Write sci-fi for money.

[DurfBarian]

John Scalzi is:

seeking fiction and non-fiction submissions on the theme of Science Fiction Clichés. SF only (no fantasy). First world serial rights, 5-7 cents (US)/word. Up to 5,000 words for fiction, up to 3,000 words for non-fiction (some leeway for longer but not much). Submit full fiction, query non-fiction. Electronic Submissions ONLY, plain text e-mail (NOT html, no attachments), to "submissions@scalzi.com." Submissions/queries will be accepted ONLY between 10/1/05 and 11/1/05. Will respond by 12/31/05. If you're reading this short version, PLEASE read longer version before submitting: http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/003471.html
Looks like it could be an interesting project to take on. A nice way to get both published and paid, if you're good. Being sci-fi it might not fit in at the dii.net forum, but I think some of the folks here are flexible enough to try it.

[0xDEADCAFE]

Well, I did it. It required a full-weekend press and the burning of a vacation day, but I finally managed to finish something that I wasn't too ashamed of to submit. My thanks to Durf for posting the link. :thumbsup:

In case it is of general interest, here is the text of the automated email response that I received. (When the rejection notice comes, I'll post that too.)


Dear writer:

Hi! This is to let you know that your submission to Subterranean Magazine's
Spring 2006 issue has made it safely to the editor's mailbox. You need not make
any further queries as to whether it's been received. Here's what happens now:

1. The editor will read the story soon, but it is unlikely you will hear from
the editor as to the status of your submission before the tenth of December,
2005. The editor asks for your patience.

2. If you don't know the submission's status by the 5thof January, 2006, you may
query about it here.

4. If you've not heard from the editor by 1/15/06, feel free to call him a big
fat stinky jerk and to submit your work to other venues.

The editor respectfully requests that you do not send non-submission e-mail to
this address at any date prior to January 5, 2006, and that after that date you
send only queries concerning the status of your submissions.

Thanks for your submission!

Sincerely,

The response bot for Subterranean Magazine.

[DurfBarian]

Nice! Best of luck to you with that. :)

EDIT: If you don't get tapped, are you going to shop your piece around elsewhere, or just slap it up here in a couple months for our amusement? :teeth:

[0xDEADCAFE]

If you don't get tapped, are you going to shop your piece around elsewhere, or just slap it up here in a couple months for our amusement? Hmmm.... Until you asked, I hadn't really considered anything other than the latter.

But "in for a penny, in for a pound," ey? Shopping it around is something to think about, if only for the experience of doing so. Of course, there is also the likelihood of repeated hope-dashing and ego-pounding to consider. At this point I just plum don't know, pardner. Since I've got several several weeks to think about it, I think I'll just hem and haw for a while.... :scratch:

[Snowglare]

Hmmm.... Until you asked, I hadn't really considered anything other than the latter.

But "in for a penny, in for a pound," ey? Shopping it around is something to think about, if only for the experience of doing so. Of course, there is also the likelihood of repeated hope-dashing and ego-pounding to consider. At this point I just plum don't know, pardner. Since I've got several several weeks to think about it, I think I'll just hem and haw for a while.... :scratch:

What are egos for but flogging? You could always take the Harlan Ellison route and assume that anyone who can't see your brilliance is a &^()$^ idiot. ;)

[0xDEADCAFE]

As promised, the ineluctable rejection letter. Fine fellow, this Mr. Scalzi, he lets the axe fall with a velvety touch.


Dear Mr. --------:

Hi there.

I'm sorry to say I am going to pass on your submission to Subterranean Magazine. This edition of the magazine had several hundred submissions, all of which competed to fill a 60,000 word budget. The sheer number of submissions means that I regrettably have to turn away most stories, including many that could and should be published elsewhere.

It is my sincere hope your story finds a home elsewhere, and that its success in that venue causes me to kick myself silly for letting it get away.

Until then, all the best for your success in writing, and in your other endeavors.

Best,

John Scalzi
Guest Editor, Subterranean Magazine

As for what I'll do with it next...Running a few more submission gauntlets might be more beneficial in the long run, but it's a lot more fun to post here and hope for some friendly comments. So, I think I'll probably do another quick edit and then do that, with the usual claim of "...but it's just a first draft!" :lol:

[RevenantsKnight]

As promised, the ineluctable rejection letter. Fine fellow, this Mr. Scalzi, he lets the axe fall with a velvety touch.

Aw...that's too bad, man. At least he wasn't too evil about it, I guess...


As for what I'll do with it next...Running a few more submission gauntlets might be more beneficial in the long run, but it's a lot more fun to post here and hope for some friendly comments. So, I think I'll probably do another quick edit and then do that, with the usual claim of "...but it's just a first draft!" :lol:

Heh, either way's good, I'd say. If you do keep it off the forums for a bit while shopping it around, best of luck with that. If not, well, I'll just pretend that I don't know it's a (n+1)th draft...:D

[Snowglare]

Yay, form letters.


Running a few more submission gauntlets might be more beneficial in the long run

I'd do that. All it can hurt are your feelings. And if it does get published, you can pretend Scalzi really is kicking himself over not accepting it, which is good for a laugh.

[DurfBarian]

Yeah, try a few other places. On this very theme, Scalzi writes this:

http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/003892.html


I will say this much: As I was reading, I put all the stories in a master document file and did a triage of the stories by changing their font color after I'd read them. Changing the font color to blue meant I definitely wanted it, green meant I wanted to think about it more and red meant, well, you can figure out what red meant. When I was done looking at the stories, there was a lot of red (this is to be expected), but there was a surprising amount of green and blue in there as well. A number of the "blue" stories I couldn't take -- those are ones I think will have no problem finding a home elsewhere. And I think the "green" stories could have a pretty good shot, too.

[0xDEADCAFE]

Hey Durf, thanks for that link to Scalzi's site. There's some interesting posts there, like one that mentions a new bimonthly, on-line SciFi magazine called Jim Baen's Universe. Here's a link to its submission guidelines page:

http://www.baensuniverse.com/subguide.html

It says they would like to introduce two new authors each issue and that work previously posted to fansites is A-OK. The pay rate is pretty decent too (at least compared to what Scalzi was offering.) Dust off those old TDL submissions fellas, it's clobberin' time!

[tamrend]

Honestly, the pay rate is actually very good. In general, there's not a lot of money in short fiction. People usually publish there either to build up their resume, for personal satisfaction, or a bit of extra pocket change. Very few people get rich writing stories (but a number of people manage to make enough to commit to it full time).

[Disco-neck Ted]

Sorry "Wormhole" didn't get in. Sounds like you had tough competition there.

Thanks for the link!

[DurfBarian]

http://www.baensuniverse.com/subguide.html

It says they would like to introduce two new authors each issue and that work previously posted to fansites is A-OK. The pay rate is pretty decent too (at least compared to what Scalzi was offering.)
Note that the rate table on that page is for commissioned work, not for unsolicited/new author submissions. (I couldn't see any info on that site about rates for that work.)

[DurfBarian]

http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/004041.html

The cover is out for the SF cliché issue of the magazine. It's good stuff.

[DurfBarian]

The entire issue of Subterranean #4 is available for free download as a PDF. Go get it (http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/2006/10/01/the-wreck-of-the-mary-byrd-an-online-penny-dreadful-by-cherie-priest/) and see the stories that made it in!

[The Last Melon]

Did anyone from this forum get in?

[0xDEADCAFE]

The entire issue of Subterranean #4 is available for free download as a PDF. Go get it (http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/2006/10/01/the-wreck-of-the-mary-byrd-an-online-penny-dreadful-by-cherie-priest/) and see the stories that made it in!Durf, thanks a heap for the heads-up and link. There's some great stuff in there. So far for me the most memorable image is of a trench coat trying to dry-hump a shag carpet. But four William Shakespeares sitting together on a divan munching popcorn comes close. I haven't read through them all yet, but I suspect I will. Thanks again.