Mythological Style Fantasy question

For someone who loves fantasy, I'm not that knowledgeable on all of the splinter Genre.

My question is regarding the Market for Mythological Style fantasy. I consider Arthur, LOTR to be in that style.

I'm in the process of finishing off an extremely complex, long, and I hope interesting Epic Fantasy.

In the meantime, I saw that there are benefits for having a resumee before contacting an agent, and purposely wrote a magazine length fantasy, which I'd call a Mythological Style fantasy that is intended to introduce the story that I hope to submit this year. (Hoping that if the short is well received, that it will be easier to find an agent for the book one)

Does anyone know which magazine caters to that specific audience. The story is meant for a general audience, but I'm wondering if I should start where the fish are biting, but I'm ignorant to where that is?

I couldn't answer your question for which magazine would specifically cover that type of fiction, but you could try looking at Ralan.com and see what the editors describe themselves as looking for.

I'd like to answer your question, as soon as I understand it.

By "Mythological Fantasy" do you mean a fantasy set in an imaginary world?

If so, that's usually just called a fantasy. LOTR is high fantasy. Camelot is Arthurian Fantasy. Fantasy set in the modern world is contemporary fantasy.

There are markets for short fantasy. Check out Ralan.com

Realms of Fantasy is the biggie, but Weird Tales and Black Gate are two other good mags.

"High fantasy" and "heroic fantasy" are what you want to look out for. Realms of Fantasy and Black Gate are the two best fits. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction is also probably worth a try; they're perpetually overstocked on fantasy, but they respond quickly. Beyond that -- again, ralan.com.

You should be able to find RoF at most bookstores. F&SF is only a little more difficult to find. For Black Gate you may need to go to a specialty bookstore.

Unfortunately, there aren't that many markets interested in high/heroic fantasy these days, and those that are tend to be glutted. So you may end up with an agent before you find a publisher for your short story.

(Don't even get me started on finding a home for a story over 7500 words. It is to weep, I tell you.)

I guess it would be considered high fantasy by these definitions.

I appreciate the advice.

I'm think F& SF, because at least in the submission guidelines, they say they accept fairly large size stories compared to others.

My story can fit into "Other" categories as well. From looking at the markets, I'd say it isn't typical. Then again, lots of Sci Fi writers aren't typical. Then again, some are.

There are a few fantasy mags out there that take longer stories, 10K words plus. Then again, probably everyone who writes longer stories will be trying to get into them.

A few others that come up on my database are Alchemy, Aoife's Kiss, Fantastic Stories & Ideomancer, though I can't guarantee their quality/reputation. I think you can find them all on ralan.

Although not being typical and mixing genres is good artistically, it might be better to be clear what kind of story you've got when you're trying to sell it, especially if it's your first sale.

I admit, I'm weird. But I'm a man with a mission.

I appreciate your advice and it is good advice. I'm just not sure that is my destiny at this point. I feel a bit like Frodo with the ring at this point. It gets heavier the closer I get to my destination, but turning back isn't an option.

Teasingly, I could try explaining that I'm actually a character in a cosmic fantasy, and in the story, I'm destined to write a clever fantasy whose goal it is to change the world forever. But that would be a stretch.

But I will say this. My goal is not to be rich, although I wouldn't mind some comforts that finances afford. My goal is not to be famous, although I wouldn't mind some of the advantages it affords, in terms of open doors.

My goal is actually linked to my story, which is not simply to entertain, but to make someone want to get out of bed on a dreary day, when it seems like the world is overwhelming, and they are still not sure whether life is worth the living, because there's just something inside that book on the stand that is drawing them, compelling them, convincing them that there is still hope, even if their current destination seems a bit like Mordor.

It may seem grandiose, deep down I hope it's not. And this strange dream is what keeps me marching towards Mordor, with what looks to some like only a fools hope. And I'm not teasing about that, although it sounds like I'm waxing Poetic.

Re: I admit, I'm weird. But I'm a man with a mission.

I appreciate your advice and it is good advice. I'm just not sure that is my destiny at this point.

Click to expand...

I'm just now reading this thread and I can't help but wonder if a post has been lost or deleted because I honestly can't figure out who Nate is responding to, here.

Sorry to be a dunce, but would you mind clarifying this a bit for me, Nate? Which advice was diverting you from your destiny? (I wish is had a destiny. I'm jealous.)

Jen

P.S. Have you been following Andy Zack's thread, recently?

Re: detante

I was responding to Nyki's comment, Although not being typical and mixing genres is good artistically, it might be better to be clear what kind of story you've got when you're trying to sell it, especially if it's your first sale.

It was a long way of saying, "At this point it is what it is, even if it doesn't make sense to even try to publish it. For better or worse, I feel like I can't drop it and go back and try to make something that fits the mold of what the industry may want."

Re: detante

A-ha! Thanks for that. I know from other posts that you are a Tolkien fan. Do you read other types of fantasy, as well?

Jen

Yes

Yes, I read other fantasy, but I prefer old to new.

I just prefer the cadence. I like "The moral of the story" kind of things. When I was young I was a comic addict, and read all the Greek/Roman and Norse mythology I could read.

I love well done Allegory, since it is somewhat like a treasure hunt to figure out symbolism. I love metaphor.

I'm not famous. And it's yet to be seen whether or not I am "good", let alone "That Good". But when I read the mind behind Tolkien's works, I said, "Wow, I found someone who thinks like me!"

I'm not saying that in a sense of our writing styles, but in that he likes to embed hidden things in his story that you wouldn't get on a first read.

For instance, Elrond was a metaphor for the wisdom of the ages, something that Tolkien felt that the world was seriously devoid of. In both stories, people begin a mission in one direction, but it changes at the house of Elrond.

It was saying that wisdom changes our life's course, which is very deep.

Again, I'm no Tolkien, but I think metaphorically. When I write, I'll embed something in the story that is a metaphor.

I'm not sure the reader will get it, but I'd like to make them ponder it.

For instance, when I have someone going somewhere, they'll often be carrying baggage of some sort. And just before reaching the top of the mountain, or where they are going, their bags become exceedingly heavy. In fact, they are always forced to discard them before they can enter a place.

Often in my story, that place is a place of enlightenment. And the bags alway represents that which you hold onto which prevents you from reaching your destination. This is because there is often a cost to greatness, or to success, and frankly, you aren't given an option that everyone wants, that is to have your cake and eat it too.

So, the protagonist is always going to face letting go in order to move forward, or not being able to enter at all.

It's meant to be a deep concept. Anyone can get married, but not everyone is going to enter into emotional intimacy. If you want to get married, get a blood test and go to Vegas. If you want intimacy, you are going to have to make sacrifices, put off some things you might have done. You will have to put your relationship above your "games" so to speak.

Whether or not I get published, I don't know. But my desire is that the reader will find some enlightenment in the stories, and not simply entertainment. But the art is writing it to be so entertaining, that the story is also a place to zone out for those who are tired of being enlightened. A most precarious balancing act.

Re: Yes

Once you finish this one, do you plan to write anything unrelated to this project?

Other fantasy?

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Re: Other fantasy?

Nateskate, I think you might like the An Age of Heroes series when it comes out from Double Dragon Publishing. The first book is titled Protector of Seaswams. Mind you, it's not pure fantasy. It's a hybrid of fantasy and science fiction and I deliberately put a lot of hidden meanings in it.

Re: Other fantasy?

Dave, thanks for the heads up. Do you know when it is being released?

Re: detante

Do I plan to publish another? I took most of what I had already wrote, and somehow linked it to the same story line. So, if this succeeds, it's a deep well.

I don't use the term "Age" and have devised a different concept. Without being specific, it is an assigned set of time intervals from a particular perspective.

But since people understand the term "age" better, the trilogy (or series) takes place in the third interval, or third age.

However, apart from the trilogy, there are related stories. The primary one of these takes place in the present mythological day, and goes back and forth to what would be the equivalent of the second age. It starts with the unearthing of artifacts by an Archaeologist, of an age that had slipped into legend. And those artifiacts become clues needed to solve a present day problem.

Another story was not related. However, it sat dormant for many years, since about 1980. It was pure sci fi, and in the past few days I realized it would be easy to take that and adapt it to this story.

All of these stories are atypical. And I didn't even write them all in the same style.

But some day, I hope to do serious writing. I just decided to try to publish fiction first.

Re: detante

The first four of the series are scheduled for this year.

Re: detante

Great. Thanks for the heads up.

markets for nateskate

Have you checked out Deep Magic?

www.deep-magic.net/

Re: markets for nateskate

Thanks Betty.