Finding Markets

Where, oh where, can I submit
all these stories?

This past Saturday, Josh Pachter, fellow SleuthSayer Barb Goffman, and I were panelists for “The Keys to Writing and Editing Outstanding Short Stories!” hosted by the Sisters in Crime Grand Canyon Writers, moderated by Yvonne Corrigan-Carr, and attended by approximately 120 people. We had quite a robust discussion and answered several questions from the audience after we wrapped up the pre-planned portion of the presentation. The event was recorded. If you missed it, someone at Grand Canyon Writers (https://grandcanyonwriters.com/) should be able to direct you to the recording.

Rather than attempt to sum up everything we discussed (what, you missed the parts about the secret handshake and how to blackmail editors for fun and publication?), I’m going to focus on one topic that is raised every time I lead a presentation or participate in a panel discussion focused on short fiction, a topic about which there is never enough time to provide a detailed answer: how to find markets for your short stories.

THE USUAL SOURCES

The usual sources of market information were mentioned: The Short Mystery Fiction Society (in general and specifically the regularly updated market list), Duotrope, and The Submission Grinder.

There are other, similar resources as well, including Chill Subs, Poets & Writers, and Horror Tree.

FACEBOOK

There are Facebooks groups, such as:

Open Call: Speculative Markets - Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy

Open Call: Science Fiction, Fantasy & Pulp Markets

Open Call: Horror Markets

Open Call: Crime, Thriller, Mystery Markets

Call For Submissions: Quiltbag

Open Call: For The Love Of Horror

For Authors! Calls for Submissions

Open Submission Calls for Horror/Paranormal/Mystery/SciFi Writers

Open Submission Calls for Short Story Writers

And these aren't the only ones.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I follow many writers and publishers on Social Media—Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and Threads—and I regularly see posts about new markets and open calls, and I click on the links to see the full guidelines.

OTHER WRITERS

I share market information with other writers. If I see a market call for a type of story that I think fits within the range of stories one of friends writes, I send a link. They do the same in reverse.

SEARCH ENGINES

But here’s what I use more than any of the other sources: Google.

And how I use Google to find markets will probably work on other search engines as well.

In the address bar or search bar, I type:

“call for submissions” AND “short stories” -ai

“call for submissions” AND mystery  -ai

“call for submissions” AND “crime fiction” -ai

“submission guidelines” AND “short stories” -ai

“submission guidelines” AND mystery -ai

“submission guidelines” AND “crime fiction” -ai

And other variations of the above. (Note: -ai tells Google not to provide an AI-generated response.)

Then I go to the drop-down Tools menu and restrict the search to the previous week or previous month so I don’t see outdated submission calls.

GOOD LUCK

I do an intentional search approximately once a week so that I know what the new markets are well before submission deadlines.

Sometimes I have an existing story that fits a call, so I submit it. Sometimes a call generates an idea and I am able to write a story before the deadline, so I submit it. And sometimes a call generates an idea but I don’t finish the story in time, or I do and it gets rejected. Well, then I start searching for an alternative market.

If you use all of the suggestions I’ve presented, and use them consistently, you will find more opportunities than you will ever be able to take advantage of. But if doing this gets you to write a story you might not otherwise have written, or it leads to a sale to a publication you might never have otherwise known about, it’ll be worth your time and effort.

Good luck!

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“Satan’s Wings,” my latest story featuring Nathaniel Rose, a PI working out of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared in Black Cat Weekly #256.