Market Research

pangalactic

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I know there's a "Where Can I Send This Story?" thread on the main forums, but I liked having the Market Research discussion board on the social group, so I'm starting a new one here.

First up, then. I have a story that's about 4k words long, about the man who manufactures dreams. He's dying and passing on his work to his heir, who doesn't know that that is what's happening until the very end. I'd say it's alternate universe light sci-fi with a smattering of weird fantasy - the dreams are clockwork constructs that inject some kind of fluid into the dreamer, and nobody dreams until their 7th birthday (I have no idea why that's important - I need to play in this world some more first).

The story has done the rounds of the pros (CW, Asimov's, F&SF etc.) and is currently at Shimmer. Assuming it gets rejected, where should I send it next?
 

Gray Rose

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First up, then. I have a story that's about 4k words long, about the man who manufactures dreams. He's dying and passing on his work to his heir, who doesn't know that that is what's happening until the very end. I'd say it's alternate universe light sci-fi with a smattering of weird fantasy - the dreams are clockwork constructs that inject some kind of fluid into the dreamer, and nobody dreams until their 7th birthday (I have no idea why that's important - I need to play in this world some more first).

The story has done the rounds of the pros (CW, Asimov's, F&SF etc.) and is currently at Shimmer. Assuming it gets rejected, where should I send it next?

Chizine and Lightspeed if you haven't yet. If it has clockwork, you might want to try the Mammoth Book of Steampunk (after all, why not)? DSF - again, why not? Let me know if this helps.
 

Nathaniel Katz

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If you haven't tried them, Fantasy and/or Lightspeed could be good choices when they open back up, along with Strange Horizons. For what it's worth, it sounds like a really interesting story.
 

Izz

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(as a side note: seeing as JJ Adams is now editor of both Fantasy and Lightspeed, he requests that if your story is rejected by Fantasy not to sub to Lightspeed, and vice versa.)
 

pangalactic

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I've subbed to Lightspeed and SH; I hadn't heard of Chizine and wasn't aware of MBS, so if Shimmer pass I'll try both of them! I don't think it will get anywhere with DSF - it's not off-the-wall enough and it's toward the top end of their accepted length (and I very rarely see them publish many long stories) - but then there's no point self-rejecting, so I'll certainly try them. Why I hadn't already is beyond me :/

Thanks!
 

alexshvartsman

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Just a quick note: DSF publishes one "longer" story per week - which is more than Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld, etc. when you think about it. Don't discount them as just a flash fiction market, they buy a decent chunk of longer fiction compared to anywhere else.
 

Gray Rose

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Just a quick note: DSF publishes one "longer" story per week - which is more than Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld, etc. when you think about it. Don't discount them as just a flash fiction market, they buy a decent chunk of longer fiction compared to anywhere else.

My biggest problem with DSF is that individual stories receive almost no attention from review venues. Even exceptional stories published at DSF seem to "drown" in the overall large volume of stories they publish. This is just my opinion, but I would try most other pro markets before DSF unless you are shopping flash; again, your mileage may vary.
 

pangalactic

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My biggest problem with DSF is that individual stories receive almost no attention from review venues. Even exceptional stories published at DSF seem to "drown" in the overall large volume of stories they publish. This is just my opinion, but I would try most other pro markets before DSF unless you are shopping flash; again, your mileage may vary.

I've thought this as well. It's the last pro market I sub to, and only then because the pay is really good. I subscribe to their daily email, and I must only read two or three of the stories they send a week, simply because I don't have time to read them all. My main priority with my writing is to have people read and engage with it; I don't think I'd get that so much from DSF.
 

AlwaysJuly

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Just a note for anyone who's interested in subbing to Narrative: the first two weeks of April are their "free submission" period; otherwise they charge $20 reading fee. So, early April is the only time I sub to them; I just sent mine in, and thought I'd drop a note for anyone else who is interested.
 

alexshvartsman

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Yup I sent them a story yesterday, but it's a story I've collected by far the most rejections with, so I am not holding my breath :)
 

Nathaniel Katz

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Fantastic news, I'll send them my next written or rejected horror. For a certain rejection, of course, but a new name on the slip will be interesting, if nothing else.
 

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The story has done the rounds of the pros (CW, Asimov's, F&SF etc.) and is currently at Shimmer. Assuming it gets rejected, where should I send it next?

If you don't find a current market that works out, it sounds like it might be a good fit for the Clockwork Phoenix anthologies, if they put out another one. Might be worth keeping an eye out for if all else fails.

-Suzanne
 

Alan Yee

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If you don't find a current market that works out, it sounds like it might be a good fit for the Clockwork Phoenix anthologies, if they put out another one. Might be worth keeping an eye out for if all else fails.

-Suzanne

I totally agree with this, having read the first two Clockwork Phoenix anthologies; the third is in my TBR pile. I'm not sure if Mike Allen will put out another one. First he needed to take a break from it, and then the publisher (Vera Nazarian of Norilana Books) started having serious financial problems that may affect whether she is able to publish another volume. I do hope the series survives to put one more volumes, whether from Norilana or another publisher.
 

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An FYI for anything submitting to One Buck Horror: the editor's name is Christopher Hawkins. I could not find this anywhere on their site, and so had to address the submission to the dreaded "Dear Editor" - but the acknowledgment email I received after my submission contained his name.
 

Nathaniel Katz

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An FYI for anything submitting to One Buck Horror: the editor's name is Christopher Hawkins. I could not find this anywhere on their site, and so had to address the submission to the dreaded "Dear Editor" - but the acknowledgment email I received after my submission contained his name.

Uh oh. I almost always use "Dear Editor(s)." It always felt vaguely rude to me to address it to the senior editor when a slush reader was going to be reading it, or a different editor (as prompted by Strange Horizons' guidelines). I'm now guessing this is a terrible, terrible mistake...

The only times I do it to the senior editor are with postal submissions, as I feel that those are more formal (if just because I had to hit print).
 

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Uh oh. I almost always use "Dear Editor(s)." It always felt vaguely rude to me to address it to the senior editor when a slush reader was going to be reading it, or a different editor (as prompted by Strange Horizons' guidelines). I'm now guessing this is a terrible, terrible mistake...

The only times I do it to the senior editor are with postal submissions, as I feel that those are more formal (if just because I had to hit print).
No, you're all right.

While i think it's a good idea to address an editor by name if you can (and if there's only one fiction editor), it's certainly not a deal-breaker if you don't. If i'm unsure, i typically put 'Dear Editor(s).'
 

shelleyo

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An FYI for anything submitting to One Buck Horror: the editor's name is Christopher Hawkins. I could not find this anywhere on their site, and so had to address the submission to the dreaded "Dear Editor" - but the acknowledgment email I received after my submission contained his name.

Thanks for that. Something about online magazines I find frustrating is that often they don't have a masthead or name listed on the about me/us page, just me and us and we. A couple of times I found editors' names through interviews online and such, but once or twice I've just started with Hello: or in the case of online form submissions, not used a greeting at all.

Nate, use a name if you have it. If you can't find it, well, you can't find it.

Shelley
 

alexshvartsman

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Nate

I am not an authority on this by any means, but I've been told to always address the submission to the most senior editor there (so for example you'd address your subs to Cat Valente at Apex, even though she will likely be the third person to read the story, if you are lucky enough to get that far). Then again, there are places that prefer "Dear Editor(s)" but they are few and far between.

While Duotrope does not generally indicate the editor's name, ralan.com does.
 

alexshvartsman

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Do you guys know which pro fantasy markets/editors might have a special fondness for urban fantasy?

I am hoping to finish the rewrite and submit "A Shard Glows in Brooklyn" somewhere tomorrow, but haven't decided on which market to target first. The story is a light adventure fantasy along the lines of Dresden Files or anything by Simon R. Green.
 

Gray Rose

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Do you guys know which pro fantasy markets/editors might have a special fondness for urban fantasy?

I am hoping to finish the rewrite and submit "A Shard Glows in Brooklyn" somewhere tomorrow, but haven't decided on which market to target first. The story is a light adventure fantasy along the lines of Dresden Files or anything by Simon R. Green.

Yes. Fantasy Magazine - although I am not sure what JJA likes. Ekaterina Sedia, when she edits Prime anthologies, has a UF preference. RoF would publish most anything, including UF. For light adventure fantasy, Fantasy is probably not the place, but at least it's very fast. Tor.com is worth a shot, but takes forever.
 

alexshvartsman

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Yes. Fantasy Magazine - although I am not sure what JJA likes. Ekaterina Sedia, when she edits Prime anthologies, has a UF preference. RoF would publish most anything, including UF. For light adventure fantasy, Fantasy is probably not the place, but at least it's very fast. Tor.com is worth a shot, but takes forever.

Thanks Rose!

Fantasy is on my list, but they are closed till May 1. I expect to fit in at least one rejection before then :)
 

Gray Rose

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Thanks Rose!

Fantasy is on my list, but they are closed till May 1. I expect to fit in at least one rejection before then :)

If you expect to fit in a rejection before May1, hen your choice is between F&SF and CW. Unless you like rejecions, I wouldn't send a light story to CW.

In general, light stories are harder to place at pro level.

Best of luck!