Monday, September 27, 2010

A Kinda Horror Story


Anyone out there dabble in horror?

I've just finished writing a kinda horror story--although I couldn't help myself from knocking someone off. It's not bone-chilling horror and it plays on a previous horror novel. Not fan-fic, but sort of an homage.

Any idea where to send it? I can go to Duotrope, but sifting through each zine to see what they like is tres time-consuming. I'm not looking to knock on the big boys doors, just a middling sort of place. Online probably since I don't have the patience to wait three to six months to hear. Any ideas from horror fans out there?

Thanks.

15 comments:

Loren Eaton said...

Well, there's ChiZine and Weird Tales. For audio markets, there's Pseudopod, which is excellent.

Chris Rhatigan said...

I started writing some horror-ish stuff too lately. Weird Tales is excellent but crazy selective--check out their Duotrope figures, like less than 1 percent acceptance if I recall correctly.

Flashes in the Dark and Microhorror are both great, though both (obviously) for shorter stuff. Dark Valentine is new (and awesome) and takes horror in addition to mystery and fantasy.

Fred Zackel said...

I just uploaded a 20,000-word horror piece on Kindle -- couldn't find any other markets. Now I got an 8,000-worder ... and still ...

Paul D Brazill said...

Dark Valentine.And Pulp Metal are very open to horror.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Fred, you downloaded it yourself? I can't even figure out how to play something on audible.com on my kindle. Even though I downloaded the audible.com. Keeps asking for my password and such, which I never gave it.
I have a story in December issue of Dark Valentines but thanks for the other ideas. Chi Zine and Pulp Metal look promising.

C. Margery Kempe said...

You do know about Ralan.com -- source for markets of many stripes?

Todd Mason said...

And not all paper markets are slower than all electronic markets...F&SF's Gordon Van Gelder tries and in my experience succeeds in getting back to contributors with a week or three.

Without reading the story, I would hesitate to guess which would be the best target market...but I would be guessing on behalf of the editors anyway. Horror, particularly, doesn't have Too many stuffy magazines run by folks who would be offended by one's effrontery...and those are often amateurs editing ezines.

Todd Mason said...

Why a woman w/dog in supermarket, btw?

Charles Gramlich said...

A quick Google of horror markets would probably give you a bunch of midlist hits. A good market for subtle horror is Fusing Horizons

pattinase (abbott) said...

I know I had some reason for that picture when I took it months ago, but I don't remember why now.
Thanks for the new ideas. I need an outlet that is not for top writers. More like new writers in the genre.
Here's the premise: what is Danny Torrance like 35 years later. Of course, I make him a different character but not different enough so you won't get the homage.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Todd-She's reading.

Anonymous said...

Patti: What about Plots With Guns "slasher issue" deadline is mid-october????

Todd Mason said...

This excessive modesty never helps. You never know when a "top" editor will take a story...my first, a fantasy, was rejected by a number of mayfly littles/semipros (and by F&SF) but accepted by Algis Budrys for TOMORROW and paid for at a reasonably handsome rate (certainly more than what F&SF would've paid, most likely), when that magazine was announced.

Todd Mason said...

But if there's a single magazine that loves all things Kingly, SHINING or otherwise, even more than the others in the horror field, it's CEMETERY DANCE...which, sadly, is probably as overstocked as WEIRD TALES, given how infrequently either is published of late.

CHIZINE, APEX, and CLARKESWORLD should be tried, if you have any confidence in the story at all, among the webzines. I suspect your approach is a lot fresher than a lot of King's own have been...and you are not a beginner any longer.

Todd Mason said...

Reading a cereal box, but she's cute enough for the George vote, I suspect, and mine.