Talebones, some random stuff

As many of you have probably heard, Talebones will be shutting its doors (at least temporarily). It's sad to see such a great magazine go. Patrick Swenson has always been professional and easy to work with, and Talebones was certainly one of the best dark fantasy magazines out there. You can pick up a copy of the last issue, #38, for just $5 post-paid.

My story "Change" is part of the July issue of A Fly In Amber, a cool online journal I just discovered recently. Read all of this month's stories and leave comments on any you like or don't like. The magazine is open to submissions and pays $10 per story.

If you're looking for a copy of any Writer's Market book, get out your wallet now. The 2010 edition is currently on sale at the Writer's Digest Shop for a measly $19.79, and you can get the 2010 Poet's Market for the same price. If that's not cheap enough for you, you can get the 2009 Poet's Market for $13.99 (the same price as the 2009 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market). Not sure how long these prices are good for, so if you're gonna buy one of these books, do it soon.

If you want one of these books but don't have the cash right now, consider entering ReadMe Publishing's science fiction contest. There will be three prizes of $50, $25, and $10, and best of all, no entry fee. Unpublished stories only (up to 5000 words) but simultaneous submissions are accepted. The deadline is August 31st.

Used Addictions, some fiction markets

If there are any comic fans out there, Chris Reed (horror writer and former editor of Theatre of Decay) has just released issue #1 of his new comic, Used Addictions. The comic follows a cigarette butt, an empty wine bottle, and a used condom on there adventures throughout Detroit, and it's pretty darn funny. If you're one of the first 10 people to email Chris and agree to give him a quote about the comic for his website, he'll send you a free copy of the first issue. If you don't want to give him a quote or if you're not one of the first 10, you can still buy a copy for only $3 at the Used Addictions website. If you want more information, I posted a review of the comic here. (And if you're tired of me starting my sentences with "If," then you're probably not alone.)

Here are some speculative markets that are currently open to submissions:

- Brain Harvest: Pays 5 cents per word for short speculative fiction (under 750 words). Reprints OK but are paid at a lower rate. No simultaneous submissions.
- Lone Star Stories: Open to reprints and simultaneous submissions of fiction and poetry. Pays $20 per story and $10 per poem.
- Talebones: Looking for unpublished dark fantasy (with a supernatural element) as well as science fiction stories, up to 6000 words. Pays 1-2 cents per word for fiction and $10 for poetry. No simultaneous submissions.
- Zahir: Wants "well crafted speculative fiction." Accepts reprints and simultaneous submissions, and pays $10 plus 2 contributor's copies for stories up to 6000 words.

Contributor copies... a poor man's best friend

Got some contributor copies this week, so now i have something to read (in between Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, Selected Poems of Langston Hughes, and Holocaust Poetry).

Talebones #36 has apparently been out for a while now, but thanks to the USPS I just got my copy this week. It's a great issue, full of the likes of James Van Pelt, Paul Melko, and Mikal Trimm. Talebones, in my humble opinion, is one of the most consistently good dark fantasy magazines out there.

Also arrived this week is issue #103 of the recently-revived Space & Time. The editors were kind enough to include my poem (a tribute to Ray Bradbury) in this issue. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the cover and lineup look great.

For those of you haiku lovers out there, the new issue of paper wasp is out, and it's as filled with quality poems as ever. There are a few poems by Fran Masat, Carolyn Cordon, and Amitava Dasgupta that really stand out.

Not a contributor copy, but I did receive in the mail from talented writer and poet Tony Bernstein a copy of the new Tales of the Talisman. Tony wrote a very favorable review of my chapbook, Bits & Pieces, so buy a copy of the magazine and check it out (or buy a copy of my chapbook -- or both).

All of these magazines are currently open to submissions, except Space & Time, which is taking a short break but should reopen soon.

Talebones #35

If you're trying to decide which small-press horror/sci-fi/dark fantasy magazine you want to try out this month (other than Black Petals, which by the way did I mention will be spotlighting my chapbook Bits and Pieces in their next issue?), you should check out Talebones.

The summer issue promises to be a strong one. Editor Patrick Swenson has made Talebones into a high-quality magazine, and the line-up for #35 looks like this issue will be no exception -- fiction by big names like William F. Nolan, Darrell Schweitzer, and Mary Robinette Kowal, and poetry by Spec House of Poetry's own Kendall Evans.

Kendall's chapbook, Poetry Red-Shifted in the Eyes of a Dragon, is currently the #1 bestseller over at Spec House Distro. It's some fine poetry from one of the genre's finest poets, and a great chapbook to add to any collection.