Jason Parent_Guest Post_Tour

It’s a good time to be a short story writer. As in right now, this very moment. Though I don’t subscribe to the theory some writers put forward that it is harder to write short stories than novels, short stories certainly have unique difficulties. With little time for character development or plot set up, the writer needs to invest his or her readers in the story from the first sentence on.

Another issue is finding a market. Several sites assist with this, such as Dark Markets, Ralan, and Submission Grinder, as well as several Facebook groups and writing communities. And at this very moment (or soon to come), a number of fantastic markets have opened for submission.

Though I’m probably missing a few, here are some of the markets I’m excited about (though I lack the material to submit, unfortunately):

1. The Twisted Book of Shadows (Haverhill Press) – Edited by Christopher Golden and James Moore with a diverse editorial committee consisting of a virtual who’s who in horror, this anthology pays pro rates and offers a royalty share. Even better, it’s blind submissions, putting everyone on a level playing field. Stories should be a minimum of 3,000 words (the max seems negotiable), and the theme is open. However, you need to act fast – this one closes February 28th. Full submission guidelines can be found here: http://www.twistedbos.com/submission-guidelines/

2. Monsters of Any Kind (Independent Legions Publishing) – Edited by Alessandro Manzetti and Daniele Bonfanti, this anthology is looking for “horror stories containing at least one non-human monster/creature (and not vampires, ghosts, werewolves, zombies). Unusual creatures will be particularly appreciated.” Stories should be between 3,500 and 5,000 words, and you have until July 10th to submit. The submission guidelines )and kickass cover) can be found here: https://www.independentlegions.com/news/open-submissions-monsters-of-any-kind-anthology

3. Blood Bound Books “Best of” Anthology – I know what you’re thinking: wouldn’t you have to have been previously published by BBB to be accepted in its best of anthology. Nope. The publisher is including additional stories in a hardcover volume, and the types of stories are broad-ranging. The story length can range from 500 to 6,000 words. Full guidelines can be found here: http://bloodboundbooks.net/bloodboundbooks/submissions/

4. Sugar & Teeth: Halloween Nightmares (Corpus Press) – So full disclosure, I’m a Contributing Editor on this one, along with Evans Light, Adam Light, and Gregor Xane. I can tell you we already have some exciting stories lined up. First and for most, we’re definitely looking for a theme, that being Halloween stories – not stories that just happen to take place on Halloween but stories intertwining with the holiday. Stories can be from 4,500 to 8,500 words and submissions will be open through March 30th. Full guidelines can be found here: https://www.corpuspress.com/call-for-submissions/

I know there are lots others. Please feel free to let me know of them, and I will be sure to share. Happy writing!