don’t say this to make you freak out, and possibly drive you to not submit at all. That is not the solution. Just pay attention to what they want, and the closer you match their needs the more likely you are to be selected.

If you are looking for interesting markets to write stories for, then I suggest looking at the calendar of themed magazines and anthologies on duotrope.com. I subscribe to Duotrope’s weekly email that lists these by the date they close. That way, I can see what’s coming up that I might like to submit to. I’ve found that anthologies give you the best odds of being selected for publication. You know precisely what they’re looking for and need right now.

Duotrope is also the site I use to track all my submissions. Using the information provided by all the other authors tracking their submissions, Duotrope creates metrics on numbers of submissions, how long it’s taking to get replies back, and what percent of submissions are being accepted. It makes me feel more in control than just waiting forever and hoping they’re actually going to reply at some point. Duotrope tells me if my wait is unusually longer than what other authors are suffering.

This is how I learned about the Live and Let Undead anthology looking for stories about working zombies. I already had a short story about zombies working outside the protective dome on a poisonous planet, but it was too long to meet their guidelines. Once I cut down the word count to fit, I knew I had a good shot at being selected. Now my story “The Killer with Eyes of Ice” is one of 18 stories in the anthology that just came out on Amazon.com.

I’ll also be in a couple other anthologies coming out this Spring. In addition to what Duotrope tracks, I’ve created a spreadsheet listing all my works and all my dream markets.

Once you know other people in the field and start making a name, it is easier to be invited to write. And wouldn’t we all like to have the work come to us for a change?

Congratulations to those who were cast. Your work is just beginning!

The Cast

Rhayne Archer as Samantha
Monte Bratten as Howard
Tanja Milojevic as Elena
Chris Adler as Cob
Edison Pongklub as Delta
Alex White as Julius
Tim Rowe as Mengus
Miranda Gauvin as the Benz Mechanical Voice
Stephanie Frizzell as Voice 1
David Frizzell III as Voice 2
Dave Frizzell as Voice 3
Tanja Milojevic as Voice 4
and
Edison Pongklub as the Narrator

Check out my previous post on ‘The Killer with the Eyes of Ice’ for more information and a blurb describing the audio drama.

Fractured Horizon- Is there more?

I have recently received some wonderful comments on my novel, Fractured Horizon. They mean a lot to me and I thank you for your comments, ratings, and questions.

A listener, Steve, made some great observations about the novel. He also asked me a very timely question:

“I always leave a story that I enjoy wanting more, whether in print, audio or film. And that is the way it should be. Then, as so often happens, ‘more’ is when you finally get it ‘less’. So I hesitate to ask … is there any more of Katherine Downs?”

I did not want to make any premature announcements. However, I know that I have been saying I’d have a text version available at the end of this year and planned to have an audio version of the sequel available at the start of 2010. The text version is delayed. In the course of searching for an editor, the partial of Fractured Horizon came before an editor who loved it. The full text is now being considered for publication by a small publishing house.

Naturally I am excited, but it would be premature to celebrate. I do have 40,000 words of the sequel but I have put it aside to work on another book. If Fractured Horizon is chosen to be published it will go through their editing process. It is also quite long, so I know there would be cuts. I think it best to hold off on the sequel until I know what changes are involved.

(and Steve, your other observations were great. I’ll address them in their own post in the near future)

Tales of the Children

My short story “Feverfew” was accepted by P.G. Holyfield, author of Murder at Avedon Hill, for his Tales of the Children anthology. He plans to do a live vidcast of himself reading the tortured fantasy tale on the evening of Wednesday, December 30th. Following the live reading, after editing, the story will be available  on his RSS feed. I’ll see if I can get a copy for us on this web site. At the very least I’ll post a link.

P.G. is fun, and at the live reading you have the opportunity to interact and ask questions. If you’re expecting my no-nonsense approach to podcasting, such as my Fh episodes or the 20-minute Podioracket.com interviews, then consider this fair warning. P.G. Holyfield moves at a much easier pace.

I’ll get you more details as P.G. makes them available.

The Killer with Eyes of Ice

Necropolis Studio Productions closed auditions for my sci-fi/horror audio drama “The Killer with Eyes of Ice” on December 13th and we’re eagerly waiting for cast announcements. I know that Alex White, talented author of The Gearheart, tried out for a role. If you haven’t listened to his work, you should.

Once the cast is announced they will begin recording. I do not know dates, but am hopeful we can hear the full production, with cast and special effects, some time in February. And if it lives up to my expectations it is going to be award-winning GOOD!

The Rest- Podioracket & Podcrafters

Podioracket.com remains on hiatus, though we’ve scheduled interviews and blogs during this time so you’ll hardly know that Rhonda R Carpenter and I are gone.

Podcasting in Second Life is about to get a boost from the new group Podcrafters. I expect that I’ll be announcing opportunities in the coming year. I believe that several members are having open office hours for anyone who wants to drop by, but I’m sticking sincerely to this hiatus so that I can get more writing done! No new projects for me until 2010.

I’m particularly excited to hear this story because it is new ground for me. Besides a wonderful story (I try to be modest, really I do), I’m counting on the excellent cast and skilled special effects editing that I’ve heard in previous works by Necropolis Studio Productions. I wouldn’t be able to produce this on my own.

Necropolis Studio Productions produces Call Me Jack and The Age of Zombies, a 2009 Parsec Finalist.

The Killer with Eyes of Ice is a sci-fi/horror piece that will be about 40 minutes long (probably). They have not yet announced auditions or an estimated air date but I’ll keep you informed.

BLURB:

Julius Benz, the universe’s greatest humanitarian, builds a dome on the poisonous planet of Regulus to house the undying shells left behind by mankind’s newest disease. When this savior makes an unscheduled stop at the dome, a reporter follows and secretly records the stunning consequences of illicit research– and his own murder. Driven by the video, Samantha seeks justice for her brother and hope for herself. Because she is already infected. Will she succeed before madness takes over?