Stuff to read

If you're looking for stuff to read, there's plenty to choose from this month.

The May issue of Roadrunner is up now, including two new haiku by Issa, with commentary and translations.

OG's Speculative Fiction #18 just went on sale. It's a special double issue, including a story by Bruce Golden and poetry by G.O. Clark. Download it for only 99 cents, or buy the paper copy for only $6.50.

The new issue of SP Quill just went out in the mail. It's the first issue since the magazine changed format -- now it's a perfect-bound paperback, full of the same great poetry, including cinquain by Deborah P. Kolodji and J.E. Stanley.

If you were considering buying David Dunwoody's zombie novel Empire, but didn't want to pay full price, now you can get a copy for only $8.20 from Amazon (45% off). It's a great book -- you can read my review of it here.

Just as a side note, the winners of the Balticon 43 Poetry Contest were recently announced. You can see the list of winners here, but I just thought it interesting that a haiku took an Honorable Mention.

Two markets

Neither of these markets is specifically seeking haiku or horror, but both are speculative, and it's been a slow week, so I thought I'd mention them anyway.

Residential Aliens: An online journal looking for "quality speculative fiction with a spiritual foundation." They want science fiction or fantasy stories, but nothing horror or R-rated. The current reading period is November-December. Payment is $1 (via PayPal) for fiction from 500-5000 words, plus a free link. Reprints and simultaneous submissions OK, and their response time is 1 week.

Silver Blade: "A quarterly journal of classic fantasy." They are still accepting works for their first issue (to be released at the end of November) but it looks like it will be quarterly online issues with a yearly print anthology. Looking for fiction from 100-4000 words, poetry, and artwork. Pays a flat rate of $5 per item, and they say they respond to submissions "within a couple of weeks."

Also, Abyss & Apex (which is currently open to fiction subs) will reopen to poetry submissions December 1st.

The holidays are fast approaching... if you're looking for a gift for that special writer in your life, check out my Out to Lunch Cartoons shop for mugs, postcards, journals, and other writing-related items featuring "Out to Lunch" cartoons from SP Quill Magazine. I've gone through recently and lowered almost all of the prices. (You can also get there from the ad towards the bottom of this page.)

Gifts for Writers

It's that holiday time of year again, which means eating lots of food, trying not to throw up egg nog, and buying lots of presents. If you're looking for a gift for that special writer in your life (or any writer in your life), check out my CafePress.com shop, featuring writing-related cartoons from SP Quill Magazine. I've tried to make the stuff as cheap as possible, 'cause if you're anything like me, money's hard to come by. Check back often, as I'll be updating the site with new items and cartoons whenever possible.