Three paying markets for short pieces, a wide-open fiction zine, a queer book publisher, and a free contest for crime fiction

Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale to brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~Brian

The Cincinnati Review seeks prose and poetry. Pays $25 per page for prose; $30 per page for poetry. 

Deadline: March 15, 2017. Guidelines here.

Contrary Magazine wants commentary, fiction and poetry. Pays $20 per author per issue, regardless of number of works or nature of submissions. 

Deadline: March 1 for spring issue, June 1 for summer issue, Sept 1 for fall issue, Dec 1 for winter issue. Guidelines here.

Supposed Crimes Publishers seeks stories that feature lesbian or bisexual heroines across a variety of genres, including thriller, paranormal, mystery, military, western, fantasy, and science fiction. Sexual content is not a requirement, but a compelling emotional connection between women should be a primary focus. Pays royalties.

Acquitted Books – This is our “beyond Supposed Crimes” imprint, currently soliciting novels featuring gay male protagonists. Genre fiction and romances. We will also consider menage. Non-binary and trans characters are always welcome.  Pays royalties.

Guidelines for Supposed Crimes and Acquitted Books here.

Fairy Tales – A speculative Anthology: "We are looking for stories that feature lesbian or bisexual heroines across a variety of genres, including thriller, paranormal, mystery, military, western, fantasy, and science fiction. Sexual content is not a requirement, but a compelling emotional connection between women should be a primary focus." 2,500 – 15,000 words.

Pays $30 per story. Deadline: March 15, 2017. Guidelines here.

Hello, Brian.

 The Mesdames of Mayhem are 16 established crime fiction authors and editors who together support each other’s work and aim to promote Canadian crime fiction. We have released two anthologies of our stories to give readers a chance to get to know us and our writing: Thirteen (2013) and 13 O’clock (2015), both with Carrick Publishing.

Several of the stories have been short-listed for the Arthur Ellis Best Short Story Award and the Derringer. This year we are releasing our third anthology, 13 Claws.  Each of the stories is centred on an animal.  The animal may be real or fantastical and must be pivotal to the plot.

To encourage new writers, we are holding a free contest inviting anyone who has not yet published a crime fiction story to submit it to our editors. The winner or winner(s) will have their story published in 13 Claws, receive a free copy of the book and share in the royalties with the other contributors.

The deadline for submission is March 15, 2016.  Rules for submission may be found on our website at www.mesdamesofmayhem.com

 Many thanks,

M. H. Callway

Founder, Mesdames of Mayhem

“Fiction on the Web is a labour of love,” says editor/publisher Charlie Fish. “Every single story on here is hand-picked and carefully edited by me. I don’t have a staff, and I don’t make any money. I do this because I want to give authors a chance to get their work out there, and I love sharing great stories with the world.”

FICTION on the WEB is accepting short story submissions in the following genres:

·                 funny stories - for when you need a laugh

·                 creepy stories - to make your hair stand on end

·                 fantastic stories - orcs, swords, magic and fantasy

·                 futuristic stories - many worlds of science fiction

·                 criminal stories - crooks and detectives

·                 real life stories - everyday life and relationships

Full submission guidelines here.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.