Crime, Horror, Women, Science Fiction, Social Comment

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King Neptune

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I recently finished a story that involves a woman detective, cannibalism, aliens, and social comment. I have to rewrite, and I may drop the sciecne fiction angle, but the heart of the story regards missing person who are found to have been eaten by persons who claim to be, and may actually be, aliens, so there may not be actual cannibalism. My inclination is to regard the story as Horror and ignore the other facets, but is it more likely to be bought by a mag that specializes in a different sub-genre?
 
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Mutive

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Science fiction magazines regularly buy science fiction mysteries - so that isn't a problem there. I don't know the mystery market, so can't speak to it.

As for science fiction vs. horror, some science fiction magazines buy stories that could also be classified as horror - but a great many ask for nothing too gory or gruesome. So if the cannibalism is off screen, it may work for those magazines (in which case you could submit to horror + sf). But if there are entrails dripping blood, it's probably more horror than science fiction.

Of course you could submit to them all. The worst that happens is you're rejected...
 

King Neptune

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Science fiction magazines regularly buy science fiction mysteries - so that isn't a problem there. I don't know the mystery market, so can't speak to it.

As for science fiction vs. horror, some science fiction magazines buy stories that could also be classified as horror - but a great many ask for nothing too gory or gruesome. So if the cannibalism is off screen, it may work for those magazines (in which case you could submit to horror + sf). But if there are entrails dripping blood, it's probably more horror than science fiction.

Of course you could submit to them all. The worst that happens is you're rejected...

That's pretty much what I thought, but additional opinions can be useful.

I don't know much about the mystery magazines, but maybe I'll take a look.
 
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