High-paying poetry markets

Poetry doesn't usually pay particularly well, but this is one area where speculative writers can make more than their mainstream counterparts. Here are some science fiction/fantasy/horror markets that pay top dollar for good poems.

- Basement Stories: Basement Stories pays $30 per science fiction or fantasy poem. The editors will accept both simultaneous submissions and reprints, as long as you let them know when you submit. There are no set reading periods; the magazine is open to submissions year-round.

- OG's Speculative Fiction: OG's will pay $10 per speculative poem. No simultaneous submissions or reprints. They buy first rights for a period of three months.

- Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine: ASIM pays A$10 per poem, which is pretty close to US$10. They want light speculative poems rather than dark ones, and they don't accept simultaneous submissions. Contributors will also receive a copy of the issue containing their poem.

- ChiZine: ChiZine pays $10 per poem, with a preference for speculative poems that relate to their theme of "treatments of light and shade in words." No simultaneous submissions or reprints. The magazine is currently closed to submissions; check their guidelines page for updates.

Some open markets

Writer and editor Mark Crittenden is currently reading for a vampire fiction anthology titled Their Dark Masters. Submissions are open until January 15th for stories 4000-7000 words long, and all contributors will receive a copy of the book.

Ghostlight will be closing to submissions August 31st, so if you plan on submitting anything to that one, hurry. Ghostlight pays $5 per story and $4 per poem.

Basement Stories is currently open and looking for submissions. They pay a penny a word for fiction and $10 per poem, and they'll accept both simultaneous submissions and reprints.

If you need to buy anything from the Writer's Digest online store, you can get free shipping on your order until August 31st. Use the coupon code WDS161 when you check out.

Deadlines, Calvin & Hobbes vs. Fight Club

Dark Discoveries and Basement Stories, two paying speculative magazines, both close to submissions June 1st. It may seem like a long time away, but it'll creep up on you.

Here's an interesting page for any Calvin & Hobbes or Fight Club fans. Galvin P. Chow has written an essay titled "I Am Jack's Younger Self: The Secret Connections between 'Fight Club' and 'Calvin and Hobbes' REVEALED!" It sounds silly, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The writer has put a lot of thought into it, and there are a lot of similarities that I never would have otherwise thought about. It's definitely an interesting read.

If anyone doesn't already have a copy of Bill Higginson and Penny Harter's Haiku Handbook, Kodansha International has just released a 25th Anniversary Edition that is currently only $12.24 at Amazon. This is definitely one of those books that you'll read through and want to keep, because you'll refer back to it often.

stuff to read & a paying speculative market

For your reading pleasure...

Empire author David Dunwoody was recently interviewed over at DarkMarkets, and it's quite a good interview. The re-released version of Empire is available from Amazon for $10.20.

Subscribers should be receiving the new issue of Lilliput Review (#171) any day now, along with the new broadside, 15 Poems by Ed Markowski. I haven't read the issue of Lilliput yet, but Ed's broadside is a great collection of 15 short poems. Non-subscribers can pick up a copy of either for a buck -- details on the Lilliput Broadsides page.

Basement Stories is a relatively new speculative journal that publishes fiction, poetry, and art. They'll consider previously published works as well as simultaneous submissions. Payment is 1¢/word for fiction and $10 per poem. (Rates are not set yet for artwork.)

Haiku fans should check out Temple Cone's sort-of sequel to Basho's famous autumn/crow haiku, which was posted on DailyHaiku last Friday.