Into the world of really bad submission guidelines

Over on the Analog Science Fiction and Fact discussion board, Greg Ellis mentions the "egregious submission and contract terms" found in the role playing game industry. For example, if you plan to submit a story to the Amarillo Design Bureau, publisher of a number of games based around the Star Trek universe, you should first read this paragraph in their guidelines:

"All submissions of new material are accepted ONLY under the following terms unless specifically agreed otherwise in writing in advance by ADB: All materials submitted immediately become the property of Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc. and may be used, modified, expanded, or changed as ADB, Inc., in its sole judgment, sees fit. (It is not sufficient to claim an exemption to these rules within a submission; you must obtain an exemption first.) All materials used will be credited to the original author to the extent of his original submission. All claims of copyrights to material created from or for use with this product are invalid as they are 'derivative' copyrights requiring our permission."

Personally, I wouldn't submit to any place that had such a statement in their submission guidelines. But that said, I also understand their point of view. First off, they don't have to allow unsolicited submissions. Second, since these are submissions to an already created fantasy and SF world (and in the case of Star Trek, one of the most famous SF worlds in existance), it's more than likely that there will be similarities both among different submissions and with stories already being produced but not yet published. Finally, already created worlds like Star Trek are covered by copyright, meaning anyone wanting to write in that world has to abide by their rules (despite the wishes of the Organization for Transformative Works, which believes that fan fiction is transformative and legitimate, a view I don't agree with). As ADB's guidelines state, works written within these gaming world are "derivative" and based on my experience with copyright law that's something which might hold up in court.

When I worked as a senior editor at a book publisher, I saw cases where authors submitted very similar stories merely because they were working with specific guidelines within a particular fantasy world. This likely happens even more in the gaming industry and so they put this statement up to protect themselves. But again, I personally wouldn't submit to anywhere that had such a requirement. But since these fantasy gaming worlds are these companies own personal sandboxes, if a writer wants to play in them they have to abide by the companies' rules.

Tobias Buckell on when to trunk your stories

Tobias Buckell has some excellent advice about when an author should stop submitting (or trunk) a story:

I use a couple things to figure out when to retire a story. As a writer ... you should obviously be growing enough each year that you look back at something you wrote a year ago and see flaws. If you're not looking back on even earlier writing and seeing how much better you are now, then you are not growing as a writer. You should be able to see how much your earlier efforts suck, but also, you should also be able to spot bits of polish and neatness. So the earlier work is easy for me to spot what's out of sorts.

If I don't obviously see why the work sucks so bad it shouldn't be submitted, the next metric I use is: has a work has exhausted all the markets I submit to? If so, then I retire it.

Tobias also mentions that of the 130 short stories he's written, he's published just over 30 of them and has trunked about 95. That gets us back to the best advice for any writer--keep writing. Some stories are simply going to fail. But what you learn from those failures will help you succeed in a new story further down the line.

Interzone challenge: Write an optimistic SF short story

Jetse de Vries has reprinted an essay he wrote for the BSFA's magazine for writers, Focus, discussing how optimism in SF appears to be dead. As Jetse writes, with only a few exceptions "In the last couple of years, SF short stories have been predominantly dark and pessimistic . . . it's almost as if it's forbidden to write an uplifting story." Jetse then points out part of the problem is that writing a convincing optimistic story is very difficult. He even quotes Gardner Dozois on the subject: "As someone who has written post-apocalyptic stuff myself, I can tell you that it IS easier. It's easier to write about how the current world went wrong than it is to come up with believable ways how the current world is going to survive and prosper (to say nothing of changing in unexpected ways)."

Jetse has also set a challenge for SF short story authors: "Write an ambitious story about how the future changes for the better: one that is convincing, as well. As realistic and plausible as you can get it. Then send it my way when I re-open Interzone for email submissions (probably May 2007, but keep an eye on our website and Ralan.com)

Stirring the banning pot at Clarkesworld

Nick Mamatas, editor of the excellent online magazine Clarkesworld, has over the last week banned several authors from ever submitting again, as featured in banned author exhibit one, two, and three (and for a special encore, author exhibit three responds to the banning on her own blog). I'd suggest people submitting to Clarkesworld or elsewhere read up on these exchanges because they are very educational with regards to what not to do when submitting your fiction. Nick also has some helpful suggestions on how Clarkesworld handles author revisions.

Million Writers Award almost here

storySouth's Million Writers Award will be up and running in about a week. I have the preliminary judges all lined up, but a few website programming issues are holding us up. This will be the fifth annual award and it promises to be bigger than ever. For those who don't know, this is an annual award for the best short story published online. The award has previously been highlighted by USA Today, the Utne Reader, and was the subject of a feature interview in Novel and Short Story Writer's Market.

How to depress a million short story writers

Jeff Crook, author of novels and stories and editor of Postcards from Hell and Southern Gothic Online, has decided to depress short story writers across the world. As Crooks states:

"It seems like every day, there are three or four new short fiction markets opening up, and five or six going out of business. Do people even read short fiction anymore, or does the short fiction audience mostly consist of aspiring short fiction writers? Aren't most subscriptions to short fiction magazines sold to writers trying to get published in said magazines?

"It seems to me that we are living almost exclusively off ourselves, feeding off our dwindling fat reserves until such time as public interest in short fiction magically revives -hey presto! I recently read somewhere that back in the days of Hemingway and Faulkner, these guys would sell a short story to a magazine like Harper's for the equivalent of a school teacher's yearly salary. Nowadays, if most writers didn't have non-writing jobs providing a trickle of new money into the publishing ecosystem through subscriptions and purchases of the yearly plethora of anthologies, I imagine almost the entire short fiction market would collapse."

While I am a lover of short fiction--both as a writer and reader--there is a lot of truth to what Crook says (and I've said some similar things in my own essays). That said, I'm more optimistic about the coming years than Jeff is, especially since short stories are so suited for reading on electronic devices like the Kindle e-book reader. I can easily see a short fiction renaissance waiting just around the corner. But I also know there's a fine line between being optimistic and naive, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. 

John Scalzi promises to destroy your writing career if...

Best-selling SF author John Scalzi has this advice for people thinking about falsely using his name to promote their wannabe writing careers: "Certainly if I found out someone was lying about my association with them, I would go out of my way to make sure everyone knew what a lying sack of crap they were. And at this point I have a fairly loud megaphone."

Scalzi's advice comes in response to Justine Larbalestier's wonderful post on asking people for blurbs for a new book. Tobias Buckell also weighs in on the subject of blurbing. The long and short of what these three top-notch writers say: Ask nicely, don't bother the author if they don't respond, and don't be a lying sack of crap.

UPDATE: John Scalzi also gives some excellent monetary advice to wannabe writers. His best financial suggestion: "get the hell out of New York/LA/San Francisco."

Science fiction story idea generator

Writer Julia H. West has created a science fiction story idea generator, something sure to outrage half the SF/F writers in the world while simultaneously pleasing the other half. Click on the generator's links and you will be given all the characters, plot ideas, and emotions needed to complete a story. For example, with a few clicks on the generator I came up with a story about a deformed baby in a monastery who is ecstatic about his job as a xenoarcheologist, perhaps because his wrist radio just informed him the plague is about to hit. I'm sure this story will hit all the best-seller lists!

From my snarky tone you may have picked up that I'm not a fan of this type of writing aid. But as something to play around with, the generator is loads of fun. (Hat tip to Omnivoracious for pointing me to Julia's generator.)

Essay: Is There Nepotism in Science Fiction?

Orson Scott Card 's InterGalactic Medicine Show published an excellent essay last month by Carol Pinchefsky called "Is There Nepotism in Science Fiction?" While I suggest anyone who submits to SF/F magazines and publishers read the essay, to summarize Pinchefsky's argument: While the SF/F community is small, nepotism by editors is self defeating. Still, it doesn't hurt to be nice if you meet an editor at a convention. After all, no one likes to purchase stories from raving lunatics who whine on and on about not getting published because of nepotism. (Disclaimer: That last sentence is not in Pinchefsky's essay, but should have been. :-)

Submissions as a screen for bad writers

(Note: This rant was previously published in storySouth.)

Consider this a dose of harsh medicine for wannabe writers. Consider this insight into how to become a professional writer and, alternately, how to eternally doom your stories to editorial limbo.

For six years now I've been editing storySouth, a literary journal focusing on Southern writers. I initially edited the fiction and nonfiction while my co-editor Jake Adam York edited the poetry. Whatever we were doing must have worked because storySouth grew to the point where we needed other editors to assist us. Now Scott Yarbrough edits storySouth's fiction, Dan Albergotti the poetry, while Jake and I continue on as overall editors and I still edit the nonfiction. If you read our guidelines or masthead, these facts are laid out for the world to see.

The problem is that far too many writers are not reading our guidelines, let alone our magazine. I know this because in the last week I've received nine fiction submissions snail mailed to my house. Our guidelines specifically state to e-mail submissions to the editors. Anyone who reads our ONLINE journal couldn't fail to note that gee, storySouth is an ONLINE journal! Perhaps they accept electronic submissions. Let me look at the guidelines. The answer: YES! And who edits the fiction? Why its a nice chap named Scott Yarbrough.

Obviously the writers who mailed these fiction submissions to me never even read our guidelines, let alone storySouth. They pulled up our listing in some print or online submission database and let loose their submissions. Several of them didn't even include SASEs for a response. Two asked that their stories be considered for storySouth's Million Writers Award, which is for PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED fiction (another fact these writers could have learned by doing even the most basic of homework).

Now comes the clincher. After looking through all these short stories mailed to the wrong editor without looking at our journal or guidelines, some without a SASE, all without a clue, one pattern becomes clear--they all stink. Not one of them is readable past the first paragraph. And that brings us to this simple truth about publishing: Good writers do their homework. Bad writers do not. If a writer can't be bothered to do even a bit of reading about the magazine or journal they are submitting to, know that the editor will see this. And editors know that the truth behind a lack of preparation on the part of a writer is that their story is likely bad, bad, bad.

Shirley Jackson Award for suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic

By way of Ellen Datlow's blog comes news of the Shirley Jackson Award for "outstanding achievementin the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic." There's not a lot of info up on the award website yet, but evidently the award "will be voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors. The awards will be given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology." Information on deadlines and how to submit works will be forthcoming.

Bad writers banned from submitting to Clarkesworld

Nick Mamatas, editor of Clarkesworld Magazine, has officially banned all bad writers from submitting to his magazine. The reason: an anonymous writer complained that Nick should "have a clue" before offering feedback on Mr. Anonymous' incredibly bad submission. Since Nick doesn't know who this writer is, he figures he'll just ban all bad writers from submitting to him. My experience with working the slush pile is similar to Nick's. Writers who overreact to editorial feedback tend to the very writers whose stories suck.

Review: 2008 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market

The 2008 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market (N&SSW) is now out from Writers Digest Books. While I'm of a mixed mind about the book's usefulness in actually submitting to fiction markets, I've decided to recommend it once again for both new and experienced writers.

First, the back story on my mixed recommendation. When I reviewed last year's edition, I mentioned that one problem overtaking the venerable market compilation is that online resources like Duotrope's Digest and Ralan's listing (which is specifically for speculative fiction writers) have overtaken N&SSW by offering free submission information that's more up-to-date than anything a printed book can offer. I especially like Duotrope Digest, which offers an easy-to-use online market and submission database. When I asked N&SSW editor Lauren Mosko if Writer's Digest Books was considering making all of N&SSW's listings available online, she said that "Free market resource sites like Duotrope's Digest are certainly on our radar, but we feel confident Writer's Market will remain the brand writers can trust." Lauren added that they were preparing for the upcoming redesign and relaunch of WritersMarket.com.

So it's now a year later. One very good change is that N&SSW began offering a nice blog, which contains market and other useful writing information. I highly recommend writers check out the blog on a regular basis. In addition, the updated Writersmarket.com has been launched. However, Writersmarket.com remains a subscriber based system which, in my opinion, doesn't offer enough extra information and ability above Duotrope Digest to justify the subscription cost of $29.99 for one year. In addition, purchasing N&SSW doesn't give you access to Writersmarket.com. So when you buy the book you're locked into an already out of date data set, at least with regards to market information.

However, I'm still recommending the market guide because editors Lauren Mosko and Michael Schweer have compiled an amazing collection of articles to aid both beginning or experienced writers. N&SSW once again features in-depth information on writing and submitting in genres such as literary fiction, mysteries, romance, and more; of particular interest to SF/F writers is an informative interview with author Kelly Link and John Joseph Adams' "Speculative Fiction: The Next Generation." For me, the authors interviews are the best part of N&SSW, especially since they give valuable insight into the business side of writing and help writers benefit from the mistakes and successes of others.

So if you're looking for a book which helps you write and submit a compelling story, along with giving useful advice from top authors in all fictional genres, this is a great book to own. But if you're purchasing N&SSW merely for the market listings, I suggest you give N&SSW a pass and move over to Duotrope.

Should newbies write novels or short stories?

Author S.L. Farrell says fledgling writers often ask him, "Is writing short stories first a good way to start 'breaking into' writing novels?" While you can read his response for yourself, the short answer is . . . maybe. Be sure to check out the comments on the post, where other writers are giving their own views on this question. Thanks to John Joseph Adams for first linking to Farrell's question and answer.

Everything you never wanted to know about submissions

So you've dredged up your soul and transformed it into 6,000 words of concise, literary, speculative fiction angst. Now all you need to do is publish the dang thing so the literary applause and money can roll in like a tsunami. Unfortunately, there's one problem standing in your way: The slush pile.

Yesterday I submitted a story to Interzone, a wonderful British science fiction and fantasy magazine. According to editor Jetse de Vries, so far this month he has received 276 submissions, totaling 1.3 million words of writing. 1.3 MILLION WORDS! That's equal to more than sixteen 80,000 word novels. Out of those submissions, Interzone may end up publishing five stories. If those odds don't scare you as a writer, then you are certifiable and shouldn't be writing fiction in the first place. Do the rest of us a favor and place your stories in an old filing cabinet so there's less competition. :-)

Seriously, every writer needs to know the odds they are facing. These odds apply to every fictional genre--be it literary fiction, SF/F, mysteries, or romances. But in the end, there's nothing a writer can do but keep writing his or her stories and submitting them again and again--no matter the odds.

SF/F, female writers, and that dang submission thing

The other day at Novacon in England, one of the editors from Interzone was told that their magazine wasn't "feminine friendly" enough (just FYI, that's the editor's choice of words, not mine). Evidently about 30% of stories submitted to Interzone are from women writers, which results in about 30% of stories published in the magazine being by women authors. However, this editor was evidently told that Interzone should receive about 52% of submissions from women.

First off, I question someone complaining because 52% of stories submitted to and published in Interzone aren't by women. The goal isn't to have a numbers-driven statistical parity between the sexes; the goal to make sure that all authors have their stories considered equally and that there is no discrimination by sex, religious affiliation, ethnicity and race, and so on. If 30% of submissions are from women and 30% or more of the stories the magazine publishes are by female authors, then the problem is with how many women are submitting SF/F, not with Interzone being hostile to female writers. This view appears to be born out by the fact that there are more women writing SF/F than are indicated by the number who submit their stories.

This issue has been discussed for a number of years and numerous efforts have been made to address the fact that fewer women submit science fiction short stories than men (such as the attempt by female writers to occasionally "submission bomb" certain SF magazines). For an examination of the issue, check out "SF and Fantasy in the New Millennium: Women Publishing Short Fiction" and an update to the article, both by Susan U. Linville and published in Strange Horizons. According to first article, "only 26% of the stories published in the Big Four print magazines in 2001 were written by women (Analog 13%, Asimov's 28%, F&SF 19%, and Realms of Fantasy 33%)" Linville's 2007 update then shows how the situation hasn't changed much in six years, with Analog now hitting 14%, Asimov's 25%, F&SF 20%, and Realms of Fantasy 48%.

In addition, the 2007 update states that "submissions by women varied greatly between magazines. Analog had the lowest submission rate, 18% of 239 submissions by women (men 72%, unknown 10%). F&SF, with 25% of 381 submissions by women (men 70%, unknown 5%), and Asimov's, with 27% of 200 submission by women (men 66%, unknown 7%), showed intermediate submission rates. Realms of Fantasy had the highest rate with 40% of 262 submissions from women (men 53%, unknown 7%)."

As Linville declares in her 2007 update, "It seems clear that overt editorial bias is not to blame for women's low representation in short fiction. Instead, lack of participation by women remains the clear villain." I agree with Linville's accessment and wonder why Interzone was singled out at that convention when it is obviously doing better than all but one of the "Big Four" SF/F magazines?

So what is the solution? I'm not sure. Two of the big four magazines have female editors at their helms (Sheila Williams at Asimov's and Shawna McCarthy at RoF). In addition, Strange Horizons now publishes a greater proportion of women's stories than they receive--in 2006, women accounted for 33% of submissions to Strange Horizons but 67% of published stories--which is the prerogative of that magazine's editors but seems  to me like merely bending over in the opposite direction rather than actually fixing the problem of why female writers don't submit as often as they could. As Linville write, "This type of encouragement from editors and writer's workshops may help, but in the end, it is the women themselves who must take the initiative."

Heinlein short story contest

The Heinlein Society has announced the Robert A. Heinlein Centennial Short Story Contest, with prizes of $5,000, $2,000, and $1,000 given "for the best original short stories reflecting the spirit, ideas, and philosophies of Robert Anson Heinlein." There is no entry fee and the deadline is June 1, 2008. More information available on their website. Needless to say, I imagine they'll receive quite a few submssions in the next eight months.

Mundane science fiction

The British science fiction magazine Interzone (which accepted one of my stories the other day) is taking submissions for their upcoming mundane science fiction issue. As Wikipedia states, mundane sf focuses on "on stories set on or near the Earth, with a believable useof technology and science as it exists at the time the story is written." This means no faster than light travel, psi power, nanobot technology, extraterrestrial life, computer consciousness, materially profitable space travel, human immortality, brain downloading, teleportation, or time travel. The submission form for the issue even has a checklist to make sure authors avoid those non-scientific items.

Novelist Geoff Ryman, one of the three guest editors of this special issue, published an essay about the mundane sf movement in the June 2007 New York Review of Science Fiction. Titled "Take the Third Star on the Left and on til Morning," the essay gives Ryman's view that too much of science fiction is based on an adolescent desire to run away from our world. While Ryman sees nothing wrong with this desire in and of itself (especially since the desire is rooted in the need of human children to eventually leave their parents' home), he notes that humans are not truly considered grown-up until they create a new home of their own. He says science fiction is big enough to take in both dreams--the dream of leaving home and the dream of making a home and becoming an adult. To Ryman, mundane science fiction focuses on this last aspect.

I'm working on a story to submit for the issue, which has created a good deal of angst in sf quarters. As one commentator stated on the Interzone forum, "I'm amazed people are having trouble with the very simple request by Interzone for no fake science." The sf community's nervousness with the whole mundane concept is probably a sign that there's something exciting going on in the mundane, everyday world of science fiction.